The bear carving that graces Luke Wilson's front yard in Fort Oglethorpe, used to be a huge cedar tree. Easter Sunday that tree snapped in half, and instead of grinding it down, Wilson decided to do something more creative with it.
"The night it happened, I heard what sounded like a train coming, and I actually saw the big cedar go down, and go right over across the street," said Wilson.
Wilson says luckily his home and family are all OK. He says within the coming hours they assessed the damage done by the storm.
"With what remained of the big cedar, I didn't really know what to do with it," said Wilson.
Several people suggested turning it into some kind of sculpture and through a church group and some mutual friends Leslie Langhart, with Olive Branch Woodworking. Langhart was excited to get the call.
"I mean honestly every single tree that fell down is a different challenge, the way it looks, what kind of tree it is, he sent me a photo and I immediately started thinking what could we do with it," said Langhart.
Langhart says he was devastated to see all the trees damaged by the storm, since they are part of what makes communities beautiful.
"So I started thinking about what we could do to help people to bring back the beauty of the trees," said Langhart.
Wilson and Langhart eventually decided to turn the stump into a bear. It took Langhart about nine hours to complete. Now the bear stands as a reminder of that night.
"The bear carving is a way to turn a tragedy into a blessing, and something that's positive for everyone who drives by," said Wilson.
Wilson hopes that the storm damage will be evident in the community for years to come, just like the bear in his yard. He hopes that when people drive by his house they smile.
Langhart is also working on some other projects dealing with storm damage. He doesn't have a website, and if you would like to contact him, you can call him at 423-257-8019.
