Store's flock of flamingos tickles passe rs-by

"We've created something I don't think we can stop," says store manager Kurt Pekar who, on this particular day, has 24 flamingos on the lawn, some with boogie boards, all facing an inflatable killer whale crawling out of the shimmering, rain-filled ditch. "I don't think people would let us."

The problem: Arranging the lawn-kitsch birds with themes in mind, then taking this lark seriously enough to change their positioning, and props, every morning for the rush-hour crowd. One day in December, when employees didn't bother to put the flamingos out in a new scene, the store was buried in phone calls.

Pekar says he isn't sure how much extra business the roadside attraction has generated. But this much he does know: "I'm selling the daylights out of flamingos now. They're one of our top items."