Debris From Ice Storm Spawned Herd Of Reindeer

As the ice storm toppled trees on and around his new home, Larry Groshoff watched helplessly. The wounded landscape was strewn with splintered trees and broken boughs.

But like the proverbial optimist bent on making lemonade out of lemons, Groshoff quickly saw something in the fallen limbs - reindeer.

Now nine long-legged deer linger on his lawn and roof. He’s built wooden deer for his neighbors as a reward for reusing their fallen trees.

“It’s a great idea,” said neighbor Rich Stevens, who has a Groshoff deer in his front yard as a reward for turning his toppled timber into an outdoor Christmas tree.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever seen deer like this made out of tree limbs,” Stevens said. “It’s a good way to recycle these trees.”

Groshoff’s deer family range from a delicate two-foot-tall baby to a nearly five-foot tall sentry.

The branching antlers really are branches. A twig still loaded with pine needles becomes a tail.

“These are the little-known green-tail variety,” joked Groshoff.

But something has the neighborhood stymied. The log deer seem to be attracting real deer.

“Either that or it’s a Frosty the Snowman thing …” said Groshoff, pointing to the deer tracks winding between the wood deco-deer.

Groshoff has made so many deer now, as he logs his fallen trees, he automatically sees limbs that will be perfect for the legs, a log just the right size for for the head, another perfect for the body. Six screws and the deer is standing. Wood disks become the eyes and nose.

“Each one has a different personality,” says Groshoff. “You can angle the head like this, position the legs differently.”

He leaves the deer unpainted, preferring the more natural, rustic look. But some of the deer are wrapped in lights, creating a glittering night scene.

Groshoff has taught in the Mead School District for 30 years, 25 years at Northwood Junior High School. This year he teaches science, speech and drama.

He’s thinking about naming the deer - but what? Possibly after Santa’s sleigh team: Comet and Cupid, Donner and Blitzen (even Rudolph, red nose glowing, is among the crowd).

Or maybe naming the statues in honor of friends and family … but what if someone was left out? So, for now, the deer are nameless.

Once the season is over, Groshoff says it’s simple to unscrew the deer limbs and pack them away for a year like any decoration.

Stevens says he’ll probably keep his out year-round, moving it to the back yard for summer.

Groshoff’s yard is teeming with wood deer, but he wouldn’t mind making a few more for neighbors.

“We could have deer all up and down the block,” he said.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo