Grand old paint job flies true colors

Monroe man patriotically paints house

By Leslie Moriarty

Herald Writer

MONROE — Some people might think Daniel Erickson has taken patriotism to an extreme.

But he’s just a very proud American.

And that’s why he decided over the weekend to paint the front of his house to look like an American flag waving in the wind.

"I’ve always been patriotic," Erickson said Monday as he painted the white stars in place. "But the recent events have really enhanced that."

Enhanced it to life size, some would say.

A contractor and house painter by profession, Erickson and his wife, Tamra, bought the house about six months ago. It has been a dingy color of red and was in need of a paint job.

"We had been debating what color to paint it," he said. "But we couldn’t decide on a color."

Then it struck him.

"I kept seeing all these flags everywhere," he said. "I’m a photographer, too, and I love looking at all the pictures in the paper and on TV of flags displayed everywhere.

"Since my house is already sort of red, I just thought, why not paint it like the flag?"

He ran the idea past his wife "and she thought it was cool," he said.

So he got to work.

He added red and white horizontal stripes and painted the blue square on his garage door where he is adding the white stars. Only the front of the house is getting painted before winter, he said.

He expects that the paint job will stay until next spring, by which time, he hopes he and his wife have agreed on a single color to paint the entire home.

"By then, we might have a real color," he said.

His work has taken several days. But it’s been worth it, he said.

"I’m one of those guys whose heard others talking about what they’ve done to serve this country," he said. "My father-in-law and his buddies talk about when they were in the war (World War II) and were shot down.

"I have an older brother who is a career Army man, too. What they all have done for the country is amazing to me. They’ve made such sacrifices."

In a way, a small way with a big canvass, his painting, is a tribute to them and to the victims of recent terrorist attacks.

So far, his flag house has met with only compliments.

"I love it," said Donna Rodland, who lives across the street. "It’s great. He’s a great neighbor, and this is all so patriotic."

As he was painting, Erickson said several drivers in cars that went by gave him the ‘thumbs-up’ sign.

"One lady drives by everyday and stops and gets out of her car to come and tell me how fabulous she thinks it is," he said.

Erickson said he wants his house to be a one-of-a-kind. If he gets offers to paint flags of other houses, he’ll probably turn them down.

"I don’t think so," he said. "These days, other than my own house, I’m doing more indoor carpentry work than house painting."

You can call Herald Writer Leslie Moriarty at 425-339-3436

or send e-mail to moriarty@heraldnet.com.

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