To light or not to light, that is the question. Whether or not it is better for the outside Christmas lights, which I painstakingly put up over the past two weekends, to come on at dusk with their appointed timer has been source of consternation to me the past few nights.
The ones I put up that first weekend worked like clockwork — on at dusk, off six hours later. In my mind I questioned if they had to be on the full six hours, but I left the timer alone.
I never thought that adding more lights would be a problem, as I had the same ones up last year. The color-changing lights along the railing of the front porch, the Nativity by the birch tree, the three evergreens on the west side with strings of lights, and a few odds and ends in between. They are plugged into the plug by the porch.
Then on the east side of the house I put up snowflake lights around the gazebo. By doing that, I discovered that the wood is made of tough stuff, or else my staple gun is a dud, as it was a job. I am hoping there isn’t too much wind in the next few weeks.
Behind the house, I put up twinkling star lights that change color along the railing on the back deck. I added a set of plain old twinkle lights, just to say I have all of the working lights somewhere.
By the time I finished with my task on Saturday afternoon, I looked around and said it was good. My tired body said it was enough, and all lights and timers were plugged in. Dusk arrived, and not one light flickered on. In disgust, I did nothing, other than vow to go back out on Sunday and look things over.
Sunday came, and after switching a few things, I decided to just plug the cords directly in, and forget the timers, perhaps I didn’t set them correctly. It was mid-afternoon on Sunday, and all of the lights were lit, and I let them go all night.
Every time I got up for the bathroom during the night, I saw those lights outside. This was not what I liked. So, on Monday morning, I put the cords back with the timers and plugged them back in. By the time I got home from Shawano that night, nary a light was twinkling. I went out onto the front porch, disconnected the timer, and plugged the cord directly in; still nothing. So another night without Christmas lights.
Tuesday morning I went on the back deck and unplugged the lights and did the same for the front porch. I just left the plug on the east side alone. That night, when I got home from Shawano, I noticed that the lights east of the house were lit, so I plugged in the ones on the front porch and back deck, and they lit also.
So now, I am thoroughly confused. I have no idea what is going on, but it is giving me some aggravation, and a little laughter. I am not an expert on electricity, but for now the lights are playing a trick on me, as William Shakespeare said, “It is to be, or not to be,” or something similar.
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