The Enigma of the Painted GnomesThe Enigma of the Painted Gnomes Kelly Blair, a resident of Kelowna, British Columbia, was left perplexed when his weathered garden gnomes vanished. To his surprise, they resurfaced not long after, freshly painted in vibrant hues. Accompanying the restored gnomes was a peculiar clue: a paper cutout of a gnome adorned with the inscription “The Gnome Restoration Society” on its back. Intrigued, Blair shared his bewildering encounter on Facebook. The incident unfolded shortly after a garage sale where several items were stolen. Blair initially suspected that the missing gnomes had been taken by the same thief, until the mysterious delivery arrived. A woman claiming to be a delivery person approached Blair’s back door and handed him an envelope containing the cutout. She then guided him to her car, where the newly painted gnomes were proudly displayed. Blair’s suspicion that The Gnome Restoration Society might be responsible was solidified by the society’s attention to detail. Not only had they rejuvenated the seven missing gnomes, but they had also gifted him with two additional ones. To Blair, the unknown painter’s artistry was both impressive and enigmatic. He speculated that the society might have had a noble mission, such as restoring happiness and whimsical charm to gardens. Despite his inability to identify the members of The Gnome Restoration Society, Blair expressed his heartfelt gratitude for their actions. The painted gnomes had brought joy to his day and ignited his imagination. The Case of the Painted Gnomes remains unsolved, leaving behind a charming mystery and a testament to the kindness of strangers who, occasionally, go to extraordinary lengths to restore laughter and whimsy to the world.
Kelly Blair is puzzled.
Who took their weathered garden gnomes? And then returned them, freshly painted?
The Kelowna, British Columbia resident has an idea, but it’s only a sketchy one: a paper cutout of a gnome, with “The Gnome Restoration Society” written in pen on the back.
No name, no phone number.
With a nod to The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, we call it: The Case of the Painted Gnomes.
On Facebook, Blair wrote about the strange, yet heartwarming, incident, which occurred shortly after several items were stolen from his backyard following a garage sale.
“This morning a lady knocks on my back door, says she is ‘just the delivery person’, admits that ‘this may seem strange’, hands me an envelope and asks me to follow her to her car. This was in her car!
“The gnomes came home! And all done up in bright new colors. I had the gnome idea (pardon the pun) that society existed.”
Blair said he didn’t notice seven of his eight gnomes were missing until he realized they weren’t there.
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“I’m in the process of moving and have given away and sold a lot of stuff,” he said.
“There was a nice lady who had a garden that was suitable (for gnomes). They were weathered and all, but she was welcome there.
“I went outside to take pictures to send to her, and then I realized they were gone too.”
At first, Blair thought they had been taken by the same thief who had stolen his canoe, table saw, wheelbarrow and portable workbenches the day after his garage sale.
He now has serious doubts that the thief who stole from him belongs to the secret society, “unless my canoe comes back with a new coat of paint.”
While he may not know who temporarily stole his lucky garden amulets, Blair said he was impressed by the unknown painter’s incredible skills. Plus, they gave him two extra gnomes as a gift.
“So a big shout out to The Gnome Restoration Society,” Blair said. “Whoever you are, you made my day!”
