I live in a town that has a pretty good balance between city conveniences and small town atmosphere. Seperated from Salem by a 4" thick 'Welcome To' sign, anything we don't have can be found by crossing the limits line. Keizer manages to keep itself feeling with the times and family friendly all at the same time. On one hand you have everything you'd really want in one spot and plenty of things going on (and the big city downfalls - too much traffic, pizza and coffee houses litterally on every other block) but it's small enough that everyone in the stores and banks know your name (and the small town downfalls - stupid city council decisions, rumor mills).


I spent alot of time growing up here. My family has been in Keizer for ages, the house my mom lives in (and three more houses on the block) were built by my family. When I was growing up the home I lived at wasn't very stable, (as in, we spent alot of time moving and living in strange places) my mom did a good job of making my childhood as stable as it could be, but we lived in such strange ways that what we lived in was just never concrite. I spent alot of time at my Grandparents house (the house my mom lives in now) and I actually went to most of the 5th grade here. I like this neighborhood, I know almost everyone here, and when I was living here there was a whole pack of kids that I hung around with. I like Keizer, it's not as busy as Portland or Seattle (or even Salem) but it's a good town. Like alot of other towns, it has festivals and activities it does every year. They decorate for Christmas (like they should, of course) and one of the cutest tradition Keizer has during the holidays is Candy Cane Day.


Last Saturday (and every other 21st of December as far back as I can remember) Santa climbed up on a KPD Fire Truck and was escorted around town by some of the locals best. They drive around in front or behind him, because he spends most of his time walking, and helps him give out candy canes to anyone who braves the weather (usally rain, did you know Santa wears a poncho?) to come say Hi. You can tell Santas coming not by the jingle of bells, but by the magnified "Ho Ho Ho's" that come over the loud speaker as he waves at everyone who's watching from their windows. Kids of all ages (and some adults) run out there to give Santa a hug and get a candy cane. It's also neat to watch how good people behave when Santa's going by. Sure, all the adults know it's probably just the Cheif all dressed up, but they still slow down and smile and wait behind the firetruck, because after all, it's Santa and what kind of scrooge gets mad at Santa for holding up traffic while he gives little kids candy and hugs?


The treck around town lasts for about four hours, and you know, It's probably really lame, but it's one of the things that I most look forward to during the Holidays. I like listening to the belting "Merry Christmas"es echo across town, I have for as long as I can remember. I don't remember when they started doing it, I'm sure they had it when I was a kid. And as silly as it is, I really like it. I always have, and it never fails that every year, as soon as the fire truck decides to make it's slow way down my street, I jump to the window with a grin to wave back at Santa.