The RoadDog's Guide to Outdoor Christmas Decorating

I've been able to cut decorating down considerably from the early days.

I keep the lights, garland, and wreaths in specific labeled boxes. This makes it easy to get the lights out.

I usually start with the deck and sunroom. White icicle lights go up along the eaves. Then I drape green pine bough garland all along the deck and place two strings of white lights run along the garland. Then two strings of C9 multi-colored lights run straight across. A lighted wreath hangs in the middle. Red bows provide color for the daylight.

I also decorate the gazebo with green garland and red bows along the side. I run white swag lights along the garland. I trim in red and green miniature lights. Inside the gazebo, I have a cascading lights.

The front has two small wreaths by the garage, a huge lighted green wreath between the bedroom windows. This has an eight-way lighting system set on continuous for different lighting. The brick pillars are wrapped in green garland and lighted. A green pine garland also is around the doorway. All of these are also lighted and have red bows as well.

Then I have lights in the bushes all the way across the front. I have multi-blinking lights in the crab apple trees at either end.

There is color from the garland and red bows during the day, and then the lights for the color at night.

I figure that I put up about 4000 lights, probably down from 10,000 at one time.

Even if I do say so, it looks good, and is by far the most decorated house on Pine at night and one of the top ones in the subdivision.

So, let's bring on Chevy Chase and Tim the Toolman.

Gettin' the Christmas Spirit. --RoadDog