Christmas 2023

Christmas lights for 2023.

 

Every year I take photos of our outdoor Christmas decorations. I thought it would be appropriate to post this on the shortest day of the year--the Winter Solstice. I can't wait for the days to begin to get longer again!

This year hasn't been one to go all out on spending, so I used the strings of lights accumulated over the years--it's not even a fraction of all that we have, but it was all I had the energy to do this year. It's not what I would call outstanding, but festive enough.

 

 

A nice picture postcard snow would help, wouldn't it? But there's nothing in the forecast to indicate we'll get any snow before next year. Our neighbors across the street have gone all out in the lighting department--Herb says that it's the Chinese Restaurant theme! It is pretty, though.

 

Our neighbors across the street.

I keep telling myself that there will be better years ahead... Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Christmas 2021

Christmas lights at our house.

 

The front walk.

Our Christmas decorations are a bit more subdued this year, but I like to think they look elegant. It doesn't appear that we will get any snow at this time of the year, but we may get some rain (which we desperately) need on Christmas Eve.

 

Our neighborhood at Christmas.

Herb on the porch.

And here's my sweetheart, greeting me at the door. May all your your Christmases be bright, even though here they won't be white!

Christmas 2014

One more Christmas comes around! This year we got our outdoor decorations up early (for us), taking advantage of a warm spell. And, since some of our old strings of lights finally gave out, we had to change our arrangement to accommodate what we had on hand.

We hung the blue lights on the cherry tree in front this year, with another ancient string of faded blue mini-lights strung on the railing. The colored strings of LED's were left for the two evergreens flanking the sides; the Colonial Williamsburg style candles in the windows have remained a constant staple over the years.

Last Christmas we left our old wreath hanging on the front door throughout the month of January, which was so brutally cold. When I took it down I discovered that the two artificial birds that were part of its decorations had been attacked and pretty much destroyed--some hungry predator must have been fooled into believing they were real and went after them!

Be it palatial, ever so humble or in-between, may God bless your home and ours in this season of good will. Merry Christmas!

The Magic of Twinkling Lights

Driving to Front Royal in the evenings at this time of the year when the sun is setting and dusk sets in before one is halfway home, it's wonderful to see the Christmas lights and decorations spring up along the way. It never ceases to amaze me how a few strings of colored lights and decorations can transform the humblest bungalow or ramshackle old farmhouse into a shining wonderland...

This part of Virginia's countryside seems to make a tradition of lighting the seasonal gloom with a particular charm. The town of Middleburg with its store fronts all lit up becomes a story-book village during the Christmas season, and some of the old houses in Upperville look just like gingerbread cottages.

You can imagine my delight as I was driving over a hill on the other side of Upperville to come upon the sight pictured above: a house and pond with a small island outlined in lights. At first I thought it might be a creche on the island (that would have been gutsy), but upon closer inspection, like most decorations today, it's purely secular--a Santa, a sled and some reindeer. The ambiguity of the scene is still very evocative.

A few evenings ago I stopped to take this photo and found a plaque at the gate of the estate--Mulwyck it said. Over the summer and fall I've observed the little island furnished with Adirondack chairs, and now this lavish display! I wonder how the owner reaches the island--does he have a canoe or pontoon boat at the back? In any case, this one wins my best of the season award for the year.

 * * *

 We too have done our best this year to decorate the new house enough to match our neighbors' splendor. It's almost a necessity when you live where there are no streetlights. Merry Christmas, y'all!

Our house.