Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, March 4, 1991 TAG: 9103040294
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MONTY S. LEITCH
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
This is a little contest we run each year: How long can I leave the final few decorations out before he's had enough? One year, I kept a hemlock wreath on the woodshed until June. Even I had to admit it was looking ratty by then.
But I think it was pretty sneaky of him to strike the final blow this year while I was away from home.
There wasn't even that much left out: the little deer made out of logs, still standing by the gate, and a spray of greens and Indian corn hanging on the house. Neither one of them looked all that Christmassy to me. I thought I'd get away with it longer. After all, other people have all sorts of tasteless decorations on their homes and yards: straw hats covered with flowers and ribbons, two-dimensional statues of Bo Peep and her sheep, ugly plywood cut-outs of fat women weeding their gardens, flags with pineapples on them.
But, no. The deer and spray are gone now, and I haven't even asked what happened to them.
Late in January, or maybe it was early last month, a friend asked me if I'd taken down all my Christmas decorations yet. I said, Yes, all but a few things outside, and they don't even look that much like Christmas.
She said, "You've taken down your tree already?" Hers was still up then. Maybe it's still up now. If you cut a tree fresh, it'll last a long time before the needles start falling off.
And, goodness knows, January and February could use a little decoration. Maybe I should have left the tree up longer, too.
Last night I started up through the yard - missing the little wooden deer who had so perkily greeted me for nearly three months - when four real deer leapt the fence to get out of my way. These are the first deer, real deer, that I've seen in some while.
There were robins in the yard yesterday, too. First in front, under the mulberry tree, then out back, not too far from where the wooden deer had stood. They were chirping their plucky chirps and scratching at the ground. Opening things up, the way they do.
And, of course, there were rabbits. There are always rabbits. When I walk through the yard after dark, I always hear them scampering out of my way. They don't bother to go very far.
I still think the house looks pretty bare without that decorative spray on the window. But the yard is getting itself decorated again, I reckon. It won't be long before the iris are up.
But I can't help thinking it was downright low of the man of the house to wait until I'd gone away to strike this final blow. I think it might even be against the rules. So here's what I'm considering: The next time he has to go out of town, I'll put out the decorations again. Maybe I'll even put up a new tree! That'd show 'im. Two can play at this game.
by CNB