Neighbors look forward to the lovely ladies of Cobden Road

By Louise Rachlis

If they’re not out for each change of season, people come to Janet Plebon’s door and ask where “the girls” are.

For nearly 20 years, Mrs. Plebon, 69, has been decorating her six “circle of friends” on her front lawn at 1138 Cobden Road in the west end.  “The costumes usually last about three years, but the Christmas ones get changed more often, because the weather is cold, and the squirrels chew on them. They take the fabric to make nests.”

She even made a Santa Claus suit to protect what used to be a little tree, which has now grown much bigger. Then she made the tree into an ice cream cone, with a burlap bottom.

A sem-retired professional seamstress, she buys all her material at Fabricland and sews the costumes herself.

Her first creations were the ghosts of Halloween, dancing around a witch. Then came Christmas, with “the girls” sporting little red cloaks and white fur scarves, around a lit up Christmas tree in the middle.

Easter’s next, in costumes of different hues of pink and purple and yellow, with little Easter baskets.

Summer she puts the group in a plastic wading pool with the bottom cut out, wearing sunglasses, and little towels as ponchos. “A lot of the stuff like the little towels I get at the dollar store.”

One year a man with an old-fashioned flotilla boat asked if he could borrow “the girls” and take them down the Canal.

They rode on the bow, and granddaughters Sieara and Montana rode on each side in their own costumes.

Lots of spectators come by all year round, and they are usually appreciative and don’t give her any problem.

Just once, the “girls” were taken away by pranksters. Some boys had removed them, but a neighbor found them on Iris Street and put them back on the porch.

As for the role of Janet’s husband Basil, she laughs that he stands on the front porch and takes all the compliments.

One Christmas, Janet created a Tim Hortons Christmas tree on the front porch. During the previous year, she saved all the different styles of Tim’s cups and glued them together into a Christmas tree for the winter. Unfortunately, a bad storm ripped it all apart, but it was enjoyed for a little while.

In March “the girls” wear green for St. Patrick’s Day, and then change to their spring clothes, dancing around an Easter bunny.