{"id":24275,"date":"2024-12-23T13:21:21","date_gmt":"2024-12-23T20:21:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/homes-in-montezuma-county-glimmer-and-glow-with-holiday-spirit\/"},"modified":"2024-12-23T20:21:21","modified_gmt":"2024-12-23T20:21:21","slug":"homes-in-montezuma-county-glimmer-and-glow-with-holiday-spirit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/homes-in-montezuma-county-glimmer-and-glow-with-holiday-spirit\/","title":{"rendered":"Homes in Montezuma County glimmer and glow with holiday spirit"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Evan
Evan Sparks, 11, poses with his sister Lily, 5, in front of their grandparents\u2019 house on County Road M. \u201cI like seeing people happy about it,\u201d Evan Sparks said about the displays. (Cameryn Cass\/The Journal)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re on a county road in the boonies or cruising down U.S. Highway 160, when you\u2019re driving around Montezuma County after sundown in December, you\u2019re bound to come across homes adorned in lights and figurines for the holidays.<\/p>\n

\u201cDecorating our yard seemed a fun way to share the holidays with our neighbors and whomever may drive by and see it,\u201d said Carol Lucero, who has decorated her home on South Maple Street in Cortez with her husband, Orly, for 33 years now.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe children who came when we began are now bringing their children,\u201d Lucero said.<\/p>\n

\"Carol
Carol and Orly Lucero have decorated their home on South Maple Street in Cortez for 33 years now. (Cameryn Cass\/The Journal)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Year in and year out, they add more and more decor to the yard; Lucero said their display has even inspired neighbors to decorate, so between Third and Fifth Street \u201cwe are pretty lit up.\u201d<\/p>\n

All ages stop by to enjoy the lights, which the Luceros light up the Saturday of the Parade of Lights, which was Dec. 7 this year, through New Year\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n

Some start decorating their homes for the holidays earlier.<\/p>\n

Rhett Smith and his children, Corvin and Rowan, start building the figures that cover what seems like every square inch of their yard on North Dolores Road as early as Halloween.<\/p>\n

Smith said they used to live in Farmington, and started decorating there in 2007.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did a Christmas Vacation thing across the roof, but we have a metal roof here, so we can\u2019t do that anymore,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"Rhett
Rhett Smith and his two children build all the figurines pictured above, a 100-plus hour process that starts just after Halloween. (Cameryn Cass\/The Journal)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

What they may lack in roof decor, they sure make up for in the yard department.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt makes us happy,\u201d said Smith. \u201cA lot of people stop by, some send thank you cards. We\u2019ve gotten a gift basket and even won the most enjoyable house award one year.\u201d<\/p>\n

The structures at the Smith residence are all built; there\u2019s no blowups. When asked how long the setup took, he replied, \u201cOh god \u2026 above 100 hours.\u201d<\/p>\n

And how much it cost?<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no budget,\u201d said Smith. \u201cEven if there was, I\u2019d blow through it.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said they primarily do it for the community, for the passersby.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a kid, I\u2019d always look at Christmas lights on Christmas Eve,\u201d said Smith. \u201cI hope this house makes their night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Evan Sparks, 11, is motivated to decorate his home on Third Street in Cortez and his grandma\u2019s house out on Road M for the same reasons.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like seeing people happy about it,\u201d Sparks said.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery night, there\u2019s constantly people slowing down to look. He loves when people enjoy it,\u201d said his aunt, Ashley Yarbrough.<\/p>\n

\"Evan
Evan Sparks, 11, decorates his home on Third Street in Cortez for every holiday, but goes all out for Halloween and Christmas. (Courtesy photo)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Evan
Evan Sparks, 11, decorated his grandma\u2019s home on Road M outside Cortez. (Cameryn Cass\/The Journal)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

The home decorations on Road M glow like a beacon in the night.<\/p>\n

An army of blowups, figurines and lights bring the whole property to life; the cars out front, the yard, the home, its roof \u2013 all of it decorated, exuding Christmas cheer.<\/p>\n

And to The Journal<\/em>\u2019s surprise, two weeks before Christmas Day when Sparks was interviewed, he said it wasn\u2019t finished yet.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s usually done by the week of Christmas, which is \u201cjust about perfect timing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The desire to decorate started when Sparks\u2019 aunt and grandma bought an inflatable of mice roasting marshmallows beside a fire; Sparks was caught from there.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been doing this my whole life,\u201d he said. \u201cIt makes the holidays more fun for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said he decorates for most every holiday, but Halloween and Christmas blow the others out the water. Since those holidays are so close to each other, it\u2019s a challenge.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m in such a rush,\u201d said Sparks. \u201cIt\u2019s nearly impossible to put it up in time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other residents say it took them much less time to ornament their homes.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt usually takes one afternoon,\u201d said Jeff Carr, who decorates his home on Cedar Street with his wife. \u201cWe do the blowups first and then we do the other lights.\u201d<\/p>\n

On a fairly dark street, Carr\u2019s house stands out as one that is meant to bring a smile to passersby. People notice the variety of characters in their yard, which includes Darth Vader and Baby Yoda, a manger scene, snowmen and Santa.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe neighbors cheer,\u201d Carr said.<\/p>\n

The Carrs\u2019 home isn\u2019t the only one in Cortez that can be seen from a ways down the street; a home on West Seventh Street can, too.<\/p>\n

That home, which is covered in blue light from top to bottom, features an angel at the door, giant Santa on the front lawn and a lifelike Grinch peering out the chimney.<\/p>\n

\"A
A house lighted in blue, complete with a variety of blowup decorations, on West Seventh Street in Cortez. (Bailey Duran\/Special to the Journal)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A
A decorated home on West Seventh Street in Cortez. (Bailey Duran\/Special to The Journal)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

The house not only offers a beautiful drive-by view, but Allen, the homeowner, shared there\u2019s a special guest appearance, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn Christmas Eve, we usually have my father-in-law come out and dress like Santa and hand out candy canes,\u201d Allen said.<\/p>\n

Santa will be there from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Dec. 24.<\/p>\n

Though the decoration of the entire home had to have been a challenge, it took two days to complete. Allen said the most difficult part was decorating the roof.<\/p>\n

Despite the difficulty, visiting the home felt like stepping into the North Pole, and it will transport all who visit.<\/p>\n

Some decorations transport those to the North Pole, others the island of misfit toys, a winter wonderland, or maybe they\u2019re ghosts of a Christmas past.<\/p>\n

The antique firetruck parked outside the Dolores Fire Protection District transports lookers to another time entirely.<\/p>\n

\"Decorations
Decorations outside the Dolores Fire & Rescue station in Dolores. (Cameryn Cass\/The Journal)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

The Dolores Town Board agreed to buy the truck in 1934 for $1,400, according to a Colorado Restless Native blog<\/a> that tells the truck\u2019s story.<\/p>\n

In response to the purchase, The Dolores Star<\/em> said it was \u201cone of the finest pieces of firefighting apparatus of any of the towns in the Basin.\u201d<\/p>\n

The truck served Dolores for 20 years or so, until they sold it to Pleasant View. That department sold it back to Dolores in 1960 for the low, low price of $325, the blog said.<\/p>\n

In 2007, the fire chief at the time, David Doudy, and others in the department decided to restore it, a project that cost $2,500 in materials and 450 hours of labor.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s quite the story,\u201d said Dolores Fire Chief Kim Jones. \u201cI love that truck.\u201d<\/p>\n

Usually the truck is in storage because it\u2019s \u201cnot drivable,\u201d but the district decided to bring it out for the Parade of Lights in Cortez this year and haul it on a trailer through the festive procession.<\/p>\n

\u201cI figured, why not leave it out in front of the station,\u201d Jones said.<\/p>\n

After the holidays, it\u2019ll go back into storage, but a retired Dolores firefighter who restores antique cars said he\u2019ll work on the truck and try to get it running again- \u201cnot to use as a running engine,\u201d of course, Jones said.<\/p>\n

Whether the decorations around town bring you to the North Pole, the 1930s or to another place entirely, it\u2019s safe to say those who put them up are hoping you enjoy them. Happy Holidays!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dolores Fire Protection District to homes on quiet county roads, a drive around town proves festive and fun<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24276,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[21,44,188,28,60,29,2678],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-24275","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-cortez","tag-dolores","tag-dolores-star","tag-headlines","tag-montezuma-county","tag-newsletter","tag-religious-festival-or-holiday"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24275","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24275"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24275\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24275"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24275"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24275"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=24275"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}