A Squirrel Love Story

We were commissioned to do a Sculptural Iron Tree for Garden Spot Village, a local retirement community. We had a lot of fun as a team, creating this beautiful Iron Tree.
As a special way of saying thank you, we wanted to do something special. We debated about forging dragons, which are very popular in the forging community. But what would a dragon be doing in a tree in Lancaster County?
We also discussed forging roses. GSV’s logo is a rose. Then we decided to forge some squirrels and had a lot of fun! And by having magnets in the base of the squirrels the staff and GSV could move the squirrels in the tree every week for the residents. At the unveiling ceremony of the tree. Amos presented the squirrels to the GSV staff to take care of and the 150-200 residents in attendance clapped and cheered!! They loved it!
What Amos had been completely unaware of was that there was a love-hate affair going on at GSV. The residents loved squirrels for their antics and past time that they provided! The staff hated them for chewing up wood and damaging their building!
But the staff and residents have an equal love for these Iron squirrels that reside in the Japanese Maple Tree Sculpture. And with the staff periodically moving the squirrels in the tree, it makes for interesting moments for staff and residents alike to search for the new area in the tree that the squirrels have moved to.
One of the residents that is skilled in knitting used toothpicks to knit holiday scarfs for the squirrels. So for once, the staff and residents at Garden Spot Village are unified in their love for the squirrels.

Leave a Comment