ON THE LAKE
A time to get lit?
Posted 12/07/2022
By Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
With only a few years under my belt as a homeowner at Lake Panorama, I am still learning the ropes. Maybe you are, too. Some are lessons learned the hard way; others are just simple things I happen to notice. This month’s lesson fits in the latter category.
Of course, I am not cruising the boat around the lake in December, but in driving the roads of the LPA, I noticed that not many homeowners choose to put up Christmas lights outside. Yes, there are a few Clark Griswolds — and you know who they are — but, by and large, lake property owners don’t go crazy with holiday lights.
Take a drive through our rural and suburban communities, and you will see quite the opposite. Santas. Snowmen. Reindeer. All 10 feet tall and inflatable (most of the time) with enough flashing lights for a Vegas show. Some even have light patterns set to music. I love the enthusiasm, and I thoroughly enjoy the Christmas spirit, but my retinas need a break from time to time.
At Lake Panorama, the holiday decorations seem to be different, less flashy, more subtle. The inside of homes may look like Santa’s workshop, but the exteriors tend to appear much like they do during other parts of the year. Maybe it’s because these aren’t the permanent homes for many property owners, and they don’t want the hassle of lighting up two places. Maybe it’s because the deer eat the light cords (that actually happened to me in the past). Or maybe it’s an appreciation for the natural scenery that has drawn so many of us to the lake to begin with.
Our youngest daughter, Abby, thought we should have at least one string of lights out. So she pulled a set out of the box, tested the lights to make sure they worked, and set them out for me to install. On the coldest day of the year, I untangled the mess and then carefully wrapped them around the deck posts, making sure the bulbs were distanced equally and pleasing to the eye. Then, when I plugged the strand in — you guessed it — nothing. I decided to wait for a warmer day to deal with it. I am still waiting.
“Honey, do you honestly think I would check thousands of tiny little lights if I didn’t make sure the extension cord was plugged in?” – Clark Griswold
Yes, I checked the extension cord.
Christmas humor
Christmas is a time to enjoy family and friends and, hopefully, remember the reason for the season. It is also a time to smile and laugh, so try these Christmas jokes out around the tree this year.
Here’s one for you World Cup fans. What did the naughty soccer announcer get from Santa Claus? COOOAAAALLLLL!!!
And one for you musicians. What is the best possible holiday present? A broken drum. You just can’t beat it.
And for you online shoppers. Did you hear that Amazon is giving away dead batteries for the holiday? They’re free of charge.
And for those of us who are follicly challenged. What did the bald man say when he got a comb for Christmas? “I’ll never part with it.”
And, finally, one for all of us… What did one snowman say to the other? “Is it just me, or do you smell carrots?”
I wish you all a merry Christmas, and I thank you for reading.
Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
By Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
With only a few years under my belt as a homeowner at Lake Panorama, I am still learning the ropes. Maybe you are, too. Some are lessons learned the hard way; others are just simple things I happen to notice. This month’s lesson fits in the latter category.
Of course, I am not cruising the boat around the lake in December, but in driving the roads of the LPA, I noticed that not many homeowners choose to put up Christmas lights outside. Yes, there are a few Clark Griswolds — and you know who they are — but, by and large, lake property owners don’t go crazy with holiday lights.
Take a drive through our rural and suburban communities, and you will see quite the opposite. Santas. Snowmen. Reindeer. All 10 feet tall and inflatable (most of the time) with enough flashing lights for a Vegas show. Some even have light patterns set to music. I love the enthusiasm, and I thoroughly enjoy the Christmas spirit, but my retinas need a break from time to time.
At Lake Panorama, the holiday decorations seem to be different, less flashy, more subtle. The inside of homes may look like Santa’s workshop, but the exteriors tend to appear much like they do during other parts of the year. Maybe it’s because these aren’t the permanent homes for many property owners, and they don’t want the hassle of lighting up two places. Maybe it’s because the deer eat the light cords (that actually happened to me in the past). Or maybe it’s an appreciation for the natural scenery that has drawn so many of us to the lake to begin with.
Our youngest daughter, Abby, thought we should have at least one string of lights out. So she pulled a set out of the box, tested the lights to make sure they worked, and set them out for me to install. On the coldest day of the year, I untangled the mess and then carefully wrapped them around the deck posts, making sure the bulbs were distanced equally and pleasing to the eye. Then, when I plugged the strand in — you guessed it — nothing. I decided to wait for a warmer day to deal with it. I am still waiting.
“Honey, do you honestly think I would check thousands of tiny little lights if I didn’t make sure the extension cord was plugged in?” – Clark Griswold
Yes, I checked the extension cord.
Christmas humor
Christmas is a time to enjoy family and friends and, hopefully, remember the reason for the season. It is also a time to smile and laugh, so try these Christmas jokes out around the tree this year.
Here’s one for you World Cup fans. What did the naughty soccer announcer get from Santa Claus? COOOAAAALLLLL!!!
And one for you musicians. What is the best possible holiday present? A broken drum. You just can’t beat it.
And for you online shoppers. Did you hear that Amazon is giving away dead batteries for the holiday? They’re free of charge.
And for those of us who are follicly challenged. What did the bald man say when he got a comb for Christmas? “I’ll never part with it.”
And, finally, one for all of us… What did one snowman say to the other? “Is it just me, or do you smell carrots?”
I wish you all a merry Christmas, and I thank you for reading.
Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305