The Lights Themselves

Most of the roadside is heavily wooded, in places the trees completely overhang the road. The road crosses a creek which now has a culvert bridge, it used to be a ford where it was necessary to drive through shallow water. There are some open areas used for pasture, and several farmhouses along the road. From several points on the road (hilltops) one can see to the west the Oklahoma Turnpike, a major traffic route. The Turnpike has been built and put into use within the time of my memory. I remember when it wasn't there. Needless to say a lot of people insist the light is nothing but cars and trucks on the Turnpike. (Its not)

The light has been recorded since the early 1800's, and was known before that by the Quapaw Indians in the area. It has no religious or ritual significance to the Indians. It is in no way mystical or spiritual. it cannot be invoked or "called up", or brought nearer by any human means. It's been tried. It is simply a totally anomalous light.

The climate in the area is temperate, the very edge of the Great Plains. Summer temperatures, July & August, occasionaly reach 100F. but not for extended times. Winter may reach -10F, again only briefly. Total rainfall (year) about 32 inches. Snowfall averages 12 to 24 inches total/year. The area is suitable for cattle, grain crops, hay, etc. It's generally a pretty good climate.

The light. Until about 5 years ago (1994 -ed.) the light was visible EVERY night without fail. In the past 5 years it has become somewhat erratic, sometimes not visible for a night or two, sometimes as much as a week at a time. In the summer, school out, vacation time, the road gets crowded with watchers who aren't always polite - throw trash, beer cans and bottles and generally raise Cain - to the point that the local Sheriff is sometimes called. The dust raised can be a problem when using telescopes and cameras. Fall, Winter, and early Spring are the best times for viewing. The light becomes visible at dusk. The first time I saw it (more than 40 years ago) the first thing I said was "look there's someone with an old fashioned kerosene lantern" It soon became evident that we were seeing the Spooklight. The color is very close to a lantern, light amber to yellow. It appears to be a light source, not a point source, its larger than that.

It stays generally to the South side of the road and when seen up close (I'll explain) it is between waist and shoulder high. It can be seen in rain, snow, and fog when other lights cannot be seen. Moonlight does not affect it in any way (but makes driving without light easier - this is considered polite because you don't get lights in the face) Usually everyone faces West to watch, but at one time occasionally the light would disappear from view to the West and appear behind you - to the East, this hasn't happened for some years.

If one tries to drive toward the light it usually stays visible to those on the East end of the road, while disappearing to those driving West. It is quite bright, sometimes bright enought to cast a shadow of your hand on a paper, or your clothing. Sometimes its appearance is heralded by a glow seen over the top of one of the hills, much like approaching headlights. The glow appears, then the light "pops up". It can be seen with trees/leaves visible behind it, and it can be seen through the trees. One can stop at one location and see the light in front some trees overhanging the road, the drive to the West past those trees and see the light through a different bunch of trees overhanging the road. (Explain that one!) I have also seen it from the West end, looking straight out toward the Turnpike, and the light is apparently between you and the Turnpike.

Through field glasses (sometimes naked eye) the light is not one single light but several in a globular arrangement. There may be one to as many as six or eight separate lights that move around slightly, then coalesce one by one into a single light. When this happens the light goes out for a few seconds, then reappears as before.

Through a telescope the largest of the lights is yellow/amber, the smaller ones (which are the ones that do the coalescing) may be whitish yellow, orange, red, green and occasionaly blue. It does not hold a steady illumination but flares up then dims slightly. This is not regular, but occurs erratically and frequently. Sometimes one can see two, three or four light apparently all the same strung out one behind the other like a "trail of lights", or a reflection in a multiple mirror.

Size/shape. As I said it is waist to shoulder high and basketball size. When seen up close it is very bright, yellowish white, and appears to be a single spherical light. I don't know if it is multiple at this point, it is too bright to distinguish features. You cannot approach the light under any circumstances, it simply extinguishes. It never fades, it just goes out, like turning a switch. It sometimes (rarely) will appear quite close to cars parked along the road. This happened to me and to my son some years later. In my case it appeared between my car and one parked about 30 feet ahead. It stayed there for about 10 seconds at which time the car ahead was started and lights turned on. The light just extinguished. In my son's case (about 4 years ago) he got out of the car, leaving his girlfriend in the car, he walked ahead about 50 feet, watching the light visible over the road, suddenly he thought someone had turned on car lights or some very bright light behind him, he turned around (girlfriend screaming her head off) and saw the light between himself and the car. He started walking toward it and got an estimated 15 feet from it when it extinguished. It was apparently 10 to 15 feet in front of the car, waist high, spherical appearing.