The deck looks out over an open field, the lake, and the hills beyond. The sky was mostly clear and the stars were out. The view was ruined by the abundance of lights left burning, and I must admit one of them was ours.
I can see probably 20 miles of the hillside across the lake and 10 or so of shoreline. The section directly across from me was marred by bright lights on porches and over front doors and a section of street light size lamps along the lake. The lights along the lake were the new brighter pink lamps that I have always found annoying.
The next section of hillside also had it's smattering of lights. Each was less bright. I think the difference was the use of regular light bulbs vs. floodlights. A little further up it was almost black, and then further up, where I believe there is another town, the lights were bright again.
I wished the lights could be turned off so that I could see the sky better, and so that it would be generally more peaceful. Every time I see one of those satellite photos that show the lights burning on earth it angers me to no end. What the hell are we so afraid of? Isn't the waste of money and fuel and the impending effects of global warming more frightening?
When I was a kid we lived at the end of a dead end road. There was a street light at the end in town, but no others. At the time the only houses were the ones that had been there forever. They were either set back from the road, or behind tall trees, often evergreens. Our house stood back on a long drive way.
At night if there was no moon and the clouds covered the stars, it became dark very fast. We thought nothing of it. We could sense the opening between the trees, and if we got too close to the edge of the road by foot or bicycle ,we would feel the gravel and move back onto the roadway.
When I was in junior high they began to build a development at the end of the road. Fifteen houses built on a swamp that buried two cement trucks and more than one foundation. One day on the school bus the local rowdies were bragging about traveling through construction sights like this breaking windows and stealing things. I questioned that nothing like this was happening on my street. They looked at me incredulously and said “Are you kidding? It's dark down there!”. Darkness was our protection. Light and shadow make for hiding places.
I have often wondered about the policy of leaving so many lights on in storefronts overnight that one can't tell if the business is opened or closed. If I was driving by at 3am and saw someone inside, I would assume it was someone cleaning or stocking shelves.
So turn off the damn lights. Save energy, money and resources, and see the sky for a change.
The next section of hillside also had it's smattering of lights. Each was less bright. I think the difference was the use of regular light bulbs vs. floodlights. A little further up it was almost black, and then further up, where I believe there is another town, the lights were bright again.
I wished the lights could be turned off so that I could see the sky better, and so that it would be generally more peaceful. Every time I see one of those satellite photos that show the lights burning on earth it angers me to no end. What the hell are we so afraid of? Isn't the waste of money and fuel and the impending effects of global warming more frightening?
When I was a kid we lived at the end of a dead end road. There was a street light at the end in town, but no others. At the time the only houses were the ones that had been there forever. They were either set back from the road, or behind tall trees, often evergreens. Our house stood back on a long drive way.
At night if there was no moon and the clouds covered the stars, it became dark very fast. We thought nothing of it. We could sense the opening between the trees, and if we got too close to the edge of the road by foot or bicycle ,we would feel the gravel and move back onto the roadway.
When I was in junior high they began to build a development at the end of the road. Fifteen houses built on a swamp that buried two cement trucks and more than one foundation. One day on the school bus the local rowdies were bragging about traveling through construction sights like this breaking windows and stealing things. I questioned that nothing like this was happening on my street. They looked at me incredulously and said “Are you kidding? It's dark down there!”. Darkness was our protection. Light and shadow make for hiding places.
I have often wondered about the policy of leaving so many lights on in storefronts overnight that one can't tell if the business is opened or closed. If I was driving by at 3am and saw someone inside, I would assume it was someone cleaning or stocking shelves.
So turn off the damn lights. Save energy, money and resources, and see the sky for a change.
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