From the site Epic Win: For the Win, the best chair for outdoors ever EVER!

Growing up we always had a big bountiful garden with green beans, corn, peppers, squash, watermelon, tomatoes (those were the best) and whatever else my parents were in the mood for when they picked up their seeds each year.  I always helped to freeze the corn, but never cared for the canning part.

The BEST, however, was eating the fresh vegetables!

The question is - can you really save money by planting a garden?  According to The Freelance Farmer, you can!

For 50cents, we could get a 4-pack of some slightly droopy veggies that were leftover from the initial purchasing rush the weeks before.  We bought broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussels, and kohlrabi.  We also paid less than a buck each for tomatoes, peppers, and a handful of onion bulbs.

Our initial investment of around $10 (including some bean, pea, squash, and watermelon seeds) will get us a sure profit on our cash spent — and little time has been dedicated beyond my husband’s initial tilling, planting, and fence-building.

I miss the home grown vegetables. I think next year I may try to build a box garden since my soil is too rocky to sustain one here.

H/T Being Frugal.

Photo by Di The Huntress via Flickr Creative Commons.

I’ve been practicing photography in my yard and in the yards of whomever I happen to be visiting.  With the flowers now in full bloom, my photographer’s eye is busy spotting great shots.  Here are some of my favorites.

Just like the I Can Has Cheezburger, Epic Fail, and the People of Wal Mart, I also love the Epic Win site.  Especially when I saw this amazing photo:

FTW!

With the heat wave that seems to be sweeping much of the country this week, please remember not to overdo it if you’re working in your garden or on the lawn.

What are the signs of heat stroke?  Dr. Weil’s Daily Blog reviews warning signs including:

• A sudden change in your mental status - confusion, hard time speaking
• All sweating stops
• Rapid and shallow breathing
• Racing heart
• Headache
• Red or flushed skin

If you experience any of these symptoms, call 911 and get inside or in the shade immediately.  Try to cool off including removing your clothing, spray or pour water over yourself (or a person in trouble) and then fan yourself or them.

Before you ever reach that point, though, be sure you have plenty of water with you.  Take frequent breaks … work five or ten minutes and then rest just as long (or longer).  If you don’t have to go outside in the miserable heat, don’t!  The weeds will be there tomorrow and the next day and the day after that.  Get to the yard or garden work when you can, but don’t hurt yourself over it!

Photo from Buncombe County Egov site, June 2008 issue.

Maybe I’m slower than others in my neighborhood, but I finally saw lightning bugs this week. Thousands and thousands of them.  When one accidentally gets in the house - unlike flies, mosquitoes, crane flies, or other bugs - I don’t swat them.  I try to catch and release these winged wonders.  I think they’re beautiful.  But my cat thinks they’re delicious.

Here’s what Aunt B. said about lightning bugs,

Last night, we sat out in the hammocks, catching up, and watching the lightning bugs. I’m still not convinced, completely, that they are lightning bugs. Their lights stayed on for too long and none of them seemed too interested in each other.

But in the end of her post she talks about the loss of a teenaged son of a friend.  Had it not been for the Internet, I would’ve never heard about it.  Instead, we’re connected and share somehow the Mom’s grief across the nation.

I hope a summer night watching lightning bugs will somehow someday someway help bring some peace to his mother.

Photo by DaveDeHetre via flickr creative commons.

From TheoGeo,

Unless you live on a hundred acre farm (okay, maybe one acre is a lot, too!), it doesn’t have to cost a lot to maintain a lush, green lawn.  The frugal trader over at Million Dollar Journey offered some real tips on how much it would cost to maintain the lawn yourself rather than hiring a landscaper,

Here are some of the costs of the materials from the local hardware store (like Home Depot).  Note that the materials are for a standard 50×100 city lot (in NL).

• Lime:  $5.99 per bag x 4 (2 applications, 2 bags per application) = $24
• Fertilizer: $16 per application/bag (3 applications) = $48
• Aeration: I own a 2 prong aeration tool, and only used in compacted soil areas: $20
• Spreader: $35
• Total: $127 first year, $72 per season after.

When he compared the price of a landscaper who charged about $400 per season, the $127 total price is pretty tempting.

I love walking around my yard with my camera.  Here are some photos from today… just for a fun Friday diversion.

and….

Have a great weekend!