Holiday lights radiate joy of season
South homes' holiday lights radiate joy of season
By Scottie Vickery -- The Birmingham News
December 23, 2009, 11:06AM
Decorations at the Bolus home at 3505 Bethune Drive in Mountain Brook include 10 blowups, a lighted nativity, Santa and a reindeer on a see saw, and lighted shrubs, trees and walkways. (The Birmingham News / Joe Songer)
When the Bolus family starts decorating for Christmas, they get lots of attention.
"I can't tell you how many people stop and say, 'Thank you so much for doing this, we look forward to it every year,' " Paul Bolus said of the lights, inflatables, see-sawing Santa and the nativity scene that adorn his Mountain Brook lawn at 3505 Bethune Drive.
"The kids and I do it ourselves every year," he said. "It's our gift to the neighborhood."
That seems to be the sentiment of many who decorate their yards for others to enjoy. "Each year my son spends hours decorating our front yard with lights," Carolyn Bailey said of 14-year-old John. "This year, he has outdone himself." They live at 2800 Carlise Road in the Redmont area.
Larry and Rebecca Donaldson, who live at 1648 Barry Drive in Homewood, don't stop with decorations. They've created a light show that runs about 15 minutes and is synchronized to music.
"I guess this is my midlife crisis," joked Donaldson, who started the project about three years ago. "We basically went from zero to 13,000 lights our first year."
Now they're up to about 18,000 lights, and it keeps growing.
"With times the way they are right now, if you can make someone smile, it's a good thing," he said.
In the mood to look at some Christmas lights? Here are some houses worth checking out, according to Birmingham News readers who responded to our request for the best-dressed homes. The list is divided by area to make your drive a little easier.
SOUTH
3252 Tyrol Road, Vestavia Hills
1648 Barry Ave., Homewood
1711 South Lakeshore Drive,
Homewood
2800 Carlisle Road, Birmingham (Redmont area)
3505 Bethune Drive, Mountain
Brook
2928 Virginia Road, Mountain Brook
2608 Vesclub Circle, Vestavia Hills
5212 Clairmont Ave. South,
Birmingham
Southtown Court public housing community, along University Boulevard
508 Euclid Ave., Mountain Brook
913 Rockford Road, Forest Park (Hanukkah display)
3505 Countrywood Lane,
Vestavia Hills
HOOVER
Lakemoor Drive in Riverchase (whole street)
3257 Star Lake Drive, Hoover
1808 Hummingbird Lane,
Hoover
625 Shades Crest Road, Hoover
216 Highland Crest Parkway,
Hoover
4106 Heatherhedge Lane,
Hoover
4122 Heatherhedge Lane,
Hoover
SEE MORE PHOTOS ONLINE
> See more images in the Birmingham News Christmas lights photo gallery on the Web at al.com, the online home of The Birmingham News: photos.al.com/ birmingham-news
E-MAIL: svickery@bhamnews.com
