Scarecrow created a memory

I did something this week that I’ve never done before. I helped to build a scarecrow. This was the final episode in a summer long project working with a great group of kids and their garden.
The idea was to provide guidance and information about gardening, while letting the kids do most of the work.
I find this interesting, as I don’t think I know much at all about anything. I found that I did know more than the young people did. We weeded and watched plants grow. We found a spider that made the girls scream. We learned that Queen Anne’s lace is the ancestor of the modern carrot. We discussed plant anatomy and propagation. They discovered that tiny cucumbers tasted different from mature ones.
They harvested some of the best green beans I’ve ever seen. The rest of their vegetables are coming along nicely. There is little left to do except to harvest the fruits of their labors.
In preparation for building our scarecrow, I gathered some scrap lumber, some of my husband’s old clothes, and an assortment of paints and brushes. I added a hammer, cordless screwdriver, nails and screws. I stopped by the local hardware store for a bale of straw.
Another couple from the local master gardeners group met us at the garden. I worried that the darkening clouds overhead might not wait until we were done. The other couple also brought straw and other supplies. They offered several choices for a head.
We put together the framework and chose an outfit. My vote for the baby blue checked slacks was overruled. We all stuffed straw into the chosen clothing before pronouncing him fat enough.
Then it was time for the head. One of the girls chose an appropriate gourd. She painted on features with sparkly paint. I cleaned the brush while the others tried to fit the head on the scarecrow. The hole we had made in the gourd wasn’t quite big enough. With a mighty whack, the top of the scarecrow’s skull flew off and the grinning head settled onto its shoulders.
We pounded him into the ground and stood back to admire our handiwork. We named him Scott. Not a crow was to be seen, so Scott must be good at his job!
Scarecrows have been around almost as long as cultivated crops. They have taken many forms and shapes. Small children and even the elderly have been used to keep birds and vermin away from crops. In today’s world we use chemicals to protect our food sources. In home gardens we can even use physical barriers such as netting.
The act of building a scarecrow is not simply about scaring birds. It is an exercise in creativity and teamwork. Every person in the group contributed to Scarecrow Scott. He would have turned out to have a far different appearance if any one of us had chosen not to participate.
Our creation may or may not scare off any actual crows. Those big black birds will soon figure out that the new addition to the garden poses no real harm. What the straw man does do is provide a smile to passersby as he stands guard over the fresh produce.
It is a visible reminder that on one summer day, the rain held off long enough for a small group to create something special. We created a memory.