The world is still counting down the “Twelve Days of Christmas,” so you don’t have to be in a hurry to take down your Holiday Lights if you don’t want to. But when you do take down your tree(s) — sometime between now and January 6 — you can leave them curbside for pickup just like you do your lawn clippings.

But do make sure you remove your ornaments, any tinsel, and the entire mounting stand. The City also appreciates it if you can cut your tree into five-foot segments. For more information, check out San Jose Recycles’ “Special Stuff” page.

This is one of those unsual holiday displays you find ocassionally in Willow Glen, and it may be worth two trips. At least.

By day, this yard tree on the corner of Bird & Jansen seems to be thriving in its own Silicon Valley “clean room” environment. But by night, a black light makes the ornaments glow bright yellow and the technician takes on an eerie glow himself … making everything sadly difficult to photograph.

Try explaining this one to your kids. Is it just a fun, nerdy twist in technology in our lives? Or is it an Orwellian prediction of how all trees will grow in our not-too-distant future? You be the judge.

Those who commute by car out of — or into or through — Willow Glen are familiar with the semi-circle of streets near Hamilton Avenue & Hicks, where the former becomes Pine Avenue. The neighborhood is the epicenter of “traffic calming” in WG (news from 2002 - 2003). But that’s not important right now. It’s Christmas … lets talk about lights!

All of the lights along Pine Avenue feel like an upgrade this year. Some of the big mansions got into the holiday spirit last year, and it seems as though other homes have stepped up this year.

But on your way, take a detour on Hamilton Way. Most of the houses are nicely designed, and surely they don’t mind the cut-through traffic right now. It’s a nicely lit street, with lots of holiday cheer. One house on Cherrydale Drive (sort of parallel between the two Hamiltons) will impress you, too, with it’s landscape lights and festive inflatables.

Of course … Make sure you obey the stop signs, and always drive safely!

… and a few other streets in Willow Glen, too …

For those looking for something other than Holiday lights to enjoy, WG’s local dog-walking and social club, Society Dog, will be out Christmas caroling with their dogs on December 14. Dog and owners are welcome to join the group for this event, and anyone who lives along their route is invited to step outside and enjoy the music and the dogs. Kids and dogs on leashes (the dogs, not the kids) are especially encouraged to come out and say hello.

The group will meet at Washington Mutual at 6:30 pm, and headout from there, expecting to be walking until about 8:00. The group will take a circle tour of downtown and the areas northwest of Lincoln Avenue. For specifics, see the group’s invitation email below, or checkout the Yahoo! map that WGx tried to make.

There are a few rules, so check out the Society Dog “Carol with Your Canine” webpage for full details. There is no songlist published yet. Do you think these dogs bark along to Jingle Bells?

They are cropping up everywhere! … er, blowing up everywhere!

First noticed as an emerging trend last December, Christmas Inflatables look like they are here to stay. And they do seem to be everywhere. It’s possible that Malone Road & Lennon Way (parallel streets near Cottle and the high school) might be the epicenter of the trend here in WG.

Perhaps inspired by parade balloons and our own Childrens Discovery Museum, inflatable Christmas decorations are now the big thing. Just as the design complexity of party jumper “Bounce Houses” has increased recently, so have yard-sized balloons.

It seems that every block in WG has a growing collection of inflatables … from a Homer Simpson Santa … to snowmen … to Disney characters and Winne the Pooh friends, the balloons are easy to install, quickly outnumbering other recent decorating trends like icicle lights, huge hanging ornaments, 3D motion displays … but not yet outnumbering yard trees.

But, be careful. The easy set-up means the balloons can be easy targets for thieves and vandals, too. Vandals destroy some holiday displays each year, almost ruining last year’s WG tree lighting.

Next year’s trend?: Projected images, which are also falling in price. Target had a few in stock for as low as $50, and you can still find them at some fancy online retailers.

There may be 10,000 ways to define Willow Glen, but this time of year, it’s all about holiday lights and Christmas Trees in your front yard. Following a completely unscientific drive around the neighborhood this week, WGx can define Willow Glen by the expansion of the yard tree phenomenon:

Trees are obvious from Highway 87, moving west to scattered neighborhoods west of Meridian. The southern boundary ebbs and flows this side of Foxworthy. While few people would drive north of the Los Gatos Creek trail to look at lights, a resident along Twin Brook Drive has invited folks to see their street in a recent email to the WGNA eList.

To be counted, a street had to have a noteworthy collection of yard trees. The ocassional solo tree down in Almaden Valey doesn’t count. And although they are impressive, the entire block of light-wrapped sidewalk trees on Willowbrook Avenue (south of Hillsdale) doesn’t count either.

Several houses on at least one street south of Jacob Avenue (well south of Meridian & Hillsdale) perhaps aspire to be Willow Glen, but not all of their neighbors are cooperating on the tree thing.

By the way, the WG Christmas Yard Tree tradition is credited to Frank Badagliacca, who passed away in 2004). He started staking “Charlie Brown” Christmas trees in yards in north WG, along Camino Ramon and Crescent Drive. Through the magic of the internet, it appears that the Christmas Yard Tree phenomenon now stretches all the way to Wauwatosa, Wisconsin (PDF). No pictures yet.

Of course, it’s time to put up your Christmas Holiday lights. Lots of informal competition fuels some spectatular displays every year, and WGx will once again be highlighting anything worthy of note.

While WGx has nothing to award but a virtual “Willow Glen Mosts” certificate, you are invited to send a picture or nominate your favorite displays. In the meantime, you can see if the “2005 Holiday Lights” houses have come-through for 2006.

If you are seeking formal competition — and live in North Willow Glen — you can try your luck in the NWGNA Holiday Lighting Contest. The association’s website (and weblog!) asks official entrants to email their aspirations to the judges. Good Luck!

Keep your eyes open! Santa has been seen in and around Willow Glen …

Santa is expected to be at the St. Christopher Ladies Guild Holiday Boutique over this weekend. The festival and boutique is free to the public, and is open Saturday 10am-5pm
and Sunday 9am-4pm.

Santa & Mrs. Claus are featured guests at the WG North Pole, located on the corner of Robsheal & Cherry, south of Pine. They’ll be visiting from 6:30 to 9:00 on Saturday, December 2. The North Pole also collects donations for the Make A Wish Foundation, and raised more than $7000 last year.

Of course, the big guy will arrive at San Jose’s Christmas in the Park on Sunday morning, December 3, as part of the Holiday Parade, which begins at 8:30 am downtown.

If you’ve got a “Santa Sighting” to report– or predict — leave a comment!

The traditional lighting of the WG Christmas Tree will be held on November 30, 2006, on the campus of Willow Glen Elementary School. The festivities start at 6:30 pm.

The Willow Glen Business & Professional Association (WGBPA — aka DowntownWillowGlen.com) hosts a variety of other holiday activities thorugh the season. Enjoy!