The time for one of winter’s most dangerous activities has arrived!
Yes, (shudder), it’s Christmas light season.
Feel free to take a moment to get those anxiety spikes under control. For some, just the mention of Christmas lights can send them spiralling like a candy cane.
Understandable.
Frozen ground is hard to land on.
Even without a fall, the job itself is miserable. Climb the ladder, hook the cord on, climb down the ladder, move it, climb back up the ladder, hook the cord, etc. Wicked.
And no matter what the forecast says, the day you choose for this masochistic mission always turns out to be cold and windy. Period. Frozen fingers, here we come.
Smart people put their Christmas lights up before the weather turns cold. I am not smart. I always procrastinated until it looked like there was still a good day left, but when that day arrived, it was either raining, or snowing, or so windy you could launch your hang glider from the top of the ladder.
Fortunately, I found the solution. Don’t put up Christmas lights. Perfect!
I do acknowledge however, there are good folks out there — merry, even — who LIVE to adorn their house with Christmas lights each year, and are willing to put their lives on the line to do so. I applaud these brave souls and wish them a very Merry Christmas!
Just remember, that number again… is 911.
As for those sad souls who would like to light up, but are perhaps physically unable for some reason, or even just too lazy (no judgment), have I got great news for you. I’ve stumbled across a terrific team willing to do all of that for you!
Their name says it all: the Christmas Light Guys.
Yes, they will come to your home, business, whatever, and for a fee, decorate your place, including exterior trees, with all the lights your Christmas spirit can handle.
The team, Charles and Sharenda Wiebe, Jeff McDougall and Steve Hudson are the fab four of the Christmas lights scene, and have even travelled as far as Winkler and beyond to brighten the holiday season.
The business, started by Charles back in 2000, "with nothing but a borrowed van and ladder," now serves more than 300 clients annually, but if you want to hire their services presently, do it quick, because they’re already booking into December.
They are smart, and open their light business every August, and get as many installations as possible done before the frigid, wretched cold settles in. Did I mention I hate winter?
Earlier this week, chatting over a nice warm coffee, I asked Charles if there’s a "too cold to install line," they just refuse to cross. I was surprised to hear him say "No."
These people are warriors, and regardless of how horribly cold and windy it is (I’m thinking a major blizzard might slow them down a bit), they provide and install Christmas lights and decorations until quitting time on Dec. 23.
Not YOUR Christmas lights by the way, theirs — commercial grade — which you rent from them and can even store with them year round.
They will hang ’em as high as 18 metres, even though, as Charles points out, once you get above the tree line — or average roof line — even on a somewhat moderate day, that’s where the "cold arctic blast" awaits, chilling even the most resilient installer, to the bone. Still, they fight on till the job is done.
Glad somebody wants to do this. Should you be interested in learning more about this brave bunch, you’ll find all the information you need at thechristmaslightguys.ca
As for me, I have but one question.
Is it spring yet?
Comments or feedback? Love to hear from you at lmustard1948@gmail.com
