it was now becoming clear to me after seeing these paintings one by one-the cemetery under the soft glow of moonlight ; the rail yard , with its bright-colored boxcars andsunfire yellow weeds ; the front of the high school , its american flag blowing in the wind ; the swings underneath a blue sky at evans park ; the drive-in running an old movie-that even though alexander only visited these places at night , he was seeing dullsville in brilliant colors and happy hues rather than the dark and dismal black and white i 'd seen it in my whole life .