Some who visit with Santa have grey hair, four legs. Some cry

Santa Claus had a smile for everyone Saturday no matter if those who posed for photos had grey hair, four legs or if they didn't particularly want to see him.

A steady stream of folks made their way to see Santa just two days before Christmas to whisper their wishes to him.

Haley Rivers of Thomaston brought her first child, 6-week-old daughter Emersyn Rivers, to Santa's Wonderland at Bass Pro Shops in north Macon, for her first photo op with Santa.

"This is a special day," said Kristin Tanner, the baby's grandmother. "This will be a fun tradition."

Tanner said that when her daughter, Haley Rivers, was little, she wasn't too keen about sitting on Santa's knee and would not get very close. Granddaughter Emersyn seemed to feel pretty much the same way. She began to cry as soon as her mother put her in Santa's arms.

The baby's cousins, Addison Pate, 9, and Abby Adamson, 4, promptly got on Santa's lap when it was their turn.

Abby was a little shy at first, but then she showed him the necklace she got for her birthday, which was Saturday.

Tanner said they celebrate Abby's birthday separate from Christmas, making sure to use birthday paper to wrap her gifts.

While Addison is expecting to get up very early Christmas morning, the family has a rule about that.

"If you wake up early, you can only open stockings," Tanner said.

Piccola Johnson of Macon brought her 6-year-old shih tzu to visit Santa.

"He needs a new bed," Johnson said when asked what Reese wanted Santa to bring him. Don't tell — he doesn't know it's already under the tree.

Cassy Bicht of Jones County could celebrate Saturday after trying three other places to get photos of her two sets of twins with Santa. She was able to get a photo of twins Leilan and Gavin Gaskins, 7, and Aidan and Alianna Gaskins, 5. One of her children is autistic and he wanted no part of posing with Santa — and either covered his eyes or kept them closed — until Bicht promised him bubble gum.

Virlyn Bryant, his wife, Nancy Bryant, and grown daughter, Teresa Bryant all of Covington, came to the outdoor outfitter Saturday particularly because Teresa was looking for waterproof shoes.

She wasn't successful, but they decided to pose with Santa for a family photo.

"We still had a good time," Teresa Bryant said. They only had to wait about 20 minutes to get the photo.

Bass Pro Shops clears out the boating area each year to open Santa's Wonderland.

"I think it's phenomenal that Bass Pro offers the photos for free, including the carousel, shooting gallery, arts and crafts," said Assistant General Manager Katherine White. Children also can write letters to Santa.

"They are actually answered if parents give an email address," she said.

The Wonderland closes at 8 p.m. Saturday and will be open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Christmas Eve. A Bass Pass, which is available in the store, is required. It provides a time slot to see Santa.

Writer Linda S. Morris, 744-4223, @MidGaBiz

This story was originally published December 23, 2017 at 6:08 PM with the headline "Some who visit with Santa have grey hair, four legs. Some cry."