My Christmas Arch

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In truth, I didn't come up with the idea for the lighted Christmas arch that currently spans the sidewalk in front of my house. The arch was an idea that I copied from a neighbor a couple of streets over from me.
Last year at Christmastime I spied this dazzling arch erected by my neighbor,

...was enchanted by it, and decided that the following year I wanted to build such an arch across my sidewalk.
However, as many of us know, there's often a long bridge of inertia between desire and acheivement, and getting across this bridge can require a massive thrust of energy, ambition, and will-power. Manys a project and plan of mine have sputtered before the first step.
But I've also learned that sometimes it's just forcing that first step across the inertia bridge that makes the second, third, fourth and final steps happen. In fact sometimes taking that first step puts you in a position that obligates you to follow through. Or else end up looking like a schmoe.
Such was the case with the the first step in this project, which was me convincing myself to walk the several blocks to the house, where, happily, the Christmas arch was set up again this year,

...knocking on the door, introducing myself, and asking if I could pick the brain of the builder of the arch.
As it turned out, the friendly builder was oh, so happy to help me. He generously came out of his house, went over the construction details with me, told me what materials I'd need and the quantities and where to purchase said materials, and shared some helpful tips.

Now, my neighbor's Christmas arch was a fabulous 35-foot structure with seven arched sections. I wanted to go a little less ambitious on my first try, and so I decided on a 20-foot structure with four arched sections.
Following my neighbor's schematic, I figured I'd need the following materials for a slightly shorter arch:
31 5-foot pieces of 1/2" PVC pipe
6 3-way connector pipe fittings
9 4-way connector pipe fittings
10 12'' lenghts of rebar
Zip ties
Mini colored Christmas lights on white wires
My neighbor was quite enthusiastic about my copying his idea and lighting up my street as he had lit up his and even offered to come over and help me with the construction. Thus I knew, having pulled someone else all up into this not-yet-conceived-brain-child project, I had no choice but to either make it happen or look, in the eyes of my newly-met, helpful can-do neighbor, like a big-talking can't doer. I decided to absolutely make it happen.
The next step, per the instructions of our helpful neighbor, was for my mate Tom - now also pulled into the project - and I to head over to Home Depot to gather our supplies, which we did on Thursday, December 2.
The PVC pipe, 10-foot lenghts cut in half for us by a Home Depot staffer

The connectors and pieces of rebar

Locating the zip ties.

The white-wired Christmas lights we located at Meijer's. We would end up using ten boxes - 1,000 lights.

On Saturday, December 4, Tommy came over to help us construct the arch. We prefaced the project with a lunch of French Bread Pizzas and Caesar salad,

...then we got to work.

First Tom and Tommy pounded into the ground the lenghts of rebar, 6 inches into the ground to anchor the pipes and six inches above ground over which to slip the pipes,

....five feet apart lengthwise and nine feet, two inches apart widthwise.

Then we set to work building the arch.

And piece by piece,

...row by row,

...I got to watch my archway grow.

After the frame was finished it was time to string the lights.

Alas, we ran out of lights before my vision was fully achieved, however just as we were finishing up for the night my neighbor, the architect of the original arch, drove by our house and got out of his car to compliment us on our creation so far. I was glad I could hold my head up for having accomplished - or nearly accomplished - what I had declared I was planning to.

Over the next few days I acquired more lights (to total 1,000) and finished the stringing, then I finished off the oeuvre with some lighted candy canes, and voilá,