I'm Only the Trombone Player

Pilot Lights

No, not talking about flashlights specially designed for pilots.

In the olden times, gas stoves came with something called a pilot light. It was two tiny flames, one in the oven and the other on top of the stove, that were always lit. That's how your burner or oven lit when you turned on the gas. They have been replaced by electronic starters. An improvement, maybe? The flame pilot light used gas, and before safety measures, if it blew out, it could fill a house with gas.

But they were useful for many other things besides lighting the oven. The pilot light provided a gentle, low heat, which was useful when you didn't want to cook but still needed a little heat.

Need to dry some freshly picked herbs? Spread them on a tray, pop them in the oven with the pilot light on, and stir them around until they're the way you want them.

Making bread, and wanting a warm place for the dough to rise? It's right there in the gentle heat provided by the pilot light.

Washed some pans or utensils (metal) and want to dry them well? Right into that toasty oven?

You can dry fruit, make jerky, and accomplish anything that requires steady, low heat.

I miss that pilot light.