My rarely-used warm gloves and knit cap proved surprisingly unnecessary the night of Saturday, Dec. 17, as I joined dozens of holiday revelers for an evening of carols and adventure.
Our destination was the home of Preston Q. Boomer, legendary San Lorenzo Valley High chemistry and physics teacher, benevolent mad scientist and self-styled monarch of Boomeria.
Of course, Boomeria is Boomer’s Bonny Doon property, which during the years has become equal parts residence, laboratory and medieval-themed fortress — complete with secret tunnels, a three-story castle and a chapel almost entirely filled with a massive pipe organ.
Though I had known of the annual Christmas Carol Sing for years and had visited Boomeria on several occasions before, I had never attended the annual caroling event.
The faint sounds of pipe organ music grew stronger in the almost-warm December dark as we traversed the sea of parked vehicles toward the bright floodlights illuminating the towers and trees of Boomeria.
It has been more than a decade since I sat in chemistry class as a junior at San Lorenzo Valley High, but as I entered the gate, memories of roars and geese on the proverbial “leese” came flooding back. Ah yaz, indeed.
Though I was never a particularly gifted scientist (see: loafer), some of the most memorable moments in high school came as a student in Boom’s class, watching him demonstrate electric currents via human chains or the infamous “black banana.”
And among the crowd that had packed inside and gathered outside the Chapel Royal of Boomeria that night were former students, like myself, whether Boom had been their teacher one year ago, or 50.
There were easily more than 150 people singing along to carols played on the organ by Bill Visscher while kids played on the playground equipment, or just explored the castle and the secret tunnels beneath — all built by Boomer, his sons and a number of SLV High students in the 1950s and ’60s.
And, of course, in the middle of everything was Boomer, still playing the role of host, sharing his playground and holiday spirit with his friends, neighbors and former students alike for the 52nd consecutive year.
Truly, the king always wins.
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