"Giant Lighted Tree" by Patti Deters.
See more at:
patti-deters.artistwebsites.com/
Newspaper article:
www.startribune.com/entertainment/family/79272507.html
On a hill in Bloomington stands a 53-foot oak tree that few notice in the light of day. But when darkness falls, a switch flips and there is light: 41,300 white lights, to be exact, that wrap the tree's trunk and every branch, creating a glow that can be seen for miles along the Minnesota River Valley. It's a spectacular sight along a stretch of Hwy. 77 south of the Mall of America.
Bob and Julie Little have lit the majestic tree since moving into Julie's childhood home in 2001, creating a Christmas tradition that attracts hundreds of passersby who stand at the end of the Littles' driveway, eyes wide, jaws dropped, cameras out. They come in cars, tour buses and limousines from the time the tree is lit on Thanksgiving night until the plug is pulled on New Year's Day.
There was the sailor who stopped by to ask whether he could propose to his girlfriend in front of the tree the next night. The family who snapped a photo for their annual Christmas card. The airline pilot who insisted to his wife that they find the "beacon of light" that he flew over. And then there are the children who dance with wonder under the tree.
