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John Goodrich sits in front of his home surrounded by Christmas decorations and inflatables Wednesday on Union Street in Natchez. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)

Aviation themed Christmas inflatables sit in John Goodrich's front yard Wednesday in Natchez. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)

Aviation themed Christmas inflatables sit in John Goodrich's front yard Wednesday in Natchez. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)

A frosty the snowman inflatable sits on John Goodrich's front porch Wednesday on Union Street in Natchez. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)

Aviation themed Christmas inflatables sit in John Goodrich's front yard Wednesday in Natchez. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)

NATCHEZ — At Union and Madison streets, John and Sharon Goodrich’s house is surrounded by Christmas inflatables that fill up the yard from the sidewalk to the front door.

“When I was growing up, people were happy at Christmas,” Goodrich said. “There is not as much happiness anymore. People used to smile and say, ‘Merry Christmas.’”

Goodrich said for him it would feel wrong not to put up Christmas decorations.

“Bad news will always be there,” Goodrich said. “Sometimes you have to look for the happy ones.”

Goodrich served as a pilot for 20 years in the U.S. Army and after that he flew the Adams County Sheriff’s Office helicopter.

Goodrich said he has always loved aviation and began taking flying lessons when he was 13 years old.

“You can tell I’m a pilot,” Goodrich said, pointing out that most of his Christmas decorations are aviation oriented.

In his yard are several Santa pilots, penguins in a hot air balloon, and Snoopy sits behind the wheel of a plane.

While Goodrich was overseas, he said he bought Christmas ornaments from all over, including Korea, Vietnam, Germany and Japan.

Goodrich said he had thousands of dollars worth of Christmas ornaments, which have since been distributed, to his children.

Goodrich said, for him, decorating for Christmas comes down to the spirit of Christmas.

“Its hard to describe something that you normally do, that’s part of your life,” Goodrich said. “It’s an important season for me.”

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