Drivers pulling through the only traffic light in Mineral County may get caught doing a double take at a towering rooster.

The 9-foot-tall, 800-pound showstopper is just the beginning of what Mary and John Cheesman have in store at Exit 33 Lawn & Garden Art.

John said with a grin, “There’s so much more than what you can see from the road.”

And he’s not exaggerating. Fresh off their latest buying trip, the Cheesmans are still unpacking a staggering 681 pieces of handmade, hand-painted metal art sourced from Mexico through vendors in Texas. 

Twice a year, they hitch up their pickup, haul an 8-by-16-foot trailer south and load it to the brim, right up until, as Mary puts it, “we run out of money!” 

Inside their ever-changing collection, you’ll find a little bit of everything: armadillos, cactuses in all shapes and sizes, colorful birds, cowboy boots, whimsical frogs and an entire barnyard’s worth of roosters and chickens. This latest haul even included a few surprises, like baby elephants that have proven to be quite popular. Much like the green aliens that aren’t visible until you get out of your vehicle and walk around.

Not everything is small enough to tuck under your arm, though. A full-size elk towering over 8 feet tall ranks among their biggest pieces, while bighorn sheep sculptures draw serious attention. 

Then there are the memorable challenges, like the time they wrangled a Pegasus into a pickup truck. 

“That was something,” John laughed. 

A pair of metal dinosaurs has also become something of a roadside legend. 

“They’ve been here a while, proving they’re not extinct,” John joked. “One is real ugly,” he added with a howl.

The Cheesman’s didn’t always deal in bold, colorful metal art. The were in the antiques business for decades before deciding to change course. 

“We felt we couldn’t do them as well as we wanted, so we started doing this type of business,” Mary explained. 

Since settling into their current location in 2021, they’ve built a destination that’s as much about curiosity as it is commerce. Nearly every piece is crafted from metal, typically tin, and painted by hand, though this trip brought in a growing selection of aluminum animals. They’ve also added cow heads and cowhides to their offerings.

While they don’t typically ship items, customers take their treasures home the same day, if they can figure out how to fit them in the back seat. For larger purchases, John occasionally helps with short-distance deliveries. Special orders are available too, though they may take a bit longer. 

And if you’re not quite sure what you’re looking for, Mary encourages folks to stop by anyway. 

“We welcome people to come in and talk,” she said. 

The shop will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. starting the first part of May, just in time for the busy summer season. Another buying trip is already in the works for June to keep the inventory fresh. 

Until then, the big rooster stands watch at Exit 33 with an open invitation to slow down, pull over, and see what treasures might be waiting just beyond the road. Exit 33 Lawn & Garden Art can be reached at 406-649-7008.

    John Cheesman said these three critters try to sneak into the right-of-way at times with help from neighborhood kids when it’s dark, but they are friendly and easily coaxed back onto the commercial property. (Monte Turner/Mineral Independent)
  

    All are handmade and painted then the Cheesman’s bring them from Texas and there are many more pieces than people see from the road. (Monte Turner/Mineral Independent)
  

    This beast can be seen from Montana 135 in St. Regis but is even more impressive when you get up close. (Monte Turner/Mineral Independent)