The Smetchers went for a little drive tonight to check out the Christmas lights around Oakville and Burlington. Some people really go the full ridiculous with their lights, and we found a few classics as we cruised around the back streets.

My mother lives in a street in Sydney that, until this year, went all out with Christmas lights, so I'm no stranger to a bit of Christmas Bling Bling. But the lights here in Oakville area seem to be a little more unified in their appearance. I was trying to put my finger on exactly what makes them different, and I think they are probably a little more tastefully executed... mostly.

There was one place in Burlington that we saw, that was very, uh, busy. I'm still trying to work out the links between the Nativity scene, a tin soldier, a fire-breathing Loch Ness Monster, some penguins, gingerbread men, Santa, a moose, Bart and Homer, Pooh Bear and Tigger, a motorbike and a castle... I'm sure they all relate to Christmas somehow. Still, it was an interesting display of colour and movement... colour and movement, colour and movement. So mesmerising!

A pity we didn't have some snow on the ground to reflect the colours a bit more, but they still looked pretty nice. Clark Griswold eat your heart out!