The Scarecrows of Bedford Falls

Aficionados of the movie, It's a Wonderful Life will immediately recognize the name, "Bedford Falls." That was the hometown of the hero of the movie, George Bailey. But is there a real Bedford Falls? Well, yes and no.... Er, better make that maybe and no.

There are those who claim that the inspiration for Bedford Falls was a little town that really does exist in the Finger Lakes region of New York state, called "Seneca Falls." I vacationed one year recently in that area, and I couldn't resist the temptation to make a stop in "Bedford Falls."

You see, I bracket the worst of winter with two movies that I watch faithfully every year -- and It's a Wonderful Life is one of them. I watch that Christmas classic when I'm ready to acknowledge that my beloved harvest season is over and it's time to hunker down for a couple of months. Then, as we enter February, I always view Groundhog Day, in recognition of the fact that winter's demise is on the horizon.

Anyhow, when I arrived in Seneca Falls, I was surprised to see how seriously the townsfolk took their identification with Bedford Falls. A bridge in town is celebrated for being the real-world counterpart to the fictional bridge from which George Bailey dove into the river, to save the angel, Clarence.

Its associations with a Christmas movie notwithstanding, Seneca Falls was in full Halloween mode when I visited, in October. The downtown had a wonderful display of scarecrows, photos of which I snapped so that I could pass them on to you, as a source for scarecrow ideas.

The pictures in this photo gallery come from a number of areas: They're not all from "Bedford Falls." So which ones do hail from George Bailey's hometown? Well, I'll keep you guessing on that point. If you're in the area, why not check to see if they have a scarecrow display this year? While you're there, you can "spit in Potter's eye" (to borrow a phrase from the movie).

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