Explain to me how do I enjoy the outdoors...

...bug free?

OK so maybe I'm doing it all wrong but how does one enjoy the outdoors without being chewed by mosquitoes, finding a tick somewhere on the body or sharing a meal with flies?

Please, I beg of you.

I love going outside. It is one of the activities I look forward to the most in the Spring, Summer, and Fall but man, there are mosquitoes, little no-see-ums, and soon flies just buzzing and wating for their next meal.

Sometimes I just want to sit out back, drink my tea, and watch birds eat from the feeder.  But I'm contantly swating and trying to keep from getting bites all over.

So if you know of a safe, pesticide free way to really enjoy my back yard, please, tell me. 

What do you for yourself and for your family too?

photo by BennyPix

WOW I made it outdoors today. All the kids are sleeping and I get to enjoy my morning with my coffee, laptop, and some books I need to study. I'm currently reading about Hinduism in my World Religion class. This is such interesting material and I wish I could speak to someone who practices this religion to get a better understanding. I love learning and understanding other cultures. Really understanding their rituals and beliefs and how those compare to my own. We are still discussing our understanding of this religion in class so if anyone out there practices Hinduism and wouldn't mind being interviewed by me, please leave me a message.

On the other hand, I have been enjoying watching my fruitful garden produce something I can eat this summer. I'm really excited. The squash plants have lots of flowers, the watermelon is moving a little slower but I see flowers there too. Lots of tomatoes and grapes. This is so cool! I love it! It has been so hot in this area, well I guess the weather has bee very crazy everywhere. The lack of rain in my region is killing off the grass and the flowers. We try to use water from the kiddy pool or the dehumidifier to water the garden and that's working so far.

As for my 30 day challenge--things are running smoothly and everyone is doing a great job at staying on top of things or at least recognizing when we fail and need to readjust. I am so sore today from working out this past week but it's a good kind of pain. The kind that tells me I worked hard so I'm OK with all that. I do hope others will join us in this challenge and bring some of their ideas to the table. Everyone benefits--what's that saying TEAM: Together Everyone Accomplishes More. I like that. So join us if you feel you need a little push, a little motivation or if you just want to challenge yourself to reach a specific goal.

Right now, this very moment, all I hear are the birds chirping--someone must have filled their bird feeders because they sound pretty happy; the wind chime at my ear and nothing else--even if it only last a few minutes I have to say that I really do enjoy the days when I can get out and enjoy nature--even if only for a little bit. This makes me happy!

"In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous." -- Aristotle