It started with a giant stuffed toy snake sprawled across a tree branch to slow traffic on their quiet street.
Seven years later, the maple tree in the front yard of Eric Bilow and his wife Wanda Wilsonsa国际传媒檚 home is decorated with more than 20 adorable stuffed animals in all sorts of vibrant colours.
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sa国际传媒淭heresa国际传媒檚 a lot of locals who have given me toys,sa国际传媒� says Bilow, pointing to a yellow duck that was donated by a woman in town. sa国际传媒淎nd somebody just dropped that blue bird just the other day.sa国际传媒�
One of the nicest stuffed toys, he says, was a four-foot abominable snowman that was delivered brand new in the packaging. The generous donor remains a mystery to this day.
sa国际传媒淲e have so many of the smaller ones that we use them for Christmas decorations in the yard. We make ice skating rinks and put everybody in it.sa国际传媒�
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Bilow says the tree is successful in slowing some of the traffic but it has also become a tourist attraction in Okanagan Falls.
Visitors from all over the world have heard about the sight on Cedar Street and drop by to take pictures.
sa国际传媒淗ow many trees do you see like this?sa国际传媒� he asked. sa国际传媒淚 think itsa国际传媒檚 popular because of the yard and A-frame of the house. Itsa国际传媒檚 just kind of cozy and the tree just goes with.sa国际传媒�
The toys are switched up whenever they become weathered and begin to fade but there is one sa国际传媒� a frog in a tiny outhouse that sings, What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong sa国际传媒� that has lasted all seven years. It has sentimental value to Bilow.
When he lived in Alberta, Bilow says he worked for the government in the forestry department. He ran a fire tower and there was no plumbing at the time. He built the toy in memory of what he described as his special time there.
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sa国际传媒淲e had an outhouse and the outhouse faced a big buffalo pasture. In the morning, Isa国际传媒檇 leave the door open and all the buffalo would come and look at me. That was a really good experience and I enjoyed that. So thatsa国际传媒檚 me up in the outhouse singing, What a Wonderful World.sa国际传媒�
