Driving around looking at lights in Pigeon Forge along the main drag, we noticed the lack of a theme, there were ballerinas, ducks, Olympic rings. I remarked that they like to extend the tourist season here, instead of Christmas, calling it Winterfest which lasts through February. But when we came upon the display of lighted chickens I really started to wonder what was up. I could see neon chickens here in our little town where there are lots of chicken houses, but in Pigeon Forge, tourist capital of the Smokies?
It was just a minute before granddaughter Racheal figured it out - "What if they are not chickens, but hens? Like French hens, as in Three French Hens." Oh, OH! An AHAH moment, the light bulb went off in the car. So at the next place to turn around we did and headed back down the strip to see if this was indeed the case.
We just happened to have a CD of the Muppets singing the Twelve Days of Christmas, so we played it as we rode along. Sure 'nuff, the ballerinas magically changed into Nine Ladies Dancing, the Olympic rings were really Five Golden Rings, the ducks were Seven Swans a-swimming, and of course the three chickens were indeed Three French Hens!
We saw the Twelve Days of Christmas all in lights along the main drag in Pigeon Forge, even though it took us a while to recognize them. You know what they say, you can take the folks outta the country, but you can't take the country out of the folks... Hmmm, those chickens were real cute.
my true love sent to me
Twelve drummers drumming,
Eleven pipers piping,
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.
