A Christmas Wonderland!

Special Note: This posting marks my three-year anniversary on Blip. Thank you to Blip-central for all that you do, thank you to my friend in Ireland who talked me into trying out this Blip thing three years ago, thank you to all of those who have encouraged my photographic obsession, and thanks to all of the photographers I admire who have provided me with wonderful examples of things to aspire to. And now . . . keep on Blipping!

It's heading into mid-December and you know what that means: time for Penn State's Nittany Lion Inn to put its gingerbread replica of the Inn on display! It is something we look forward to each year, and the Crittergators and I have made it an annual tradition to explore the replica . . . you know, up close and personal.

This year, we were delighted to have, for the first time ever, one of the Dancing Girls along with us, as well as her trusty cat-steed. The Crittergators are old pros at this Nittany Lion Inn gingerbread thing, but for the Dancing Girl, it was her very first visit ever. Actually, this will be her first Christmas ever too.

And oh, how exciting it was! There were a few initial tiny sneezes ("Ah-CHOO!"), as the display is covered in powdered sugar, and we unsettled a bit of it while playing in it. (And any visitors after us should probably be warned to look for tiny footprints in the snow.)

The Crittergators and the Dancing Girl and her steed did all kinds of festive things. They stood around the trees and sang carols. They climbed up onto the porch roof to peer inside those intricately designed window grills bedecked in tiny red ribbons: "Anybody in there!?" And finally, the Dancing Girl and her steed leapt to the top of the housetop, to the top of the wall, to "dash away, dash away, dash away all!" Just like Santa would have done it! (She's catching on fast at this Christmas thing.)

Now, as the photographer of these annual events, I would like to make a remark or two about protocols for photographic silliness conducted in public spaces. I find it is best to stride in briskly, behaving in a purposeful manner, looking like you really mean business. I walked in, eyed up the display, snapped a few practice shots, studied them seriously, sighed a bit, and then removed my daysack and my coat. I laid out my props like a surgeon laying out her tools, and rolled up my sleeves.

And then I simply . . . went about my business, arranging things how I wanted them, moving them around, taking as many pictures as I wanted, occasionally stopping to review the last few, purposefully knitting my brow and frowning over them, as though it was hard work and I really meant business. (If anyone ever asks me what I am doing, I plan to say simply, "Art project," with a sigh. After all, art is . . . complex and meaningful, right? Never silly. No, not that.)

None of this works if there are any children about, of course. A child will walk right up to you and put his or her snoot into it. "What are you doing there?" "Why are you doing that?" These are questions most adults have learned not to ask anymore. A child will ferret out silliness in the blink of an eye. Adults will act jaded. "Yes, of course, there is an adult woman playing with a fuchsia flower bloom, a magnetic cat, and four glass menagerie critters; why yes, that's the sort of thing one sees here every day, mm-hmm." They don't make eye contact. (Is crazy contagious?) It's too risky, especially with one such as me. Someone who is . . . incorrigible. (Or so I've been told. And by people who should know.)

It is my custom to accompany each photo with a song. And this bit of whimsy deserves not just one but THREE silly but fun holiday tunes by the Royal Guardsmen: Snoopy vs. the Red Baron, Snoopy's Christmas, and The Return of the Red Baron. Enjoy!

May your holidays be festive . . . and chock full of whimsy!

P.S. For those who may be interested in learning more about the awesome Nittany Lion Inn gingerbread replica, here's a link to the story (with photos!) of its creation.

P.P.S. Prior shots referenced . . .
Monday 10 December 2012: Crittergators Take Over the Nittany Lion Inn!
Tuesday 17 December 2013: In Which We Deck the Halls!