Light Bulbs and Water Pumps

The temperature is plummeting in Florida, which has already caused a state of emergency for the people that supply fresh fruits and vegetables to the nation. Even though the temperature here in NE Florida is still 39 degrees at 4 p.m., the wind chill is in the 20s.

I asked SwampMan while we were in town if we needed to get light bulbs for the pump houses (two). He assured me that he had a plentiful supply of incandescent bulbs that should provide enough heat to keep the pumps from freezing. Shortly after we arrived home, he stuck his head in the office door and asked what I had done with his light bulbs.

"Huh?"

"My light bulbs are gone. What did you do with them?"

I use the screw-in type of fluorescent bulbs throughout the house in lamps, closets, outside lighting on the porch, and even in the barn because I'm too lazy to drag out the ladder and change light bulbs every few months they're more energy efficient.

"I don't even go into your shop. It is nasty with (shudder) large bugs in there. Ewwwww."

"Well, SOMEBODY took the lightbulbs AND the trouble lights I used to put on the pumps." This was said with a dark accusatory look at me, as though I had sold his lamps and bulbs on E-bay when he wasn't looking (not a bad idea, come to think of it).

Well, at least I can still go to town and get some incandescent light bulbs to keep the pumps from freezing tonight. Since our elected village idiots officials have made various incandescent bulbs illegal over the next few years, I suppose then I'll have to put a politician in the pump houses to keep the pumps from freezing. I'm not sure I have enough composting space for the bullsh** that would accumulate, though.