The second weekend in November is our little family's Christmas tradition: the Galaxy of Lights Walk-Thru night. I'm still giddy that I've started a "family tradition"! Scott & I went for the first time back in 2003, maybe the first or second year they opened the driving route to pedestrians in advance of Thanksgiving. We loved it! We could linger to enjoy some our favorite displays, AND we didn't have to worry about an SUV with "auto-on" headlights blinding us from behind. (That always seemed to happen to us on driving nights.) We enjoyed it so much, we decided to invite my parents the next year, which was even more delightful with the inclusion of our infant son. We've been walking ever since.We learned that pushing a stroller or pulling a wagon is difficult through the gravel, so the first winter after getting the convertible bike trailer, we began using that. We seem to have inspired a trend.
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| These "jingle" snowmen are new this year.. |
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| as well as these ornaments. And they're all over! |
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| Clara & the Nutcracker by Hsv Ballet. |
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| My favorite elf with a barrow full of gardening gifts! |
Every year we try to see if we can figure out which displays are the new ones (or un-retired ones,) and take photos & video of them. Every year we discuss where certain displays were last year, and point out our favorites. Every year my father recites the old nursery rhymes that go with their displays, since Dr. Seuss seems to have replaced Mother Goose. Every year we stop for family-group pictures in the "Icicle Forest." (My favorite display!)
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| Some toy soldiers are in new arrangements. |
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| This sad soldier gets cheered up by a pouncing puppy! |
My brother got to join us on our walk this year, and the event was even bigger & better! To facilitate traffic, they are using new tourist-shuttle road between the Space & Rocket Center & the Gardens. Now they finally have a place (that makes sense) to put all of the space-themed displays; seeing the Ares rocket next to a dreidle is just a bit odd. The facility road changes have the route even longer so there are more lights. They have decided to let Santa hang out in The Arbor for good, so there's lots of room for families and the kids aren't tired from the walk. He's even got a fancy throne, backdrop & his own lights "Santa at the Garden"! (Not that we could get DLG to sit on the lap of that strange old man; MLB asked for new toy cats for both of them.) Taking the refreshments up a notch, not only is there the usual water/hot cocoa/sinckerdoodles at the half-way point by the restrooms, but they've added hot coffee & "adult" hot coffee at the start of the walk. Cookies & cocoa are free; joe is a buck & joe plus some is $4. (My mom got hers with Kahlua.)
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| This display is "In Thanksgiving" for all the folks who work hard to set up the Galaxy of Lights, including the "Galaxy Guys." A plain ol' pick up, you may wonder. Do you see it's driving on a yellow "dirt" road? Do you see there's a yellow "bump" in front of the rear tire? What I failed to capture was the truck bed bumping up & tossing a 5-gallon bucket & it's contents in the air. Something tells me that scene happened many times, many an October, as they set up the lights. |
Thank you, Huntsville Botanical Gardens & all of your volunteers, for another wonderful family night!
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