Christmas Cage Car (Sept. 23, 2012)

 

The day after I posted about fab birdhouses, I happened to see a bird cage car. Coincidence? Yes, most likely. But an awesome one, and a sign that I should keep blogging about the wonderful and wacky things I see.

The birdcage car is one I’ve seen before although never up close. But two mornings ago, I saw it parked on a street I frequent. After my meeting, I double-backed to see if it was still there, and Yippeee! It was, so I took a few photos so as to share the wonder with the world.

 

This minivan certainly is eye-catching. At first I thought it was simply a moveable sculpture paying tribute to birdcages. Up close, I realized the birdcages weren’t the whole story. The cages are decorated and filled with Christmas items galore. This is a Christmas car worthy of Santa Claus himself!

 

 

 

The cages are draped with the twinkly white lights people put up at Christmas. The whole van is a canvas for wintertime celebration. There are bells, red ribbons, angels with trumpets, snow-covered trees, ornaments, snowflakes, reindeer, three Frosty-the-Snowmen, a model-sized snowy village, wreaths and candy canes bedecking nearly every surface of the van. Art car indeed.

I loved the coincidence of blogging about a birdhouse on Thursday and seeing a bird cage car on Friday. I pondered the notion of birdhouses vs birdcages. Houses can be entered or exited freely, whereas cages keep an animal inside. Houses are more cozy while cages are more airy. Are cages a luxurious jail? Perhaps, but maybe a bird finds that a worthwhile tradeoff (although now we are assuming the bird knows of his/her options and can weigh the pros and cons before making a choice). If you make a bird house for a bird, you’re not supplying a nest or food, whereas someone who buys a cage for a bird nurtures the inhabitant with food, water, a swing, and a stick on which to perch. The perks of prison?!

As I walked away from the car, my mind buzzed with many thoughts, many questions. Who is the owner? A sculptor by trade, or someone who so loves Christmas that s/he wanted to drive a Christmasmobile 365 days a year? When, how and why did s/he create this? Is it dangerous to drive this car on the freeway? Is it legal to embellish a car to this degree? Can s/he park in parking garages or is the height too much? Why cages? I may never know the answers, but I suppose I’ll survive without them. This car has sparked yet more creative instincts within me (which may be one of the goals of the owner). That alone is something to celebrate.

I was sweating by the time I walked back to my car. It was a hot, muggy morning and I was amused by the irony of studying a snow-covered Christmasy car while I dripped with sweat. Yesterday was the first official day of fall, so although we have the ceiling fans going, let me embrace the spirit of the Christmas Cage Car and be the first to wish you a happy holiday season!