RIFLE – Santa and Mrs. Claus made yet another appearance in Rifle to participate in the Holly Days parade on Dec. 15 and the Post Independent was able to catch the jolly guy to ask him a few questions.

How old are you? Oh, I’m at least a thousand years old.Do you ever plan to retire? Not if I can help it.Have the kids in Garfield County been good this year? Basically, although there are a few of them that need a little talking to.What is your favorite type of cookies? I like chocolate – I’m a chocoholic. But Mrs. Claus won’t let me eat them very often.

Have you ever gotten stuck in a chimney? Yes, several times. Especially in my later years because I seem to have gotten a little bigger. In fact, I can barely get into my suit and my belt is on the last notch.Is it hard to drive the sleigh? I pretty much just let the reindeer show the way. I’d be lost without Rudolph. But Prancer got kind of ornery and was prancing around and hit my tooth with his foot and now I have a gold tooth in front.How many times have you and Mrs. Claus been to Holly Days in Rifle? Ever since it started. It’s the highlight of our year to ride up Railroad Avenue to the (Garfield County) fairgrounds.What do you do the rest of the year? As little as possible.

How come you and Mrs. Claus look so much like Dale and Betty Trahern of Rifle? People have said that since they’ve seen me in Rifle over the last 20-25 years. I think it’s because his white mustache curls up like mine. But he’s only 79, although he’s been in Rifle since 1963 and is retired from Century 21 real estate.Editor’s note: When we found Dale Trahern and asked him about the uncanny resemblance to Santa, he just laughed and said that a lot of people have said that.”But how do you know I’m not Santa Claus?” he said with a wink.