This was the view looking left from my front porch before dawn this morning. As views go, it ain’t too bad. 🙂

I put this photo out on Instagram and Facebook as well as here today, and it got an appreciative reaction, much more so than other photos I’ve posted. One person said is was peaceful, and thanked me for adding that little moment of zen to her morning. I’ve been thinking about that all day. Because here’s the funny little truth behind this picture:

The glow from the center is actually coming from a neighbor’s house. They just moved in about a month ago, and ever since then, they’ve been leaving their outside garage lights on all night long.

Three extremely bright lights. All night long.

They’re not even motion-sensored. They just light up the night. My husband and I (and possibly all the other neighbors on the street) have been annoyed about this, because we like it dark outside at night, for stargazing. When it’s warm, we take our old telescope out front and point it at whatever’s up there, and just enjoy. No one in this corner of the neighborhood leaves their outdoor lights on at night. The topic has even started some popcorn-worthy arguments on NextDoor. And now this guy and his wife (and their two enormous rambunctious dogs) have moved in and they leave these freakishly bright strobes on all night long? It’s disappointing.

But this morning, I woke up earlier than I wanted to, and after trying to go back to sleep for a half hour or so, I figured I might as well get up and have my coffee early. When I got to the bottom of the stairs and looked out the front window, I was struck by this gorgeous, almost ethereal view that would not have been possible without my neighbor’s garage lights. I opened the front door, stepped out onto the porch barefoot, and snapped this picture with my phone.

There hasn’t been much beauty in the world this week. Or peace for that matter. I’ll take what I can get.