Giant Tess survives the backhoe

I was very nervous about our Tess, the swamp lady and her close proximity to all the backhoe, dirt and gravel chaos. At one point the huge tracks of the backhoe were planted 6 inches from her foot, but because John can turn that beast on a dime she escaped unscathed.

She will be overseeing the work on the new pond, and judging by her bemused expression it appears that she approves, so far.

Tess started out two years ago as a pile of nylon fabric which became a 7 foot long giantess.

She took shape through a series of trials and errors...

Next all her parts were stuffed with wet sawdust and she was assembled in place at the edge of the woods in a lovely ferny place. After a wrapping with chicken wire the fun part began: a coating of local clay all over, and then some sifted compost patted into the clay.

I made her face with concrete, frustrating stuff to sculpt with as gravity has it slumping downwards as it's drying. Two large blue marbles for eyes, some plugs of bluegrass for her hair, some regular watering, and here she is, clothed in her greenery, about to hibernate for her second winter.