There is only one good thing abut being ill - and that is the appreciation you feel when you get better.



I am surprising myself by a newly-discovered snarling, hackle-rising fury over a age-old (well, since electricity became available in houses) Christmas tradition - holiday lights. People put them all around the house, set up neon nativities, wired Santa & reindeer in the front yard, and happily flick the switch at dusk to allow the lit splendor (sic) to shine all night.



But out in the country, at least our country, we have some pretty strict light-pollution laws already in place. When I first moved out here almost eight years ago, I quietly giggled at the concept of light "pollution" and dismissed it as a nit-picky code for people to use when the 100 watt bulb on their neighbor's porch was too bright, and they would take them to court to get a 60 watt bulb in instead.



However, now that the lights of the nearest (and rapidly growing) city are washing out some of our night-sky views, and the flood-lights of the latest Border Patrol substation west of Naco are on ALL night, I begin to realize that, unless checked, this may become as bad as L.A. when I was growing up - if you could see five to ten stars at night, that was a big deal.



And I thoroughly enjoy each (non-overcast) night (which is the majority here) the incredible expanse of night-sky - the Milky Way in all it's glory - the meteorite showers that surprise you with their quickness and brightness - how more and more stars appear the longer you stay out until your head begins to spin with the sheer magnitude of space.



We do not have streetlights of any sort out here, all outside lighting is supposed to be 'shielded', and with rural zoning, land parcels must be a minimum of four acres. But with the 'new' people moving out, wanting paved roads and convenience stores, this is all coming under attack.



So I have discovered that I am an OLD FASHIONED SAYING NO TO PROGRESS SHOOT OUT THE NEW LIGHTS GOSH DARN WITH MY PISTOL B&^TCH!! Well, not shooting anything out... yet. But quite suddenly all of those Christmas lights are NOT on my good list.