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PHOENIX (KSAZ) - The struggle is real, as workers at the Phoenix Zoo are already putting up Christmas lights.
Yes. Christmas lights in July, working all day in the heat.
The Supervisor for ZooLights, Justin Davis, said his five-person team needs to be finished with the lights by Halloween, and despite it being extremely hot, they need to start now, in order to make that deadline.
"The worst about the lift is that the lift itself is metal," said Davis. "So you'll set your arm onto it and that's bad!"
Davis says part of his team works starting at 3:00 a.m., while others work in the evenings for several months to put together the millions of beautiful lights. The lights may look magical, but it isn't something that magically happens overnight. Davis said there's a lot hard work involved out in the Arizona heat.
"I'd like to say we're used to it," said Davis. "We're not."
Davis is honest, but good natured about it, and he says his workers try to work smart by only work out in the heat when they have to.
"We have our shed in the back that we'll try to do stuff with, or we'll put up our scenes, the armatures, because it'll keep us in the shade. Because the lifts have us right in the sun," said Davis.
That and, of course, plenty of water and sunscreen. All to make sure the Christmas season sparkles for Phoenix families.
ZooLights usually kicks off during Thanksgiving through January, featuring carousel rides, photos with Santa and an area where children can play in "real" snow.