The holiday light habit runs in the family. His grandparents inspired him with a few strings on their house and a holly tree. The 1999 total probably will reach 20,000 lights. As he installs the decorations, strand by strand, throughout December, the 1920s family homestead at 685 Ryen St. gradually lights up the east end of Poulsbo and the night sky. The driveway and street glow with trees and bushes shining in a single color.
Lights outline the old farmhouse, the new playhouse and the yard.
And Smeland still hasn't installed the plastic figures in the pumpkin patch. Or the figures on the garage wall as his wife requested. Doing holiday lights is a big job. But someone has to spend thousands of dollars buying equipment and hundreds of hours planning, maintaining, repairing and installing the strings of lights, extension cords and lighted figures. Smeland even dedicated five circuits for Christmas lights when he rewired the house.