Each Christmas season, Western Salisbury Fire Department’s fire engines take to the streets and roads in the neighborhoods surrounding its Swain Fire Station, at Ott Street and Green Acres Drive, in a long-standing tradition of playing Christmas carols and allowing Santa to hand out candy canes and wish youngsters a Merry Christmas.

This year, the Dec. 23 Santa run ran into a bit of weather. Starting 10 a.m. to avoid a predicted afternoon rain storm, the firefighters found the weather front had moved in overnight and the mid-morning start on Saturday was greeted with a steady downpour.

Not to be deterred, the firefighters rigged a summer picnic sun shelter to the back of its restored 1965 American LaFrance fire engine to keep the deluge from getting Santa’s beard all wet. The tarp kept the major part of the weather at bay while Santa waved to the youngsters who were staying warm and dry and waving from inside their homes or under the cover of garages and porches.

About noon, the rain abated and the Santa run paused at the fire station to remove the tarp. From there on, Santa and his helpers cruised through the neighborhoods as they traditionally do – with lights and sirens letting folks know Santa was nearby.

With neighbors in the streets waving to Santa and his helpers, children looking for candy canes and neighborhood dogs looking for biscuits, all was well in the Western Salisbury fire district.