20 December 2010

I'm actually writing this on the morning of the 21st because I wanted to include a picture of last night's eclipse, but at the critical moment, Ma Nature decided to spread some clouds over our yard, and the moon looked like a hazy little smudge and finally nothing. I can at least say I was up and watching at the moment of totality, but the totality of nothingness had been my view since about 2:45.

I have a couple of pictures that I think need to be seen together because they are similar. Both houses had large trees in the front yard, and in both cases, the owners had put a strand of lights around the bottommost branches. What I call the casual or insouciant decorator's approach.

Both of these were taken in Torrington. The lower one was on Crestwood Drive, and the upper one might have been Ridgewood Drive. It was close to the first one.

OK, now get ready for the holidays through different eyes. Brother Tom Deupree is down in Florida, and he says people down there are wacko. If you've ever read Carl Hiassen, you know!! (If you haven't read Carl Hiassen, pick one up. You'll laugh yourself sick. I don't remember which ones I've read, but I just checked the titles on Amazon and remember Skin Tight. It was about the plastic surgery industry.) Anyway, this is one Floridian's idea of holiday decoration! I'm going to spread Tom's pictures out over the next couple of days. Too much of a good thing is too much of a good thing!!

It takes a quick eye to see this kind of thing! Thanks, Tom!

Wait until today (Tuesday)'s Florida picture! 

Tom tried to leave a comment but blogspot.com wouldn't take it, so he called me to say that the best Carl Hiassen he read was Strip Tease. And he added that the picture above was taken in Nokomis.