Glad I don't have their electric bill

12 years ago

Neighbor across the street started with a nativity scene maybe 15 years ago. Now the display covers 1/2 his front yard. Not only lights but inflated figures such as santa on a motorcycle, lots of elves and a grinch that must be 7 feet tall in the morning but each afternoon seems to deflate about half and he bends in the middle. The lights make you wish you had room darkening shades on the living room windows, Guess he is afraid that the display won't be seen by passing airliners. Nativity scene may still be there but I can't spot it.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (11)

agnespuffin
12 years ago
A lot of these Holiday decorations seem to get out of hand, don't they!!

We had one yard last year that started taking up a collection from the onlookers for THEIR favorite charity. The County looked at this as a no-no and considered the display a "business" endeavor and the "donation" the price of looking.
lilosophie
12 years ago
I saw a photo of a neighborhood all overly lit and overdecorated, and there was one house that displayed just plain, white lights, spelling out "Ditto" across the front of the house. Cracked me up!
Related Discussions
HAVE: Looking to trade for seeds I don't have
Q
Comments (2)
I sent you an email for a trade. Heidi
...See More
I don't want to even SEE that water bill
Q
Comments (6)
I've had to water this year a fraction of what I've had to water the two summers previous to it. We've not had lots of rain but just enough that I've only had to supplement a few times. If I would stop adding beds and borders I might have gotten away with just watering once ( except container plants of course). Had to get the new plants going. I actually have green grass ( what little I have) this summer and have not watered it at all. Refuse to waste water on grass--it went brown in an area once this summer but bounced back after the next decent rain. I have one section of grass that looked terrible the past few summers, surrounded by a lush garden was this ugly crispy fried grass. No more, I put in a lovely new bed there with plants that don't need alot of fuss and said goodbye to the cripsy fried.
...See More
I don't know what this brass stand is that I have!
Q
Comments (1)
This is a double post...sinking...
...See More
? Bill - now don't laugh
Q
Comments (2)
The problem with doing something temporary, especially in an area that's going to se humongous temperature extremes, is that it may end up being more "temporary" than you want it to be. If you've got tile up there already, you're going to have to rbeak out the hammer and chisel, anyway, when the time comes. Just go right over the tile you have now.
...See More
anneliese_32
12 years ago
Our neighborhood is rather low key. Years ago there were a lot of kids in the area and many decorations. In the meantime we all got older, the kids moved out and nobody wants to climb ladders anymore. On our street every house has a wreath on the front door, no lights.
User
12 years ago
There are a few neighborhoods around here where they try to outdo each other. One has carolers walking around on more than one night amid hundreds of houses all lit to the hilt. Can probably see it from space.
User
12 years ago
I knew they would be on you tube.

Here is a link that might be useful: Christmas Lights Brea CA 2009.m4v
agnespuffin
12 years ago
I'll admit to being one of those people that don't enjoy the Christmas hoo-rah, but if it turns you on...that's fine with me.

But I just got to ask....do they have more money than they need? And is that the very best thing that they can find to do with all that excess moola?

Jut sign me
Bah Humbug!
calliope
12 years ago
Good grief. I hope they're all extinguished by bedtime. Can't imagine trying to sleep in that glare. There are two families along my road who put up uber displays and in fact one of them was the topic of conversation at our house this morning. Their display is conspicuously absent and the flag he always flew was blowing in tatters. I suspect there is ill fortune in that family this Christmas.

I suppose little kids, the elderly and the young at heart get a kick out of driving by those places. I'm just glad I don't live near there or anyplace similar. I'm not a grinch, but the photic drive is enough to set off seizures or migraines in some people. There was one manger scene in that video with polar bears all around the nativity. Sort of bizarre.
west_gardener
12 years ago
gandle, your post is right on with the times, as always. The TV show, Sunday Morning had a feature about this precise topic. They featured a town (forgot the name), that has elaborate christmas decorations and people flock to see the show, they even have bus tours to this place.
I've noticed that in the last couple of years, some of my neighbors are putting up some elaborate decorations. I sure hope we don't end up on some public venue such as a bus tour or the net.
meldy_nva
12 years ago
Around here are several neighborhoods where who's-got-the-mostest seems to prevail with house after house having yards full of every geegaw imaginable, lit and flashing. Maybe I'm another Grunch, but some of those places have passed beyond conspicuous consumption and are just tacky.

My neighborhood mostly does the door wreath or swag, a lit tree visible in the living room window, and maybe a garland-wrapt mailbox. Some don't do any special decorating and they don't look out of place or left out; just a silent statement that it's okay to not decorate. Of course there is the exception that proves the rule, and that's the house across the street. It has progressed from one small tree in the corner of the front lawn (3 years ago) to (this year) three 30' trees each with so many lights the branches are hidden. Tree lights go on at dusk and stay on until dawn, so bright the street lights don't come on; their electric bill is going to be a whopper!
mawheel
12 years ago
Our street of villas with small yards doesn't lend itself to over-decorating, but some folks have draped their small evergreen bushes with colored, twinkling lights and they look very pretty. We don't have any bushes large enough to put lights on, but we do have a 3'x4', BIG rock in the middle of our front garden. I got creative and draped it with lights; it looks festive, if I do say so, myself. :>)
lilosophie
12 years ago
If I were to put up outside decorations, who would see them? Joann and Ron, if they look out of their window, may get a glimpse of them, other than that: deer, cats, not mine, but there are ferals and other peoples' cats about, the occasional wandering dog, coyotes and racoons, perhaps a bobcat - not worth the effort, you think?