Covid concerns have dented the holiday season yet again this year. Amongst other postponed or cancelled events, Breakfast with Santa has take the year off. However, Tim Tucker and Gena Montgomery are saving a little corner of Christmas for the town of Big Sandy. Starting the weekend of the 10th, after 3 pm, parents can bring their kids by to take their pictures with Santa in his sleigh at Tim and Gena's house, which is well decorated for the season. The whole idea began while the pair was hunting for antiques to restore and sell through their business. Tim recounted the day: "We went to Habitat for Humanity; we do a lot of shopping there for our little business here. That (the sleigh) was there along with the moose. Gina said "You ought to buy that," because I like decorating for Christmas. So we bought it and figured 'what the heck.' We put it out there with the decorations and found a Santa suit at a yard sale. I tried the Santa suit last night to make sure it worked, and we are all decorated up." The sleigh now sits in the yard next to their home at 150 Vernon Street in Big Sandy. It is led by a lighted reindeer and moose (which is animatronic). The rest of the yard and house are decorated with colored lights and various other Christmas fare items. "We just like doing this for the community and for the kids. It's been a hard couple of years with the Covid and everything else; it's just something fun." Families are welcome to come by day or night to take pictures in the sleigh.
Dressing as Santa is a natural extension of Tim's love for Christmas decorating. "It's the lights and the decorating, they make me happy and I try to do it so people driving by will smile at the lights and festivities... As soon as they put the lights up in town, I started decorating. I have been frothing at the bit to get to it. I like doing it." Gena teases him about the effort, pointing out that when they met he didn't really enjoy the holidays. Now she explains: "Women say that they're 'hunting widows.' I'm a widow during Christmas decorating."
If families aren't interested in pictures with Santa, Tim explains that they are welcome to come by any time for pictures in the sleigh. "No fees. Just come as you want. If you want to take pictures of your kids in the sleigh, feel free. If Gena isn't home, I'll be home."
The pair has been running their antique business in our community for the last couple of years, though Gena has run a business for nearly 20 years. Folks who are interested in visiting their shop can call or just drop in and ring the bell by the back door. Many of the items they sell are purchased from people they know around the state. "We have people in Malta or Billings who call us up and say: 'This is what we've got, are you interested in it?' Shane Ophus comes by at least once a month to ask if we're interested in a piece." They typically repair, repaint, and refinish the pieces they sell, though they do not paint antiques. Much of the fare they sell is unique, which is a result of their specific efforts to find unusual items to work with. They also put a great deal of effort into ensuring that their antiques aren't overpriced. "...we don't price stuff to where it's not affordable for the economy around here."
The couple really enjoys working with furniture during their retirement years. Tim explains that
