Clarence Cromwell's video: 2013 Virtual Two-Dimensional Outdoor Christmas Tree

I have been putting up a virtual outdoor Christmas tree on our balcony every year since 2008. I like to do something a little different every year, but this year there were several changes which I think greatly improved the display. First, I had noticed many of the patterns in the colored light string work symmetrically from the center of the string, so I put the center of the string at the peak and decorated the right and left sides of the tree with opposite ends of the string. The results are obvious. Next, the green rope lights I was using began burning out but I couldn't find replacements so I bought blue rope lights instead. Finally, I added 10 twinkling stars to the tree to simulate ornaments. To recap the construction, this display consists of an 8' 2X2 wooden pole, four 18' rope lights, a GE programmable 50-light string, and lots of zip ties. Add-ons include programmable icicle lights on the railing and ten twinkling stars as tree ornaments. The display takes up no room on the balcony because it is flat,but it can be seen for blocks. This video runs about four minutes, the length of a complete light cycle.