Being tall has its upside. You have a higher reach, the air is fresher, and nobody blocks your view at movies, concerts and sporting events.
But it can present a sizable problem beyond banging your head. Take the case of Jenny, the giraffe at Barrhead library.
She is so enormous – about 13 feet tall when fully stretched, and 10 feet in length – that it took a giant feat of manoeuvering just to install her.
Then there is the issue of space. Jenny’s towering presence has made library meetings a little cramped, some even taking place beneath her.
Not that Jenny ever interrupts proceedings or is prone to fidgeting. It is hard to move or make a sound when you are made out of chicken wire and papier-mâché.
Library director Elaine Dickie has reached the point where she is contemplating cutting Jenny down to size – literally.
“I really, really need the space Jenny is occupying,” she said. “We’ve had people sitting in chairs underneath her. She has been here two years and it is time for her to go.
“She is a lovely giraffe and people are often surprised when they come in to see such an elegant creature.”
Dickie is hoping a store or organization will come forward to house Jenny, whose neck can be lowered several feet so she measures a more manageable 10 feet.
If not then there is a good chance she will be disassembled and sent to the recycling facility. Another possible outcome is decapitation, with her head stuck to a wall.
“I would like to give her a good home,” said Dickie. “Unfortunately, Jenny is not sturdy enough for a day care centre. Children won’t be able to sit on her.”
Anyone wishing to inspect Jenny for size will be impressed with her spectacular new winter coat, courtesy of quiltmaker Theresa Cherwonka.
The library is currently adorned with the Christmas creations of Barr-head Country Quilters.
Jenny’s creator was pastor Kevin Ree, from St. John’s Lutheran Church, who constructed her over five or six days with the help of several children.
She was designed as a prop for the church’s Vacation Bible School production, Baobab Blast.
Later it was thought she might be used in Lion King at Barrhead Composite High School, but the plan fell through, although Jenny did take a starring role in the Blue Heron Fair Parade.
“We gave the giraffe to the library because they have a jungle theme,” said Ree.
While Jenny may have got on well with the library’s lion, alligator and other animals, she was sadly not a comfortable fit.
“She might fit in a shipping container,” said Ree. “If she was taken apart I would not be particularly upset. After all, we gave her away.”
Anyone interested in housing Jenny should contact Elaine Dickie on 780-674-8519.
