SHORELINES

Holiday Traditions Celebrating the season on the lakes O ne of the most beloved parts of the holiday season is enjoying traditions year after year. Whether a holiday gathering, sharing time with loved ones, or bringing out decorations and mementos passed down through generations, the holidays are a time for memories and traditions. In this issue, we highlight three lake communities sharing their favorite traditions that have become an inherent part of their holiday season. "With all the trees on the piers and lights reflected on the water, it is really pretty." a 3-inch piece of PVC pipe to fashion a "trunk." The final touch is the addition of four wires on which to add strings of 300 to 400 lights and – voila! – an instant Christmas tree. Decorating the lake adds extra joy to her and husband David Dreyer's holidays, Barbara Dreyer said. The very name of the couple's Lighting up the lake The tight-knit community on the shores address – Weluvit Lane – is most fitting. "This is a beautiful lake," she says of of Lake Jordan takes holiday décor to a new level by illuminating two sloughs with her home site in the Camp Chandler area, festive light trees on their docks. Headed about five walking miles from Jordan by Barbara Dreyer and the Lake Jordan Dam. "At Christmas, with all the trees on Homeowners and Boat Owners (HOBO) the piers and lights reflected on the water, Association, this dazzling display of lights it is really pretty. We use multicolor lights, and some of our neighbors use the clear, is a tradition of more than 20 years. Dreyer and neighbors annually make white lights." The tradition began in 1992, and now, Christmas trees to decorate the piers of two neighboring sloughs. Using a sheet of roughly 30 homes light up their piers. For the Lake Jordan crowd, it's all part of life plywood as the base, she adds an 8-inch by 8-inch board at the center, then attaches on the lake. Many are members of the HOBO Association, which started in September 1991. The Jordan HOBO began as a group of friends who wanted to protect the lake, with an interest in safety. "We love it," Dreyer says. "It's just beautiful here, even more so at Christmas." Parade of lights On the second Saturday of December, Lay Lake is transformed into an entertaining light display as brightly lit boats travel across the lake in the annual Christmas Boat Parade. "It all started with about six or seven guys wanting to decorate their boats for Christmas," says Joe Sullivan, one of the parade founders. This grassroots-style tradition has been a staple of the Lay Lake holiday season for 18 years. The parade follows a route along the lake that makes it easy for locals to view. As word of mouth spread and the parade grew in the first few years, the Lay Lake HOBO Association adopted it and the group started working with the Alabama Facing: The home of Rich and Marsha Weiss on display for the tour. 9

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