settlings

A few years into flat-habitation a shiny new extra-powerful streetlight was installed directly opposite the living-room/kitchen window. Apart from the thin shadow caused by the pillar between the windows there was no way of sheltering from it other than by keeping one's back to it or shutting the curtains. I always preferred lights-off-curtains-open when it was dark in the evening, to aid peering out at people whilst foiling the people walking past on the pavement opposite who seemed to enjoy gawping at our kitchen cupboards. It is similarly more pleasant to sit with windows and curtains open with the streetlights supplying enough light to type or read by upstairs in the house; hopefully there are no plans to improve the street-lighting by installing something shiny in such a position that it would shine right in my eyes when I'm trying to sleep.