How
often do you turn lights on outside the house?
The
other evening, I turned on some of the outside lights. I do it
a few times a week, more or less rotating between the front door,
the garage and the backyard.
There’s
no rhyme or reason for it. We’re not expecting company. No one
went out for the day with plans to return after it gets dark.
Not trying to assist the deer walking across the yard, nor keep
them away. Not trying to prove we’re home. It’s more or less a
bit of a habit.
I
suppose, given deep consideration, a bit of it is home security.
That wouldn’t be too far away from a sensible thought. Let’s face
the facts, Terry and I haven’t greeted someone trick or treating
at our door in more than twenty-five years. If we’re not expecting
you in the evening, chances are you’re not dropping in unannounced.
There’s not a history that suggests a massive need for quality
outdoor illumination on most evenings.
What
really has me wondering though isn’t the outdoor lights. It’s
that I just turned on the hallway lights. Once the sun goes down
and evening settles in, there are parts of the house that can
get pretty dark. Likely no surprise there for you, since just
about anyone’s home gets dark when the sun goes down and all the
lights are off. But for path leading to the bathroom, a walk to
the bedroom, or a search for the perfect snack to satisfy that
final craving of the day, there’s one particular light that covers
things fairly well. It’s in the hallway. Sun sets, light goes
on.
Like
many of you, I’m actually in the habit of turning lights off around
the house. Leave a room with no plans to return soon, lights go
out. Heading out of the house, lights go out. Done in the basement,
lights go out.
Even
with plans to return to a space, I gauge need and timing. Might
have another load of laundry to do, leading me down to the basement
in an hour or so. Doesn’t matter. Lights out after the previous
trip.
How
often do you buy new lights for the house? You probably have some
on hand and ready to go. Then, a light flickers and goes out,
and suddenly you don’t have another after all.
A
few years ago, we made the awful mistake of not looking too carefully
while shopping, picked up one of those subtly altered styles and
the entire kitchen took on a blue haze. Suffice to say, if you
aren’t certain what soft white or daylight or warm white or whatever
light shade does to a bulb, be prepared to find yourself walking
through a fog of bad neon lighting that you’ll swear you can actually
feel your skin absorbing.
One
of our ceiling lights needs smaller bulbs that still fit a standard
socket size. Purchases of these involve a bit more searching than
you might expect. If that idea doesn’t scare you, sit down. The
next one might.
There’s
a chance, in the near future if not already, you’re going to need
to know if your lightbulb is compatible with smartphones and apps.
Not kidding, there are now lightbulbs that are nothing less than
Alexa approved. Which is just wonderful. We’ve zoomed well beyond
simply needing to know if the bulbs work with a dimmer or not.
One
of the light switches in our house is a round dimmer style. There’s
a slight click when it turns off, and you turn it to increase
or decrease the brightness of the light. You know the type. It’s
part of a two-switch unit, with the other being the traditional
flip-style. And, fun twist, if you barely brush the dial while
flipping the other off and on, it is absolutely possible to turn
on a light you won’t even know is on and leave it on for weeks.
Ok.
Time to bring this day to a close and head to bed. But first,
a walk around the house to make sure the lights are out. (Especially
the ones by the garage.)