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One couple in Plains decided to take a negative and make it a positive, taking something they believed was appalling and making it attractive.

Bruce and Paula Dimond moved into their new home on Railroad Street at the far eastern part of Plains in October. They knew there was work to be done on the 69-year-old house, but they agreed that the carved horse next to the driveway had to go. "Whoever lived here must have liked chainsaws," said Paula of the 3-foot, 11 1/2-inch tall horse, which obviously had been made from the tree that had been there.

"It was hideous," said Paula. However, Bruce's chainsaw was at their son's house and they just didn't get around to it. One day, shortly before Halloween, Paula decided to throw a white sheet over the horse just to hide it. A short time later, she decided that with the spooky holiday approaching, she'd put big black eyes on it and make it a ghost. The horse remained and on Christmas, it donned a Santa cap and a Rudolph red nose. Last week, the couple decided to give it a patriotic theme in honor of Independence Day and put a modified Uncle Sam hat on it, along with a red, white and blue necklace, patriotic pinwheels, and a couple of American flags.

"It's become a thing with us and now people expect us to do something. And we have. It was dressed in bunny ears, fairy wings and a tutu at Easter. At the start of hunting season last year, Bruce attached deer antlers - backwards - to the horse's head. "I couldn't believe it, I put the antlers on it and right away there were six deer out there around it," said Bruce.

On Mother's Day, the horse got pregnant, complete with a soccer ball beneath its dress. Later that day, she had a baby girl, said Paula, who also used the horse to count the days till spring. Starting at 20 days out, each morning she stapled the number of remaining days on the front of the carving and on the first day of spring, she had the horse holding a "Welcome Spring" sign. "He's perfect for holding a sign. I'm thinking about renting him out," said Paula, who is thinking about future themes, dressing it up for fair or for Plains High School fall sports.

The Dimonds don't know who carved it or why, but Paula said she'd like to know more about it. "It's a positive and fun thing for when people come into town," said Paula. "People that drive by look to see what we've done."