I hope you're enjoying the holiday season. When I was growing up in Massachusetts, one of my high school classmates would always go to Florida for the holidays and I remember thinking, that's just wrong. Warm weather and palm trees did not jibe with my New England-formed notions of holiday atmosphere.

Turns out, I was wrong. I love holidays here. Even though we don't have snow and it doesn't get dark as early, there's something about the enthusiasm for adding lights and decorations that makes me happy. A well-lit palm tree or a "tree" made out of lobster traps with buoys for ornaments is a beautiful thing. I love seeing all the bikes, lit up and decorated, and you can ride them around the island to admire everyone else's efforts.

You can read more here. You can sign up for The Tieline and other WLRN newsletters here.

People on the old Seven Mile Bridge decorating an Australian pine tree, locally known as fred, for the holidays. — I caught the elves in action, decorating Fred the Tree, while driving up the Keys. Photo by Nancy Klingener