不管白天阳光多么温暖，南加的冬夜总是带着几分料峭。裹一身厚衣服出门，夜风吹来还是会打寒颤。

两人最近球打的少，时间总是凑不到一起，早上常常有会议， 等到下午天色又渐渐暗淡了。所以每天晚饭后两人会在小区走一圈。

小区很大，每天走不同的片，看不同的街景。夜晚的小区幽静暗淡，行人很少，偶尔见人牵着狗狗迎面走来。小区的中央是社区中心，各种设施，公园、游泳池、空荡荡，冷清清。不过，冬夜的冷寂不时也被远处网球场传来的咚咚有节奏的击球声划破。当我们走过高大铁丝网围着的球场时，发现一侧的一个网球场什么时候已经改成了pickleball球场。一个网球场一分为四，倒是利用了空间，散步经过时，还常常能听到里面老中说话的声音。

十二月是一年中最有节日气氛的一月。感恩节刚刚拉下帷幕，小区里的很多家门前就开始张灯结彩地挂上了圣诞灯。当最后的一缕晚霞退去，当夜色降临，小区的灯火就一盏盏亮起 -- 流泻变换的灯光与不变交织，银色、金色与红色、绿色的光源相辉映，处处流光溢彩，灯火辉煌。高高的棕榈树被装饰了，有棱有型的屋檐被挂彩了，圣诞老人、松树、飞鹿、雪橇、雪花状等装饰品，大小不一，却都以灯的形式一一闪烁在星空下，伴着隐隐约约的圣诞乐曲，组成了冬夜的一道道风景。它们像夜的精灵跳动在黑夜的大幕上，自由，欢快，肆意。

我们置身其中，看着，点评着，也被感染着。。。

又记：

从去年七月开始学舞已经一年多了。小时候蹦蹦跳跳，跳过舞也上台表演过。可随着年龄、身高、体型的变化，原先的长板变成了短板，人生就是这样无奈。现在学舞更主要的是为了锻炼身体。

12/9日周六，有幸参加了舞队的会餐（potluck,我带的是梅干菜笋干扣肉）和饭后的表演。这次节目很多，大概有16个。我跟随队友们一起跳了四首舞曲，《小小爱河》，《洗衣歌》，《天边》，《杏花落》。为了这次年度的展演，老师一个多月前就拉着我们排练，像是要正式演出一样高标准严要求，又是统一（买）服装，又是排练队形，真是尽心尽力。老师在发言中说，“就是一种对舞蹈的热爱，对表演完美的一种执念” 让她能做到如此精益求精，乐在其中，一遍又一遍不厌其烦地指导训练我们。

感谢自己居住的城市有这样一支广场舞队，有这样高水平热情认真的老师。于我，每周的学舞不仅是健身，更像是去会友，因为这是一支温暖的队伍。

吃完了才想起来拍：

Taking a stroll in the community after dinner is our recent new pastime. When the streets are alight with glistening Christmas lights here and there, that pastime becomes a joyful one. This year, our community seems to have put on more lights than last year, possibly for a contest that is going on communitywide. 

Every night, when we step out the door, we are embraced with the chilly air but warm lights. In front of many homes, small lights strung evenly on wires are spread out to be hung over trees, rooftops or porches, lining along the edges, among the bushes, between trees or upon the flower beds. They could cascade down around neatly manicured palm trees like spiraling silvers, crisscrossed by the same breadth of shining scarlets. They could be a light tunnel arched and canopied by myriads of multi-colored lights. Lights could shine inside a man-sized snowman, or sprinkle onto the walls from an oscillating projector in the shapes of snowflakes, snowmen or stars.  The colors of lights, big or small, dim or bright, are a confluence of red, silver, green, golden or blue. They are like the spirits in colorful dresses, dancing freely against the night skies.

Glamorous the light shows are, the community is quiet, disrupted only by the rhythmic hitting sounds of tennis balls in the distance.  Enveloped in the festive air of the season and walking by, we feel imbued with the colors and the delight.