City Lights

Obviously, this entry is very late in being posted. I'm sure you won't be surprised to see that taking photos of lights at night from a moving bus result in rather abstract Christmas images. Still, they amused me. So, I'm sharing. Oh, and I just posted the photos from the lights at the catholic church. You'll need to go back to the post from Christmas day. Go on. I'll wait.

Kevin and I took the Brisbane lights tour on Thursday night (20 Dec 20). Three hours winding through neighborhoods of South Brisbane checking out the biggest light displays. Our bus was about ½ full with half a dozen young girlfriends in the front (8- 10 years old) and the back seat filled with a similar number of rowdy teens. Our girls distributed song sheets so we could carol our way through- though it was the teens in the back that called the shots (or songs, as it were.) They preferred the up tempo carols- Rudolf and Jingle Bells and Jingle Bell Rock. Silent night never made it to the table and Away in a Manger died out in the first verse. It was easy to sing along. No one sang in the same key as her neighbor. There were a couple of unique Australian carols- but as to a tune, your guess is as good as mine. Jingle Bells was re-themed to Oz “Dashing through the bush in a rusty Holden Ute. Kicking up the dust. Esky in the boot. Singing Christmas songs. It’s summer time and I am in my singlet, shorts and thongs.”

The prevalence of outdoor lights was much less than what I’m used to in the US, but those who committed, did so with a zeal unsurpassed by any. Lights didn’t just outline a house, they smothered it. One star of Bethlehem was insufficient. Six, ten, twelve Santas. Nativities facing off with Snow White and the seven dwarves. Snowmen and toy soldiers, and penguins, and trees. All I could think was spiders...



Our yard is covered with spiders. They cover every bush and span every gap between. These Aussies seemed to have embodied the spider psyche and endeavored to cover absolutely every surface and span every gap with a web of lights. They created walls of lights and tent-like ceilings of light. That was not my first spider thought, however. My first thought was

Our yard is covered with spiders. What would they do with all those extra surfaces from which to spin their webs? How many webs would I walk through trying to put those lights up?? Arghhhhhh.