The Fergus Falls Daily Journal

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Snowman Hijinx

An inflatable snowman in a recycling pile multiplied into a driveway full of snowmen for Phil and Denise Nelson, Fergus Falls.

When the couple attempted to pull into their driveway Sunday as they returned from vacation, 15 snowmen — call them the frozen chosen — were there to greet them. Knowing the instigators behind the prank — Phil’s co-workers in the city street/public works department — the couple wasn’t shocked.

“It’s an ongoing joke between my husband and his coworkers,” Denise said. “At some point, someone found an inflatable snowman (now known as Frosty) and it shows up mostly when someone goes on vacation.”

“Frosty was found about a year ago by a recycling guy who works with Phil,” his co-worker, Dave Christianson, explained.

Since then, Frosty has been found glued to an outhouse seat in a cabin, tied to a four-wheeler in Montana and nailed to roofs.

“I almost cringe when I tell them at work that I’m going on vacation,” said Phil, who does residential recycling for the city, “because I know Frosty is going to show up.”

Since the Nelsons traveled to Mexico earlier this month and returned Sunday from Florida, Phil’s friends decided it wouldn’t do to simply plant Frosty on the front lawn; he needed some friends as well.

“Because he took two vacations in one month,” Denise said, “they decided to get him real good.”

And so it came to be that a congregation of snow people was created on the Nelsons’ driveway.

Showing no shame, the culprits recruited the assistance of Phil and Denise’s daughters, Kelsey Nelson, 19, and Alisha Helgeson, 26, and Denise’s brother, Dan Sillerud, all more than willing participants. The big build took place Saturday.

“They just called us up and said, ‘Wanna make some snowmen?’” Kelsey said. “There were about 10 of us. It took us from about 12:30 p.m. to around 2 p.m.”

Ironically, Phil attempted — to no avail — to stow Frosty safely out of site before he left on his trip.

“I had him hidden in the garage, but they found him,” he said.

That’s because Dan — turning on his own brother-in-law — spilled the beans about Frosty’s whereabouts, landing Frosty about 40 feet high in a tree.

“They used a 40-foot ladder to get Frosty up they,” Alisha said. “Then they sent dad on a scavenger hunt to find him.”

“I don’t know how I’m going to get him down,” Phil said, “but I’ve got to” for when the next person goes on vacation.

For Kelsey, the most enjoyable part of the prank was “thinking about what Dad was going to think when he saw it.”

Alisha was on hand to witness her parents’ reaction.

“They laughed the whole time,” Alisha said. “They were shocked, but they liked it a lot.”

“The look on their faces,” Dan said. “They laughed. Phil said this is going to be a tough one to top.”

“I think they did an excellent job,” Denise said. “They were all dressed with ears and eyes and noses. We can’t get in the driveway, but they’re so darn cute.”