Lights, Camera....

As a follow up to yesterday's post about Christmas Eve, I wanted to present to you a photo of a street we came across in Palm Harbor. As you can gather from the blurry photo above (sorry about that!), the homes on this quaint, quiet street visually yelled at the passing traffic.

Now, don't get me wrong, I am all for lighting and holiday decor--I will admit to placing the "icicle" lights on my windows and hanging a wreath or the like on my front door. It is just simply amazing to see these dazzling displays of light. One can hardly begin to comprehend the time spent installing all the lights, not to mention the miles of wiring required. Note: this house not only has lights on the eaves, but on the roof and the sides as well!)

Even more frightening is this current trend to place the pseudo-blow-up snowpeople or santas on the front lawn. The pictured house even had one of these that moved and sang "Frosty the Snowman." It was eerily similar to the Frosty in the ABC special I remember from childhood. It literally sent a chill up my spine.

But I digress. There is something noble, albeit strange, in this pursuit of creating the most festive atmosphere. Maybe because I have lived in the city for the past 7 years, I am more impressed than your average suburbanite. (The storage space!! My old apartment would have been entirely filled with tinsel and bulbs!) The final intriguing part of this puzzle is that at least two homes on every block have begun this never-ending contest. Who will be the winner next year?