Solar Lanterns = Glowy Backyard

We made another addition to our backyard patio area this last week. While we were at Home Depot picking up some odds and ends, we found these solar lanterns in an aisle display. They're metal and glass, and have solar panels on all four sides of the cover, so we thought they were a good deal for the money. (And yes, I was that crazy lady in the recycling aisle holding a lantern inside a garbage can to see how bright it would light up.)

The lanterns went together really easily. I think it took me longer to snap pictures of them then it did to put them together. They have an artificial candle in the middle that looks like it's glowing when the lantern is on.

I included this test picture mostly for the colour of the sky - that just-before-dark time that only lasts a minute.

We have four brackets mounted to our back fence for hanging flower baskets, but we haven't filled them this year. And we really do need the lights more than the flowers. The lanterns we had last year were made of woven wood - you know those ones all of the home decorating stores carried - and they didn't hold up to amount of rain we received.

We've had even more rain this year and these are doing great. I know it's only been a week or so, but I keep checking them and they don't collect water at all. And they've all lit up every night, so even though it isn't the sunniest backyard, they're still getting enough light during the day to charge.

It's a good thing we now have something pretty to distract from that pile of dirt in the corner and the peeling fence stain, isn't it?