LIGHTING UP DOLORES



 


 With Thanksgiving done for another year time for the next ritual of Christmas decorations. Friday and
into the loft once more for the upstairs collection and then with most of that brought down into the
spare bedroom time to have a look in the big box downstairs for all the outside lights. Now last year
we won the Town prize so Brenda is keen on another full out attack. We have 17 strings of lights and
this year the test shows I might just as well have binned the bloody lot as only 4 strings are working!
How can this be? They were all working last year when they were turned off and put away? I don't
understand.

 Too late to go into town so turn my attention to the upstairs tree which has two sets of lights built in
and a motor to drive the colored disc over a halogen bulb. The motor works fine but blow me if the
bloody halogen bulb hasn't gone as well!

 Down in the workshop as I'm not putting up lights a quick look at Ugly Betty and I discover the
manufacturer's of the engine have left a couple of plastic inspection covers on the clutch case to aid in
the location of the cable which I'd previously though was a real lash up. The cover comes off and now I
need to see what's inside..... reach for the trusty torch (flashlight) and ...lo bugger me if that hasn't
failed as well!

 Today's mission will be a full assault on Walmart's lighting division and maybe, just maybe we will see
again! We were planning on the blue/white theme again but we are told by helpful assistant that what's
on display is all they have! Well clearly this is not the case, as they still have 3 weeks to go but they are
out of nearly all the new expensive LED series but the saving grace is the others are slightly cheaper.
Sod's Law they don't have enough of the blue/whites so its going to be a multi color theme this year
with just maybe the leftover blue/whites up in a bare cottonwood tree out the front. That suggestion fell
on stony ground this morning!

 Seems to take longer each year to build up keenness to be out there as Chevy Chase stapling wires
and lights everywhere while up the ladder


 

Joy of joys


 Replacement bulb found for the upstair fibre optic tree and that was finished by Brenda with all the final
touches. She also discovered the "spare" bulb in its box! Meanwhile I finally got the clutch cable
organized on the Jumbo and cemented up the hole with aquarium silicone.




Upstairs done! 

 When it warms up a bit the ladder will be out and 16 sets of lights will adorn the property, until then I'll
be working in the lodge room downstairs putting all the knick knacks on the dead animals and birds.


 

Bambi is dressed





Harley too








 

Lodge room complete


 By lunchtime its warmed up and I can complete the 5 pillars of wisdom and the first section of lights
under the balcony. Next phase is the new multi colored sets of the ice type and they go up but by now
the temp has come down and I'm done. Tomorrow its the run along the upper balcony and then the
upper lights over the window and arches and then finish off with the Angel and moving headed deer.

 So far I'm not seeing much enthusiasm from the rest of the town either, maybe Humbug or just the
economy. Trying to get that "Christmas Spirit" is not coming easy this year which is very sad as I've
always loved the season and all it's happy memories but this year will be a total first with absolutely
NO presents to wrap or put under the tree. Bizarre really as I would normally spend a lot of time
carefully selecting various wrapping papers as I saw them to get the desired effect and mix of colors
under the tree. Well If you don't have the money you sure can't spend it!!

 With all the outside lighting up and tested it looks good but as nightfall approaches one string of the
new lights fail! I don't remember having had this much of a problem in previous years but there again I
used to buy all the lights at Walgreen's. Brenda checks her lights for her downstairs tree and the new
from last year bunch aren't working either!! So yet another visit to the exchange section and finally I
have all my outside work completed and we connect to the Nuclear reactor for another year.





More new lights on the downstairs tree

 

...... bang on cue, it snows



Different, so now up to the Judges to decide if we retain our title and win the prize for the second
year.






Will we win ?

HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS


TONY DOWN