I am getting older, but I can still put up Christmas lights around the house. Traditionally, people did not put up outside Christmas lights until after Thanksgiving. That is no more! People around here start turning on Christmas lights before Thanksgiving. We do not usually do that, but I had to learn a hard lesson when we first moved to Colorado.
The first year we were here, I put up Christmas lights the day after Thanksgiving, which is traditional. What a giant mistake. It was about 25° with a windchill down to 15°. I totally froze to death. After that experience, I vowed to never again wait that long to put up outside Christmas lights. So, these days, I pick a fairly moderate day in early to mid-November and put up the outside Christmas lights. I can still do it, although ladders are difficult for my knees. We don’t turn on the lights until Thanksgiving, but at least I don’t freeze during installation. I do the same thing (if possible) to take down the lights after Christmas. It is more difficult to find a moderate day in early January, but it can be done.
I am grateful to still be able to install Christmas lights myself. Someday, we might pay someone to put up permanent lights, like many people are doing these days.
Doug
