A one-horse open sleigh
On our first really cold day of the year, Edith and I headed with Harrison and Campbell to Howell Living History Farms, part of the country parks system north of here on the Delaware River, to wait for...
Santa! to come riding up in a nineteenth-century cart. He descended, greeted the well wishers crowded around, then climbed into his sleigh to visit with children one-on-one. While we waited for our numbers to be called, we enjoyed hot chocolate and a seven-piece string band in the living room of the old farmhouse. Harry danced to the music, and Edith took a 90-minute nap. She awoke refreshed in time to chat with Santa about how the reindeer were doing--he said they were fine, just resting back at the North Pole, since there was no snow in New Jersey right now.
Meanwhile, he was relying on his horses. Earlier, when we had crowded in to pat the horses' noses, I asked Edith to join me in speculating on what their names might be. Since one was white and one dark brown, I suggested Snowflake and Hot Chocolate. Edith said no, they were Barney and Mac. At the end of the afternoon we visited the stables and saw the signs over their stalls: Barney and Mac.
Not a sixth sense, just a wicked good memory: She and Tom visited the farms once before last June, while none of the rest of us had been there before. Actually I was less amazed that she remembered the names than that she correctly identified Mac (as we later verified) from among the five brown horses that live on the farm.
Santa! to come riding up in a nineteenth-century cart. He descended, greeted the well wishers crowded around, then climbed into his sleigh to visit with children one-on-one. While we waited for our numbers to be called, we enjoyed hot chocolate and a seven-piece string band in the living room of the old farmhouse. Harry danced to the music, and Edith took a 90-minute nap. She awoke refreshed in time to chat with Santa about how the reindeer were doing--he said they were fine, just resting back at the North Pole, since there was no snow in New Jersey right now.Meanwhile, he was relying on his horses. Earlier, when we had crowded in to pat the horses' noses, I asked Edith to join me in speculating on what their names might be. Since one was white and one dark brown, I suggested Snowflake and Hot Chocolate. Edith said no, they were Barney and Mac. At the end of the afternoon we visited the stables and saw the signs over their stalls: Barney and Mac.
Not a sixth sense, just a wicked good memory: She and Tom visited the farms once before last June, while none of the rest of us had been there before. Actually I was less amazed that she remembered the names than that she correctly identified Mac (as we later verified) from among the five brown horses that live on the farm.
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