Christmas On The Road
Bert Gildart: Christmas is a special time of year regardless of whether you are on the road or not. But because travel is such an integral component of so many of the people staying here at Bay Bayou, you might think that Christmas would be glossed over, but that is not the case. Right now the entire camp is aglow with colorful lighting and imaginative decorations.
In many cases, the decorations are a photographer’s delight, and so we took a few photos, though we tended to concentrate on those that incorporated RVs. Although the decorations look great during the day, what we’ve discovered is that night photos of these same decorations look best.
Typically, it seemed, people began by stringing colored lights the length of their awning. Others added a wreath to cover the propane cover, while yet others added colorful lights to the dash of their motorhomes.
Several, however, have created a mini fantasy by decorating the front of the small lawn in front of their rigs. The most elaborate of these included Frosty along with several reindeer, which covered the front and part of the sides. If we were to vote, I guess that would be our favorite. The fountain in the “Alligator Pond” back-dropped by several motorhomes added yet further to the festive aura.
My night photos were all taken from a tripod with time exposures of about eight seconds and f-stops of f-8 to f-11—to increase depth of field. Obviously the picture of my wife, Janie, decorating our trailer was taken during the day, and it was our small attempt to join all the other Christmas celebrants who have created such cheer.
Monday, Christmas day, Bay Bayou is hosting a turkey feed and we will be joining several new friends we’ve met while camped here. Most are from out of state and though only one is a fulltimer, all live the majority of the year in their RVs. All attending the dinner will bring a dish to complete the turkey provided by Bay Bayou. We’re looking forward to celebrating the day with some very lovely people in a delightful setting.
Merry Christmas
Bert & Jane Gildart
