Several nights recently we have gone to look at Christmas lights - one of our favorite traditions. The first night we drove to Blaine, WA - up on the Canadian Border. Blaine is a small town - and they do things up on the holidays in small town style. Parades - decorations - festivals - it all happens in Blaine - about 25 miles north.
At first I didn't have the right setting on my camera and got some fun results - then later I got it right and the lights were clearer - though not quite as silly.
We had been to Blaine the day before - and saw their beautiful town Christmas tree. The statues in the back on the right of the tree are a memorial to those lost at sea.
The tree is covered with ornaments and tiny blue lights - which don't show up well in the day time.
In the same little courtyard are giant light up snowflakes.
Approaching the courtyard at night - there was no traffic and we could stop in the middle of the street to take pictures. Gotta love these small towns
First try at the lighted tree
Second try
I like this one best - you can see the different motions that my camera makes when I don't use a tripod
Ooops - don't put the camera back down too soon - you'll get shooting stars
Looking down the street the other way you see "dancing" lights on the tree trunks along the street
Down by the docks we could look across and see the border crossing into Canada - the red and green lights looked like Christmas lights - these look like music notes to me - made by the camera movement because the shutter speed was so slow in the dim light - and my hand is not a good tripod.
Border Crossing - so pretty. The wait that night was about 25 minutes to get into Canada and by the lines we saw on the Canadian side, it looked like the US crossing had an even longer wait.
A pretty house - with Santa on the porch - all smudgy and swirly
This is what it looked like when I finally changed the camera setting
Pretty little trees in a yard
Reflected in the wet street
One of my favorite houses in Blaine - right on the main street - again, I think the lights smudged into music notes - maybe it is Christmas music.
Whoosh - there goes a Christmas tree
Looking out over the bay we could see the close lights in the harbor - and in the distance, White Rock, BC, Canada
"Strings of lights" in White Rock
This is what White Rock really looks like at night from across the border
On the way home that night we revisited a house in Bellingham
Santa, reindeer, gifts, train, wreath - all lit up
A polar bear and her igloo - waiting for Santa
Snow man and candy canes - this was about 10 feet tall
Fuzzy Snoopy and the lit up mail box - you can see that the mail box opened and Woodstock was inside
Fully open - this was a cute decoration
Then last night we went out to dinner - and on the way home visited one of our favorites. Hello Mr. Grinch!
This ranch decorates the fence for every holiday
See the Cheshire Cat - Wiley Coyote and the Roadrunner?
Snowman riding a bull
The Cat in the Hat - there seemed to be no special order to these decorations - just hung all along the fence, with lots of lights
Bugs Bunny
Cow pokes on the fence
And the Elf Rodeo finishes it up.
The view of the entire fence in my rearview mirror
As we wandered towards home we were surprised by a neighborhood all decorated up - out in the country
Red and green outlining a house
Trees and fences lit up
This was Don's favorite in this neighborhood - soft blue and green lights
One of my favorites - a Dr. Seuss tree - sparkly!
And as we drove back onto the main road - there in front of us - across the road - was Santa - standing all by himself out in a field. This was the best shot I could get - there was an impatient truck right behind me.
Ho Ho Ho
Hope you enjoyed the trip - and hope you didn't get too car sick.
Do you like to take drives to look at outdoor lights at Christmas?
