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I left the house after dark on a mission....
I had a FREE Dairy Queen Blizzard coupon I wanted to use..actually, B1/1F *sign up for their email and you'll get monthly coupons in your inbox*. It's always been a tradition to watch the Christmas Light Parade and have DQ while we sit in the car and try to stay warm!! Since, I was the only one home, I brought one home and stuck in the freezer for later...yummy...TWO for me! hehehe

As I was backing out to leave for the parade, I noticed that the big lighted star on the mountain wasn't there! OH NO! What's happened to the star this year?!? The past 2 years it's been a 'light of hope', and source of community spirit, for the month of December. This was an old town tradition that was lost along the way, until an older town resident built the new frame of the star and got some local supporters to help with the project. The boys from high school take turns -- several at a time -- trekking up the rough terrain, to the top, sometimes, in horrendous weather, with a 5 gallon container of diesel for the generator that lights it. They do this each night, and the star stays lit until the fuel is gone.  (They had to take all the equipment and star up by horsedrawn wagon, because it's so rugged!)

I found my spot that I wanted to watch the parade, ate my CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH Blizzard and waited about 30 minutes for the parade! YAY!!!! So cheerful is the Christmas Light Parade.
The neighbors down the road were the first entrant...now I know what that BUTT UGLY 'thing' in their driveway had been! It looked like a chopped up bus, with only a flatbed with the very front intact. But, it sure looked different in the dark night, all lit up with colorful Christmas lights as a Christmas sleigh!
*I barely got out in time to get a picture of the back-end of it*

There was the Christmas Tree, and Frosty the Snowman-they have been in the parade for years now.

Too cute, they are lighted frames of the images.....on ATV's! They go in and out, and round and round!

There were a couple of lighted 'dollhouses, and Santa on the fire truck. The DUI task force had a show of force, but, the thing that I thought was too cute, were the dancing elves and Christmas packages! LOL

Those kids would surely burn off a ton of calories, running, skipping and just being FUN for 6 miles!

All of a sudden, it was OVER!!!

5 MINUTES...I know because I specifically looked at the clock when the first float went by.

Five minutes......oh, well, it was fun, and I did enjoy it....oh, and it was 49 degrees! HA!

I don't think it's ever been that warm for the Christmas parade!

BUT, the highlight of the night was, as I drove towards home.....guess what I saw?

THE BIG TOWN STAR!

Oh, now I am definitely getting into the Christmas spirit! Even though, I've been fighting it....

Now, I can check my windows each night for the star. We are lucky that the star is just up the hill from our house! So close! This picture is from the first year. When I saw it the first time, there was no announcement of it, and I was scared to death! I thought a UFO had landed on the mountain!

Thanks for your visit! SherryBee in AZ