Leland uses Deer Creek to float a static "parade" of Christmas decorations. One of the floats (It may not be a real parade, but they're real floats!) comes from the local blues museum.

My home for the next two nights is at the Mark Twain Guest House above the Under the Hill Saloon. I figure that getting your room key from a bartender is a good thing but I'm sure not everyone sees it that way. In fact, I know there are things about this place that would keep some from even thinking about staying here. There are no in room phones or televisions, all three rooms share a bath, and it's over a bar that frequently has live music. The bath thing is just the slightest bit inconvenient but I see the other things I've listed as positives. I lucked out and was able to reserve room #1. It's the biggest and has a couple of big windows and a narrow balcony across the front and that front is barely twenty yards from the banks of the Mississippi. Add the four poster bed and the wood burning fireplace and you've got one very romantic setup. I would have felt really guilty taking this room if I thought I was displacing some couple who would have made better use of the place but there doesn't seem to be much demand over Christmas. Only one other room is occupied and its resident is a friend of the owner who I suspect gets a favorable rate when he visits from New Orleans.