There will be no Christmas mural this year.

If you have to ask “What Christmas mural?,” we welcome you to Brentwood. You’re obviously brand new to town.

“Nothing’s going to happen this year; it’s just gotten too late in the year,” George Crosthwait, manager of Green Pastures, more commonly called the Turner Farm, told me earlier this week. I had called -- fingers crossed -- to find out if a structure would be built this fall to hold the beautiful nativity mural featuring the Christmas star that has mesmerized passersby on Franklin Road each December for over a decade.

That’s the bad news. The good news? George hinted that good things are to come, but he wasn’t at liberty to share anything … yet. He promised BHP would be the first to find out.

If you DID happen to move here this year, here’s the back story: The "Turner Barn,"  an old loafing barn visible near the intersection of Franklin Road and Murray Lane, was dismantled this past spring after was damaged beyond repair by high winds in February. Its sole use in recent years – besides just being a beloved local landmark towered over in the distance by the WSM Tower -- was to serve as a base to the huge hand-painted nativity mural, which was lit during the Advent season.

As soon as I learn more, I’ll let you know. In the meantime, if you are already hard at work dreaming up a holiday lighting display for the ages or other holiday-related decoration that we should know about, send me an email!