Did Someone Turn Off the Lights? day 5 UBC Challenge

I can't see a darn thing in front of me. Where is that light switch...walking through the house at night, I manage fine with little to lights on. My husband on the other hand is a completely different story. I'll never understand 'how' he can walk through the timber in the wee hours of the morning with only a small headlamp on top of his head, both of his hands full with his hunting gear, yet for him to walk from the living room, down the hall to our bedroom - -every light switch is flipped on between point A and point B. 

If I'm walking to the back of the house when he goes, I am right behind flipping the lights off. tsk, tsk, tsk. How many of you can relate? I just don't understand the difference, especially since he is quite aware of the layout at the house versus the timber. (laughing out loud). 

Today is the last day of my random statements that I posted on my Facebook wall a few weeks back. Let's get started...

"All of the lights are out. In other words, no electricity, power, or anything. There are no candles in the house, no batteries anywhere to be found or purchased. What do we do to see"? 

Courtesy of Pixaby

Have you ever been in this predicament? What did you do? How long were your lights out? As with the other random statements and questions I posted on my Facebook wall, this one too - received great comments from my friends. Here's what we discussed. 

My sister indicated 'better have some solar-powered lights'. Well, I've had solar-powered lights before along the flower beds and they didn't last exceptionally long. When I'm driving through town, I see many houses in our neighborhood with solar panels on their roofs. Isn't this one of the things that the newly elected man in charge is pushing? I suppose solar power is the way of the future in order to go green. We probably won't have any solar panels on our house. 

I personally think those silver, reflective panels are such an eyesore. Have you ever seen a field of them? When we visited my husband's sister who lives in Illinois last October, they were telling us that someone purchased the acreage in front of their house. This same land used to be filled with corn and soybeans. Now it's going to be filled with Solar panels for the Chicago area. (they weren't too happy with this), especially since it's going to be in front of their property.  I suppose this could be debated, but let's not do that today...I don't have the energy for it.  

I received a comment asking, 'why I was posting such depressing content?' I was stumped at first when I read this...as I didn't see anything depressing about these random statements and questions.  The sole purpose of them was to engage people in conversations and have them think about ways they could implement something different in the event it was needed versus what they were accustomed to. We never know when our food sources will be altered, or gasoline is so sky-high we can't afford it for our cars, or if the electricity is out for days, weeks, months on end. We must be prepared for the what if's, right? I don't know about you, but I don't like being caught off guard with no game plan in my back pocket. My motto has always been, 'BE PREPARED for the unexpected". 

I remember mom having Hurricane Lamps in her bedroom. How many of you have ever used one of those before? Can you imagine living in the times when the only source of light was from a Hurricane Lamp or a flickering candle? I can't. In fact, I am no longer able to burn candles in my house, especially the ones that have scents because of my Environmental Asthma. How many of you burn candles? Have you ever used a candle to read the newspaper with or do your studying by? What about cooking? Could you imagine trying to cook a Thanksgiving meal by candlelight only? Right now, I don't have any candles in my house...however, I do try to keep scentless candles on hand though for those unexpected moments of 'no electricity'. 

One of my friends indicated that Crayons could be used as candles. This same friend also mentioned that our cars could be used as a convert to act as a generator. Let's talk about the Crayons being used as candles. How many of you knew this? I didn't so I looked it up on Wikipedia. 

Hmmm, Crayons as candles. What a concept. Now keep in mind, I wouldn't want my grandson or smaller children playing with a lighter or any other type of igniter. I can see the headlines now. No thank you!!! Please use safety and have adult supervision if you are going to test this out. As I thought about the Crayons being the source for light, I looked around my craft room, and would you know I do NOT have any Crayons whatsoever. I found markers, colored pencils, highlighters, paints - but no crayons. Now, do I want to rush to the store and purchase a box of them, not today. I figure the next time I am at a Dollar Tree or my local Walmart, I'll pick up a box just in case. You can also order these online at Amazon and other retail sources. 

Looking at the information from the link above it indicates that each candle can burn for about thirty minutes. Okay, so if I had a box of 24, that equates to 720 minutes. In turn, I would have about 12 hours of light if I used a box of 24 count Crayons. Haaaa, how many of you knew I knew math! Yea, it was my WORST subject in school! LOL (especially Algebra and Geometry). This wasn't hard to figure out though. I do know multiplication and division...you? Remember, there are 60 minutes in an hour just in case you are stumped. 

Crayons didn't come onto the scene until 1903. They were invented by Edward Binney and C. Harold Smith. 

Something I recall doing with Crayons was to melt the wax...never did I consider using them as a source for light. How many of you have done this activity with your kids or even as a Melting Candle Activity crafty project for yourself? What comes to my mind immediately is an empty bottle of some sort with a white taper candle placed on top and the hot wax dripping down the sides of the bottle. Have you ever done anything like this? Remember, if you try this...be sure to have adult supervision. Wait a minute, I'm an adult, do I need supervision, too? Guess that depends on my energy levels - -hahahha, thought I'd make you laugh. Did it work? 

Remember, DON'T ever leave a lit candle burning when you are away from your home. 

Another friend commented that 'we could use candles as fire starters". I guess since they are slow-burning, they would work well when trying to start a fire in the fireplace or a campfire. Again, kids DON'T try this without adult supervision. 

One of my readers mentioned that my random statements and questions would be great for Homeschool parents to get their children to think not only about the past but also for the future. It would help them think of ways to implement other strategies in the event the 'normal' things were no longer available or down for a little bit. How many of you homeschool your children these days? Know any friends that do? If so, please share my posts with them. 

One of my friends mentioned that 'if there weren't any lights, "they would search for firewood and build a fire". In my mind, this went along with my random thoughts. They would be able to provide light AND a source of heat in the event it was needed. Again though, adult supervision is a MUST!

Starting fire brings me to another random thought. How many of you could start a fire with sticks and rocks? I don't think I could. I think about my oldest grandson when he was in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. He had to learn how to start a fire using sticks. I don't know if they had a piece of flint available or not, I never asked. Are there any Boy Scouts in the bunch? Den Moms? 

He went on many adventures and trips with the Scouts. This photo was a few years ago...he is much older today. 

Several other comments to my random statement were "use the flashlight on the cellphone". That would be okay if the cell phone is charged. If the electricity is out in the house, I may have to revert to charging my phone in the car. I guess I better make sure there is a car charger readily available.  Keeping one in the car makes sense, right? That's what I think, too! 

Recently, I purchased several new flashlights along with batteries. I don't want to be put in a position where in the event I needed one or the other - they couldn't be found at the local store. Remember the toilet paper fiasco? Yea, I want to be prepared sooner than later...and like with toilet paper, I ALWAYS have some on hand. I have had that routine as far back as I can remember...I don't need a pandemic to hit in order to know this is a daily necessity! 

Darkness...it's not fun to walk through the house with no lights on. I can't read a book in the dark. I can't cook in the dark and I don't like taking showers in the dark. Are you prepared for the what if's? My family is...just like with car insurance - I hate paying out the monthly premiums, but I'm glad it's there for the 'just in case moments'. 

What have you done to prepare your household and family for moments like these? Have you purchased batteries, a generator, candles, extra food, water, crayons, flashlights, and other daily necessities in life for those just in case moments? Have you had brainstorming events with your family to come up with action plans? If not, what are you waiting for? 

My lights are on today. I don't have to worry about being in the dark. Hopefully, mother nature won't create a situation and the power grid doesn't get overloaded.  

Hey babe, turn OFF the lights!   

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