‘I can not believe we will see Santa Claus in July,’ Billy B said. ‘He sent me a note and said he would pick us up in front of the Orpheum Theatre this afternoon,’ he continued. ‘He said that he wants to talk about Christmas and its meaning,’ explained Billy B.

‘We need to pack our winter clothes as it is cold at the North Pole,’ Jane advised. ‘I am looking forward to some hot chocolate and Christmas cookies,’ she said. ‘I thought Santa spent his summers in Florida’ Jane said with a puzzled look.

‘I may be wrong but wasn’t Santa Workshop festooned with red and green candy canes the last time we visited,’ Chet asked? ‘I do not recall the broken dolls and rusty tricycles,’ he noted. ‘There are bags of birch rods at both sides of the front door,’ Chet grimaced.

‘Come in my friends,’ The Assistant said as his unusually long tongue rolled out of his mouth. ‘Santa has been waiting to talk with you,’ SA said as a foot and a cloven hove showed beneath his holiday regalia. ‘You will excuse me as I have not had my morning coffee yet,’ SA bleated…

‘What do you need of us sir and where is Santa,’ Neva J inquired? ‘We waited by the Theatre and suddenly the sky turned dark and the wind began to howl,’ she continued. ‘We saw a vision of destitution hunger and want,’ then the sky cleared and we are here but no Santa,’ Neva J stated emphatically!

‘Well that is the problem Santa wanted me to speak to you about helping him promote the love of Christmas to aid in the message of evil coming from politics,’ SA said. ‘You see although I am not as adorable as St. Nick I am his assistant and we have ridden on the sleigh together for centuries,’ SA continued. ‘I can promise birch branches and a good swat for every politician who lies this year,’ SA said with a sly grin and determined stare…

‘Santa is not playing around this year,’ Chet noted as they once again stood in front of the Orpheum. ‘I wonder if Santa knew of our visit with SA,’ Chet mused.

‘Ho Ho Ho…Merry Christmas in July,’ Santa said as he exited the Theatre. ‘I thought that we were going to watch It’s A Wonderful Life what a great Jimmy Stewart movie,’ Santa continued as he smoked his pipe and the smoke encircled his head like a wreath. ‘Has anyone seen a man that looks like a goat around here, he is my assistant and he went to park the sleigh,’ Santa chortled and winked…