Residents Turn Disaster Into Decorations

It seems like every yard in the area has a pile of tree limbs in it.  Some folks have decided since the brush piles will be there for a while, why not decorate them.  News On 6 reporter Rick Wells talked to one mid-town Tulsa resident who joyfully turned yard debris into yuletide decorations.

"Just because Mother Nature made all this mess, we can't let it go to waste, it's too pretty," said Virginia Cohlmia.

Colhmia plans to use the some green leaves from a magnolia tree to add to her holiday decorations inside.  She said the ice storm pretty much stopped her normal outdoor decorating.

"I have lights on garland and light up the wreaths, and I have candles up and down here.  Votives and stuff like that so this is the minimalistic look this year," said Cohlmia.

What the storm only damaged she's put back up, but since that pile of brush and limbs out front will be there a while she decided to decorate it, so she added lights.

The lights were nice but she wanted more so she purchased Santa on a John Deer.

"And the best part is it was half price," said Cohlmia.

There is a Santa Claus in her pile of limbs and he lights up too.

"I just thought it would be fun.  If you can't laugh about this what good are we," said Cohlmia.

She's not the only one, a neighbor has a light tree set up on his pile of limbs and the squirrels are happy too.  Their tree-top playground is not hard to get to anymore, it's right in the front yard.

Virginia Cohlmia says if the pile of limbs is still there on Valentine's Day, she may hang red hearts and chocolate on it.