Gideon Home May Qualify as
"The Griswald's"
by: Bobby McDonald
If you have a tree in your front yard with over 4500 lights on it, if you have lights that dance to music on 16 channels, and over 5,000 feet of extension cord, you might qualify to be called "The Griswald's!" Well, that's just the "tip of the iceburg" at the David and Kim Gideon home, located on Country Club Road, in Hopkins County. This display began in the planning stage, back in February, and David has continued to work on installing electrical line (over 8,000 feet of it buried in the ground), and installing lights, and programing the display so that he can operate it from his laptop, while sitting in his "easy chair," in the den.
David admits that he began enjoying crafting an installing Christmas lights, back in high school, some 30 years ago, when his parents, Ann and Bob Gideon, lived on Alabama Street, in Sulphur Springs. "They use to get aggravated at me because I wanted to keep adding more and more every year, and create something just a little bit more extravagant!" remembers David. "Well, once I moved out on my own, the stakes just kept getting higher!"
David first built a home on Texas Street and crafted an outstanding Christmas display there, every year. Then, he and Kim moved to the Country Club, back in 2004 and he began working on what has become an almost "year-round" passion.
"Papa Griswald," a.k.a. David Gideon, adjusts his light display of over 28,000 lights,
that sequenced to music, and operated from his home laptop computer.
"We have somewhere around 28,850 individual lights in the display, this year!" declared David. "But, I'm already writing a program on the computer and working out the details to add at least another 10,000 lights for next year! It's just getting down to a basic understanding of computer programing, setting the installation to music, and then having a broad knowledge of electricity and electrical current!"
David explained that he has to be very careful to get the "amps" exactly right, so he don't "blow" fuses. "You've got to string the lights in certain sequences so that you don't overload circuits, like our friend 'Clark Griswald' did in the movie!" warns David. "Just like everything else, technology has taken over the Christmas lighting display business and you've got to figure-out the way to do it all by computer!"
Nestled in the woods, on Country Club Road, the Gideon home
features a variety of displays that are sequenced to lights.
"Hopefully, I can add boxes that will supply sequenced music, for next year, that will make available 48 channels," allowed David. "The technology is there, and it just seems like 'the sky is the limit' to what you can do with lights and music. And, of course, for someone like me, I'm always looking for something new to add and something more spectacular!"
David and Kim receive from 20-30 visitors a night, throughout the holiday season and look forward to "turning on the Christmas lights" for everyone to enjoy each year! "Around Christmas, it isn't unusual for us to have 40 or 50 visitors come by, in a single night," allows Kim. "This is David's passion and he's constantly looking for ways to improve it and make it more spectacular for people to enjoy!"
David allowed that this year he had all of the lights installed, back in February, and then we had a hail storm and it broke some 4,000 lights in the display, and it took him from one to two weeks to replace all of the broken bulbs.
"But, we replaced them with the new LED bulbs that will withstand hail damage and are cheaper to operate," stated David. "That's what we'll be replacing everything with, as the display grows and continues to improve!"
And, speaking of electricity, one of the most common questions David gets, is the cost of operating the display. "Our electricity bill will go up about $300-$350.00 during the month of December," stated David. "But, this is just one way we can give back to the community, and do something that we enjoy, every year!"
Make you plans to drive out to Country Club Road and enjoy this outstanding Christmas light display, tune your radio to 88.5 FM and enjoy the lights as they dance to music and create a show that is unmatched in Hopkins County!
Thanks, David and Kim
For Providing Us With a Beautiful Show!!!
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