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Christmas lights shine in Oak Cliff [The Dallas Morning News](Dallas Morning News (TX) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Dec. 5--The day fades toward light time. And there's Jamey Boozer on top of the house, working through trouble. "The rains fried a circuit board," he says, after dropping down a ladder. "We're still trying to recover." He's gone again in full repair mode. His roommate, Steven Hammond, moves about, also seeking a solution. Minutes later -- at 5:30 p.m. sharp -- the colors explode. Reds, greens, blues, yellows, whites and more bathe the home at 1603 Montreal Ave. in Oak Cliff. As the guys call it, it's Christmas in the O.C. OK, so the palm tree over the manger is still dark, as are the garlands over the front windows, the angel bells on the front porch and one of the two "firework sticks." "It will definitely be going full blast this weekend," says Boozer, beholding his visual gift to the neighborhood. "It's been one thing after the other -- the rain and wind." For the second year, he and Hammond have spent uncounted hours and dollars building props, stringing and wrapping a gazillion lights, connecting 5,000 feet of electrical cords, wiring controller boxes and programming the laptop computer that runs it all. All for the show and glow of Christmas. "It took eight dedicated 20-amp breakers to power up this bad boy," says the proud Boozer. Rain and wind permitting, the display will bloom nightly through Jan. 3. Atop the roof stands a script-lettered Christmas in the O.C. with a fantastic flow of ever-changing colors. And there's the Dallas skyline, complete with a glowing Pegasus and Reunion Tower with 48 individually controlled bulbs. "They can be any color," Boozer assures. Six candy canes, the palm tree and two firework sticks put some serious light on the subject. Can't miss the penguins, reindeer and a parachuting Rudolph (an upgrade from last year when he simply jumped from the roof). Tubes of lights, hanging in trees, give a settling sense of falling snow. "The police love the snow tubes," Boozer says. "They just come and watch." As he put it during an earlier tour of the setup: "Crazy, huh? This is nothing compared to some people." Yes, the scene outside the guys' modest brick house is indeed no match for some of the blow-outs in the Park Cities and North Dallas. But it's an engaging, if at times challenging, pastime for two Christmas crazies. A different sort of yard work. "It's just a fun hobby," says Hammond, a 37-year-old computer systems analyst. "It's a fun thing to give." Says Boozer, a 32-year-old software consultant: "I've learned how to solder, how to weld, how to splice wire." This year, the show is a fundraiser for the SPCA, as passers-by can leave money, pet food, supplies or whatever for the cause. While in the neighborhood, they can tune in to 88.1 FM to hear holiday music sequenced with the lights. The guys also look at their efforts as a promotion of sorts. "Our goal is to give some positive energy to Oak Cliff," Boozer says. Energy indeed. He recalls how last year some SMU students drove over and sat around agog watching the lights and told him they had heard it was dangerous in Oak Cliff, people getting shot and all. While somebody made off with part of their display last year, Boozer says they've moved it back from the street this year and installed security cameras and taken other secret measures. "There's a lot of great things about Oak Cliff," Boozer says. "Here, nobody's going to get shot, and that's a good take-away." To see more of The Dallas Morning News, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.dallasnews.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Dallas Morning News Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |