Those effing bells!

Avalon has all sorts of interesting traditions. One of my least favorites took place this past weekend.

Every year on Easter Sunday, there is a "Sonrise Easter Service" (you - in the back row, on the left - I saw that eye roll!) that takes place in the wee hours of the morning. The location has changed over the years, but it still takes place every year. I have no particular issue with that. Although it's a tad early for me to want to do anything other than roll over, if I absolutely had to attend a church service I'd rather be outside on a beautiful spring morning than inside any building. But there's more to it.

See that little structure perched near the top of the hillside?



Here - let me give you a better view:



Okay, that is the chimes tower. It's located directly across from the Zane Grey Hotel and (this is important if you ever plan to stay there) the chimes ring every quarter hour on the quarter hour, starting at 8am, and they can be heard across the canyon, but especially well on the same side of town. If you pay attention, you can tell the time by them. And occasionally on certain holidays, such as Christmas, there is someone here who goes into the tower and plays music on the chimes, like say - Christmas carols! Are you catching on yet?

Every year, in honor of Easter and for the, ahem..."Sonrise" service, prior to the service, (this means BEFORE dawn, like while it is still dark), someone plays what I presume are hymns of some sort on the chimes. So for the past ten years, I have woken up at the butt crack of dawn on every Easter Sunday morning with the first words out of my mouth being, "f***ing bells!!!!!!"