Pickles by Brian Crane for December 03, 2021

She’s going to put him to work inflating Santa and his reindeer.

It’s all perspective

Think of all that money you’ll be saving on your electric bill!!

;-)

Sometimes Earl’s a real curmudgeon. The rest of the time he’s mostly just a foil…

Give me Earl’s ability to see the bright side to everything.

Isn’t it good to have somewhere to rest your eyes?

He’d probably fall off the ladder while hanging the lights.

I’ve lived out amongst the farmers and fields my entire life until this year when we moved smack dab into the middle of town. This is our 1st holiday season and I’ve been enjoying the neighbor’s decorations too:-)

The Pickles must be my Doordash customers.

Antlers for Roscoe?

You don’t need wise men Opal. you have a “wise guy”!

I have seen a lot of Christmases and, in our neighborhoods, every one of them has included some kind of decoration, from actual candles in the windows to battery-candles to million-light displays, I have enjoyed them. I appreciate the effort that goes into it. If it makes their holidays something to remember, so be it. Whatever works, and especially so in the last 2 years.

Buy one of those projectors that shoots dancing lights all over your house. Some will even play Christmas music.

Something tells me that Opal may want to alter that arrangement, Earl!

Earl if you want to eat ….. Put up a few decorations ;-)

I did it up big this year. My neighbors don’t do any so I make up for it.

I don’t put up very much in the way of outside lights. One reason is that it’s hard for me to put them up in higher positions. Reason 2 is that I don’t really get to enjoy them that much, so they would just be for other people to see. Reason 3 is that they run up the electric bill like crazy. I do put up wreaths and some other non-electrical decorations outside. I also put up lights, decorations, and a tree inside where family members and I can enjoy them.

I feel so sorry for Earl if he has to inflate Santa. Why did they have to put the inflation valve 6" below the belly button?

Never knew he was a Union Executive!

Oh, oh, Opal mentioned wise men. We need to keep the Christmas story from invading Christmas celebrations.

I love it. Wife and I have been doing the same thing forever. Somebody wants to spend the $$$ to light up their house, go for it

He’s got a good POINT..!!

I used to enjoy putting up lots of outdoor decorations on a nice day in early December. Then, a few years ago, I realized all those same decorations have to come down and be packed away on a miserable cold day in early January. Decorating was cut by 2/3’s. The house still looks good, I enjoy the Christmas Spirit, and life is considerably easier.

Think of it as being climate friendly

People in Philly would drive around in December to figure out which neighborhoods are Jewish: No lights, except maybe a menorah.

Earl has the right attitude.

House across the street is all lit up.

Got a warm weekend here with temps in the 40s. Gotta go, gotta go, gotta go go go get those outdoor lights up!

Gee, Opal, I think that, since YOU are the one complaining, that YOU should put them up yourself!

Gee, Opal, I think that, since YOU are the one complaining, that YOU should put them up yourself! This is just another aspect of the commercialization of Christmas. We are in the ‘Christmas Spirit’ all the year round. Do I need corny blowup Santas and ‘lit wire’ deer to prove our ‘spirit’. Nope, but that is what Madison Ave wants you to think. Only a tree gets put up in our house. Merry Christmas!

I’ve never been big on these annual energy-consumption competitions.

D I T T O -—>

I didn’t decorate so my neighbors can use my extra electricity. Decorating has the same appeal as leftover turkey stuffing.

Earl couldn’t care less about lights, and fanfare….and ignores Opals Hints like the plague

That’s what it’s like to be Jewish! My family tradition was to spend Christmas Eve driving around town looking at all the decorations. One year, we even made anonymous “awards” to put in the mailbox of the ones we like best.

Slap some antlers on Rosco and sit him in the front yard. Earl can wear a red coat and fake beard.

i once left my Christmas tree up for 9 years

Brian has been spying on us! That’s exactly my sentiment, Earl! Actually, it was my bride’s decision not to put up a tree, lights, and all the other Christmas decorations this year. She wants us to get away for the holidays ( the covid gods willing ) for a change of scenery. Who am I to question her motives?

You can just feel Opals grimace eminating from the last panel.

If Opal wants lights and decorations, why have her husband do it when he could easily fall and really hurt himself when she has a perfectly good son-in-law next door who can do it?

And, looking at the strip again, I see the house next door is all decorated. Is that where her daughter lives?

a good time to recommend ‘Rest You Merry’ by Catherine MacLeod.

There’s a home in our neighborhood where you need sunglasses on to drive past.

Now we know that Earl and Opal are Buddhists…

He does have a point.

He has the right idea…enjoy it!

I agree with Earl on this one, wait until those neighbors get their electric bill.For us we do not have outdoor decorations, not too many around us have their lights outside.

You can have the christmas tree bonfire in your front yard this year.

My favorite time of the season comes on the first very cold Saturday in January when the neighbors are up on ladders with freezing hands trying to take the lights down. Ho Ho Ho!

And mine since my wife of 58 years died.

Earl is an appreciative man. Opal is good to point out their good fortune.

Scrooge!

Opal will dress him in a Santa suit and stake him outside.

Love it! I’m showing this one to the wife!

Ditto. I’m not getting on a ladder for anything.

welll he ain’t wrong

We put up inside decorations this last week. Except the tree. And tomorrow and Sunday we’ll (meaning me and the doggos with the Mrs and a cat or two supervising) star on the outside. Fortunately no tangled lights.