I thought I'd look back to see if the topic was being discussed and lo, one poster echoed my thoughts perfectly. That being:
You haven't ever been awed if you haven't seen STARSHINE!
"To muddy the waters a bit further, there's a safety aspect to white lights along the shore,
I have, unfortunately, come to the conclusion that this is one of those topics where there are 2 polarized views that will never come together. I am amazed at the number of lake lots that are lit up like parking lots at night, all night, even when the residents aren't there. We have several places on our lake that have spotlights shining out into the lake, totally blinding you when boating at night. Others shine up into the trees and sky so much that you can't see anything else.
But if you talk to them, they will strongly defend their need for the lights.
I vividly remember awaking lakeside in the late Fall a few years ago at 2 AM. Most camps were closed up and there were, for the first time in my memory, no lights to be seen along the visible shore lines.
I couldn't believe how light it was outside, and got up to look at the moon. But the moon wasn't there. Just millions and millions of stars. So many that I could see the lake and opposite shores perfectly.
All from starlight. It was spectacular!
If everyone could see it like this just once, they might be convinced."
--Member "Merrymeeting"