I admit it – I LOVE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS! I loved them as a kid when folks put them up in October before snow & cold made the task ugly but didn’t turn them on until the 1st Sunday of Advent. My family would turn ours on & then walk around the neighborhood looking at all the displays.
Decorated Pine Tree
Pine trees were common in Michigan yards and many folks simply put lights on their yard pine. Here in Virginia pines are not so common and not everyone with a pine lights it up. This one reminds me of my childhood home in southwestern Michigan.
A Neighbor’s House
Plastic figures with lights inside were new when I was in junior high. Now they have charm the inflatables just don’t have.
LEDs on Bushes
Virginians may not have pines but they usually have ornamental bushes so folks put light nets on them.
Another Neighbor’s House Lights
This house also brings back childhood memories. Lights along rooflines & around windows & doors was a favored fashion on the single story homes of my Fair Plain neighborhood.
The Local Extravaganza
Of couse there was always a house that went all out & then some. This house is about 2 miles away. My wide angle lens couldn’t actually take it all in. All set out like soldiers on dress parade too.
A Mixed Motif Display
There’s something for everyone here – white silhouette figures, an inflatable, a couple of plastic figures, and house LED lights.
A Nicely Done Mobile Home
Several units at my local mobile home park had nice displays. This end unit had the nicest to my mind.
Most neighborhoods had a few houses decorated, but the uptown subdivion just up the road from me had every occupied house lit up.
Floodlights & Inflatables
It had been windy earlier, so some of the inflatables were no longer on their feet so to speak. Too much eggnog, eh?
Exterior & Interior Light Display
These folks have a very nice balance of floods, LEDs & interior electric candles. The candles even flickered.
Another Good LED Display
I really like the way the blue-white icicle lights contrast with the yellow white porch wraps & interior lights. This house just says ”Ya All Come on in & Have Some Eggnog.”
Silhouette Nativity
Nativity displays were quite popular back in the day. Not so much anymore. I’m not sure if that is because folks stopped buying them or because stores stopped selling them in favor of Inflate-a-Santas and other items that require replacement every 2 or 3 years.
Another Neighbor’s House
This is the best lit house in my neighborhood. It’s almost entirely just LED lights. The fence around the back yard is fully outlined as is the house. The tree inside is also visible through the front window.
Christmas Full Moon about 1:30 AM
Of course the Big Light Show this year was the Christmas Full Moon. The night was cloudy but the clouds were broken and moving so the moon kept popping in and out of the cloud cover. The ring around the moon started small but kept expanding until it was massive. This photo needed my 17-40mm lens set at 17mm on my full frame DSLR body.
Christmas Full Moon about 3:40 AM
The ring around the moon waxed and waned until sometime after 2 AM. Then the moon became a Ghostly Galleon tossed about in the cloudy sea of the sky. I’m glad I got to see it.
