How do you ask a tyrannosaur out to lunch?
“Tea, Rex?”*
Clark County has its very own celebrity and no bones about it, he is the oldest one around! Located in Ridgefield, Rex on 179th is rapidly becoming a landmark within the community and anyone who happens upon him in their travels. The first time I saw Rex he was wearing a grass skirt and a coconut bra – we were hauling horses to a practice nearby and so we couldn’t stop, but it definitely made me do a double take as we drove by. Since then, I have seen him decked out with an American flag, dressed as Father Time (helpfully reminding us to set our clocks), and in costume for Halloween and even as Santa Rex at Christmas time.
So just who is Rex?
Rex appeared in 2017 when his family, sisters Miranda Jensen and Kortnee Anderson and their mother, Miss Andersen, found him wondering the aisles at Home Depot. Figuring that was not place for a dinosaur, they brought him home and fixed him up for Halloween. “We decided to keep him out for Christmas to do a Nightmare Before Christmas theme with him,” shares Miranda. “When we saw how much people loved him, we decided to leave him up!”
Since then, Rex has been decked out with all kinds of props – including a giant inflatable mustache, swim trunks, giant crayons and a cap and gown. “We used to live back behind the high school where no one could see us,” explains Miranda, in case you are wondering why you missed him before. “So, when my mother and I bought the house on 179th last year, we were super excited that we could go all out and decorate the way we have always wanted!”
Rex has not had an easy time as a creature out of time. He fell victim to a wind storm and had to be replaced and in the Fall of 2018, Rex and some of his new dinosaur friends were vandalized right before Halloween. Rex had to be replaced again and it seemed that maybe this year, there would be no giant dinosaur on Halloween night. But the community came together and helped, fulfilling a GoFundMe campaign to bring back the beloved T-Rex to the community. “My mom wanted to cancel Halloween but being a social worker, she decided to not let them win,” Miranda shares. “So, we had the maze for Halloween as planned and the dinosaurs were all out!” People came from all over to go through their maze and get their picture taken with Rex 3.0.
So next time you are in the area, drive down 179th and see what Rex and his friends are up to. “Sadly, this year’s Christmas photos didn’t go as planned due to the ‘lovely’ weather we had, but I do plan on doing them again next year maybe even for Easter with bunny Rex,” shares Miranda.
Personally, I think a Rex calendar would be amazing. You can also stay up to date on Rex’s appearances and special events, such as photo opportunities, by following the Rex on 179th Facebook page.
*Joke provided by Thoughtco.com
