I thought this was a great story with a few new twists on an old favorite. I hope you enjoy it. I’ll be trying them all!

http://www.toledoonthemove.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=320856

I’ll see you in the backyard!

I have mentioned this before but I think it is worth repeating.

Dryer lint makes a wonderful fire starter. We save the lint in a large zipper bag when cleaning out the dryer lint trap. A handful in the fire pit is all you need to get the kindling started. It works very well and it is free.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

This looks like a lot of fun:

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/Make-A-Recycled-Kite.aspx

I’ll see you in the backyard!

With warmer weather comes a chance to enjoy the outdoors. The link below give instructions on making a tree swing.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/2007-05-01/How-to-Build-a-Tree-Swing.aspx?utm_medium=email&utm_source=iPost

I hope you enjoy this project, whether you just read about it or put one in your yard.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

I was wondering how many of you have fire pits. We put one in this season. It is a fun way to spend some family time together. It is also a great way to use up any wood you may get from downed tree limbs or from pruning. I save whatever wood I can’t chip up due to its size and started a woodpile.

There are some benefits to doing this. By having a woodpile you are offering one more place for insects and other small critters such as birds to find shelter. Just remember to keep the pile off the ground (on two parallel boards for example) because there are some things we don’t want living in there. When I clean the wood ash out of the fire ring it is added to the compost pile in small quantities. And I have already mentioned that it is just plain fun!

I have found something that is a great fire starter. It works well and most of us can get it for free. Save the lint from your clothes dryer lint trap. Store it in a container of some type and use a handful to light the kindling in your fire pit. It works very well. I have used newspapers but they can be recycled while dryer lint will just get thrown in the trash.

So break out the marshmallows and light the fire. It may be one of the most entertaining evenings you can have.

I’ll see you in the backyard!