Trophies!

This is Daryl Muir. He is the acclaimed taxidermist responsible for mounting Mark's black squirrel and Daryl's woodcock. He did an awesome job! He mounted the squirrel as if it was climbing the tree and the woodcock as if it was flying past or through the limbs. He used a thin flexible "rod" to mount the woodcock to the tree. The "rod" was attached to the tree as part of a limb. Daryl Muir drilled down into the end of a limb and then fastened the "rod" down inside so that you don't notice it unless you look very close. Daryl Muir came up with this idea so that the mounts looked as natural as possible. Woodcocks are a ground bird and don't perch in trees. When our Daryl shot the woodcock, it was in flight and at the same level of height as the mount. It was flying through some saplings and so this is a pretty accurate remembrance of their hunting expedition. Mark shot the squirrel the day before Daryl got the woodcock. The guys are very pleased with the mounts. CHUCKLE, CHUCKLE. It looks like the woodcock is perched on Daryl Muir's head and he's got the squirrel by the tail!

We (Mark, Laura & Nevaeh) drove to the Lowe's in Hermitage and Daryl & Marilyn Muir met us there. Since Nevaeh's adoption is not final yet, we can't take her out of the state without permission and a lot of "hassle" so the Muirs graciously agreed to meet us and delivered the mounts instead of us picking them up at their home. It was a great "excuse" to go somewhere and eat lunch together.

This is Nevaeh contemplating just which scrumptious meal she would like to order from Bob Evans' yummy meal selection.

Nevaeh was not strange at all with Marilyn and jibbered a "line." She's a great storyteller!

"Marilyn is really cool," thinks Nevaeh, "because she let me mutilate her placemat! I love the sound of crinkling paper!"

Below are some pictures of the tree and mounts where they will sit in our den. The tree is not quite in the exact position it will be but Mark didn't have time to attach the steel plate to the bottom of the tree yet. I just leaned the tree against the wall so I could share these pictures with you.