Have you seen these gnomes?
The gnomes in question, enjoying a stroll by the lake.
Because they're hiding somewhere in Albany's Washington Park. Waiting for you.
Kim and Sebastien hid the gnomes in in the park this past weekend. From Kim's Flickr stream:
Sebastien and I set them free to frolic in the trees and bushes. Catch them if you can! And if you do, be sure to look under their feet for a secret message.
We have to admit to feeling a little conflicted about catching the little guys. As we all know, sometimes gnomes just want to get out and see the world.
photo: Sebastien B
Say Something!
We'd really like you to take part in the conversation here at All Over Albany. But we do have a few rules here. Don't worry, they're easy. The first: be kind. The second: treat everyone else with the same respect you'd like to see in return. Cool? Great, post away. Comments are moderated so it might take a little while for your comment to show up. Thanks for being patient.
Comments
That is awesome on so many levels. Too bad I'm stuck at the office.
... said Summer on Mar 24, 2009 at 12:13 PM | link
Heh... this looks like Geocaching for the GPS-impaired.
... said Slacker on Mar 24, 2009 at 12:13 PM | link
Gnomes. Find them, Love them, Move them. I had them for years, it was time to say goodbye. Fear not, if you look under their feet, there will be no doubt: it's all about helping them see the world. Place them somewhere else. Anywhere. Take a picture... and the rest of the instructions is on the gnomes :)
... said -S on Mar 24, 2009 at 12:13 PM | link
I think this is so awesome! Saw S's twitter the other day and they took some really sweet pics! Haven't seen any in person but I might just have to go look. Those secret little messages are intriguing!
... said KiMelodic on Mar 24, 2009 at 12:59 PM | link
To be clear: the gnomes are *not* where we shot the pictures :) That's where they used to be. They got bored and moved. But it's definitely in Washington Park, Albany. Also, AOA, thanks for tagging it "weird" :)
... said -S on Mar 24, 2009 at 1:15 PM | link
I'm loving that the GoogleAd on the screen right now is for a Gnome Outlet.
Free the gnomes!
... said abby on Mar 24, 2009 at 1:41 PM | link
Can you let us know if they've moved, so we will stop searching fruitlessly in the event that should occur?
... said Summer on Mar 24, 2009 at 3:10 PM | link
we're not the ones who will be moving them! it's up to whoever finds them to move them to a new location. :-P
... said Kim D. on Mar 24, 2009 at 3:37 PM | link
@summer: yes, we will let you know somehow. Ideally we hope to receive pictures of the new locations and post them on Flickr so that the gnomes can keep on traveling the Capital District. I'll probably tweet about it now and then, and maybe let AOA know after they have moved a few times, provided we have enough evidence. If they are still alive that is, aww :)
... said -S on Mar 24, 2009 at 5:14 PM | link
I'd love for you to report on the real problem going on in the Gnome Community.
Gnomelessness:
http://www.cafepress.com/ThymeLee/6584581
... said abby on Mar 24, 2009 at 6:18 PM | link
This is awesome...I told a bunch of people about it today and the general consensus is that it the epitome of greatness.
... said Summer on Mar 24, 2009 at 11:28 PM | link
@abby: arf. Damn', there were no giant mushrooms to hide them :)
@summer: hint; you can see them from the main paved roads that go through the park. Just stroll, picture yourself holding a one-foot gnome and imagine how *you* would hide it. You know. The usual.
... said -S on Mar 25, 2009 at 10:01 AM | link
what a great way to kick off spring! i love the photos!
... said renee on Mar 25, 2009 at 8:45 PM | link
once the weather starts warming up, the gnomes come out to play - spring is their favorite season of all. don't forget that gnomes make their homes inside the trunks of trees, so keep your eyes peeled while you're wandering by...
... said Kim D. on Mar 26, 2009 at 8:15 AM | link
I am totally going gnome hunting when I get out of work today; weather permitting.
Oh, I hope I hope they are still there!!!
... said Summer on Mar 26, 2009 at 9:11 AM | link
OK, so the great gnome hunt has failed. I was searching for over an hour today after work-- in the rain no less, and I came up gnomeless. Either they've been moved, or I am one lame gnome hunter.
... said Summer on Mar 27, 2009 at 1:49 AM | link
Aw, the park is pretty big, and there are lots of potential trees for gnomes to hide in. I'm pretty sure they haven't moved, we did a stroll past them the other day and they were there, winking back at us. ;-)
... said Kim D. on Mar 27, 2009 at 8:54 AM | link
Gnome hunting today myself! No word if any have been found yet?
It's supposed to be really nice this afternoon.. maybe one of the little guys will peek their heads out of a trunk a long the way.
...TBC...
... said KiMelodic on Mar 27, 2009 at 10:30 AM | link
@summer, @KiMelodic: fair enough, here is a little hint. Warm and cozy :)
... said -S on Mar 27, 2009 at 11:01 AM | link
I just did a quick run through during lunch, and no dice. Grrr.
... said Summer on Mar 27, 2009 at 1:04 PM | link
I found one...he was standing on the stage next to Scott Murphy at the debate last night. He seemed to have ditched the pointy hat and shaved his beard though...very clever.
... said Emma on Mar 27, 2009 at 1:08 PM | link
OK, let me just be sure I have something straight. You said it's visible from the main paved (not gravel) roads. By road to you mean footpath, or something cars can go on?
Is that too much? haha
... said Summer on Mar 27, 2009 at 2:11 PM | link
@summer: yup, the main paved roads. One of them is definitely used by cars, the other not really, though it happens on snow emergency. According to Google Maps, they are collectively known as "Washington Park Road". Did you check the photo hint above? Good luck :)
... said -S on Mar 27, 2009 at 2:27 PM | link
Third attempt=FAIL, but in my defense I only looked around for a short time. I decided that even though it's bright and sunny out, I shouldn't be wandering around in the park all by my lonesome.
... said Summer on Mar 27, 2009 at 6:12 PM | link
im sorry, i have to interject here. i do not consider the gnomes to be visible from the roads. at least, i wouldnt describe them that way. to be fair, on our last walk through, S *could* see them from where we were standing on the road, but it took some expert positioning and we knew exactly where to look. i could not see them from the road, as hard as i tried. so, you might be able to see them from the road, but dont count on it. the good thing is, now you know that the gnomes are somewhere on either side of a road, and that does narrow it down a bit. good luck! :)
... said Kim D. on Mar 28, 2009 at 8:23 AM | link
Damn, I'd rather be in Washington Park today in search of gnomes instead of being cooped in my office with the sun teasing me through the window ...thought it was supposed to rain today!
... said Bob F. on Mar 28, 2009 at 3:50 PM | link
@Kim: you are right. If you are blind as a bat, or you are about 3 feet short, you might not see them from the road.
... said -S on Mar 28, 2009 at 3:57 PM | link
UPDATE!!! One of the gnomes has been found! More info & updated pictures coming soon...
... said Kim D. on Mar 29, 2009 at 2:59 PM | link
So it was raining a bit, but I got out and looked. Blue Pants was a bit lonely when I extracted him from his cozy tree shelter and told of scary nights in the park...he asked for lift uptown. Details will follow.
... said Bob F. on Mar 29, 2009 at 4:13 PM | link
OH NO!!!
But there's still another one? May we please have a hint?
... said Summer on Mar 30, 2009 at 8:45 AM | link
@Summer Here's the link to Blue Pants' adventure at SUNY...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/altuwa/sets/72157616003475559/
Sebastien reported yesterday the Red Pants was no longer in his hiding spot, but there is no word on his whereabouts.
... said Bob F. on Mar 30, 2009 at 9:44 AM | link
@summer: sorry, as Bob mentioned, Red is gone too. They were here by the way: blue, red & red; in the right column, click on "(map)" to pop up a Google Map. Bob did a great job helping Blue to his new home, one can only hope whoever took Red is busy documenting his new adventures...
... said -S on Mar 30, 2009 at 10:13 AM | link