The dream of having a home on the water is one many share. Hubs and I
would love to one day own a home on the water, or at least one with a water view.
Of course waterfront property always has its share of mosquitos,
but I will show you how to deal with that issue in a bit.
My friends have a home on a river in Maine that leads out to the Atlantic.
They have played up the most of their spot with gorgeous outdoor landscaping.
Mr. Maison Decor and I joined them for the Fourth of July this year, and although
the day ended up with a few showers, it did clear in time for the local fireworks display.
Sue is a long time friend of mine~we used to play tennis together and always had a ton of fun.
We were mad dog competitive and enjoyed being on a team together for years.
I haven't seen much of her after I opened my shop, so it was a treat to get to come up
and spend the night with her and her husband and chew the fat.
The guys did a great job on the grill and in the kitchen~lobster and steak!
We all sat down to eat inside their sunroom that faces that water.
The perfect 4th of July dinner in New England. Sue has a lobster boat,
and she gets her own lobsters! We would get to go out on the boat in the morning,
and I was excited for the experience.
After dinner we headed back outside and watched the guys build a fire in the sunken fire pit, and waited for the sun to set and then the fireworks to start. I thought it would be the perfect setting to try out the new Stinger All Natural Repellent Lantern I was asked to review. The Stinger lantern people had come up with a new idea in mosquito repelling. It was an ALL NATURAL repellent! Would or could that really work? This would enhance my chances of getting hubs to hang outside at night in our own courtyard that we just built if it did. And what better of a test than to try it out by the water, after a light rain? Those buggers should be out in force, right?
Here are the details about the "All Natural" mosquito repelling lantern by Stinger.
The new Stinger All Natural Mosquito Repellent Lantern is a device that repels insects up to 225 sq. ft. An ultra-quiet fan diffuses repellent into the air using powerful plant-based, all-natural active ingredients.
Quick Facts
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The guys got the fire going, Sue brought out her homemade berry pie with raspberries,
blueberries and blackberries that she picked from her yard, and I fired up the Stinger mosquito lantern. We all had our jobs, haha. A little foil wrapped package held what appeared to be a wet wipe that was impregnated with different types of plant based oils, like eucalyptus
and rosemary and I put it in a little compartment on the lantern.
A small fan circulates the oils through the air to ward of the mosquitos.
It was very quiet, and frankly I forgot I was even testing it out.
However I rarely am bitten by mosquitos, but it would be interesting to see
if my husband would be so lucky. It looks like a decorative lantern and the way
it is designed with a little loop on the top, you could suspend it from a tree branch,
or the interior of an overhead umbrella over your outdoor dining table
as well as just plunk it on the table, like I did.
What a gorgeous view! It doesn't get much better than this.
Nightfall came quickly~fireworks were being set off along the riverbanks
to celebrate our nation's birth. It felt wonderful to be in such a natural setting celebrating
with close friends, and feeling grateful to be living in the land of the FREE.
Not much of a photo, I know! It was pitch dark outside, except for the flares of the fireworks, the burn of the firepit and the soft glow of the Stinger lantern.
And now for the suspenseful part...did the lantern really work??
You can see hubs enjoying the evening as the soft blue light from the Stinger Mosquito Lantern glows on the table. Not a single mosquito was in sight! This thing was really working!
Not ONE mosquito came near any of us. Not one. As we went into the house at the end of the night, I asked hubs to shut off the lantern. As soon as he did, he said a mosquito tried to land on his nose! So I have to give this amazing lantern a ringing endorsement. The only bad thing was that I left it behind at my friends home....so now I will be buying one for our courtyard dining table so we can enjoy extended periods outside without being bitten. Its so nice to think that we didn't need to spray chemicals on our bodies, or in the air to try to eliminate the chance of being bitten.
What could be better than to sit outside with your kids and pets and not have to worry about them being bitten. No sprays, no mess, no smells...it was wonderful.
What a great invention. I am 100% thrilled with this lantern!
Morning arrived, showers and breakfast were finished and we headed off!
We headed out to the local marina to take a ride in Sue's lobster boat.
She is pretty amazing I think. Driving a lobster boat?? Ok, well knowing Sue like I do,
I guess I am not really that amazed, its just how she rolls.
Lets get going Captain Sue!
She would head out under the big bridge and right towards the Atlantic ocean.
My cowboy would untie the lines so we could shove off.
This was going to be a nice little cruise on a perfect July day.
The girls were up front, while the boys sat in the back.
We obviously were married to very secure men.
Behind the guys you can see an old maritime jail.
It looks like a big beautiful chateau!
No longer in use, it sits on the river banks just falling into disrepair.
Wouldn't it make an amazing home?!
We drove past lovely homes and hotels on the banks of both New Hampshire and Maine.
The stately Wentworth by the Sea among them. We saw a couple of seals.
They look like dogs swimming out in the middle of the ocean!
Our cruise was over so we headed back to the marina.
Old wooden boats and modern ones dot this small Maine marina.
It was a lovely ride.
We parted company and shared hugs and kisses.
They have made a nice life for themselves, and its one I admire.
Sharing hobbies and the day to day tasks, yet taking time out to smell the roses
and sail the ocean blue is what a good married life is all about, don't you think?
Hubs took his happy wife back home,
but not before we stopped for a lobster roll at the Galley Hatch.
It was a nice summer getaway to a memorable spot.
Thanks Sue and Gene! Next time we fire up your pizza oven, ok?
Beautiful photos, Amy! I need that lantern! Thanks for sharing with us!
ReplyDeletexo
Andie
I love the view your friend has at her home, how nice that would be! It sounds like you had a lovely time thanks for sharing it with us!
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you had a fabulous holiday weekend! I love sitting by the water like that. Your friends have a wonderful place! Glad to hear that the bug lantern worked out so well. I'll have to go check it out. We just bought some tiki torches and citronella candles for our back deck so we could use it at night too. We have woods behind our house and that brings a lot of mosquitoes and gnats to our yard!
ReplyDeleteWow.....what an awesome home with such a fabulous location! What a view! Love it that Sue is so independent and knowledgeable! I'm definitely going to have to look into one of those Stingers, Amy, for when we sit out by the campfire. Thanks for the scoop!
ReplyDeletexoxo laurie
You didn't pull any traps?
ReplyDeleteWhere might we buy that mosquito trap? Available by mail?
Thanks for the views of Maine. I miss it.
Too bad i don't have friends that well set up in my address book!!! LOL
But we get pretty good views here in the mountains.
My SIL has house on the bank of the Arkansas River. Not too bad there, either.
I love that fire pit and tiled patio. Going to see about doing that in my garden. Glad you got the real experience with friends. Had to be a 4th to remember. Hope the next year is good for you.