I don’t know about you, but I always appreciate the lengths — within reason — that people go to in order to visually celebrate the Christmas season. In particular, I love the outdoor lights.
There are always a few people who go overboard — although I haven’t seen any here in Revelstoke. You’ve probably seen the ones I mean on TV: monster homes that burn 100 gigawatts of energy every night in support of hyper-Christmas light displays and dioramas. I pity their neighbours who have to put up with the over-use of light and the endless stream of traffic.
Fortunately we don’t have any such mind-blowingly gaudy and ostentatious displays. But we do have some pretty nice light shows here as I discovered when I spent a couple of nights this week driving around the city, stopping here and there to set up my camera and tripod and capture them for your enjoyment. You’ll notice several photos of trees with lights. I’ve always been particularly attracted to lights in trees. That goes back to my teen years in Cali, Colombia, where every year municipal workers would string lights in the lovely trees that covered the one of the largest parks in the city. Thousand sof people would descend on the park at night to stroll beneath the glowing trees, stopping here and there for something to eat or to purchase small toys from the street vendors.
This is a pretty typical Christmastime light display in a tree in Cali, Colombia, where I grew up. As a teenager in the 1960s We loved to visit the city's main park where every tree was lit up. Thousands of people would drive, bus or walk to the park to see the evening light show. I suspect that's where my affinity for lights in trees came from. Photo by Angela Gonzalez courtesy of Colombia Reports
Of course, it’s not the balmy 25° Celsius that you can enjoy any December evening in Cali. It’s a lot more like -25° when the wind is gusting, which it has been lately. Still, if you care to get out for a stroll through your own neighbourhood or hop in the car for a short drive around Revelstoke you, too, can see some of the magic that Christmas lights impart to our dark winter nights.
Merry Christmas!
This fabulous tree on Big Eddy Road lights up the neighbourhood. David F. Rooney photoThis house across the Trans-Canada in Columbia Park fairly glows. David F. Rooney photoSometimes a single colour of light can make a house glow in the winter night. David F. Rooney photoDriving along Pearkes, my eye was caught by this single star set in a tree. David F. Rooney photoStephanie Ballendine's Amble Inn is simply outlined in yellow lights. David F. Rooney photoI have always been partial to lights in trees like these over on Newlands. David F. Rooney photoThese cedars in a yard in Arrow Heights appear to be captured in nets of light. David F. Rooney photoA single multi-hued tree adorns a yard on Newlands. David F. Rooney photoMore than a few houses in town sport just one decoration. Sometimes it's simply a string of lights along the gutter or, as in this case, a glowing wreath of lights. David F. Rooney photoFrank and Lisa Fik's home on Nichol Road boasts this magnificent tree of light. David F. Rooney photoThis home on Illecillewaet Road sports just a few lights on the house itself. But the fence is decked out with different seasonal motifs. David F. Rooney photoThis tree of lights on East Track Street leaps into view as you go down the hill towards the Eastern Access. David F. Rooney photoHere's a house in Clearview Heights that lights up the streetscape. David F. Rooney photoDown in South Revelstoke this tree beckons to passersby. David F. Rooney photoLights gleam on this home directly across from Kovach Park. David F. Rooney photoNot every house that is decorated is done so with lots of light. This house on Third Street East has some lights, but what I particularly liked were the winding evergreen bows on the pillars and the streaming red-fabric bows. David F. Rooney photoSome homes are simply spectacular. This house at the corner of Second Street and Orton Avenue flashes on and off seeminglyi n time to the music that plays for passersby. David F. Rooney photoThis house at Third Street West and Boyle Avenue has long been a favourite of mine. David F. Rooney photoKurt and Andrea Pont's home at the intersection of Charles and Douglas is always festive in the winter. David F. Rooney photo
And finally, there is this home on Upper McKinnon, which must surely quality as the most-lighted house in all Revelstoke. David F. Rooney photo
