Tag Archives: summer

“Scoopin’ the loop” was the only amusement for adolescents in my rural Iowan hometown on Sunday nights in the summer. The “loop” was the uptown square, and to “scoop” it was to drive in endless circles (squares?) around it. Scoopin’ the loop was tailgating in motion. Teens borrowing their dad’s truck had a five-second window […]

You’re not the only creature out there frolicking under the summer sun. If you did any backyard gardening in June, you probably got up and close to the creepy-crawlies in our soil. It seemed to have rained all of June in Iowa, forming nice little breeding ponds for mosquitoes and quite a buzz around the […]

Now that those gams are smooth, it’s time to get them bronzed and the envy of the town. Golly it’s hard to catch a ray with all this cloud cover, and it just doesn’t feel like summer without a tan. That’s why science and the aesthetics industry teamed up to create synthetic sun (get it? […]

Roaring flames, rare meat, and inebriation is how many Americans show their patriotism on 4th of July. Before the fireworks, be sure your backyard fire works in an ecological way. 1.) Grill gear Best to worst: solar, electric, propane, wood, charcoal Wood and carbonized wood (aka charcoal) are the worst fuel options for air quality […]

Now that you have the horticultural know-how, it’s time to apply it and get dirty! Here are easy 1-2-3 steps to getting your garden growing. Lay the Groundwork Yes, it’s as simple as digging a hole for the plant and plopping it in, but not that smart. Take the first steps to preparing your terrain. […]

Bringing the bounty from the farmer’s market table to straight out of your backyard A trip to a farmer’s market is kind of like of a trip to the zoo. It’s an educational experience. You may see products of nature you’ve never even heard of before. You might be tempted to bring home something cute […]