Part VI — Populating Our Bicentennial Oak

Mike Bihlmaier – 815-404-6375 – and his skateboarding avatar, the bear, have completed the chainsaw carving of our bicentennial oak.

He began the final animals by roughing in the doe and her fawn at the base of the tree.

While the curious squirrel looked on from above.

Meanwhile, the wood chips piled up higher, and higher.

At last, the deer were fully hatched.

While elks Joan and Fred looked on from behind the stone wall.

All the remains is to give the oak its new protective coating, take down the scaffold and clean up the scraps, and maybe add some initials and an autograph (see final edition to come, in a few days).

Part II – Populating Our Bicentennial Oak

Great industry and progress continues as chainsaw artist Mike Bihlmaier adds to the menagerie in our 200-plus year-old oak. Here is a raccoon holding and apple, and then another apple on a branch.

Now, Mike begins to carve a cat, lounging on a branch, then a more but not completely finished cat emerges.

And, the work goes on…