10/29/2009 9:01:41 AM

Comments (1)

LAKE CITY --Denny and Donna Sanborn are a splendid Santa and Mrs. Claus.

He has a white beard, loves to chuckle and has that mischievous North Pole twinkle in his eyes. His wife has that kindly look one would expect from Mrs. Claus. They even have photos of themselves last Christmas dressed as the famed pair in front of their house, which was decorated ornately for Christmas.

	See the sights Lights are on for the Sanborns' display on U.S. 61, about six blocks north of Lake City's downtown, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. through Halloween. A gallery of photos from the Sanborn display

Which is why it was rather odd seeing them standing outside their home along U.S. 61 in Lake City this week dressed in sweatshirts and admiring their newest creation -- Satan's Boneyard. The marvelous creation looks almost diabolical, with a red-eyed skeleton peering from a coffin, a skeleton in top hat driving a hearse pulled by a skeleton horse, whose legs move, and graves with bones sticking out. Nearby is an 8-foot spider that has weaved a glowing web up the side of the house.

Don't worry -- the Sanborns haven't forsaken their cheerful ways.

Being so Santa-like and celebrating Halloween in a big way is no contradiction -- they enjoy all holidays and love decorating their home for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Memorial Day, Easter and Fourth of July. Give them a holiday, they'll find a way to decorate.

While they get help from family and friends, they are the heart and soul of Satan's Boneyard and other decorations. One will concoct an idea, the other will find a better or more creative way. It's one-upmanship with a twinkle.

Like the hearse. Donna thought it up a year ago, and Denny said, "Let's do a silhouette."

No, how about 3-D, she said.

He topped her with the idea of a casket with a skeleton that pops up.

She would make a suggestion about the horse, he would find a way to do it.

"We come up with different ways," Donna said.

A former metal worker, Denny is big on metal and all things mechanical; she grew up in a family of woodworkers, so she's big on wood.

It was a one-two combo that blossomed in Lake City.

When they lived in Iowa, their home was at the end of a dead-end road with few neighbors. They had no place to show off their skills.

When they came to Lake City in 1998, however, their home was on U.S. 61, the main drag and across from Lake Pepin.

When talking about all their displays, Denny often used the word "crazy" like "maybe we're crazy to do it but we like it." It's a fun kind of crazy.

Oddly, neither likes the limelight, preferring to let the layouts do the talking. They do like to peek out and see the cars stop or slow down, people get out to take pictures. They even get nice notes, thanking them. Like one from "Sally," who wrote: "Thanks again for delighting me with the joy I get whenever I get to drive by your home."

When Halloween ends Saturday, the Sanborns will take down Satan's Boneyard and the web, then think about Thanksgiving. After they polish off their turkey, it's on to Christmas, when they can again don their Santa outfits.

Staff writer John Weiss travels the region's back roads looking for people, places and things of interest for this column. If you have ideas, call him at (507) 285-7749.

There are 1 comments - Display All Comments