The Brightside: A Yard Full Of Smiles Along The Georgetown-Lewes Trail

LEWES, Del. — One unique home along the Georgetown-Lewes Trail is bringing smiles in an unexpected way in the newest edition of The Brightside, sponsored by Choptank Electric Cooperative.

Along the Georgetown-Lewes Trail, walkers and cyclists expect to see trees, wildlife and open skies. What they may not expect is a skeleton on a motorcycle, a towering Bigfoot or a yard full of quirky creations that stop people in their tracks.

The owners of the yard, Geraldine Zweigle and Ray Zweigle, say the creativity comes naturally.

“He comes up with these crazy ideas sometimes. Like the bird cage — I’m like, I just bought it so I can put something else in there. But he made it a bird cage with a cat instead,” Geraldine Zweigle said.

Think mannequins with pink wigs, garden gnomes and even a

. The possibilities of what you might see here are endless.

So how do they come up with it all?

“She more dresses them for the season. I just do Christmas and Halloween. That’s the big ones for me,” Ray Zweigle said.

Between a designer and an artist, their ideas run wild.

“Someone had an antique store, had the upside-down legs, but he added the flowers and everything because I was going to put Elvis socks on it,” Geraldine Zweigle said.

Their backyard didn’t always look like this.

“Before I met Ray, my yard was plain. I never did anything really because I never really came out here. It was always dark and stuff,” Geraldine Zweigle said.

Now the yard is anything but plain or dark. Mannequins wear red, white and blue tutus, colorful flowers spin in the wind and bubbles float through the air for passersby to pop.

For the Zweigles, it’s all about creating a reason to smile.

“We just enjoy people smiling. The world’s grumpy enough as it is. If you can turn a frown upside down and make somebody smile, that’s what life is all about,” Ray Zweigle said.

Do you have any Bright ideas? Email us at newsroom@wmdt.com