"I want to see the bright lights tonight"

I didn't go to a concert, so further quoting the Richard and Linda Thompson song would not make much sense ( although, for reference, "I Want To See The Bright Lights" is a song from the same titled 1974 album. It's track 4 and is almost like a folky party dance song, in a strange way). 

The whole reason for the post title was that my mother decided she wanted to go see the Christmas lights around our community before they were all taken down. Most people seem to start the dismantling around New Years, while others wait until the middle of the first week of January. 

Either way, it was now or never to see this year's creativity. 

Even though we went out at 6:45pm, it was so dark, you'd think it was closer to 10. It felt weird slowing down and staring at the setups and it felt more strange taking photos. 

Like I said in a previous post, people get crazy when cars are slowing down in the neighborhood and someone has a camera or phone out. The Facebook blasts don't lie when the residents start posting their angry "What's this person doing and why?!" comment. So you've got to be careful around here, even if it's just you looking and not taking photos. 

I still attempted to take some pictures, but my mother was driving and didn't completely stop at each house. She slowed down enough to take a solid stare, but not long enough to have my phone register all the colors. Therefore, a lot the 53 attempted pictures came out blurry and bad. I was able to salvage 11 and there is one or two that aren't so great. 

All photos taken with an iPhone 11 and not edited for color and contrast. WYSIWYG. I added my name and did edit my hand out of one photo, plus house numbers.

From what I could find online, the NFL snowman is from a company called "Sporticulture". It's a Buffalo Bills snowman, and unfortunately not available for purchase on Amazon. The sport page has other teams, but NY isn't one of them, unless you want some sort of LED light object, framed art or other types of inflatables (people). 

The Nightmare Before Christmas inflatables have Stitch in the background, which is a little hard to see. He's closer to the front door and hiding. There are so many different Nightmare inflatables, it's hard to find the exact one at this house. I know the Stitch is in a Santa suit. 

The waving Santa doesn't exactly wave; he just looks that way. 

I found a similar "Santa in a bus" inflatable, but the characters are different. 

The house with the lights and snowman: There's a Gemmy brand projection on the side of the house that says "Let It Snow". I couldn't find that particular projector, but Amazon has other ones, including non Gemmy brands. That particular phrase doesn't seem to exist anymore (from what I saw, it's a Party City exclusive?). 

I did see other houses with different phrased on the walls and it took me a a few minutes to think of "Gobo" because the theatrical lighting experience I have, has told me that any type of design projected from a light source, usually comes from big stage productions. It's a stencil (sometimes aluminum, sometimes glass) that pops into the light and can show off a brand name, a saying, a picture, anything you want. And it can be expensive. 

That's why everyone goes with the lower cost plastic stake projector. It plops right into the ground, you turn it on and it does its thing. When its time to pack it in, you unplug it, take it out of the ground, put it in your Rubbermaid tote bin of holiday decorations, and it goes to wait the year out in darkness until you're ready for it again. 

The corner house with the Santa and inflatables, everyone has seen those types of characters, but it being a corner unit, it was interesting to have them all seemingly come at you as you make the turn.

I kind of like the simplicity of the second to last picture. It's low key enough that you know they wanted something, but wanted to remain functional and not over the top. It's easy.

A lot of people also had similar star shaped tree lights (the last picture). It's a star on top of free flowing string lights, coming down into a triangular shape. Looks a little like a tree in a way. I searched "Christmas outdoor star lights" and came up with a few different types, but the keyword also gave me stars. 

I feel like, over all, there were a lot of houses who threw together way too many lights outside. There were plenty of the darker colors this year and it honestly hurt my head to look at them. Some residents made their places look like the string light factory had a fire sale and then the box threw up on the bushes. It was way too much, as everything was covered - the roof line, the corners of the house, the ground, the plants... it was overload and messy. Which is why I feel that one house with the limited lights is classy enough that it's not headache inducing crazy. 

I know, I know.. it's the holiday season and people are allowed to go wild. But there needs to be a point where you step back and ask yourself "is all this really necessary?". I mean, there are places where there are just enough lights (without reaching that "too much" threshold), that it looks okay, tasteful in a way. They are solid, matching colors; a theme. But when you mismatch / mix and don't watch what you're doing, it gets dizzying and unkempt. 

I like the inflatables as well; they're cute. Full yards are also too much. One or two are plenty, unless it's a family of them (example would be Santa pulling a sleigh and each reindeer is individual. Or a scene from a movie where each character is doing something). Creating a space where there is no interaction and you put something down for the sake of lawn space? No. 

I've said it before and I will say it again: Florida is not the place for full on Christmas decorations. Palm trees and snow globes compete with each other. They don't match. (Fake) Evergreen and spruce trees in 75° weather with no fluffy white stuff on the ground? I don't think so. The seasons here aren't the same when you're used to the "white Christmas" of other regions. I didn't grow up here, so I know the decorations don't belong as much as they do anywhere else. It's just weird to me. 

Again, that's just me. I'm not trying to Grinch my way into the new year; I'm just being honest. I like a lot of the decorations, but too much is too much. As I've gotten older (rather the past couple years), I've had issues with a lot of the lights at night. It's becoming a neurological thing, I suppose. The variations are bothering me, to the point that I can't look at them. The dark colors (all blues and reds) seem to be the fashion lately, and last night I realized how bad it has become for me. It bleeds in a way that I don't want to deal with it. They used to be nice enough to look at, and now I find myself going "nope" at it. It's hard to explain without continuing to sound like a jerk. I wonder what would happen if I got back into theatrical design? I'd probably pull my hair out because people want specific colors on and around them. Which then would lead me to want to do audio instead. 

Can't have it all, I suppose!

What I can have is the end of this post. My keyboard is acting up and I feel like I lost have my rambling. I might need new batteries. Plus, we're getting surprise company in a few minutes and I need to get ready.

Be someone's brightness in the dark this week and take care of yourselves.

Cheers;

Some Christmas pandering

(Aka "Do something nice for a stranger. It is the holidays, ya know")

My friend Rachael restarted her "Hidden Wings and Bloodlust" podcast recently, after having had a two year break. 

It can be found directly on Podbean as well as other podcatchers (such as Spotify and Apple). She has a Facebook page that she updates as frequently as she can. 

She does such an amazing job at researching ladybirds (or for the Americans, ladybugs) and describes what she finds to such an extent, that you know you could probably name the specific insect if you saw it. Her guests are always nice and willing to talk about their experiences in whatever field they're in, no matter if it's ladybird exact or not. Some are enthusiasts, just like her. 

It's not an easy task because she takes time out of her busy lifestyle to do this. Doing this is almost full time work for her, because she is constantly on the lookout for the Coccinellidae and takes pictures of them to boot. Then she researches what she can and reports back on what she found. It's all unpaid - she gets knowledge of the tiny things in nature that we take for granted. And it's all while she's doing other things in her daily life. 

If you can spend some time listening to her show and drop her a Ko-Fi, I'm sure she would greatly appreciate it. The Ko-Fi is also going towards the goal of buying some ecology of the species books, as well as furthering her studies of the spotted beetle. 

On a similar note, she also has a book out. She's been writing a second novel (a sequel, I think she's mentioned) in whatever spare time she has. This first book isn't about ladybirds, but a bull named Pepelito. His story is about being a victim of a bullfight and escaping the madness of a horrible sport. It's based around actual events, although not one in particular. This novel is to raise awareness of how brutal it is for these poor animals, as it truly is a form of animal cruelty. There are people who love to watch humans engage and enrage the bull, ultimately leading to its death. Rachael insightfully delivers a fictional account of what can and can't happen at these arenas while "Proceeds from this book will go to CAS International to assist the fight against bullfighting and other cruel events". I ask that you please consider helping out with this cause. 

While you're at it, I've got a Ko-Fi as well. It's something I have as part of the promotion of my blog. I know people love my photos and like to see what I'm up to. If you could spare a dime to keep the lights on, it's helpful. 

Okay, enough selfless promotion. Go back to your friends, family and celebrations. If you feel like listening to something new, check out Rachael's podcast and learn a little more about nature. If you want to read something new, check out her book and learn how a "sport" can be terrifyingly bad. 

Until the next round of crazy, take care of yourself.

Cheers;

This is..

... Sparta?

No.

... Anfield?

No.

... Fog?

Yes.

Sunday was one of those days where I had to be at work for 8:45am and would be there for 12 hours. Unfortunately, it was also one of those days where the fog was so thick, it was a little dangerous to drive.

Or, as my friend Cat said after receiving multiple photos, "It's so eerie" and after seeing a video from when I parked at work, "it looks like a horror movie". 

It felt worse than a horror movie, although it was the type of gloom where I needed to take a different road to work, as the flyover bridge I would have taken, would have been a bit dangerous to use. The merging into traffic is horrible on a normal day; trying to get off the bridge and into oncoming traffic in fog? Good luck, buttercup; I hope no one is coming down the road at the moment you need to get into the next lane. 

Therefore, I had taken a more "scenic" route to get to where I needed to be. It doesn't defeat much traffic, but it's a little safer. Weirdly enough, the end result takes me to the same intersection that completes the merge from the bridge. 

Except the intersection is probably a couple blocks away. It's a landing zone and hard to explain. 

At any rate, the photos below are the "before" photos, taken with an iPhone 11. No editing: WYSIWYG.

This is the intersection where the flyover bridge is. You can barely see road signs in the distance, which are attached to another crossing bridge. 

The bridge is to the right of this tree; I'm about to turn into the "scenic area" part of the drive, so I can bypass the bridge.   

This photo is another intersection. One more past the merging intersection one (closer to where I work).

The photos below are the "after" photos, taken the next day (Monday) with an iPhone 11. No editing: WYSIWYG.

As you can see below, this is the first intersection with the bridge. Just past the second set of trees in the second photo, is the exit for the longer way. 

I just passed the "scenic route" entrance so this is the bridge road. 

This is the merging issue once you get up in the flyover and onto the other main road:

Cars don't like to let you in!

Which is why it was going to be easier to take the other road and not risk getting hint. The fog was too thick to try it, unless I was already on that side of the road. 

It's a risk no matter where you go, because fog is fog. I know that. But early morning crazy drivers tend to not pay attention. I'd rather be safe than sorry, especially since I was going to be working a very long day. 

It did become pretty hectic at work, so I'm glad I did the easier way. I'm also glad I got proof how wild nature can be around here, even though we already know, due to the massive amount of rain in the summer as well as the random hurricanes. I'm not immune to seeing thick fog, but up north, it's usually with some sort of melting snow. 

Change of scenery, but not a change of nature?

Seeing how today is Christmas Eve, I'll keep this rambling short and let everyone go do their thing. Hope you all were nice enough to stay off the naughty list!

Cheers;

See also

* "This is Sparta" comes from the movie 300.

* "This is Anfield" comes from the mantra of Liverpool Football Club

* "This is fog" comes from pointing out low lying clouds. 

Squint and you'll see sunlight diffraction

Or, "iridescent clouds". 

We were on our way to the airport this morning ("early" - 7:45) to drop someone off and I kept watching the open sky. The morning fog was burning away and making the blues pop out among the peaches and amber.

All of a sudden, I saw the random rainbow arch around the sun. 

"Don't look into the light!!!" they say. Well, I wasn't really looking at the sun. I was looking next to the giant light bulb in the sky. 

No, I don't have super human vision; I wasn't looking at Saturn. This wasn't the middle of the night, either.

It really was some sort of scattered cloud iridescence and I tried to capture it on my iPhone 11. 

There was no editing on these; I popped them into Photoshop to put my name on them, otherwise WYSIWYG. 

I also tried shooting with the window closed and then open.

The area I'm referencing is to the left and right of the sun. It almost makes a circular form around the bright star in our galaxy. You could say it's creating a doming effect. 

Some apocalyptic science fiction people might say that it would look to be some start of a sky explosion. Almost like you'd expect a blast of fire to come at you. You know, "all's quiet until something pops off" kind of thing. 

I can't explain this properly. I can see it happening in my head because I watch too many movies and read too many books (I'm a "banned book survivor", after all). I don't want to jumble up a description, but I can see this mess of an explosion in my mind. Like you're just watching the sky one minute and the next, some alien being is aiming a cloudburst of crazy, right at you. 

I'm being overly dramatic. Of course that can't happen, for as many glitches in the Matrix we've had lately (hands over a tin foil hat). It's one of those things where I had too much time to think, it was way too early, and I'm really, honestly, over tired. 

I did enjoy the view though. I know you can't tell from the quick shots, but the morning scenes were good; subtle. Peaceful. For as hectic as the ride needed to be for the person (horrible week for them. This is an emergency trip back home; they're a full time resident in Fort Myers). 

We're gearing up for the end of the year; next week is Christmas and we'll blink for 2026. If this coming year goes as quickly as this past year, can I put a request in now, so I can have a proper vacation and do some traveling? Or, can my request include some other forms of movement? I don't know. I'd like to be able to have some better presents presence foot print soon. 

Until I find something else to squirrel on... be safe, be warm, dig out your boat if you're in the PNW (I see you, my friends and family and know I'm thinking of you in your chaos). Attempt to enjoy a show if you can. 

Cheers;

See Also:

* iPhone 11 on Amazon

* Photoshop on Amazon

* "Banned Book Survivor" on Amazon

* "Banned Books" list on Amazon

* "Glitch in the Matrix" list on Amazon

Pretty flowers? | Lots of lights!

Yesterday on my walk through the parking lot at work, I happened to see a few vibrantly red hibiscus flowers that had opened up among very closed bulbs that surrounded them. Most of bush was all green (due to the leaves) and there were these red flowers just enjoying the morning sun. 

No, internet research says this is not the same type of flower that produces the tea a lot of people are familiar with.  The liquid libation version is very specific (Latin name: "Hibiscus Sabdariffa") and is a different part of the overall product we are able to drink or bake with. It is a shrub (not a bush, apparently) that "produces white flowers with dark red calyces at their base. These calyces are harvested and dried to be used in many applications such as food coloring, beauty products and most popularly Hibiscus tea." (this last quote is from the info page for Anthony's Organic Hibiscus Flowers on Amazon). 

I never put two and two together. I know we have hibiscus almost everywhere down here, but I didn't realize the tea I've had was another part of that specific genus. I guess you learn something new every day. 

Last night I ended up walking to the gym and walking home because there was a party going on at the clubhouse so the parking lot was packed. As it was after dark when I finished my workout, I was able to get some photos of the Christmas lights in the community. 

The unfortunate part is I couldn't stop and gawk at everything because there are some neighbors who love to assume anyone outside taking pictures of houses are doing illegal activities, no matter if you live there and want a snapshot of the pretties. 

Therefore, I needed to be quick and move on in order to not be stopped and asked for identification and possibly arrested. Or have my own picture taken and put on the community Facebook pages with shaming / damning comments (which a lot of the busybodies tend to do, to start trouble and arguments online... because they have nothing else to do with their lives. I'm not a security risk; I shouldn't feel that way). 

I've tried to edit out any license plates and building numbers. Otherwise WYSIWYG. 

There were plenty of outdoor Christmas lights strung on palm trees and various bushes, as well as what's become the new driveway spotlights and garage projectors. Every year, it seems that more and more people are buying inflatables. Everyone seems to be trying to one up each other. It's the weirdest thing - who are they trying to impress??? 

I just know I still hate the lights on the palm trees. It's not Christmas with out snow and cold. The lit trees down here seem like a heresy and ridiculous. Evergreen trees, spruce, pine forest... that's Christmas. Not half naked, thin Arecaceae. Screw that noise and I'm not even religious / a person who celebrates Christmas! The season isn't the same down here. Winter is not winter while being in Florida. I've said that since I moved here. It's just fecking weird. 

But my mother loves this place and we will have to fully drive through the community one night so she can fully see everything. The pictures don't do the houses justice, for as much as I'm complaining right now. 

People are creative and want to show off. I give them that. There's a reason Ed (next door) one the house decorating contest for Halloween. The humans here love this shit. I'll continue to have squirrel moments driving by and marvel how bright some of the LEDs are, or wonder what the owner's were thinking when they sprayed out feet upon feet of a Technicolor rope onto their entire property and nothing looks cohesive. Then I'll get into my house, climb into my dark bed and go to sleep, only to dream of things unresolved and over the top. 

Until I can possibly sort out my differences, take care of yourselves and don't stare too heavily into the light.

Cheers;