WINTER LIGHTS 2015

Last Wednesday evening we had the pleasure of volunteering our services to help with admissions at the second annual Winter Lights display at the NC Arboretum.  When we volunteered last year we scored two rather chilly nights, the nastiest was the evening we manned the fire pit and helped people make s'mores.  Though we dressed for it and still enjoyed the experience, we decided to "play it safe" and volunteer for indoor jobs this year.

Well, Wednesday evening couldn't have been any milder.  Some clouds moved in late in the day and trapped the unseasonal warm air creating a December evening that you barely needed to wear a sweater to enjoy your time in the outdoors.

Oh, I imagine that everything would look even more fairy-tale-like with a covering of snow, but when we were released from our posts and allowed to roam the gardens, I thought it was delightful!

I noticed several different added attractions since last year and probably the most amazing change was right in the center of the garden... the huge illuminated "tree" in front of the quilt garden.  The lights of the quilt garden and the lights of the giant Christmas tree were coordinated to music and they were mesmerizing.

Many people had very sophisticated cameras and I'm sure they were capturing some awesome images.  I only had my iPhone, but I thought I would share some photos so that you get an idea of how the gardens look with nighttime illumination.

 These structures are made of water filled 2 liter soda bottles and they cycle through several color changes.

 The quilt garden was especially nice!

 This artificial tree at the entrance to the bonsai garden attracted a lot of interest... it also changed colors.

 Even the parking lot looks festive!

For some reason only about half of my photos downloaded to the blog site, but I think this is probably a good enough selection to give you an idea of the types of lighting... additionally there was music, lots of color changing and lighted movement in the displays, a rather eerie, yet beautiful tree with crystal chandeliers, the Rocky Cove Railroad, places to pause for group and individual photos, indoor exhibits and decorations, bonfires, a wishing tree, opportunities to shop and this year they are even offering a buffet meal which looked pretty darn tasty.  Snacks, food, hot chocolate, and 3-D glasses all seemed very reasonably priced this year.

HAPPY SOLSTICE TO ALL!