Posts Tagged ‘outside’
Life Lessons with Bubbles
I spent a good two hours outside with Ollie riding his tricycle, bicycle with training wheels, talking to the neighbors, playing hopscotch… and then he said, “Let’s blow some bubbles!” This was an exciting thing for him: I’m blowing bubbles until I nearly pass out and he’s chasing them all over the yard and driveway. There’s just something so innocent and lovely about watching your kid screeching with happiness as little round glass-like spheres float all around. Tell you what… you quickly learn how good or bad your lung capacity is!
You can find a ton of homemade bubble solutions online, but here’s a nice quick start.
- 1/2 c. dishwashing liquid
- 2 c. water
- 2 tsp. glycerin or corn syurp
Mix in a shallow pan. You can also refill your old bubble jars.
Don't eat the bubble liquid!
My “lessons learned” from bubbles that day:
- The most simplest of things are temporary
- Chase after your goal, big or small
- Time is fleeting, enjoy it while its here…
and, maybe a bubble machine would be a worthwhile purchase. *whew*
Happy Fourth of July everyone!
Rain Barrel at Work
Our 55 gallon rain barrel filled up so fast, which is great, and then it started spilling over. That was expected. The problem is WHERE it was spilling into.
Soil was getting washed away, and water was just pouring right underneath our driveway. It probably disturbed critters living there, if there were any at all. But the big concern is that the soil backfill is just eroding, and soon we might have a big problem with our basement flooding, or driveway sinking, or who knows. The weather calls for more rain tomorrow, so we emptied the barrel into the side yard which hardly gets wet from the rain since it’s shaded by a big tree on our neighbor’s lawn.
We’re thinking about painting the barrel someday. See here for some examples!
Tags: earth-friendly, flooding, green, home improvement, outside, rain, rain barrel, recycled, recycling
Tales from the outside
One month ago… rose bushes coming out of winter, serviceberry trees and chanticleer pear tree in bloom.
A friend helped us with a trouble spot by transplanting some hostas.
Looks like this now…
And what is up with our phlox? One side is great, while the other side is practically dead. I’ve been told that it has to do with water. The full bunch is sort of landlocked and has tons of water. Not so good for the serviceberry, but it’s acclimated, I think.
And, from the backyard, a flower from our containers…
…and a garden project. Amazing what a little patina finish can do on a terra cotta pot. I would write more about the backyard, except that the rabbits have eaten a bunch of the hostas. It looks quite sad.
