LOWVILLE — After a season of unexpected entertainment, Donna Smith and her son, Tate, took down the mannequin from the second-floor window of their South State Street home.
Unlike their extravagant holiday displays of the past, Mrs. Smith did not hesitate to assign this year’s idea to her husband, Kory, who thought the “stranded Smith” would grab attention as the family’s holiday decor has in recent years.
Anticipating some concern, the Smiths alerted the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office to the suspicious scene. Rather than police knocking on their door, they experienced a spectrum of responses ranging from frantic alarm to friendly laughter of folks passing by.
Over the weeks, they had multiple people call out from the street or approach the house to alert of a rooftop burglar. Mrs. Smith says she and her family may have some karma coming their way for that.
“We’ve learned two things; one, people can in fact still laugh during COVID, and two, there are so many wonderful strangers in this world,” Mrs. Smith said. “The whole thing kind of restores your faith in humanity.”
The Smiths are already plotting for next year’s display, taking notes from 2021 without giving up on the fun.
