Written by: Katie Brown
With Christmas talk in
the air, everyone is settling in for winter and all the traditions that come
with it. Cookies are baked in the oven, and evergreens keep the houses smelling
fresh. Families gather together for times of love and sharing, and hot
chocolate is made to keep everyone’s belly delightfully warm. However, not
everyone follows the traditional standards of the holiday season. No, some take
it to a whole new level.
Over on Apple Blossom Lane, a street nearing Lisha Kill
Middle School, residents take decorating in a different sense. Now most people
string a few lights up and lay out a snowman and a few reindeer to bring in the
holiday fun, but not on Apple Blossom. The owners of houses hang up at least
triple what any normal holiday lover does.
On the roof, in the yard, lights going from the house to the trees. Some
lights blink, others change colors, and some lights even create a moving
picture. There’s so much going on that it may look even chaotic at first.
For the resedent Jean Connelly, the sight was very
unexpected after moving onto the street three years ago. “As soon as
Thanksgiving is over, everyone on the street is out hanging up their lights,
and they stay up right on ‘til New Years,” said Connelly. She enjoys the lights
every year, though she does have some complaints when it comes to some of her
neighbor’s decorating style. Particularly the ones who hang up palm tree shaped
lights. “I just don’t understand it. It’s Christmas, not summer,” she said,
talking about the lawn that featured Santa’s day at the beach, including palm
trees, flamingos, and dolphins, with Santa taking in some sun on a lawn chair.
Connelly’s only other complaint about the grand light
shows was the traffic that it caused. Many people take a ride in their cars and
just cruise down the road, looking at all the lights like many would at the
holiday lights featured in Washington Park. It really causes a hassle for those
who live on the street when it comes to leaving and returning home, but it’s
still and enjoyable tradition for everyone on Apple Blossom Lane.
