Solomon the Owl as Queen Bee.Photo:penny faucett
penny faucett
Ten years ago Penny Faucett noticed a hole in a tree outside her San Diego home that “looked like a spot an owl would live in,” she says.
So she bought a fake one, nicknamed it Solomon as a nod to the children’s book series and began dressing it in a different outfit each month.
“We get a lot of walkers, and kids would leave hearts or cute items at the tree once in a while,” says Faucett, 84. “So I decided to keep doing it."
“I love when people tell me they love seeing him,” she adds. “Kids will stop and say, ‘Mom, look! They changed his clothes!’ ”
Faucett sources many of Solomon’s outfits from Etsy, with some coming as hand-me-downs from her now-grown grandchildren’s beloved stuffed bear.
Highlights include a red, white and blue Fourth of July getup, an all-green St. Patrick’s Day outfit and Faucett’s favorite, a Cinco de Mayo ensemble complete with a stuffed guitar.
Solomon the Owl on July 4th.Solomon the Owl on St. Patrick’s Day.Solomon the Owl on Cinco de Mayo.Solomon the Owl on July 4th.PHOTO:penny faucettSolomon the Owl on St. Patrick’s Day.PHOTO:penny faucettSolomon the Owl on Cinco de Mayo.PHOTO:penny faucett
Solomon the Owl on July 4th.Solomon the Owl on St. Patrick’s Day.Solomon the Owl on Cinco de Mayo.
Solomon the Owl on July 4th.
Solomon the Owl on St. Patrick’s Day.
Solomon the Owl on Cinco de Mayo.
Solomon the Owl on July 4th.PHOTO:penny faucettSolomon the Owl on St. Patrick’s Day.PHOTO:penny faucettSolomon the Owl on Cinco de Mayo.PHOTO:penny faucett
The original Solomon has yet to need replacing, though Faucett has a few other owls in rotation now, including a special snow-white one just for New Year’s Eve.
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Most recently, Faucett put Solomon in a bee costume that her daughter sent to her after she needed to remove a hive from the tree.
“Now,” Faucett says of Solomon, “he’s queen bee.”
source: people.com
