"Christmas in Dixie" by am&pm

Here are a few pictures taken during the first few weeks of December when the warm south prepares for Christmas and there are all kinds of festivities and celebrations. One thing is certain---they do know how to throw a festival!

Our camera isn't fast enough to take good quality night time pictures, but hopefully you can get a glimpse of what it was like. Lots of singing, music, food, art and craft displays, a "Jingle Bell Run" for charity...etc.

North Blvd has a center strip that is usually lined with azaleas and live oaks. The azaleas were removed--we think because of disease, but there is still a nice brick path winding down the middle and other plants will be put around the path instead.

There were groups doing dances from other countries---we happen to show up when they were doing Israeli folk dances (I was happy--I'm really fond of Israeli folk music!).

A "live nativity" done by the Presbyterian Church on North Blvd. Very nicely done--shepherds and wisemen included, and live animals.

At the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge. A stage was set up in one of the center courtyards near the huge tree and a skit was done about a cajun Christmas---what you see in the background was a cajun bonfire which actually smoked while it "burned". A cajun tradition is to light bonfires along the river to let Santa know where to go.

You can't see it, but at the end of the skit a light snowfall was released from some pipes near the very high ceiling---it was real snow and cold (although I think something was added to make it melt more slowly) and it was really fun. The only time we'll see anything like snow down here!

Last, but not least, is the annual tree cutting. This time there was no snow on the ground (some of you will know I just moved here from Connecticut so this is a new experience, pretty much---cutting trees without snow on the ground!). It was chilly outside but it didn't take long before we found the "perfect" tree which, to me, is a little imperfect.