WINDCREST, Texas -- Every year, hundreds of people are attracted to Windcrest to see what homeowners lay out and string up for holiday displays. It's a holiday tradition that's become quite a competition.
Tucked inside his garage, the wheels are turning and the saw is buzzing as Jim Flinn works on a Ferris wheel.
"It does take time. You have to start early. And it seems like each year, I'm starting earlier and earlier," Flinn joked.
In January, Flinn ordered the diagram, and for weeks, he has been piecing together the six foot structure.
"I just thought it would be something that would add to my display in the yard, and nobody else in Windcrest has a Ferris wheel," said Flinn.
Without elves to help, Flinn must work in his spare time. But he makes sure the holiday display does not interfere with watching NFL games.
"Different parts of the decorations will migrate their way in front of the television," Flinn explained.
Flinn the sports fan is also known as Santa Jim. In 2004, he retired from the U.S. Army and then decided to retire his razor.
"I tried the goatee and couldn't get it to match,” Flinn told us.
He takes the Santa title very seriously, volunteering his time at many events.
"He didn't look for it. It just happened,” said his wife Karen.
Flipping through a scrapbook, she pointed to many photos of Santa Jim and children, some in tears because they are afraid of the bearded man. Then she showed us a page displaying a degree from the International School of Santa Claus.
Flinn’s wife said the Windcrest Police have cracked down on traffic in front of their home because so many visitors, some from around the globe, who stop by to visit and take pictures. Many photographs show sick children working up a smile for Santa Jim.
"Every Ronald McDonald House visit we make, we just take the time to love on people and show them that the world isn't a bad place," Karen Flinn said.
Well, at least not in Windcrest, where Jim Flinn transforms his small piece of the world into something magical.
