Christmas lights tradition

MOSES LAKE - Lee Estes' front yard at Loop Drive is an artful mix of white and colored lights and bright Santa figurines.

The Moses Lake father and grandfather decorated his home with Christmas lights for at least 30 years, possibly longer, he recalls.

This year is no different. Estes clearly loves spreading the joy of the season talking about his decorations and some peoples' change of heart during the holidays.

"It's a festive time of year," he commented. "Everybody's spirit seems to come alive. There are more enjoyable attitudes. We have 17 kids and they just enjoy it."

Estes dons a Santa suit for friends and family on Christmas Eve for three hours. He started the tradition in 1996.

At home, he's grown his light and decoration collection throughout the years.

"We still have a shed full we didn't even touch this year," Estes commented. "Next year is kind of like a surprise. We'll see where we go with next year."

His family plays it by ear when selecting decorations and lights. In part, it depends on what's working.

During a snowy winter a few years ago, he placed a Santa and a sleigh on the roof.

This year, he decided it was too much of a hassle and stayed off the roof.

Estes describes his decorating endeavors as a "family effort," assisted by his wife Charlotte, and their grown daughters.

Their efforts have been worth it

"People stop by and look," Estes said. "We have a lot of cars drive by really slow and some just stop a little bit.

He is trying to slowly transition to more energy-efficient LED Christmas lights because they're cheaper on the utilities, he said.

The benefits of using LEDs are numerous, depending on the type of lights currently used, said Rich Cole, an energy service specialist with Grant County PUD.

One can save up to 90 percent energy, meaning if using 100 watt incandescent bulbs, the figure would decrease to 10 watts for LEDs, he said.

Another advantage is not having to worry about popping circuit breakers. Because LEDs use less energy, more can be plugged into outlets and not overload circuits.

LEDs are much cooler than incandescent bulbs, decreasing fire hazards, he said.

Typically LEDs are plastics, not glass, and last longer, depending on what was previously used.

The majority of the new lights Cole sees in stores are LEDs.

Some people buy LEDs because the ability to string more together and not having so many cords.

But LEDs don't melt the snow away like incandescent lights.

"They get covered by snow and glow through the snow," he said. "It's why incandescents produce so much heat and waste electricity through heat. LEDs don't do that."