For two days, that's two VERY long days, this past March I directed a motley crew of energetic, enthusiastic crazies in the construction of a "Faerie Tree" which now occupies a permanent display space in Sara Chesney's wonderful toy emporium, Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle's in Tucson AZ.

The store itself is a very pleasant experience in shopping for glittering objects, imbued with all sorts of "faerie glamour": excellent toys of course, but also dolls of all shapes and sizes, costumes, stuffed animals, dragons, puzzles, trinkets and did I mention fairies? Sara has a thing about fairies. They're everywhere throughout the store and now they have a proper home in my "tree".

You'll see from the photographs below that the "tree" is large with an extensive root structure and ivy-covered, spreading boughs. Visiting storytellers can sit amongst the ferns and mushrooms and spin their yarns. The wee folk will find hidden delights down among the twisting roots. There a troll peeking around a twist in the bark. Up above a dragon is peering down through the leaves of ivy.

I've built several of these "trees" before, most importantly as a center piece of the Trilogy Tour undertaken by Jeff Smith, Linda Medley and myself back in 1997-98. But this is the first that will be on permanent display. So maybe one day you will be able to make it to Tucson and sit under a "Vess Tree". Say hello to the fairies when you do.