They seem to be everywhere. Interspersed with healthy geraniums and whatever this purple flowering plant is are Christmas lights. They are half invisible in the daylight. At night they drown out everything. For a few more days they will be in season and then little by little they will begin to disappear. They don’t breed exactly, but every year more and more people own and display them. I wonder, beyond the words “Santa Claus” and “Christmas”, if anyone has any idea why they do this. Today is the shortest day of the year. Beyond this the days get longer and warmer and the night disappears in the sun’s growing intensity. But for now, we light candles and Christmas lights. Happy Winter Solstice.