Christmas Display

We have friends that are right into this Christmas display thing.
There is no doubt it looks really great.  They have gotten pieces from all over the world.  Most featured set up scenes show snow though.  It is probably why we have “Christmas in July.” It is so no cold here at Christmas.  In fact, it never snows here.  I have seen rugby league played in snow in Canberra in the middle of winter, but the tv seems to be as close as we get to snow.
Merril and I make a point of visiting the display.  We love it.  For me, viewing it is a highlight.  I must admit though, I am also into the pizzas and chin wag after it. 
Our contribution to Christmas is a couple of sets of lights and a Santa in the yard.  Twice he has had a distinct lean, I needed to do something about.  We have more, but most of it has not come out this year.  However having people over is a good excuse for doing something.  Our shed looks a bit Christmasy.
These people are not the only ones we know that have a display.  Often the reason given is “oh it is for the kids.” Yeah right.  Certainly it may have started out that way, but I think it is as much for the big kid in all of us too.
I am incredulous at the amount of power these things take to display.  A common theme seems to be the amount of power boards required.  There is heaps that look great, but they need to be plugged in somewhere.  Normally the power boards are hidden under a table or something.
Depending on the size of the display, they can take a while to set up.  One person I know takes a week’s holidays to do it.  The other person said it takes more than a week to set up.  It is not like it is five minutes a day for a week.  It is all day every day.  Then everything needs to go away again for another year.  One person puts it all in their ceiling cavity.  The other transports stuff to an unused location of theirs.
For Merril and me, it seems to be a bit like the attitude people have to grandkid.  They love looking after them, knowing they can give them back.  Merril and I love looking at this stuff.  We pull over on roads and look at people’s displays.  It is amazing the effort some people go to.  It looks great.
Someone known to me was asked to take his display down though.  It was upsetting the kids.  I thought his roof top display showing Santa and his sled crashing into the roof was a great idea.  It was not apparently.
Merril and I are happy viewing these things, knowing that someone else has put in all the effort.