#spoonerville

Their car was awaiting them all at Duckburg right where they’d left it parked outside of Gyro’s workshop. Goofy, Max, and DW all piled in, Launchpad starting up the engine so they could wait in comfort. But he waited with the McDuck clan outside until they were picked up by Duckworth and driven back to the mansion.

Max and Goofy were next on the drop off list, Launchpad taking them up to the driveway of their Spoonerville house.

“Are all your Santas put away for the year?” DW asked, eyeing the decorated house warily. As if a plastic Santa was gonna leap out and kidnap one of the Goofs right then and there.

“A-hyuck! Sure are.” Goofy looked back at his house with pride.

“When d’you take the rest of the decorations down?” Launchpad asked.

“Oh, sometime’n January,” Goofy said.

“Dad’ll usually keep them up until the second week,” Max said.

“Give me a call when you’re gonna put everything away,” Launchpad said, looking over to Goofy. “I can give you a hand.”

“‘Preciate it!” Goofy said with a grin.

“We’ll still see you on New Year’s Eve?” DW asked, carefully avoiding an invitation to take down the decorations. Launchpad smiled knowingly. DW might seem a little standoffish, but Launchpad knew that if they truly needed the help, he’d be there.

“We’ll see you then, Mr. Mallard. Thanks or the ride, Launchpad!” Max said, bending almost double to peer into the car.

Launchpad smiled and waved to the Goofs as he reversed down the drive and headed back to St. Canard.

It wasn’t ordinarily a scenic drive, but Christmas effected everything, including the freeways connecting each city to the other. Digital signs expressed warm holiday wishes and urged drivers to use caution and be safe. Overpasses had been adorned with wreaths. The stores and buildings they passed by all had lights and trees shining brightly in their displays.

What caught Launchpad’s attention was the change in decorations from one town to the next. Duckburg had the most impressive decorations, as it always seemed to. Lights were the brighter LED strands, some streets were color coordinated, and nothing was left untouched by some sort of elaborate and bright Christmas decoration.

Spoonerville was more quaint with large ribbons and big bulbs and each tree and wreath real pine. There was authenticity and tradition, some of the shop decorations clearly handed down through the generations. What Spoonerville lacked in lighting it made up for in texture and the richness of colors.

And then there was St. Canard, with Audubon Bridge lined with white string lights. Not as high tech as Duckburg or as homey as Spoonerville, the city was nostalgic while also making way for the future. Some LED and digital lights that changed colors if you watched them long enough had started to arrive. But, on the other hand, the same exact decorations had been put up on the traffic lights since Launchpad had moved to the city almost two decades ago.

All three cities were in full celebration, but they all had a different view of the holiday.

Duckburg was all about innovation.

Spoonverville was traditional.

St. Canard was somewhere in the middle.

And Launchpad preferred his city over the others.

He, like the downtown area they were driving through, saw the importance of moving forward but was wise enough to look back to history for guidance and answers.

Launchpad glanced over to DW, who was slumped in the passenger seat, fighting off sleep. “I love when the city’s decorated for Christmas,” he told his best friend.

Because, even with all of Launchpad’s friends, old and new, DW was the one he felt closest to. He’d given Launchpad his dream job as a hero’s sidekick, a family, and a home.  

DW shrugged as he glanced out his window. “It’s all right. But you love anything to do with Christmas.”

“No argument there,” Launchpad said, taking in all the lights and colors as he turned into their neighborhood.