Holiday Magic

Winter doesn't check the calendar before it decides to show up, and show up it did this week in western NY. You probably saw the news about people stranded in cars on the NY Thruway for up to 15 hours as the Buffalo area got buried under three feet of snow.

It's winter here in Chautauqua county too, minus the horror stories. Our world has become a Currier and Ives winter wonderland scene with white fluffy stuff cosmetically coating every surface.

By five o'clock on Friday, beautiful fluffy flakes were gently falling everywhere, and it was time for the magic to begin.  So we layered up and went dashing through the snow down to Third Street for the Jamestown Christmas parade and other festivities. A good time was in the air, and  even the neighborhood deer seemed to be heading in that direction.

The sight downtown answered the question: yes, Virginia, there are, still,  communities where people, thousands of them, leave the cozy sanctuaries of their homes and come together in the streets to celebrate. We arrived at the stage in front of City Hall, where the crowd was jammin' to the beat of the hometown band, 10,000 Maniacs. It was the first time I've ever seen a band performing in parkas, but hey, when in Rome...!

There was the official tree lighting, and the national anthem, ending with fireworks and a "Starflight" helicopter flyover in tribute to our troops. We may not hear much about them on TV, but in towns like Jamestown, they lead the parade.

Ah yes, the parade. It was magical, like something out of  "A Christmas Story."  The high school band, the scouts, churches, community organizations, local businesses, and almost every fire department in the area (some of them dragging their antique trucks out of mothballs for the occasion)--diverse segments of the community all came and participated, with  floats they spent hours lovingly creating, and all manner of vehicles decked out in holiday decorations (lemme tell ya, you ain't seen nothing until you've seen a line of construction vehicles, decorated from head to toe in lights and garlands). There was candy distributed, and a release of helium-filled balloons, and the peculiar cacaphony of firetrucks  flashing their lights and sounding off, which children seem to love.  And, of course, Santa Claus.

I have to say...we had FUN! Without spending a dime. Though the street vendors were there with coffee, hot chocolate, cookies, and the usual light wands and gewgaw for those inclined to indulge.

This stuff never happened in the suburbs, but echoes of my small town childhood were there on Third Street.

I'd love to share some of our winter beauty with you in photographs, but I'm not all that talented with a camera. Therefore, I'd like to introduce you to  Jennifer Schlick, a teacher-naturalist at our local Audubon center, and her amazing nature photography.  Click here and enjoy!