Holiday highlights: caroling around the neighborhood

Linda Shannon-Hills

Twas the second weekend before Christmas and just after Hanukkah, all through the community the carolers were singing those songs we all know to ring in the holidays. Our firemen were ready to hear the first round, singing along while they filmed the large crowd. We finished our songs to a hearty applause and zoomed off to the first party of neighbors. The carolers were greeted with smiles and hugs, then handed our first mug of spirits to celebrate. You remember the songs: Deck the Halls, Jingle Bells, Silent Night, Frosty the Snowman, White Christmas, Let It Snow (not), O Hanukkah; We wish you a Merry Christmas, just to name a few. After more applause, we were treated to treats of all kinds. Alastair Stone, our maestro, rang the bell to let us know it was time to move on to the next home. As Alastair climbed into his cart, he yelled “Oh Helga, my dear, it’s time to depart.”

Besides the first stop at the Fire House, we visited nine stations at various homes in the various units around SaddleBrooke Ranch. Our last stop was at Alastair and Helga Stone’s. Each home hosted lots of goodies to eat and plenty of holiday spirits to make us all so bright! We started with around 30 carolers, losing a couple here and there when we stopped to sing at their neighborhood, but we ended with around 18 carolers at the Stone’s home.

Our carolers had a special treat when at the Hanson’s! Steve Andrasic made it snow on all of us. Oh, what fun that was, but thank goodness the weather was not too cold, so it melted fast. Thanks, Steve!

We want to give a huge thank you to Alastair Stone for organizing the homes to host the neighbors to listen to our carol singers. It ran like a well-oiled machine. A grand thank you to our carolers that sounded so angelic. A special thanks to the hosts for all the neighborhood parties and the neighbors that joined them, greeting the carolers so warmly. The hosts are listed below:

* Station 1: 46A, 31664 S Flat Rock Dr (Charlene and Dan Culver)

* Station 2: 16A, 61294 E Arbor Basin Rd (Marilyn and Tom Graham)

* Station 3: 16B, 61557 E Dead Wood Tr (Ann and Frank Engraff)

* Station 4: 14A, 30962 S Canyon Vista Way (Sue and David Marx)

* Station 5: 8A, 31741 S Summerwind Dr. (CJ Halverson)

* Station 6: 7, 31914 S Bighorn Dr (Susan Hastings and Bob Lamar)

* Station 7: 3, 60028 E Arroyo Vista (Bev Hanson and Judy Andrasic)

* Station 8: 4B, 32905 S Hyrax Ln (Janet and Lynn Baker)

* Station 9: 4A, 32408 S Egret Tr (Carol and Gus Epina)

* Station 10: 7, 60176 E Arroyo Grande Dr (Helga and Alastair Stone)

Plans for next year are already underway, so don’t be left out of this special event.