By Laureen Caponigro

If Norman Rockwell were searching for the perfect backdrop for one of his poignant Americana masterpieces, where white-capped rivers wind along roadsides, still lakes reflect white birch a

If you’re lucky enough to have family who lives there, may I recommend a visit during fall foliage? Imagine all this beauty, colored in shades of fiery orange and Tuscany red, paired with the smell of a wood stove burning on a crisp starry night… It’s almost a sensory overload!

Eastman, the community where my folks live, is designed specifically for

those who enjoy outdoor activities. There are miles of manicured walking trails around a lake, swimming, canoeing, kayaking and cross country skiing on site, and downhill slopes 25 minutes away. Not a lot of excitement other than a passing moose or hungry black bear lurking about at night. The nearby town is small and very quiet, so when my mother eagerly suggested taking me to see the “Village People,” it definitely caught my attention.

It’s a tradition the town started a few years ago; every October, the town’s activity committee works with local businesses to decorate straw men to display along the streets. She said articles have been written about them. OK… that peaked my curiosity.

Usually, October decorations consist of carved pumpkins, baskets of gourds with corn-husk bundles, ghosts, black cats and witches flying off on old whisk brooms. I grabbed my camera , anticipating that this may be something I haven’t seen.

As we approached town, I caught the first glimpse, there… standing along the roadside were… “The Village People.”

I jumped from the car and ran to the closest, human-sized buy generic viagra online character, mesmerized as I studied each detail. Its charming, happy face with round, rosy cheeks and a bucktooth smile was painted on a burlap bag. It was cleverly posed in a bubble bath, rollers in her straw hair dripping in soap suds. I was enthralled with the thoughtful attention and creativity put into this display. Other characters were engaged in activities such as riding bikes, sitting on a horse, grilling, climbing down a ladder to elope… I was not disappointed.

I darted back and forth across busy street, snapping pictures with a big grin and eyes as large as candy apples. I felt like a child on an Easter egg hunt, as the locals casually went about their business.

For a brief time I was captivated, imagining what my own character’s escapades might entail. They weren’t the scary, ghoulish, threatening images we have come to expect in October in preparation for Halloween. No blood, brains or hairy hands reaching from a grave. This little town created an atmosphere of tranquility and well-being, a perfect place to welcome fall.

Although my visit was brief, and I’m home now in Florida, my friends and I have chuckled over the photographs of the crazy cast of stuffed characters from Grantham, New Hampshire. I’d like to share them with you, and hope they inspire, delight or simply make you smile.

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