January 14, 2012

"The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God.... anarchy and tyranny commence. Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist"

John Adams

 

January 7, 2012

Happy New Year everybody ! What a crazy year it was for the display ! The website crashed 3 times and had to be moved to a different server because of the high volume of visitors that wanted to find out about the debacle with the HOA Board. I was just looking at the site statistics for December. tzChristmas.com had 234,625 hits in December. That's an average of 7,658 hits per day. There 907,046 pages read. That's almost 4 pages per visitor. That's phenomenal ! Thank you all, again, for your support !!!

This should be an interesting and fun off-season. I know its going to be a busy one. I'm going to double my efforts to try and buy 5 or 10 acres five or six miles east of here while I work on the designing and drawing plans for a new home. Lets all pray for a new President and that the economy turns around so I can make that dream a reality.  It's time to take it up a notch or two. To do that, I need some room to work. 

I've got a couple of ideas for some new things. I'm going to try some different control ideas that will require me to change software and maybe hardware. I've been using Animated Lighting's Animation Director software all these years. I kept hoping that they would correct some bugs and make some changes but it doesn't appear that's going to happen. So, I'm thinking of selling all of my AL stuff and switch to Light-O-Rama . I'd say that 99% of my friends use LOR which will greatly increase the information pool when I get myself in a jam.
 

I think you will like the new additions to the 2012. Presently I'm controlling red, green, blue or yellow individual LED light strings. A majority of the display will still be like that. What I'm working on adding is the ability of controlling each individual LED on each string. Imagine a 16 ft. ribbon that's an 1/8" thick and a 1/2" wide. Embedded in the ribbon are 50 red, 50 green and 50 blue LED's. The possibilities are endless with the effects but the fun part is going to be the different colors i can generate because of those 3 fundamental colors. By varying the brightness of each r/g/b LED, I'll have at my disposal about 2 million different colors ! It's going to take a lot of time to get this stuff figured out. IF I can, it will be well worth it !! 

 

December 29, 2011

It sure has been an interesting season, to say the least. All of the coverage of my ordeal with a few people and the HOA board has been amazing. I learned a lot this year about what the display means, not only to me, but to so many people. I knew that people liked it but I never, ever knew how much it means  to so many people of all ages. For me, it was always an expression of my joy and love of Christmas, the celebration of God's greatest gift to mankind. I wanted to share that feeling, that joy. It's why I have the "Christmas Memories" portion of the display. I want to rekindle that flame inside of each of us. We all feel it to some degree even though so many keep it tucked away deep inside or sadly, have have lost it. Everybody knows what I'm talking about. We all felt it as children and most still carry it today in adulthood. There were those that told me how they had lost "that feeling" from their hearts, but after visiting the display, felt it come back. They would return and with each visit that feeling grew. They brought family, friends. They shared the joy with others, as I did with them. The notes, the cards, the emails, the comments posted, all were so humbling. I do not have the vocabulary to put into words what I felt. That's why I always look or sound so goofy when I'm talking about it on TV, radio or in the paper. I just can not put it into words. Someone told me it was "God's love" that I felt. Wow ! Maybe that's why I cant put it into words.

No matter what the naysayers say, nothing about the display is a bad thing, especially now when our Country is filled with so much hopelessness, despair, sorrow and worry. You would think that there were more important things to be concerned with, but apparently not. As I write this, I already know about "their" sabre rattling and what they're doing. I don't know what is going to happen between now and next Christmas but one thing is for sure. If I have to walk into a courtroom and defend it, I will. I am not concerned about their actions in the least bit. My resolve is unshakable. There is a lot more at stake here than a few cars in the neighborhood a couple of days before Christmas. A lot more. 

Check back if you want to know what's going on. I will keep you all informed.   

 

November 11, 2011

Well, it's been a crazy last few weeks. I'm going to keep this short because I'm going to devote an entire section on my website, explaining everything that's gone on and how a few people thought they were going to kill the display. This year, the display won't be animated like it has been in the past. The animation will only be some color changes in the lights with a brief message explaining the change in the display. The display will be simple this year. I really hate it for the kids and the kids at heart, but most of all, I hate it for the Sunshine Center. Judging from the phone calls, notes and cards I've gotten over the last 2 weeks, I'm not the only one that's unhappy. I've found out that I have a lot of friends in this neighborhood that I never knew I had, not to mention, several from outside of the neighborhood. Boy, does news travel fast ! But, don't worry, my friends.  It's OK, for now. Trust me on this. And don't forget to check back and look for the "Me and the HOA" tab right before Thanksgiving or shortly there after.

 

October 5, 2011

Where has the year gone ?!?! AGAIN !!  This year was a little crazy. Looks like I'm in for another round and round with one or two in the neighborhood. Keep your fingers crossed that it can all get worked out so that the display can go on as scheduled. The lights on the big oaks never made it down this year. The guys that usually take them down were really busy at their "regular" job of tree removal. All of the tornadoes and strong storms prevented them from getting over to my house.  Check back when you can.

About the only thing I have managed to do this year is start sequencing a new song. Its a difficult song to do, but, if i can pull it off, you're going to love it !

 

December 28, 2010

The number of people visiting the display sure has dropped off dramatically over the last 2 days. Everybody is starting to get back into their "normal" lives again. The joy and happiness of Christmas will soon be locked away for another 11 months. I peek out through the blinds to see what's going on out front and all I see is a single car. Just 4 nights ago, cars were lined up and down the street and around both corners. I miss seeing all of those smiling faces and children's heads popping out of sunroofs or hanging out of car windows. Parents holding up the smallest of children to see the lights. The little red lights from the video cameras. People taking pictures with cameras and cell phones. The kind notes and the Christmas cards that were left in the mailbox. And all of the people that I talked to. I really enjoyed talking to all of you. When I started the animated display, it was just me doing something a little different than what I use to do. It was fun. It made me happy during the happiest time of the year. I lived for darkness so I could watch and enjoy it all. But then, people started coming out to see it. I couldn't believe it. The feeling inside of me. The joy it brought. I wish I could tell you how happy it made me. I wish you could feel what I do for just an instant. Words can not describe it. Its all so very humbling.

Monday will be the last night of the 2010 display. The lights will go off at 9:30 and that will be it for 2010. It's going to be sad when I come home from work and turn the corner onto my street Tuesday night. The front yard will be dark. The smiling faces will be gone. There will be a sinking feeling inside of me. Boy, it's tough. Labor day weekend can't come soon enough, so I can start again. One thing is for sure. It wont come as fast as Christmas left, but I'll still be hoping it will.

 

December 3, 2010

Well, the display has been up and running all week. There are a few light strings that aren't lighting but it should be an easy fix tomorrow. If you've been by this week to see it, you know what I'm talking about.  Bear with me until tomorrow and I'll get it straight. In the meantime, come on by. If you see me outside checking on things, don't be bashful, say "hi" ! I always enjoy talking to all of you ! 

November 29, 2010

I left work a little early today to come home and finishing wiring the roof, setting the signs up and connecting the controllers with Cat5e cable. Finished up right at about 4. I turned on the computer and started the show. Talk about a huge mess !!! Half of the display and only 3/4 of the lights in that half of the display were working. Nothing on the roof worked. "Yiayia" (the talking tree) didn't turn on. The roof was dead. The entire right side of the yard was totally dark, with the exception of a pop of green or red every once and awhile. I stood there, soaking wet and covered in mud and said to myself, in Scott Calvin style, "I'm in biiiiig trouble ! Uh-huh !! " I turned everything off and sat down in front of the computer in Christmas Central and tested every channel separately; all 176 of them, and still the same thing. Two and a half hours gone. Just for the heck of it, I copied one of the backup files over the show file, re-started the software and I was up and running. Lights ON !! Unbelievable. I guess the file was corrupted somewhere between the computer I program on and the thumb-drive I used to transfer the file with to the computer in Christmas Central that runs the show. I watched the entire show and shut everything down. I've got a couple of minor things to fix. It looks like I have to tighten up some plugs of a few strings that don't light all the way up the tree trunks. Only thing is I'll have to wait until Wednesday. Heavy rain has moved in and won't be gone until then. There is just no way to work in that kind of downpour. I know. I've tried before. So, I learned something new today. It's amazing sometimes how the most obvious solution is the one most overlooked. I sure am glad I had 6 back-up copies. 

November 19, 2010

Y eah !!!  I got started putting lights in the bushes on Halloween day.  What a difference a week and some help makes ! I never realized how much time I spent on just checking lights ! And, the weather has been just perfect !! All of the bushes are done.  The foster holly's are done. The large trees should be finished tomorrow. Sunday, I'll hang the nativity wire-frames on the wall and test the mini-trees to be sure those lights are working OK. The roof lights should be finished by Wednesday. Thanksgiving day will be a clean-up day. There are tons of leaves everywhere. I've got to get them out of the straw beds and off the bushes too. Once the yard is straight, it'll be time to wire everything up. Oh, wow. Am i going to make Thanksgiving weekend ? I just might !! That will be a first !  

I'm still working on the music. I was hoping to have all new music this year, but, it just hasn't worked out. I'll have one new song; maybe two, with a little luck. The song I'm working on now has taken a long time to get right. The song has 1,400 individual segments that have to be programmed. those 1,400 segments all correspond to the 11 large trees, 15 mini-trees, 4 foster holly's, 3 sets of bushes and 4 channels of roof lights. How about a little math now ? There are 37 different parts of the display in the front yard that have 4 colors of lights on them.  4x37= 148 things that have to be programmed.  148 things x 1,400 segments equals 207,200 mouse clicks. And that's only if everything is perfect and don't make any mistakes !!  We all know that's not happening ! To date, I've used 417,202 clicks.  I've listened to the entire song, in bits and pieces, 1,831 times !! I have got  to be crazy ! Anyway, I should finish this weekend. Hopefully, I'll be able to throw something together for a second song before I start wiring it all together on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Yeah, I know. I wont be watching the game. I"ll be listening and hopefully want to watch the replay later that night LOL

September 11, 2010

Wow ! September ?! Already ?! And I haven't updated since February ?!?!? Where did the year go ?!?!? It's time to get busy !! Reading my February entry about the Snow Village gave me a chuckle. The Snow Village didn't make it down this year. Sooooo busy at work. I just didn't really have the time, until about a month ago, to start the take-down. I figured, whats the point ? I would need to be starting on it right now anyway. It was weird with them being up all year. It doesn't have the same feel to it as it usually does though. Oh well, at least I saved 6 weeks of time. I should be able to go straight into programming some new music for this year.  I might even be able to add something new to it.  Maybe I'll finally make my self-imposed Thanksgiving weekend "lights on" deadline this year ?

Tomorrow, I'll get the controllers setup in Christmas Central, plug in a few strings of lights and see what happens.You may remember that the display wouldn't turn off New Year's night. The first priority is to find out if the problem was in one of the controllers or if it was something else. I'm thinking that it may have been a nicked Cat 6 cable that allowed some moisture in from all the rain we had over the holidays. Water does some strange things to the controllers sometimes.

February 21, 2010

February 7, 2010

It's been a month since I've updated anything. Where did January go ?

January is the month that Paul at Creative Displays has his annual LED pre order sale. I'm stocked up, but can't resist the temptation to take advantage of a deal on Christmas lights. It's not every day that you can buy some quality lights at a 35-40% discount. They're a LOT better than what you find in the stores and they cost less. I bought 50 strings each of red/blue/green/yellow in c-6's (the larger bulbs I use on the roof and tree trunks) and m-6's that I use on the bushes (same size as the mini-lights you buy at Walmart). I also bought 50 strings of multi-colored (red/blue/green/yellow/orange) m-6's. I'm going to use those on something new that I'm planning to add to the display this year. If I can program it to do what I want it to do, it should be pretty cool.  I also picked up some new strobe lights. Everybody seems to enjoy the ones on the roof, so, I'm going to add some to the display. The new strobes  are also LED type. They were available in different colors. I bought some red, blue, green and a few more clear ones. I can't wait to see how they look ! And last but not least, I bought something that I've never seen before. They are 9" long clear icicles that have 16 LEDs in them. The LEDs are lined up for the length of the icicle. When they are on, it looks like they're dripping. Here's a YouTube video if you want to see how they work. They're just too cool !! The ones I bought are on the far left of the video.  LED Dripping Icicle

I'm also in the process of getting the controllers set-up in Christmas Central. Christmas Central is the spare bedroom where I set-up the controllers and lights to do my programming. Its starting to get crowded in there with 18 controllers ! With a little luck, I should be able to start experimenting with some effects to see if I can get the lights to do what I'm going to try. I'm also going to try and use all new music this year. The problem I always have with the music is finding something that will match-up with what I'm hoping to accomplish. If you have any ideas about something you'd like to see or a song you would like to be included in the display, feel free to drop me an email. I always welcome ideas ! 

January 7, 2010

I'm planning on making some changes for 2010. Maybe I'll reveal some of what I have planned at some point. Please check back occasionally. I'll be posting the status of the 2010 display and maybe even a sneak peek of what I have planned for next year.

January 3, 2010

It really is disheartening for me this time of year. It's sad to round the corner at the top of the hill and see my front yard dark. All over the city, I see Christmas trees thrown out on the curb, on the side of the road and even in parking lots. I look at each tree and wonder about all the Christmas memories that it saw. A Christmas tree on the side of the road really is a sad sight. The displays in people's yards have all but disappeared. Every once in a while, I'll stumble onto a display that's still on. I'll pull over to the side of the road and just look at it and smile. It's nice to know that there are others like me that just don't want Christmas to be over. It doesn't have to be though. It's not for me. The lights may be off, but Christmas is with me each day. It lives inside of me like a glowing ember. It wont be long before that first cool night in August stirs me and reminds me that Fall is coming. That ember starts to heat up. Christmas is coming. Enjoy every moment because it will be here and gone before you know it......

January 1, 2010

Unfortunately, the 2009 display had to be turned off 2 days earlier than expected. I had a technical issue pop-up tonight. The software couldn’t turn the display off. I eventually disconnected it from the computer after trying various things to correct the issue. That didn’t work either. The display continued to run even after I disconnected it from the computer. I started having flashbacks from the movie 2001 - A Space Odyssey. The display had taken on a life of its own. A trip to the power panel that feeds the display, and a flip of the main breaker and it was done. The 2009 display was officially over.

I want to thank everybody who came out to the display and those that donated to the Sunshine Center. The notes and cards you left in the mailbox were so kind. Thank you so much. The generosity of those who donated never ceases to amaze me. This year's donations totaled $7,727 !! By far, the best year of any. I have two special thank you's to mention. One family (who asked to be unnamed) that visited the display left a check for $5,000 !! You could have knocked me over with a feather when i saw it. THANK YOU ! The second special thank you goes to the people that visited on Christmas Eve this year. It was absolutely 40 days and 40 nights pouring down rain the entire time the display was running. The rain stopped around midnight. I went to check the donation box, expecting to find very little, if anything at all. I was so wrong. There were so many that donated. I was deeply humbled by your generosity and show of support for the Sunshine Center. You got out of your cars, in the pouring down rain, probably getting soaked, to donate to such a good cause ! God bless every one of you!