Hello My Deer

A few months ago, a friend, Hayley, mentioned that she was booking herself onto a willow weaving course - weaving animals - I thought it sounded fun so asked if I could join her

[note to self, find out more before you sign up for stuff with Hayley in future]

We set off yesterday at 8am (!!!!) I brought a coffee with me but the travel mug leaked, so no coffee to wake me up.  By 10am we were at a little garden centre outside Tunbridge Wells - walking 1/4 mile or so down a hill to collect 3 metre hazel saplings which had already been cut down.  We then had to drag 4 each back up the hill. and shove the ends into the very soggy ground,  At least at this point we were rewarded with coffee!

Martin, the tutor then 'just' curved the tops of two of them and magically created the hind legs of a deer

 

More and more hazel branches were added, with willow and dogwood

Until (now photographed from the other side) Hazel was starting to look finished!

 

 There were four of us on the course, and each deer developed a definite personality.  Hazel was nosey, looking off to the right, while Sylvia's was checking for danger, looking over her right shoulder, and Alex's had heard something, and was looking off to the left.

Hayley's was looking more forward, ears back, listening for something

By the time we finished, and starting thinking about loading them into the car it was getting dark.  We hadn't really considered the problems of getting two 6 foot plus antlered deer into a family saloon car - we had to leave the legs sticking a bit out

Hayley - I wasn't expecting to go hill climbing, or to work outside all day, or to make a deer, or to make something even half as bit as this - but nor was I expecting to have such a great time - so yes I have forgiven you, thank you so much, and what can we do next???