Sunrise Surprise

After a couple days of pretty-much constant rain, blue sky and sunshine were a welcome surprise this morning. I've got to get outside and stretch in order to remedy my cabin-fever caused by too much time in 300 square feet.

Yesterday, Friday, I kept busy with an interior lighting repair project. The florescent under-cabinet light that's over the kitchen sink died a few weeks ago. It operates on 12 volts and has a "ballast" that converts the available power to what's needed by the florescent bulbs. These ballasts are not exactly long-lasting -- this was the second one that failed for us. And a new ballast is almost as costly as a whole new fixture. Since we really wanted a different style fixture anyway, I was able to find what we wanted online for half the cost of Camping World. I also bought a back-up ballast in anticipation of the next failure.

I'm a big fan of LED light bulbs for camper use. Very efficient -- about a tenth the wattage of standard bulbs -- they are very easy on the batteries when we're "off the grid". Since we started fulltiming two and a half years ago, I've changed out some standard bulbs for LED bulbs in high-use and strategically located fixtures with great results.

I had been eyeing an LED light strip that would fit perfectly under the cabinet between the sink and the cooktop, and would eliminate the bothersome dark spot right where we prepare most of our meals. So when I ordered the new florescent fixture replacement, I also ordered the LED light strip. Yesterdays project was the installation of both of these fixtures. After a couple hours and a little cutting, splicing, taping, drilling, screwing, and sticking, we now have light were there was none. After just one night I can report we're very pleased with the results... especially the LED fixture. It might well become our primary work-light in the kitchen.

Heading outside to see what sunshine feels like...
Thom