LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In a high traffic neighborhood in St. Matthews, passersby might think one home is especially nutty for a sign in their front yard.
With a school near, and plenty of kids and families out stretching their legs, one neighbor named Jo went the extra mile to keep EVERYONE in her community safe.
At her home on Winchester Road, Jo looks like she's hoarding for the winter. Her yard is filled with signs that have been there since early spring.
One reads, 'Have a nutty day,' and another says 'Stop sign ahead,' but the biggest signs read 'Stop Sign Ahead! Squirrel Crossing.'
"People go really fast down Winchester road," said homeowner Jo Craig. "I had to pick up quite a few squished squirrels. I thought... add levity and people will slow down."
People have slowed down. Sometimes, they come to a full stop just to tell Craig how much they love her signs.
"They'll say, 'Oh! I love your squirrel sign, it makes me smile every day when i go by it,'" she said. "So if you can make someone smile, why not?"
In addition to the signs that have been there most of the year, Craig recently found a new addition to her squirrel caution signs. Someone painted a cross walk in the street in front of her home.
"Somebody came and did chalk for a cross walk," said Craig. "Then, the next day, someone had spray painted it. St. Matthews wasn't too happy about that."
Craig says her signs have brought her home plenty of attention, so she wants to offer the community something in return.
"Put peanut butter on those and then dip them in bird feed," said Craig of her collection of pine cones. "I've got lots of pine cones if anyone wants to come get some, it's a great project for kids during the holidays."
Her neighbors have caught on to her safety efforts and they've joined her. A sign down the road a couple homes in a neighbor's yard reads, 'Thank you!- The Squirrels.'
"It's solidarity of Winchester road," Craig said. "Protect the squirrels and protect the neighborhood too. Slow people down."
In addition to the signs, neighbors have also joined Craig in purchasing a giant holiday inflatable squirrel. From her front yard, you can count at least five.
So even when traffic on Winchester Road may get a little nuts, at least drivers are alert to those furry little critters thanks to Jo.
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