Mike was hard at work, rushing to complete his Punta Gorda Village Christmas Display by the time the sun set on Thanksgiving. I had seen the incomplete display the evening before with a brief drive by with my sister and her husband and it was already impressive.
I walked over to the display the following morning but all the inflatables were deflated. Mike was adding more lights and he stopped to talk to me for a while. He suggested I come back about 4pm because as the sun set the display would slowly start coming to life.
After a delicious Thanksgiving dinner at the Eagle Lodge I asked to be dropped off at the display. The sun had not set yet and the inflatables were still pancakes on the ground but I started sketching the trailer home. I can’t imagine where all these inflatables and lights are stored after the holidays are over.
Slowly each inflatable appeared as I was sketching. The inflatable at the roof peek was stubborn and refused to stand upright. I sketched it lying back but then Mike climbed a ladder onto the roof and he managed to coax the inflatable to sit upright. I sketched it in both positions.
There was a magical brief moment where the display glowed a bright orange from the setting sun, and then the grey sky grew dark. The Christmas lights turned on and a whole new scene emerged.