SLC Post-script
Taking down the laundry this afternoon (all dry but a couple of towels!!), the kids were running around playing. I had tossed the slightly damp towels in the dryer while I took down the other clothes. The dryer vents right underneath the clothesline. When the boys noticed the air coming from the vent, indicating that the dryer was on, they disappeared around the back of the house, returning a moment later.
They had gone to check the electric meter, to see how fast the little wheel was spinning. Apparently, it wasn’t spinning too fast, giving them hope that they’d have enough energy for the magic light that fought against the “rising darkness” and the “attack of the alien lasers.”
Energy conservation as Imaginary Planetary Defense Support.