Night Light

   I'm not exactly sure just when our "Night Light"
 went dark. If I had to guess I'd probably say it was
 at least six months ago.
   I'm not talking about one of those bulbs on a plug
you stick into a wall socket.
   Our night light is, or should I say was, a street
light mounted near the top of a utility pole on what
is now a very dark corner right outside of our house.
   It's one of those lights the utility company,
once called Pennsylvania Power and
Light Company, used to promote before PP&L
dropped the "&" and became just PPL.
   And I'm now thinking the "&" stood for that
part of the company where they answer the
telephone to address consumer complaints.
   I hesitated to call when I first noticed a
problem. The bulb is one of those triggered
by a sensor that knows when it's getting dark.
   You would occasionally see it trying to come
to life...flickering on...then off...then on again.
   But one day, or night as the case may be, it
never even flickered.
   It has been at least six months since I called
the utility to ask that it replace the non lighting
light. Another neighbor claims to have called
at least a half dozen times.
   You'd think my eyes would be used to the
dark by now (at least on that corner).
    But I had to use my own flashlight to catch
a glimpse of the bear that was hauling my
garbage bag away a few months ago.
    An overhead light could have given me
a much better view...especially had I been
walking around the corner at the time!
    Diogenes would definitely need his
lantern around here (and I'm not sure it would
lead him to the neighbor who said he made
six calls about the light!)
    Not that the darkness is bad for everyone.
    I think it may even be an incentive for
the people dumping the trash along the
road side beneath the fixture.
    I've now tied to send an email to
PP...whatever...asking for a new bulb and,
maybe, even a new cover around the fixture.
    The old one was either shot away or
simply disintegrated in the darkness.
    We've had truck after truck of utility
crews driving through the neighborhood
lately as they install electric hook ups for
flood victims who have moved
in temporarily. Too bad none of them came
through at night. They might have noticed
the absence of light!
     Oh well, it is getting a little lighter a
few minutes every day!
      Hope you've got enough light to read
this and that all your NEWS is good!