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Spreading Christmas Joy for 45 Years

11/26/2018

Bill & Sandra Montgomery's The Christmas House

Bill and Sandra Montgomery

Chances are if you’ve ever driven I-26 toward Exit 5 (Campobello) during this time of year you’ve noticed a cheery glow up the hill on the right. It’s impossible to miss. And for thousands of people each year, they take that exit and within minutes jumpstart their Christmas spirit. You can’t help but be moved by this incredible display of holiday lights and scenes at Bill & Sandra Montgomery’s “The Christmas House.”

Bill & Sandra look forward to the Christmas season just about as much as kids – and maybe more. It’s in Sandra’s DNA for sure and somehow or other that has taken hold in Bill.

Check out all the photos at the end of this story to get just a sense of the magic.

Sandra’s dad, James Blackwell, started putting on this festive show in 1973. At the time James was head of maintenance at Bigelow Sanford in Landrum and was put in charge of decorating the company’s property. That set off a spark in James’s mind and that ignited an idea to start decorating the home that was built in 1884. James’s wife, Doris, must have given her nod of approval because decorating the Blackwell home was underway. And now, 45 years later it is one of the most visited winter attractions in the Upstate. Officially the house is now referred to as “The Christmas House.” It’s an obvious choice.

Bill & Sandra took over the house and grounds decorating in 2005 and have made this a mission of love. The live for this season, which begins the second weekend in October when the first decorations are moved from their storage buildings to the grounds. Setting up for something of this scale takes a small army made up of relatives, neighbors, and friends. On some days as many as a dozen elves are on-site helping with the setup and late in the evening it might be just Bill out there taking care of ever last detail.

This is no small operation. Every single item is checked and repairs or rebuilds are made when necessary. Just about all of the displays are homemade and even store-bought items are reimagined to make them better. Bill and Sandra estimate that this year’s display contains over 100,000 bulbs. Their power bill nearly triples during this season but they say it’s worth every penny to see the joy it brings people. Folks have told them that they came as a child and now they bring their own kids. No doubt in thirty years from now, those kids will be bringing their own wide-eyed youngsters.

Getting ready for showtime.

Just some of the organization needed.

Bill keeps photos of each year’s display to help remember just where they had everything placed the year before. But things change. New ideas are constantly brewing in their minds. Bill mentioned a couple of ideas already on the drawing board for the 2019 version but I’m sworn to secrecy. It’s all about being organized and being creative. Bill and Sandra live for this and see it as one way they can remind people that Jesus is the reason for the season.

Families driving through are caught up in the moment and probably can’t appreciate what it takes to make this happen. Just last year alone they had to buy 15,000 light bulbs to make sure they had what they needed. Bill says one of the best things to happen recently was the invention of LEDs, making lighting the displays more energy-efficient. The extra expense is worth it. It’s a good thing their son-in-law is an electrician as plenty of upgrades had to be made over the years. Even with that, it’s not simple to get this show running. The miniature donkeys and a sheep get moved from the pasture into their viewing barn and then about ten minutes before opening, Bill has to flip 14 switches and plug in four outlets. Then he and Sandra retreat into their beautiful home (also decorated) and watch a Hallmark Christmas movie as the real entertainment outside begins.

Bill and Sandra do this for the enjoyment of others and to help remind everyone that we’re celebrating the birthday of Jesus. Sandra says, “That’s what Christmas is all about. We want to keep traditions going and to keep family close. We want something families can do to help keep them connected to each other.”

The Christmas House opens every year on Thanksgiving night and closes on New Year’s Eve. Hours are 5:30 until 10, though if you’re in line at 10…Bill keeps it open. There is no charge. Visitors can leave a donation and often Bill and Sandra will find coins left by a child in a plastic bag in the donation box or a hand-scribbled note or card. They love to read how much the children, and the adults, love this place.

If you weren’t in the holiday mood before driving in, you will be by the time you leave. And as many people do, they get back in line and go through again…and again. And you can be sure they’re already planning to be back next year. Looking into the future, Sandra wistfully mentions that she has a daughter and a granddaughter that are showing a sincere interest in keeping The Christmas House going for another 45 years and beyond.

Bill has a tagline he uses on his occasional videos he posts, and that is “Come out and see the lights and hear the sounds of Christmas at The Christmas House.” I can assure you, the invitation is genuine.

We’re the lucky ones.

More to Know
The Christmas House is located at 360 Foster Road, Inman. Your GPS will bring you right there but if that starts to fizzle, you can’t miss it. The Montgomery’s do ask that all visitors remain in their car because of plenty of trip hazards. You can ride through as many times as you wish and look for your favorite scenes from last year and new ones that are added each year.

Click to check out a video of The Christmas House

Photo Gallery. Click each photo to see an enlarged version. Better yet, drive over to 360 Foster Road in Inman between now and December 31.

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L J Meyers - Homeward Angels

11/12/2018

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There aren’t all that many people around here that have 100 employees. And no one has 100 employees who willingly work for chicken feed. Well, that is except for this Spartanburg County resident – L J Meyers. Chances are you might have seen LJ at work or perhaps you’ve seen his employees doing their job. You’ll find LJ with his feet firmly placed on the ground but his employees might be hundreds of feet in the sky helping celebrate an important life event. And between them they’re making lifelong memories for the people who are a part.

LJ Meyers runs Homeward Angels and his angels are white doves. A white dove release is an impressive site and one that can help heal, bring great comfort, and some needed joy to those who are mourning the loss of a loved one. And a white dove release can help celebrate a wedding, a major anniversary, a memorial service, and other landmark family events.

This story isn’t meant to give you the science and facts behind a dove release except to say that these are all homing birds and are trained by LJ to return to their loft at the end of a release. And in all cases these doves are safely back at home before LJ gets to his driveway even if their starting point was hundreds of miles away.

L J Meyers

L J addresses the crowd at the 9/11 Memorial Event before the dove release at the Landrum Depot.

LJ grew up in New Jersey but has called the Foothills home for over 30 years. He discovered the Carolina mountains and foothills when he was a Boy Scout and his troop would take spring trips to new and interesting places. He thought if he ever moved he would have to check out this area.

LJ has had a love of birds and other animals ever since he was a child. When he was just seven years old he rescued a common pigeon he found stranded under the Route 23 Highway Bridge over the Pompton River near his hometown in New Jersey. His dad let him keep and take care of the bird. It was then that LJ learned that his dad used to keep birds and his dad knew of a man down the street who had racing birds. A new hobby was launched.

Fast-forward several decades and LJ and his boys were visiting the South Carolina State Fair in Columbia. LJ steered his sons to the barn with the birds and they loved seeing all the different types and colors and sizes. But when the boys learned that birds could be raced their eyes lit up and LJ knew they were hooked. That led to LJ starting his first loft and the entire family enjoyed raising and racing the birds. LJ and his family continued to race birds for several years but as the boys started to outgrow their interest, LJ’s excitement never waned.

9/11 Memorial dove release in Landrum.

LJ works as a finish carpenter for his profession and he’s a superb craftsman. I know that firsthand. But LJ’s always looking ahead and he was thinking it was time for those birds to pay their way. He has over 100 of them and they need feeding and care every day. LJ was familiar with dove releases through his contacts in the racing community and thought that maybe this was something he should do. His mind was made up one weekend while sitting in his garden. He wasn’t looking for a sign from above, but out of nowhere on two occasions people approached him and asked if he could help do a dove release. One was for a wedding and the other for a funeral…two completely different occasions but both people were looking for a way to bring special meaning to their event. And from that point LJ knew that this was the right thing to do.

LJ had no idea what path this would take him, but he didn’t hesitate to start the journey. Now 11 years later he knows he’s made the right decision. He has no plans to retire from his carpentry work anytime soon, but he knows his work with the doves will continue well beyond that. LJ’s Homeward Angels have helped families and communities celebrate landmark events across 18 counties in three states.

It takes a lot of work to set up for a major dove release.

The dove releases can symbolize all kinds of things depending on the event. It’s not always easy as some occasions are very sad and others joyous. But watching a release has an impact on everyone who witnesses it. His Homeward Angels reach into your soul. The dove release can help bring closure on one day and it can mark the beginning of something new on another. LJ says, “It’s not about the birds but about the symbolism and the birds are the conveyance of that special meaning.” Everyone who sees or participates in one of LJ’s white dove releases comes away a changed person. It’s a great feeling.

More to know

LJ Meyers provides professional white dove releases for private and public events and ceremonies. Fees depend on travel distance, number of birds requested, and any special services LJ might need to provide. He is, by the way, an ordained minister. LJ does a lot of releases as a community service at no charge. Photos are from a recent 9/11 ceremony and a Veterans Day release. You can contact LJ at 864/ 457-4676 (home), 864/ 357-5581 (cell), by email at [email protected]. His website is: HomewardAngelsWhiteDoves.com. LJ is a member of the National White Dove Release Society.

A sample of a release. This is from an impromptu Veterans Day release L J provided in Landrum.
You can also see the video by clicking this link. This might help if the video below is slow to load.

L J recruited a few kids to help him with an unannounced dove release on Veterans Day at the Veterans Memorial in Brookwood Park in Landrum, SC.

Click on each photo below to see an enlarged version and captions.