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In the rural town of Springdale, Utah, the month of December has brought change of a special kind: Oversized, menacing plastic monsters illuminate the quiet streets at night. Residents say the strange figures started to appear shortly after Thanksgiving. People in this close-knit community at the gateway to idyllic Zion National Park now fear that the abominable snowman and his henchmen might have chosen Springdale as their permanent headquarters. Whence the monsters hail from has not been determined yet.

(photos: Backhouse Images)

These are the most glaring Christmas lights I have ever seen.

They have a blinding effect from about 80 meters (about 87 yards) away. Fascinated, I braved the onslaught of photons and, squinting, checked out the display from up close. The secret of its insane brightness seems to lie in a layer of shiny metal to reflect the glow of oldfangled mini light bulbs (see pic below).
There is a little back story to this display. Before it appeared, a McCain/Palin sign adorned this front yard in South Pasadena, California. In late November, the sign was replaced with these lights.
Now, is that good or bad?

(photos: Backhouse Images)

Oh, the beauty of plastic! We thank the owners of this soulful and humble arrangement for making this photograph possible. We send our love out to them in Springdale, Utah.

(photo: Backhouse Images)