Hayride Happenings

The quirkiness and downright quaintness of this neighborhood never cease to amaze.

On Friday night, my friend invited me to a party at her house and a "hayride". I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I went.

It turns out that the Heights has a resident--Paul Carr--who will come to your house, pick you up in his tractor pulling a trailer (with hay seats), and drive you around the neighborhood to marvel at the lights. For free.

Paul got the idea back in the 1980s. He offers this activity every Friday and Saturday night between December 1 and 22. My friend called and made a reservation for Friday, December 11, the night before Lights in the Heights.

We dressed nice and warmly due to the dropping temperatures (I thought we lived in the sub-tropics?), and grabbed our beverages. The trailer accommodates up to 30 people and is decorated with white Christmas lights that cast a warm glow.

Paul asks for a "designated rider" to be in charge of the whistle. This person blows the whistle whenever the group would like to stop. On our jaunt, we spotted the leg lamp (if you've seen the movie, you know exactly what I'm talking about). Although we didn't do any caroling, we did ooh and ahh at quite a few different houses.

I highly recommend this quirky and quaint experience. What a hoot! If you're interested, you can call Paul at 713.869.0505 or e-mail him at torturet@aol.com.