December 19th

Touring Garlandsburg

Part 2

    I’m glad you enjoyed the view and the singing, but we must be on our way if we wish to reach the farthest edge of the village before night.

    Right down here is the newest shop in town. Ron’s Music Shop. Ron has been a member of the village since the beginning, but it was only this year that he was persuaded to open the music shop. As you can tell, he’s got a lovely touch to the violin; he has taught music for a number of years. It’s a little hard to hear him right now with the sleigh going by. That’s Reverend Goodman, his wife and daughter. No doubt they’re on their way to deliver Christmas packages around town. The Reverend’s brother is about somewhere too. No doubt we’ll meet him and his fiancée, Holly. They are always together.



    Now watch your step! This is the sledding hill. Would you like to take a spin or two? Sure, we have time. I wouldn’t mind a slide or two myself!


    Now that is what I call fun! Oh look, speaking of Holly and her fiancé, there they are. Nicholas Goodman had come to stay with his brother for a season, but then he met Holly Stone. Yes, Holly is the eldest daughter of Mr. Stone the baker. A lovely couple the two of them make, don’t you think so?

    But here is our village cobbler. He really does such fine work, and his son, he’s the one out front with the shoe shining things, is a real hard worker. They haven’t been in Garlandsburg for many years, but now no one could imagine the village without them. If you have shoes to be fixed, or shined, or skates to be sharpened, this is where you should come.

    Here we are at the Needleworks & Quilts store. It’s a shop really, managed and run by Miss Ann. Let’s stop in and look around. Oh, hello Mrs. Stone. Last minute shopping? Merry Christmas! Let’s all go in. It’s sure to be warm and cozy inside. Ah, this is delightful. Take your time and look at the lovely quilts, the rag rugs, the scarves and afghans. She even has a new supply of warm mittens if your hands are cold.

    Yes, this is our village church. Charming, isn’t it? That’s little Johnny playing out in the yard. Mrs. Goodman’s sister is a widow who has been living with them this winter. Johnny is such a sweet boy. I wonder why he didn’t go to deliver packages in the sleigh? Perhaps he was still taking a nap when they left. And it begins to grow later, so let’s move on. You can come back for the Christmas Eve service if you’re still in town. Or the Christmas Day service.

    Our next stop is the pond. It looks like a busy place here this afternoon. If you have your skates you can take a turn or two. Or would you rather come back and skate when it is dark and the trees light up the pond? Yes, it is more charming then, also busier, unless you come during supper time.

    Ah, and we have reached the village pride and joy. Well, at least we’ve reached the home of Rufus Garland. If you can see in the windows, you’ll probably notice Mr. Garland and his wife, Betsy. And who’s that? Oh, that young girl is their granddaughter, Hannah. She’s a sweet girl; the mayor’s youngest sister.

    We are nearing the edge of the village now. This is the Carriage House. Not much of interest to look at, as Mr. Davis is out. But let’s warm our hands before his fire. Right next door, as you can see, is Barnacle Bill’s Boat House. He’s an old timer in these parts and does splendid work on any type of water craft. He’s always willing to work and sometimes his family hides his tools to make him take a holiday. Oh, be careful! Watch out for those snowballs! Brian and Brandon, Barnacle Bill’s twin boy,s are having a snowball fight. Looks like fun. I wish we had time to join them, but if we want to see the rest of the village by daylight, we’d best move on.

    Look, we can see the lighthouse. Oh dear, it looks like Landon Moore is having trouble with his fishing. At least his uncle is there to help him. There is Grandpa Donovan on the rock with Candle. They are probably waiting and watching for Adam’s ship to come in. (Adam is Grandpa Donovan’s grandson.) Crossing the bridge behind the boat house we can now reach the lighthouse. Did you notice the fisherman on the bridge, the one staring out to sea? That was Travis Donovan, Adam’s brother. They are all waiting for his ship to come in. We can stop by the lighthouse. I’m sure Crystal would be happy to have some visitors.

    And this is our last stop. We need to cross that little bridge over the rushing stream. Have you caught any fish, Mr. Shields? Well, perhaps Willie will catch one yet. This is the lodge where the Shields live. They love the outdoors and the peace of winter stillness on the hillside. Oh yes, they do come down to the center of the village, and everyone is welcome to their lodge. Let’s go in and warm up. Mrs. Shields is sure to have something hot for us. I think I smell gingerbread! Look, up there on the hill, deer! Step onto the porch. Isn’t it a lovely view? Hello, Andrew. How is your pony doing?

    And that brings our tour to an end. After we warm up with hot cider and fresh gingerbread, we’ll have to tramp back to the Carriage House. I’m sure they’ll have a sleigh and will drive us back to where we started. I hope you have enjoyed the tour of our unique Christmas village of Garlandsburg. Come back next year and see us again! Merry Christmas!