Happy Hallo-Wieners: Dachshund Scarecrow Display

Dachshunds, Edmonds Scarecrow Festival, Flag Day, Hallo-Wieners, Halloween, Pumpkins

October 29, 2021

For the past eight years something always got in the way of fulfilling my dream of creating a dachshund-themed scarecrow display for the #edmondsscarecrowfestival contest. I was either working full time, traveling, or I was sick. This year, the autumn ushered in not only colorful leaves but also the winds to clear my calendar! I would enter the Nineth Edmonds Scarecrow Festival!

My daughter, Kizzie Marie and I joined our creative forces. The first stop was the Country Farms on the corner of Highway 99 and 228th. The owner, Aaron and workers Cynthia and Debby couldn’t have been more helpful and supportive as Kizzie Marie, and I thoughtfully inspected the size and shapes of the many available pumpkins, squash, and gourds.As with any creative process, there are the many, “nos” before we found the “oh, yes!” In response to my first attempt, Kizzie Marie said, “This pumpkin head reminds me of the olden-days wooden-duck toy pulled by a string.”

Another creature had no neck. Then the pumpkin choice for the neck was too big.

Finally, like baby bear’s porridge, we found just the right sized small pumpkin for the neck and a dachshund shaped head with a long nose!

We purchased enough pieces for three dachshund critters.

We also bought three small ornamental corn cobs. The husk glued and secured with toothpicks made great long floppy ears. By drilling a hole in the base of the cob, we inserted one end of a dowel and the other end we pushed into the lower back side of the long squash, which made the tail.

Next stop was Joanne’s for googlie eyes, black fuzzy noses, 36 3/8” wooden dowels, an autumn wreath, and several small bundles of straw.

A worktable was set up in the carport. We laid out the pumpkins for one dachshund at a time. As if surgeons preparing for a medical procedure, we laid out our tools: drill, hammer, pliers, and heavy-duty rubberized waterproof glue.

Our red wheelbarrow was placed out front. We filled the bottom with cinderblocks and covered them with dried bamboo leaves from our backyard and the straw.