Carved Eagle This eagle carved from an ailing ash tree on the corner of Phipps Point and the Murphy Corner Road in Woolwich has become a point of interest recently. (Photo Charlotte Boynton)

Woolwich residents Linda and Ted Hock had a large ash tree in front of their home that was sick and given the prognosis of a slow death. They were told they should have it taken down.

The ash tree had stood on the corner of Phipps Point and the Murphy Corner Road for between 70 and 80 years. The Hocks, who have lived there for over 20 years, enjoyed the buffer the tree gave their home from the wind, rain, and the lights from turning traffic, as well as the shade it provided from the sun.

They decided that instead of having a tree stump on the front corner of their home, they would have a carving.

Tim Pickett, a Maine chainsaw craver, known for his work at Thomas Point Beach and other areas in Maine, was contacted and asked to do a carving from the tree stump.

Pickett began work on the carving following a snowstorm this past December. Using a variety of chainsaw link sizes, and about four full days of work, Pickett transformed the tree stump into a beautiful eagle for everyone to see.

During a telephone conversation with Linda Hock Monday morning, she said, "We didn't want a tree stump in front of our home, we wanted something unique." The carving, which stands about nine feet high, is completed. The Hocks plan to let it weather and turn grey, then treat it with preservatives so future generations can enjoy it.