Now that we’ve fallen back time-wise, I’m not only waking up before the sun but also ready to crawl into bed before prime time. Anyone else start to hibernate over the weekend?

I’ve adjusted the timer on the back yard twinkle lights so they’ll come on at 6:00 am and again at 5:00 pm to keep me company as I bundle up for an early morning walk or start chopping onions for dinner. I’ve also turned up the house lights.  A few weeks ago the good folks at Cree sent me some newfangled light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs to try.  Here’s a shot of my bedroom lamps.  One has a Cree LED bulb, the other a standard incandescent light of the same wattage.  Can you tell which is the LED-lit lampshade?

LED lights have historically given off a blue-white color that is only slightly more flattering than the frozen tundra glare of a fluorescent light bulb.  But since LEDs save significant energy and last longer, I hoped there would eventually be some significant improvement in the LED’s quality of light.  And lookee here—there is!

The Cree LED bulb is actually in the lamp on the left of the bedroom photo.  It gives off good reading light and doesn’t make the room look like a polar ice cap. Which makes getting–and staying–out of bed just a little bit easier.