Ruidoso X-mas parade of Lights

I'm finding it difficult to realize we're ramping up to the X-mas holidays.... The absence of cold weather, ice and snow, the lack of huge malls with decadently decorated stores, the fact that I'm not surrounded by family and close friends here, make it so that I don't get the guttural body response of "oh, X-mas is here!".

Tonight was a great little exception. Ruidoso (a tourist town up in the mountains, about an hour from here) had their annual X-mas parade of lights, the largest holiday parade in the southwest! I drove up with Traci and met Jesse, his family and some of their friends up there. The freezing cold weather, the brightly lit floats with X-mas winter themes, the holiday cheers and carols around the bonfire gave me a little boost.

My favorite float was one of decorated teepee's surrounded by trees...
The pictures aren't great, I didn't read the taking-pictures-in-the-dark-chapter of my little point-and-shoot camera book, but you'll get the idea I think.