160 decorating injuries a day, and why December books out now

Good morning, East of Tampa family.

It is October 6, it is going to be 86 degrees, and the lead today is Christmas lights. The people who hang them for a living fill their November calendar in October, so this is the week to think about it. Also below: rain every day, three all-local games Friday and a free rabies clinic Sunday.

Christmas lights, from the people who do it for a living.

Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Brandon is owned by Serena and Brad Cole, who opened the Brandon franchise in 2022. Her crews do landscape and architectural lighting all year, which is why their holiday work looks built in rather than stapled on. Those are their installs in the photos.

Photo: Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Brandon

Why October. Holiday install calendars fill fast, and HOA neighborhoods book first. In FishHawk, that is most of us.

Why not DIY. The Consumer Product Safety Commission counts about 160 holiday decorating injuries a day during the season, and nearly half are falls. A two-story roofline is not where you want to become one of them.

Photo: Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Brandon

The Florida part. Hurricane season runs through November 30, and this week alone has rain every day. OLP builds holiday installs with weather-resistant materials, surge protection and insulated wiring, then inspects the whole thing after. A design consultation, the install and the takedown are all on them. You do not touch a ladder in November or January.

Or skip the install forever. Permanent roofline lighting goes up once and runs off an app: warm white in March, orange for Halloween, red and green in December.

Photo: Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Brandon

Whoever you hire, ask for a certificate of insurance straight from their agent and get the takedown in writing. They work Brandon, Valrico, Lithia, FishHawk, Riverview and Plant City, and the quote is free. Get on the 2026 install calendar here.

⛈️ Tuesday. High 86, 90% rain. Storms mainly before 5 p.m.

⛈️ Wednesday. High 84, 90%. Rain gear in the car for pickup.

🌧️ Thursday. High 84, 80%. Heaviest in the afternoon.

⛈️ Friday. High 85, 90%. Friday night football is a poncho night.

🌦️ Saturday. High 87, 70%. Your best shot at a dry morning.

🌦️ Sunday. High 88, 60%. The lowest odds of the week.

The National Hurricane Center gives a Gulf disturbance a 50 percent chance of forming in seven days. Nothing to do yet but watch. Source: National Weather Service Tampa Bay.

The Addams Family at the Village Players. Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m. $23, or $20 for seniors, students and military. James McCabe Theater, 506 N. 5th St., Valrico. Sunday is already sold out.

Fox Squirrel Corn Maze. Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. $15, free for 3 and under. 6151 Varn Rd., Plant City. Go early and beat the storms.

Free drive-thru rabies clinic. Sunday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or until supplies run out. Hillsborough County Fairgrounds, 215 Sydney Washer Rd., Dover. Rabies shot, microchip and tag for dogs and cats 3 months and up, and you never leave your car.

Reservoir sirens Wednesday at 9 a.m. It is a test. Three to five short blasts on Boyette Road in Lithia. A real emergency is one long continuous blast. Tampa Bay Water.

The FishHawk West paved trail is closed for six to eight months. On top of the FishHawk Boulevard sidewalk closure. Newsome and Randall walkers have posted detours. Worth a word with your kid.

Boyette Road north of Rhodine, four to six months. Pipeline crews, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Brief delays, no full closure. Details on the pipeline alerts page.

Sunflower Cafe, 3452 Lithia Pinecrest Rd., Valrico. Family-owned Japanese in the Stein Mart plaza: sushi, hibachi and Korean stone-pot bowls. Their homepage lists a 10 percent military discount as the Tuesday special. Order the Sunflower Roll ($13.95, panko fried, yum yum and eel sauce), or on a rainy night the dolsot bibimbap ($15.95) in a hot stone pot. Dinner 5 to 9 p.m.

Game of the week. Armwood at Tampa Bay Tech, Friday at 7:30. It is always a big one, and this year both teams are playing great football. Tampa Bay Tech is 7-0 and Armwood comes in off a bye. Get there early.

Also worth watching: Durant has scored 57 two Fridays running, and Plant City visits Newsome.

The Alafia Lighted Boat Parade is taking boats. Since we are talking lights. The Rotary's 42nd parade is Saturday, Dec. 5, at Riverview Civic Center. Registering a boat is $25 and comes with a $25 bar tab at the after-party.

FishHawk Turkey Trot registration is open. Thanksgiving morning, the 18th year, benefiting Seeds of Hope. Timed 5K $35, 10K $45, kids' runs $25.

REAL ESTATE CORNER

Tabatha Pugh, The Local Team at KW Smart. Every Halloween, Tabatha and her team hand out candy to the community, and last year they went through more than 40 bags. She is collecting donations now. Local businesses can tuck business cards, flyers or coupons in with theirs, so your name goes home with the trick-or-treaters. Message Tabatha to donate: 813-476-8457.

Thinking about selling in Plant City before the holidays? She works it every day. Same number.

AROUND THE HOUSE

Maid Pure Cleaning. Six weeks until holiday guests. If the deep clean already feels like this, hand it to Maid Pure. Brandon, Riverview, Valrico, FishHawk and Lithia. Free quote. (813) 670-2004.

Fix It Today Plumbing. Licensed, family-owned plumbing for Brandon, Riverview and Tampa. Get the slow drain and the water heater handled before the holiday company shows up. 813-743-7793.

Prestige Pressure Washing & Detail. Veteran owned, right here in Brandon. They just did my roof, which really, really needed it. Roofs, driveways and the rest of the house, soft washed and pressure washed, and 20% off for veterans. (813) 438-6315.

One more thing: we just built Prestige a new website. Go check out prestigel.com and let us know if you see any mistakes or anything that needs to be fixed. Just hit reply.

Environmental Protective Solutions. Rain every day this week. If a leak leaves a musty smell behind, EPS handles mold, water and odor across the Tampa area. (813) 438-5937.

Magnolia Soap & Bath. Girls' night, handled. Book a soap-making party at the Lithia store, next to the new Whole Foods: grab your friends, make your own soap, and take it home. Danielle is doing one with her friends this Sunday. Call to book yours: 813-986-7835.

Photo: Magnolia Soap & Bath

Got a score, a photo or a new business? Reply to this email. And if your house was the best-lit on the street last year, send us the picture. We will want it in December.

-John the East of Tampa Guy

The Bucs are 0-4 after losing 17-14 to Green Bay at home, and the Gators went to Mizzou and got smacked 45-17. 😭😭😭

Bucs at Dallas Thursday night, Gators home against South Carolina Saturday. I will be watching both. I am not sure why.

Also, it is 86 degrees and I just wrote about Christmas lights. Only in Florida.