Melvin "Pop" Thayer's garden of wind-driven whirligigs sat on post tops alongside the road. Discarded items used as ornaments — toys, dolls, model cars, lawn decorations, plastic cows, ducks, flamingos and action figures — bring life to the mechanically animated pieces. Here, an airboat heads into the wind causing its propeller to spin; there, a two-dimensional Wildlife Patrol officer points his gun toward the sky. Nearby, a Ferris wheel made from the spokes of a wheelchair stands next to a merry-go-round on which a Felliniesque party is in progress.
When Pop began collecting Social Security, he started growing his metallic garden. The sculptures were complexly designed and cut from scrap aluminum. More matter of factly than proudly, Thayer pointed out that there are no blueprints for his creations. "I think something up and see if I can make it," he said. After a moment's pause, he added, "Movement makes them more attractive than if they sit there."