Holiday season has begun. Turn on the lights.
Halloween, for most purposes, marks the beginning of seasonal events. Watch as the horizon begins to light up with strings and strings of lights snaking their way along the frames and ridgepoles of County homes.
In the final few weeks when days get shorter, the lights break out smiles as they light up the dark.
Cities like Shanghai, Hong Kong and Guangzhou would illuminate entire buildings. Often in walking down those faraway streets, crews would be on ropes and platforms wiring up new lights along the corners and window frames of skyscrapers. At night, organized light shows would play out along riverbanks and walkways in an effort to change the stern, concrete outline. Gray is not a popular color.
Some will find it exciting to try for all lights being the same. Others will tempt the color wheel with flaming beacons of many colors. Some houses will sport one or two strands. Get two rival neighbors and watch the fun as they attempt to outdo each other. Start with one string of lights over the door. Then, a hair net covering his neighbor’s shrubs. Soon a red globe appears, and then a blue, a white and a green. Our first neighbor thinks an even better display would be lighted figures of Santa and the elves.
Soon, entire neighborhoods will be engulfed in brilliant dots of light, scaring away that cold, winter darkness.
Hilltop to valley on a clear night in the season makes for a fanciful drive. Businesses get into the mix, and then there are the light parades. How many twinkling lights can be put on a tractor? There is always room for one more.
For the best pictures, turn your phone horizontal before taking the picture.
Go ahead, light up the neighborhood. The neighbors will appreciate the simple gesture.
Orpheus Allison is a photojournalist living in The County who graduated from UMPI and earned a master of liberal arts degree from the University of North Carolina. He began his journalism career at WAGM television later working in many different areas of the US. After 20 years of television he changed careers and taught in China and Korea.
