The Dark Nights of Mid-Winter

Today, December 22, is the Winter Solstice!  So have a Cool Yule and Blessed Saturnalia!

I've been taking advantage of the dark early evenings to go out and take more night shots of the lights around town.  Here is another house in my neighbourhood.

This is the very festive Buzzards Bay Rotary, just off the Bourne Bridge.  It looks so pretty and striking at night, and there are cute, painted cartoon characters at different places on the rotary (aka roundabout or traffic circle).  

Forgot to turn the auto focus back on when I went to the Mezza Luna restaurant to shoot the tree on their outside deck, but the blurry one came out kind of cool.

Downtown at Buzzards Bay Park, near the train bridge.  Very festive!!

With the ever present, generic and PC "Seasons Greetings".

All the lamp posts are festooned with garland, ribbons and lit candy canes and/or wreathes.

This is the same place that did up the killer Halloween house that I blogged about HERE.  They did not disappoint for the holiday season!

December 2011

I'm really having a great time this year, walking around to shoot everyone's decorations.  The lights have been spectacular.  The last few years in Washington, I noticed a huge reduction in people's lights and yard displays.  I assumed it was due to the economy and figured this was true of the rest of the country.  Not so, here.

This house is around the corner from me in Buzzards Bay.  We border on a pretty ritzy part of town because we are so close to the water.

Then I drove over to Scusset Beach to catch the sunset.

Since I was right near the bridge, I popped over to Sandwich to take some more photos.  This is the Pink Lady B&B.  It used to be where the priests lived when the Catholic Church was next door (which is desanctified and also a B&B), although it definitely wasn't this ornate and gingerbready back then!

The Belfry Inn, aka Corpus Christi Catholic Church.  I received my religious instruction here through confirmation when I was 14.  After that I was strictly a "Christmas Catholic", only going to Mass on December 24th.  The older generation of Catholics are still somewhat distressed that their church is now a place where people can sleep and do the nasty. I confess, I have dirty, perverted fantasies about staying here some night.  

A custom made crow at Crow Farm along Rte. 6A.

This colourful yard is across the street from my friend Gene's.  I noticed it the night of his party and made a mental note to come back and shoot it.

And of course have some more camera shaking fun.

I love how the house next door looks with the setting sun.

Then I went over to Marsha's house to shoot a few pics of her place and found this house down a side street in her neighbourhood.

This is at Marsha's house.  The lights look like little spermies.  lol  I wasn't intending to create that effect.

Sandwich at Night

One cold night I bundled up and went into Sandwich to do some shooting.  I would have done more, but my camera batteries died.  I forgot how truly pretty my old hometown is during December.  A lot has been added since I was last here in the 80's.

This is Piano Works on Rte. 6A.  Their display is quite striking.  I would like to go there again and do some more shooting.

Old home downtown.

Reflections on Shawme Pond.

Jarves dolphin candlestick in lights at the Glass Museum and the full moon over the roof.  There are several of these custom made iron-and-light designs all over town, which is why I need to go back and shoot some more pics of them!

Glass Museum side door.

Full moon and clouds

Another old house

Town Hall

Tree in the pond

Dunbar Tea Shop on Rte. 130.

A blustery light design at The Weather Store on Main Street.

This really cool design is in front of St. John's Episcopal Church on Main Street.

Couldn't resist a little open-shutter fun....

I think this is a thrift shop on the corner of Jarves & Main Streets.

Christmas tree in front of the Brown Jug Antique Shop, Main Street.

And here, Christmas has thrown up on the lawn of the Dan'l Webster Inn.... This display is set to music and was blinking on and off in time with the different songs.

Dan'l Webster Inn

Dan'l Webster Inn's design.  Not sure what it's supposed to be, unless it's Daniel Webster himself?

Hospice Tree of Memories at the library.  Names of this year's dearly departed are printed on scallop shells. I have one with my dad's name on it from 2003.

Front door of the library.  This is where my batteries started to die.

I was only able to do a few psychedelic open shutter pics.