… to my deck that is. Isn’t this lamp gorgeous? I should have taken a picture at night. It’s solar so there are no cords and you can place it anywhere. It has a bronze finish and offers up to 8 hours of light. It’s nice and solid too, so it won’t topple when it gets windy (as it tends to do where I live). It is supposed to be in the 90s this weekend, so it may be too hot to be spend a lot of time outside, but when it finally cools down a little at night, this light will be bright!

Until next time…. Ann

P.S. The beware of pet sign you see here is held up by our siding hooks. They hold a lot of weight. This sign is made of slate and it stays up without falling.

Gas prices just seem to be going up, up and up with no end in sight. One thing you can do to increase gas mileage is to make sure your tires are properly inflated. According to the fuel economy government web site, you can improve gas mileage by over 3%. That adds up to an eleven cents saving per gallon.

If you’re like me and have a hard time knowing when your tires are properly inflated, you may be interested in the Stealth Tire Minder - item 611418 - from www.shoppicketfence.com. Each cap replaces an existing valve cap The yellow or black indicators let you know when pressure is too low/high.

Saving eleven cents a gallon may not seem like a lot, but it all adds up.

Until next time… Ann

P.S. Feel free to comment with your own ideas on saving money on gas prices.

June 15th to be exact. Dads can be hard to shop for. I think its fun to shop around and find unique gifts that are useful, practical and will be appreciated. The Propane Tank Monitor is one such item. Not to generalize, but let’s be honest - dads are the ones who do most of the grilling. This handy item alerts you when it’s refuel time. I mean, there’s nothing worse than being in the middle of cooking dinner and run out of fuel. And the price is right too - it’s on sale now for less than $20 you can make your dad happy. Check out the rest of shoppicketfence.com for dozens of other dad friendly gifts.

“That outdoor grilling is a manly pursuit has long been beyond question. If this wasn’t firmly understood, you’d never get grown men to put on those aprons with pictures of dancing wienies and things on the front and messages like ‘Come ‘n’ Get It’”
-William Geist, New York Times Magazine

Until next time… Ann

The weather here has been beautiful lately. It’s almost as if we skipped Spring and went straight into Summer. I put out my deck furniture early. Flowers will go out in May. I bought an Outdoor Pillow to spruce up my patio table chair. It’s really comfy and can withstand the sun and rain. I’ll attach a pic so you can see how nice it looks. I think it’s great that you can now buy the weatherproof furniture, rugs and accessories that look as nice as the home decor you see on the inside of your home. Have you put out your deck/patio furniture yet? The time is here!

Until next time… Ann

For those of you itching to get in your garden, but the weather just isn’t cooperating, I know of one thing you can do. Put your mulch in. No need to wait for flowers - this is one step that can be done even if the threat of a freeze still exists. And don’t forget to put mulch around your trees. I don’t use regular mulch for that. I buy Mulch Rings. And for outside of my garden I use Rubber Border Edge. These are two items that you buy once and then use season after season.

Happy early gardening!

Until next time…. Ann

The weather is finally starting to turn! We had a week with temperatures flirting 70. Granted, this weekend it is supposed to be in the 40s, but I am choosing to ignore that fact. I did see that my tulips are starting to come up.

With the weather finally cooperating, you know that weekly lawn mowing is not far behind. That being said - now is the time to get your lawn mower out of storage and serviced. I think this year it is time to consider a Reel Mower. I will give you a few reasons why:

1) With gas prices soon to hit $4/gal. (do not even get me started on that!), it will cost you more to fill your lawn mower tank this season.

2) A Reel Mower is better for the environment and better for your lawn.

3) It’s great exercise!

So there you have it - my top 3 reasons to reel!

Until next time… Ann

Now that warm weather is finally on the way, my thoughts are turning to my deck. I know it is too early to buy flowers, but by the end of April I am planning on putting my deck furniture outside - no matter what!

One new addition to my deck this year will be these retractable awnings. I haven’t decided yet if I want to put them over where my back window is or over where my sliding door is. Decisions, decisions. Either way, I love the fact that these go up easily and cost about 70% less than other awnings. If you haven’t priced awnings lately, you are in for some sticker shock. These are very affordable and the quality is very good. I actually purchased them last season but never got around to installation. The green color set against my gray siding is going to look great.

Until next time… Ann

P.S. The second pic on the right is a pic of my deck from a few summer’s ago.

Do you have nosy neighbors?   Do they like to  sit on their back deck and use your family as entertainment?  I know plenty of folks who have told me similar stories.  Not only do some of these stories include neighbors just staring, but some of these same neighbors wait until you come out so they can come over and talk.  It gets tiresome.  Short of putting up a hedge fence or an expensive yard barrier fence, there isn’t much you can really do.  Giant wooden fences that surround your yard can be extremely expensive and hedge fences are, well, ugly.

This Privacy Trellis is much better looking, can be used to grow hanging plants, and will protect you from the eyes of nosy meddling neighbors.  It adds a little bit of old world charm to your backyard, too.  If this doesn’t seem big enough for protect you from those prying eyes you can try the  Outdoor Privacy Screen.

Just trying to help you keep your summer fun between you and and the fence….

As always, Art.

Art’s blog about bugs really started me thinking on how much insects upset me when I see them in my house. I especially hate spiders and silverfish. They just creep me out. There was a silverfish on my ceiling the other night. I used the Bug Buster to catch it. This handy device generates suction that captures the bug. You can then release it outside (or down the toilet). Silverfish are pretty speedy, so you need to be quick. It works great for other creepy crawlies as well. Picket Fence sells a huge assortment of pest control products.

Check them out HERE.

Until next time… Ann

“Two-legged creatures we are supposed to love as we love ourselves. The four-legged, also, can come to seem pretty important. But six legs are too many from the human standpoint.” ~Joseph W. Krutch

Now that the bugs are coming back out (I saw 2 bugs this past weekend) you may want to get thinking about stopping them.  Granted, 2 bugs is not an epidemic, but they are coming and it wont be long.  Many of us have garages that are attached to our home.  Very helpful, especially in the winter.  In the summer, it can be an easy refuge for bugs, critters, and pests.  I remember once that a cat got in my parents garage when I was younger.  He somehow slid underneath where the door meets the pavement.  The cat was ok, but the next morning when my dad opened the door, the cat ran out of there in a hurry.  My poor father practically fell over in fright.

All summer bugs can get underneath that door, lay  nests, and “bug” you.  Same goes for mice, rats, chipmunks, and more. 

This threshold will work.  If you have a space between the floor and the door, pests are going to get in.  A buddy of mine installed one of these last year, and said he reduced spiders, bees, and mice.  Plus, in the winter, the breeze didn’t blow under there and drop the temperature in the garage.  A very useful product!

As always, Art.