A Very Venice Christmas

Dateline: Venice, Florida

And we're all gearing up...

Gift wrapped doggie bones at the Farmers' market...

Rudolph on your mailbox

A Christmas boat parade on a balmy night, under a big white moon, the crowds picnicking by the intracoastal waterway

Waiting an age for the big drawbridges to rise and the boats to come sailing by at last

 Crowds calling out "Merry Christmas"

And the boat crews calling back

 And this one got the loudest cheer

 There were the big motorboats 

 But also three graceful sailing boats

 The arboretum trees all done up in lights, sponsored by different organisations and families

 People going to look, bumping into each other on the dark paths and laughing

They seem to miss the snow up north

No, please, no!

This display was called "Grandpa's Lake". I wonder what the story was there.

Or here

Around our neighbourhood, gardens done up with glittering palm trees

And my favourites,  piglet Santas

Not as many Nativity scenes as in rural western New York but this was a nice one

And of course, this being Florida and yappy dog heaven, (the dog beach is just down the road) the sleigh is pulled by dachshunds

Meanwhile hubby and I have been back in nursery school, gleefully making a stable out of a cardboard box and palm fronds and sheep from packaging, cotton wool and glue

and trying to get our new Florida Christmas lights to stretch around the fat podocarpus by the front door.

Celebrating in a new place is an adventure.  Happy/Merry Christmas to all our friends on either side of the pond!