San-Francisco-Chronicle-roxengstrom

We took the El train downtown on an expedition to see us some festival of lights parading a few weeks back. It was crowded and noisy and chaotic and fabulous.

And when you arrive more than an hour before it starts to secure some good sidewalk real estate you get views like this...

and you get to pass the time by inventing games like 'smash Papa's face'

But when the parade begins and the lights go on there is wonder and awe...

and Mickey & Minnie (Evy just calls them the mouses)


and lights and giant blow up things...

and at the end: Santa! Jason and I felt like we were Ralphie standing on tip toes to see it all.

The best part of the night was after the parade was finished thousands of folks strolling down Michigan Ave. It was a crush of humanity y'all.

then we headed home on the train (sporting some serious hat hair obviously)


Yes, it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas......