COEUR d'ALENE - Like the Census, once a decade.

That's how often the 25-foot tall Paul needs a touch up.

After all, standing outside for 60 or so years would take a toll on anybody.

"We took some pictures and will go from there," said Robert Ovnicek, who has owned Paul Bunyan Hamburgers at 602 Northwest Blvd. since 1981 with his wife, Sharon.

For the first time, though, the couple is painting the giant Paul Bunyan sign themselves. And the before pictures will be used as a model that they'll check periodically to know if they're messing it up.

"We're not artists," said Sharon.

Maybe not mural artists, but the two own the Post Falls and Hayden stores, and Sharon touches up those signs, too. But each of those is only 10 feet or so, not the mammoth on Northwest Boulevard that would be illegal to build by today's city sign standards.

The sign was built in 1952, and was such a fixture that the Ovniceks designed the store's 1997 rebuilding project around it as not to disturb it. The last time it was touched up was around 10 years ago, but done by a professional.

So how's the do-it-yourself project that started Thursday going thus far?

"Not so bad," Robert said, though they're still four days out from finish.

The sign - or statue, depending who you ask - has an aluminum cover over its wood frame, so paint needs to be applied twice to ensure it sticks.

Each side of the smiling giant - the folk hero who embodies frontier vitality - will take two days to brush up.

Sharon said the home project will save a little money.

Savings aside, it's important Paul looks his best by the summer, when tourists most marvel at him.

"Tourists are always stopping in the summer to take pictures," Ovnicek said. "They love him."