I am struggling with my limited "juicetician as Joe calls it" knowledge.

So if i take the photocell out and set it in the daylight and test continuity across the black and red wire what should the meter indicate.  Mine shows continuity.

I was using an ohm meter.  Anyhow all is well now.  What led me on the goose chase:

Circuit started not working and tripping circuit breaker.  Eye of the cell looked like someone had a torch in there.  Went to the barn and installed my last new spare.  Right out of the box it did not solve my problem and the continuity puzzle came up.  New ones arrived two days ago.  Right out of the box the new one showed continuity like the last one.  Oh wellll, hooked it up and now all is well with my dusk to dawn front yard lights.  winner winner, DaveKamp gets the chicken dinner.   

Yours seems to NOT do that.. I would assume your light is on ALL THE TIME ?  Some also have a sensitivity switch on the side you can vary the light needed to turn off.

" So if i take the photocell out and set it in the daylight and test continuity across the black and red wire what should the meter indicate.  Mine shows continuity."

Well, in a simple theory sense, the photocell SHOULD conduct in the dark, and be non-conductive in the light...  But there's about two dozen different ways companies have made photocell controllers, and putting a continuity tester on 'em might NOT reveal what you'd expect.  Many 'old' controllers use a mechanical relay who's coil is powered by a control circuit, and the relay contact works 'opposite', and the CDS sensor USES a little 120v power to both sense the light AND energize the relay, which could give a meter an indication you wouldn't expect.

So the short answer, is that they frequently fool the BEST 'jucetricians'... they act totally different under the several volts of a tester, than when applied to line voltage.

Best move is to just stick another one in, because they're subjected to some pretty harsh electrical circumstances, they just don't last forever... and they're inexpensive.  The most expensive part, is gettin' up there to replace the darned things.

Dave, thanks for the insight.  My problem is gonna be getting "down" there to throw a new one at it.  Much safer than the ones up on the side of the barn. 

My new ones from Amazon are due in today.

I hear 'ya.  I don't run photocells on any of my outdoor lights, instead, I have a contactor box on each pole, and in each building, that controls power to my outdoor lighting, and on that box is a switch for 'local/remote'.  In the local position, the light is on.  In the remote position, the contactor controls the light. The contactors are activated by a control unit in the basement of the house, its a whole lot more reliable than a photocell, and much more flexible.  I can control the lighting zones with remote controls in each of my vehicles, the tractors, forklifts, and from inside the house.

re: the photocell SHOULD conduct in the dark, and be non-conductive in the light...

hmm, this should be the other way round, CDS have HIGH resistance when dark, LOW when light shines on them.  Usually the sensor 'feeds' an opamp or microcomputer that then controls a relay or SSR to control the load (light bulb), typically the 'red' wire...