Cast your choice for Douglas Shire’s most creative scarecrow

Among the participants, some have not only created stunning scarecrows but also shared touching narratives behind their creations. One such story comes from Fox Lebeuf who created scarecrow Tiberias:

As the sun rises each morning in the heart of Sugar Town where golden sugar cane fields are stretched as far as the horizon could pinch there is a quaint brick house on the corner engulfed by the sweetest of crops, here lives a charmed scarecrow named Tiberius.   

Tiberius wasn't like any other scarecrow of mere humdrum straw and old cloths; he had been put together by a hodgepodge of spirited treasures collected by Fox and his pup Chilli from their marvellous adventures exploring the magical places within the shire of Sugar Town. 

As the inseparable pair Fox and Chilli stuffed their cherished knickknacks and sugar cane hay grown in the heartfelt soil of Sugar Town into Dad’s old clothes, Fox sang with youthful delight while Chilli playfully howled and barked in tune to a ditty of the imaginary adventures they would have with their new friend.

From the moment Tiberius was placed in the yard of the old brick house on the corner, his arms began to sway, his head started to bob, and with a twirl he whirled, the boy made from enchanted sugar hay spun to life with a brimming smile and a song that filled his straw heart that was brought on by the sweetness of a proud town and the tender companionship of a boy and his dog.

The three friends loved to spend their days laughing and playing, running through the perfumed rows of flowering cane. Fox’s exuberant giggles, and Chilli’s perky barks were the soundtrack to blissful days, however it was Tiberius’s booming chuckles that echoed through the town’s streets. There innocent amusement and zeal would pass across the shire fluttering all the community.  

The three would not only laugh and play but they loved to sing and dance. The birds, frogs and all other critters would join in with their gleeful symphony, chirping and whistling in harmony.

Tiberius was made with the hearts and souls of the traditions of a resilient hard-working community, his songs filled with scores of the farming and the beauty of nature that decorates the shire. His voice, though made of straw and cloth, held a magic that touched the hearts of all who heard it.

When Fox, Chilli and Tiberius would sing and dance, they would with plenty of exuberance, it was fun and fancy free! The community would echo with laughter and jubilation.  It was their zest for life and ability to bring joy to all around them that infected so many. Their laughter, songs, and dances spread far and wide across the countryside.

And so, Tiberius the Scarecrow became not just mere straw and old clothes among the cane fields, but a beloved friend. With each passing season, as the cane flowered, Tiberius would whirl to life to laugh, sing, and dance again, forever a cherished friend of Fox and his pup Chilli that lived at the old brick house on the corner.