"Self-sufficiency does not mean 'going back' to the acceptance of a lower standard of living. On the contrary, it is the striving for a higher standard of living, for food that is organically grown and good, for the good life in pleasant surroundings... and for the satisfaction that comes from doing difficult and intricate jobs well and successfully." John Seymour ~ Self Sufficiency 2003

Sunday 21 January 2018

Let there be light

We have tried various solar power lights for our front entrance steps and finally I have found something that actually works.
The builders left us a problem - an
 uneven top step designed to confuse
 anyone decending the stairs in the
 darkness
The tread of first step isn't equal to the rest, and this sometime throws off your "mindset" as you decend the steps.  Add nighttime to the equation and it's even worse.

So, when I saw an ad on TV for a solar powered light that not only looked bright enough for my purpose, but also shone in a wide arc, I had to have one last attempt at solving our problem.

Allowing the lights a day to charge up, RMan installed the lights either side of the staircase.

At nightfall we rushed out to see if they would fit the bill.
The view from the garden
They were perfect 😀
What a welcoming smiley face 😀
 They are even attractive and welcoming during the daylight hours... 
Each tread is perfectly illuminated - so no more tripping - ever.
That image just about sums up my contentment with these solar lights 
What is the view from the top of the flight of stairs?  

A heart 😀

10 comments:

  1. Well done they look great, and the lit heart shape is a bonus. Enjoy :)

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  2. Shirley - I'm very chuffed at the range of light. The heart shape was purely accidental and a result of the positioning of the lights :D

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  3. Our back porch stairs are an odd variety of heights too, so I understand the problem! Looks like you found the perfect solution.

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  4. Leigh - The steps were a death trap at night. Now we can use the front entrance instead of having to guide everyone to use the back door :D

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  5. Those are really strong solar lights, I'm impressed.

    I can see how a head long tumble down those in the dark could cause a problem; you think you've finally remembered they're there and it all goes wrong, I've done the same in my hallway where there's an odd step.

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  6. Kirsty - They are the brightest solar lights I have found. AND, they STILL work after 3 weeks - that is amazing lol

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  7. I wish I could use solar powered lights here, but no luck. The mountain just doesn't get enough sun even at the best of times. I use LED floods to light up the area around the buildings at night. Used to use red, because it was good for the night vision equipment, and didn't ruin the night sky. Now I use higher powered green LED floods. Still good with night vision gear, but so bright I can't see the stars anymore. Still, been having trouble with something coming out of the national forest and attacking my domestic animals, so I didn't have much choice. I do like the one's you have, though.

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  8. Harry - That is a pity. Solar is so easy ;)

    Never thought about red or green LED's, but I can understand your motivation.

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  9. I have sent you an email to catch up! Be Safe! RP

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  10. RP - Thank you for your concern. All good on this side...

    More worrying at the moment is that the City Of Cape Town is going to run out of water in +/- 70 days. It doesn't affect my husband and I directly as we are not in Cape Town, but 4 million people will be affected. Not sure how we are going to be able to run our business which is based there either...

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Thank you for taking the time to comment - it makes my day and removes the "loneliness' of sitting at my screen blogging supposedly to myself ;) I try and reply as quickly as possible so please forgive me if sometimes my response is delayed.