A quick online search for “fastest growing sport in the U.S.,” yields some surprising results: ultimate Frisbee, Mixed Martial Arts, rugby, and pickle ball. The top of the heap seems to be rugby. A 2010 survey by a sporting goods industry group ranked rugby as the fastest-growing sport in the U.S., and a recent Boston Globe article reported that rugby enrollment grew 81 percent from 2008 to 2013, beating out both lacrosse and hockey. With its addition to the 2016 Olympics, the trend will likely continue.

Those who grew up with something like a “Main Street” in their home towns may remember the excitement of strolling down the street the day after Thanksgiving to see all the Christmas-decorated store windows. The window decorations ran the gamut from a few poinsettia plants to a small Victorian village display with a train continuously running an on an oval track. That window was the one most kids begged their parents to stop at so they could watch for a while until the parents finally exclaimed, "Come on! We’ve got to get going – we have a lot of shopping to do!”

A new series offering a behind-the-scenes peek at the myriad of Visual and Performing Artists living and working in the San Lorenzo Valley and Scotts Valley