It’s not very dark at night

Yesterday, I noticed the dark, the quiet, and the solitude of my predawn morning walk. Today, I noticed the lights.

• The night sky is filled with lights: the moon, stars, a few planets, and the red and green of an airplane far overhead.

• Street lights extend from utility poles light up some of the intersections as well as random stretches of road in the neighborhood.

• I’m surprised at how many homes keep the lights on each side of the garage or atop a front walk lamppost lit all night long. They are bright, illuminating the driveway and the cars parked there. Security lights shine into every corners of backyards.

• You’ll also see a lit up doorbell on most homes. A tiny little light just to the side of the front door is on all the time, but you’ll only notice it at night.

• Those who support law enforcement display a blue light on the front of the house.

• Solar-powered landscape lights are still on, lining driveways and front walkways. Sometimes they shine lights up onto trees and the side of houses, creating interesting shadows.

• Sometimes I’ll see a single red light on the side of a house, near an electric meter. It must alert someone that something is working correctly. Or not. Who knows?

• Just above the trees I can see the tall lights above the soccer and baseball fields. The action begins early on tournament weekends.

• I carry my flashlight when it’s dark. Some walkers and bikers wear flashing red or green lights so passing cars don’t miss them.

• I can see tiny blue or green alarm lights flashing inside parked cars. they are armed and ready.

• Today, the headlights of a car delivering newspapers (two people on my block still get a paper delivered) roared past me before pulling sharply into my neighbor’s driveway just long enough to fling the paper somewhere in the yard. Just as quickly, his taillights disappeared around the corner.

• Lights are on inside homes, too. Others are up at this very early hour, too. The flicker of TV screens peeks through the front window curtains.

• Some neighbors leave their Halloween inflatables inflated and lit all night long. Strings of orange lights frame doors and lay across shrubs.

• And appropriately, lights shine on the American flag, either from the base or the top of flagpoles.

It’s not very dark at night around here. And I’m sure we’re just a few days away from the first Christmas lights.