Talula’s Hammer

While driving into Conway today a girl smiled and waved at me from her perch atop a large hammer. It was so oversized that not even Thor could wield it. Her friendliness warmed my heart. It reminded me of why I like hanging out in Skagit County. People actually talk to strangers there.

After completing my errands I walked over to chat about the cheery menagerie of artwork lining their yard. I discovered that the artist, Tony Stinson, had made the gargantuan tool for his own collection but it was snapped up by someone else. From what he said this won’t be his last hammer though.

Tony’s daughter Talula was having a blast playing on her dad’s handiwork and gleefully obliged when I asked to take their picture:

Tony really is a carpenter as well as an artist. He works primarily in a reuse/recycle medium, finding a use for things that other people might just hem and haw over. Given that he has such a colorful streak of creativity and a knack for green (ecofriendly) art, I asked how people might get in touch with him to utilize his talents. He can be reached at 360/420-8499.

Another playful compilation standing to the south of the hammer is this helmeted wooden scarecrow. When I asked to snap a picture of it, Talula suggested that I be mindful of the bird under its hat. Tony explained that no sooner had they crowned the sculpture with its plastic garbage can lid than a feathered friend moved in and made a nest under it. So now it’s doing double duty as the “whassup people?!” figure that greets passersby and as an avian nursery.

Isn’t it funny how a child’s smile can be like the sun breaking through the clouds on an overcast day? In this case it was an icebreaker, and I got to learn more about the curious crowd of wooden sentries clustered near the hammer as a result.

So now, not only does Conway have the best fried oysters west of the Mississippi at the local pub and eatery, it probably has the biggest hammer and friendliest greeting committee too.

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