Day 19, Tuesday, January 19

During the month of December, East Peoria celebrates the "Festival of Lights". This year was the 25th anniversary of the beginning of the parade. We stood on the curb during the very first parade and enjoyed the floats. They had lights on them, but were not constructed as they are today. Throughout the years, while Jim was working at the "banks", he spent many nights working on the lights of various floats. (There were even a few times when the kids went with him to help.) The last day to view the "Winter Wonderland" is New Year's Eve. For some reason, this lone float was left lit. It is sitting on the property that Caterpillar buildings once occupied. Since I got my new camera....I got a great picture, lit, through the fence, before they turned the lights off. For those of you who do not know...the floats are constructed on old car bodies, frames constructed around the car, lights wired to the frame and driven in the parade, then parked around town or in the Winter Wonderland in the park.