Snowman for All Seasons

By Shelia R. Anderson

Patty Grandalen has a snowman in her farmyard--permanently.

The snowman is the chain saw art work of her brother, Del Sand. Land summer Sand was visiting the Grandalens, Patty and husband Ben Jr., when she mentioned that she would like a snowman carved out of a tree that was to be taken down. The Grandalens live along highway 18 south of Golden Lake.

About eight feet of the tree was left standing and Sand just started cutting. "Once I got started, it was a lot of fun, just started at the bottom and workd up," he said. It's all in one piece including the hat which was painted black to preserve it against the weather and rain. The carrot-like nose is of wood and the corncob pipe is a real corncob.

It only took a couple of days, San recalled. "It was fun," he said of the chain saw carving. "I'd like to do it again."

"We've enjoyed it," Patty said of her snowman. "Del did a good job." Then she added suggestively, "Maybe a Norwegian troll next?"