Christmas light show -- part 1

So there we were, in this decidedly upscale neighborhood in Torrance -- or was it Lomita? -- where, each year, the residents go all-out on the Christmas lights and ornaments. My friend H. claims it's a "well known" ritual, but somehow I've never heard of it. Maybe it's "well known" to her because she lived in Torrance -- or was it Lomita? -- for a while.

Never mind. The first thing one sees while driving in a long queue of cars -- most of which have their headlights off, thank goodness -- is lights. Lights in the trees, lights on and around the houses. H. said it reminded her of Disneyland. I liked this better than Disneyland; it was free, for starters, and there was no commercial pimpage for the Mouse's latest movies...



A lot of people seem to tour the neighborhood by car, but the only way to really take it all in and enjoy it to the maximum is walk. That way, you can enjoy the show from a closer perspective.

Some of the decorations were almost traditional...



A few went the cartoon-character route, such as this "Peanuts" display. Behind the open fire on the porch, the homeowner and his dog sat watching the passers-by, while his sound system played Vince Guaraldi's tunes from the long-ago Peanuts Christmas TV special...



And of course the Simpsons were out on a lawn...





Judging by the sheer scope of the display, which runs for several blocks, it seems likely some outside company comes along and does the heavy decorating work. I should not like that on principle, but it doesn't matter. The effect is overwhelming. Like Disneyland....

Sadly, the photos can't convey the scope of the whole thing. Or maybe I need to go for a major equipment upgrade.

But I have plenty more, and some of them may be able to get the point across better, even if only by emphasizing the number of homes that participated.

And there's no way photos can give you the sense of enjoyment (contentment, maybe) that comes from being around a mass of humanity in happy-holiday mode and sharing the experience with a good friend.

More ahead....