With fall quickly approaching, now’s the time to make the most of those last wonderful days of summer.

Eat an ice cream cone
Why ask for a cone instead of a paper cup when you buy ice cream? Think of it as recycling. You can eat the cone instead of throwing it away. No waste.

Make sun tea
Tea (sweet tea if you live in the south, which I do) is one of summer’s all-time pleasures. But you don’t have to crank up the Iced-Tea machine to have a tall cold glass of refreshment. All you need is a large jar or bottle with a tight fitting lid, cold water and a few tea bags. Put the tea bags in the water inside the jar and cap tightly. Set the jar in a sunny location for several hours. When the tea is amber colored and warm, it’s ready.  Remove tea bags, add a little sugar or honey and pour over ice. Enjoy!

Visit The Park

Now that the weather is beginning to break, take advantage of the thinning summer crowds and return to your favorite park. Late summer is a great time for a family get together, play time for the kids, or maybe just a leisurely stroll with your favorite friend.

Sleep with the windows open

As summer ends, nighttime temperatures begin to drop.  So why not turn off the A/C and open the windows.  Enjoy the cooler night air indoors, or head outside for an impromptu camping trip. All you need is a sleeping bag.

Visit the produce stand and stock up on end of summer veggies
Now is a great time to stock up on late season summer squash, tomatoes and peas. Buy enough to freeze and enjoy when the winter dull-drums have you wishing for a speedy return of spring.

Rake early fall leaves and compost them, or use them for mulch
Who doesn’t love to rake a big pile of leaves and jump into it? But you don’t have to wait until fall to have fun. Trees will begin shedding leaves as soon as the nighttime temps dip a little. So grab a rake and dig in! Fallen leaves make great compost material and will become an excellent fertilizer for next year’s summer garden. Turn leaves into compost by layering them with a little dirt in between each foot of leaves, and sprinkling on some lime or ashes. Or you can add the leaves directly to a compost pile you’ve already created. Straw (discarded needles from pine trees) is also plentiful at the end of summer. Pine tree needles make great over-winter mulch for the delicate plants in your garden. Rake straw and distribute evenly throughout your flower beds.

Give fido an outdoor bath

Late summer is the perfect time to give your pooch a bath.  It’s likely he’s smelly from all that summer fun, and late summer’s cooler temps will make it a pleasure to bathe him outdoors.  Use collected rain water and an eco-friendly pet shampoo.  Let the water drain into your yard to keep it any chemicals or waste by-products out of storm drains.



Plant a winter garden
Now is the time to beginning readying your garden for fall plantings. Carrots, broccoli, cabbage, parsnips, turnips, onions and beets are just a few of the veggies that grow well in cold temperatures. Read Plant A Fall and Winter Garden for more info.

Watch the sunset
Grab a quilt and a bottle of wine and head out to the beach, the lake or even your own back yard and enjoy the waning days of summer while they last.