ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, December 21, 1995 TAG: 9512210037
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: E-8 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Between the Lines
SOURCE: LISA P. SMITH
"That's a lotta lights," echoed the six on the van. The comment was heard throughout the night, mouths gaping and eyes open wide with wonderment as we rode throughout the Roanoke Valley, judging Christmas decorations.
We started this 41/2-hour trek into Christmas wonderland at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 6. The Roanoke Parks and Recreation Department provided the minibus for Catherine Fox of the Roanoke Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau; Beth Poff of Mill Mountain Zoo; Mary Beth Layman for the town of Vinton; Judy Griesenbrock of Salem/Roanoke County Chamber of Commerce; and Laban Johnson, Roanoke's special events coordinator.
Initially, each house and light design was different, but as 10:30 p.m. came around the lights began to meld. It became Christmas light mania.
Some people, though, did help us narrow down the competition by not having their lights on.
At several houses, we were left wondering where the residents found the time and energy to hang so many lights. They were everywhere: on the houses, lawns, windows, trees, bushes, doors, fences, mailboxes, driveways and any other inanimate object with the misfortune of being placed on the lawn or near the house.
One resident was bold enough to put a star on the very top of a huge tree in the backyard.
To describe the sights that we saw that night, I have to quote Laban: "Some were down right exotic."
And some even went so far as to transcend the exotic.
For instance, a house in Vinton had a yard crammed full of Santas, Marys, Josephs, and Baby Jesuses, reindeer and lights. It looked like a cemetery for Christmas past, present and future.
A house in Southwest Roanoke had a plethora of white lights - on the house, the windows, the bare trees, the shrubbery. Plus, there was Santa with his reindeer on the roof.
Another Southwest Roanoke house also had an abundance of lights, but there was no dominant color scheme. There were white lights, green lights, red lights and blue lights. The scene had one redeeming quality: a huge book, with the message, "From our house to yours," was in the center of the lawn.
Then there was the huge Santa Claus, stretching from the top of the house, over the front door and to the ground, with a blinking message: "Santa says: Don't drink and drive. Spend more time with the kids."
Ever wonder if the chimney really is the safest way for St. Nick to get into a house?
The owners of one Northwest Roanoke house don't seem to think so. One of their Santas is being pulled back onto the roof by a reindeer, while in another scene, a life-size reindeer tries to extinguish Santa's burning britches as he climbs out of the chimney.
Some decorators tried to incorporate the spiritual and commercial aspects of the holiday with separate scenes on each side of the lawns, while others tried to put Santa Claus in the manger with Baby Jesus.
I applaud people who have the energy, industriousness and imagination to decorate their homes for others to enjoy.
Most of the Christmas displays were imaginative and creative. Most showed a great deal of hard work and had lots of lights.
But based on some comments from those on the bus, maybe a few of the neighbors should have paid Appalachian Power Co. to turn the lights off.
Lisa Smith, who writes periodically for Neighbors, won't ever volunteer for another Christmas decoration assignment after viewing more than 40 homes.
LENGTH: Medium: 67 linesby CNB