Covid Christmas

Covid Christmas

My family was driving through Exeter, RI in December when we stumbled upon the most fabulously ridiculous driveway to a home. Signs beckoned us in. Other signs instructed us to tune our radios to 106.1FM which greeted us with holiday music cheer. Lining the driveway were dozens and dozens (100? we quickly lost count!) of inflatable creatures. The owner of the house must surely have bought the internet out of inflatables. There was an elephant, a llama, yoda and a star fighter, minions, towering toy soldiers, countless snowmen, reindeer and santa clauses in various costumes. There was even a santa peaking his head out of an inflatable outhouse. If you could imagine it, it was there. We pulled our daughter out of her carseat and she rode up front in my lap. We slowly made our way down the long drive with the windows rolled down laughing with joy. At the end of the driveway the owner welcomed us. He opened his garage door to reveal santa's sleigh surrounded by an appropriately tacky gold tinseled display. We gleefully accepted his invitation for us to sit in the sleigh, which he helped us document with our phones.

I asked him if he does this every year and he responded that this year was the first time. He said that COVID inspired him. He saw how much we all needed some joy, and so he created it. And he made sure it was all very COVID safe.

Upon leaving we saw written across the fence of his property in huge cut out letters: "WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER". I wish I got a picture of that, but I didn't.

Apparently it's all lit up in the evenings and on Saturday nights from 6-8pm "special entertainment" is offered. I can only imagine.

12/13/20

Caroline Nye

106 Ten Rod Road, Exeter, RI 02822