We found Santa Claus at the Post Office in Pine, Arizona!

 Going to the Post Office can actually be fun…..in Pine, Arizona.  

Dan and I had made three trips to the Post Office in Mesa to mail off our Christmas cards…

….and to mail our gifts and Grandma Vicky’s fudge to all our family.  The second trip was twice as dreadful as the first, and the third was four times as awful—with a line of over 12 elderly people (14 elderly people including us) flowing out the door and into the parking lot….with two postal workers behind the counter…..but ONLY one of them helping customers.  

We tried to cheer up the guy waiting on us, but he wasn't into Dan’s old man humor.  When we went back the third time he was there again.  I said cheerfully:  "I'm back again!  Remember me?"  He didn't.

So you can imagine how we felt when we found several more “perfect “ gifts for our children and grandchildren—and realized that we would have to make a fourth trip to the Post Office.  Yuck…Bah Humbug YUCK!

So we decided to take our packages to the Pine Post when we took a day trip up to check on our cabin and sell our little teardrop trailer, the Quail.

Boy, were we glad that we mailed our packages in Pine.  Going into the Pine Post Office a few days before Christmas was like taking a trip back in time.  The friendly postal workers had spent hours festively decorating the lobby….and they were even dressed in ‘tis the season outfits, complete with hair bows!

Holly, one of super helpful and friendly postal workers, smiled and took time to chat with each of us.  She even apologized for the long line in the lobby….to all three of us.  

Holly’s friendliness was infectious, and soon we were all chatting like we had been friends for years.  I soon learned that I was standing in line behind the local Pine Santa Claus.  He had white hair and a beard and was quite jovial.  Even though he was incognito—dressed in ordinary clothes---there was no doubt that he was Santa.  

When I told Santa that my husband and I had been REALLY good this year, he replied with a smile and a twinkle in his eye, “That’s what everyone says.  What would your Mommy and Daddy say if I asked them if you had been good?”

Then I knew that he was definitely Santa Claus….finally found the REAL Santa in the obscure mountain town of Pine, Arizona!

But why was Santa mailing presents to good little boys and girls at the Post Office?  And not delivering them on Christmas Eve with his sleigh and reindeer?   I guess there’s just too many good little boys and girls to get to in one night….and what better place to help Santa out than the friendly Pine Post Office.

 

We really love our funky little town of Pine.   

Merry Christmas!