Let There Be Light 2

Last night, while just a few of us were still awake and beginning to tidy the kitchen, the lights went out. Quick as a flash, a still lively Poppy, dashed upstairs crying “I’ll get my Daddy. He’ll fix it.” She woke him. He said he’d deal with it in the morning.

True to his word, he did. Except that it took most of the day.

There are a lot of light switches and individual bulbs that needed to be checked, with constant trips to and from the fuse box in the hall. All were in good working order. Eventually our son discovered that the problem had arisen somewhere in the lights around the outside of the back of the house. He thought he would try the switch first. This entailed shopping at Christchurch for a replacement.

There was nothing wrong with the switch.

Matthew then examined and tested all the lights. There was nothing wrong with them. Observant readers will notice that we still have geraniums in hanging baskets.

The next possibility was the wiring between the switch inside the house and the lights outside. Eureka! The expert pointed out that the live wire had been exposed and water had dripped from this to the uncovered earth below. We have hardly ever used these lights, but did so last night because some our visitors had parked on the back drive.

Early this evening Ian, Jackie, and I repaired to The Royal Oak for a drink, some time later to be joined by Matthew, Becky, Tess, and Poppy who had visited the Byron Road Christmas lights. Having drunk Razor Back there, I, as did Tess, abstained from alcohol with dinner, which consisted of Jackie’s splendid lamb jalfrezi with savoury rice. The others drank Senza Tempo Pino Grigio.

0 comments

  1. no matter how well I plan my days in advance, something always happens – & these ‘little things’ always take much longer to fix than I’d like

  2. This one is a graphic post depicting the tripping of lights and their eventual restoration. Poppy’s confidence and her daddy’s persistence have been deftly woven into the storyline as the saga unfolds.

  3. Good to have a handy man on hand when something goes out! Poppy knew just the man for the job! (That is so cute! šŸ™‚ )
    We don’t realize how important light is, until we are without it.
    HUGS and a bright-light-warm New Year for you and all of your loved ones!!! šŸ™‚

  4. Ah, the day the lights went out! At least that’s all that happened and not a fire. Rest assured – your wiring has now all been checked out!!

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