There's No Hippo Here....WHAAAAT!

Here is my favorite picture of the holiday season so far. It was taken by my friend, Jason Hale. On December 8th, I was the opening act for “North Pole’s #1 citizen” at our church’s annual “Dinner with Santa” event.

 The shot was taken in the middle of the 2nd segment of my show. Sally Ann Maher, the blond little girl puppet in the Christmas dress, had just finished lip syncing to the song “I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas.” It was her way of telling everyone what she wanted Santa to bring her.

I was in the middle of explaining that the chances of seeing a hippo in Kentucky, outside of the Louisville zoo, were pretty remote. It was just then that the children watching began to loudly and insistently tell me that they had just seen a hippopotamus peek out from behind my open suitcase. I told them they were wrong when the moment captured in the picture. 

I was face to face with Peter Potamus; a hippo puppet who was sent by Santa as an early Christmas present for Sally Ann. While she doesn’t look very surprised I managed to come up with a convincing expression.
While the moment was whisked away into obscurity by the arrival of the guest of honor, Santa Claus, thanks to Jason I have it to add to my ventriloquist portfolio. It’s definitely one of my favorite pictures, not just this Christmas season, but of all those taken during 2011.