Corner of Ridgeway & Madison

The red streak is Santa's sled streaking thru the neighborhood. Debby Smith took this georgeous shot! Thanks Debby.

Photo: Debby Smith

Ridgeway Drive

Mario Gallucci sent these incredible shots. The car headlights look like stars! Thanks Mario...

photo: Mario Gallucci

Toad Hall

A dimmer quiets the mini lights on the Japanese Red Maple while a 30 second timed exposure captures the lighted Christmas balls.

Photo: Debby Smith

It is really difficult to capture the magical scene

Fallen angel

Found this lighted Christmas ball by the side of the road, like a wounded bird, does anyone know what street its on? email me with your guesses.

Comet lightball

Can anyone identify where the lighted comet lightball is?

email me with your guesses. Buster, you and Lisa can't vote.

Christmas Lights in Greensboro - Video by Andy Coon

video: Andy Coon www.fcproducer.com

Christmissippi

Lighted Christmas balls in Jackson, MS, at the home of Lus and Carolyn Brown. Click here for map.

Lus and Carolyn write:

"Christmas here is not too different than Christmas in Greensboro. I truly missed the tree ball spectacle of Sunset Hills, but our neighborhood did have lights. One of my neighbors very nearby has a destination light display on his home that involves cherry pickers to install and includes just about every available Christmas image that can be electrified and some things that don’t involve Christmas. I like the inclusion of the American flag in lights to complete the scene. We hung our tree balls, but not well. Still, we saw plenty of traffic slow down in front of our house to see our display on their way to see the main attraction down the street. Maybe tree balls can grow further south."

photo: Lus & Carolyn Brown

Merry Christmas

Christmas Eve

Ridgeway Drive, looking toward Friendly Avenue. The creator of the lighted Christmas balls and her husband, little girl, and two dogs arrived from TN after a long day's drive. Many lightballs were still glowing brightly to welcome them.

biggest lighted Christmas ball in Sunset Hills

Gardner allows a rare close up shot of his invention. 1,000 chasing lights, 24/7, over Ridgeway drive.

Silent night, Holy night, somewhere in Kirkwood

three little girls (sisters) are first to the door, leading us singing Christmas Carols.

Lighted Christmas balls video - by FunScienceGuy

Merry Christmas in Cashiers, NC

"The lighted balls have made it to the mountains of Cashiers, North Carolina. We plan to have more each year, playing with different sizes and colors, etc. Hope to to come up with a way to tie some of the balls together and reduce the number of extension cords needed. May have to buy a cherry picker to do it!!! Thanks to Jonathan for the idea, we enjoy the decoration spread across our property." Ben & Carol Odom.

Note...word has it Ben & Carol run a clandestine B&B and as beautiful as these pictures are, they really don't do the place justice; you have to see it firsthand...

photos: Ben and Carol Odom

I Keep trying

I photoshopped this photo a bit also. I have one more near neighbor to do, but right now it is pouring and I don't have an underwater camera so all are safe for awhile! I have seen many people taking photos so I hope all the good ones get mailed to Jonathan.

photo: Marlene Pratto

Winter's here

Winter's here, ain't no doubt,
And you best bundle up
before you go out
Life is hard, the world is so cold
It's very clear that the winter is here
Leafless branch, frozen ground,
Ice covers every heart like Mrs. Havisham's gown
All somehow broken, empty but hoping
Dry the tear, 'cause winter's here.
Love reaches down to the world,
For the dark and dreamless ones
bringing faith, bringing hope, bringing joy,
and the way to the light of the Sun.
Winter's here, cold the sting,
But we work giving light to the world
As we wait for the spring
Color awaits us, though winter frustrates us,
Have no fear, though the winter is here.

Winter’s here –
by Allen Levi, another guy who brings the Light
Click to hear a 30 second sound clip

Painted Lighted Christmas Balls

I keep taking pictures, but I am not please yet with any of them. Here is one I took form the middle of the street (you can tell I did not get flattened!) and then I did a little Photoshopping with it.

photo: Marlene Pratto

Everyday poet writes a Greensboro "tree ball" poem

everyday poet wrote a "tree ball" poem, here:
http://poetdaily.blogspot.com/2006/12/soul-assist.html.
guess every ball-laden tree feels like the "giving tree"?

Add to the beauty

Historic Aycock adds to the beauty. This simple but elegant arrangement of all red lighted Christmas balls provides this stunning contrast against a swag of all clear lights on a white picket fence.

Making a star

Three lighted Christmas balls

I always try to take pictures at night and they don't work (yet). I took this picture at dusk and thus three balls do show up. One is hard to see, but it is blue and on the left. Next time I post, I will show Sunset Hills by day! I have lots of other photos too, but I need to reduce the size. I timed traffic for a short time. One car every two seconds.

photo: mrp

Firepit warms Historic Aycock Workshop attendees

with nightfall came the chill, so Justin and Tom cranked up the two firepits and everybody kept spinning lighted christmas balls.

Where does this wire go?

So how many more do you want to make??

kevin and the guys show justin how to lay a fire

actually the guys take a break while the girls keep working (see background). 

First time Christmas light enthusiasts make 10 Lighted Christmas Balls

These all red balls grace two lovely native trees on Cypress Street. You can't miss it...click here.

First Annual Historic Aycock Lighted Christmas ball workshop

Aycock neighborhood was delighted that folks came from other neighborhoods to join in the festivities. Shown here, Kevin from Hamilton Forest and Scott, from the Revolution neighborhood.

Historic Aycock 1st Annual Lighted Christmas Ball Workshop

The first Saturday in December, Historic Aycock held its 1st Annual Lighted Christmas Ball Workshop. A few hours later, 110 newly made lighted Christmas balls found their way into treetops. Folks in this kind-hearted neighborhood made some lighted balls to give away to others. Talk about the Spirit of Christmas...

Jeff Hayes' extension cords disappear

Ridgeway Drive Lighted Christmas Ball posse

the Ridgeway Drive Lighted Christmas ball committee prepares to launch the big one at the home of Ron & Kathy Mack. Gardner Sheffield, seasoned ball launcher, takes aim with his 6 1/2' casting rod w/ 3 oz. weight. Gardner is accurate up to 200' feet.

Lighted Christmas balls in Branden, FL (near Tampa)

Lighted Christmas balls are glowing brightly at this address in Branden, FL, about 675 miles south of Greensboro. Photo: Jennifer Thomas

1,248 miles northwest of greensboro

lighted Christmas balls grace a rustic lakefront B&B 1,248 miles northwest of greensboro. Bill & Barbara Briggs, owners of Sheridan on the Lake B&B visited their daughter and son in law in Greensboro. "I was able to get up seven balls," Barbara writes, "only six show up in the attached pictures. The snow and cold set in before I could get any more up - too cold out there now. More next year." Writes Bill, "my son in law and I made and put up six balls before we left Greensboro. I brought one home with me and made seven more. The eighth one will go up if weather breaks. At night they really look good and they can be seen by all cars passing by on highway US 41. We have had a couple people interested in how they were made but its too late for this year up here with the cold & snow starting to set in. We were lucky with the late winter weather. Actually, putting them up is the biggest challenge but went well after I got started. They are on timers." Click here for weather info at the B&B. Photo: Bill & Barbara Briggs

Lots of moving parts

Lines, ladders, potato launchers ready for use, and balls waiting their turn for time in the sky, while Katie....whose family just moved in the neighborhood...has no idea what awaits her. I hope they knew what they were getting into...

Ridgeway Drive Neighbors Fly their Lighted Balls

Neighbors new and old hoist, fling, fly, cast, pitch, launch ----- those wonderful Lighted Balls into the trees. The street is filled with families, friends, and kids of ALL ages having fun and enjoying the day.

Blue and Disco show off their lighted balls!

Hi, Everyone! I am Prince Blue Dog and this is my brother Disco. We just brought Lighted Christmas Balls to the banks of Little River in Cherokee County, Georgia! Mom and Dad and Seth made these balls. We supervised the installation and protected the property from neighbors and cats while they hung the balls in the trees. We want them to make a dozen more! photos: Emily Perry

3704 Sage Drive - Greensboro

3704 Sage Drive blazes a new trail for lighted christmas balls in an all new neighborhood. Take Westridge to Hobbs, Sage is one block west off off Hobbs Road. You can't miss it, but click here for a map anyway.

so many lighted christmas balls so little time

Bunnie and I took the day off to rais lighted christmas balls. we group the balls to get our favorite color combinations, but there's usually one red, pink, or clear ball on each "power line" so that when we let down the green, multi, gold, orange, purple, and blue lighted balls on epiphany, we can keep the valentine colored balls lit thru st. valentine's day night.

build a ball, launch a dream ~ also how to make lighted balls

friends from lake jeannette, westridge, fisher park, old starmount, historic aycock, kirkwood, sunset hills...and...even tampa and michigan's upper peninsula came by for an afternoon of fun and fellowship...and best of all, the transforming of hundreds of feet of poultry netting & thousands of mini lights into magnificent lighted orbs; like snowflakes, each one unique, as unique, in fact, as the people who made them. want to make your own? click here for directions to make lighted christmas balls.
photos: Millie Smith