All posts tagged: backyard

A Brief Interview With the Owner of the Hot-Air Balloon That Landed in Someone’s Backyard

A Brief Interview With the Owner of the Hot-Air Balloon That Landed in Someone’s Backyard

Published by skeptic

Well, in this case, we couldn’t even get the balloon to the street on either side of the neighborhood. That particular backyard was big enough for the basket to land without the balloon in danger of hitting the house. It was more of an opportunity to land safely before we didn’t have fuel to land. So that’s why it was that backyard in that location. The other options were less safe. What’s the process of getting a balloon down safely from that height? Well, it’s pretty simple. Hot air causes the balloon to rise. Let the balloon cool, or let some of the hot air out—we go down. The steerage comes from the wind. So we can control up and down very expertly, as you can see. But left and right, that’s entirely by the wind. In this case, there was no wind for an extended period of time, and that’s why the pilot landed where he did. Can I ask a dumb question, then? If you can’t control directionally where you’re going, how do …

People Who Put Up Bird & Squirrel Feeders In Their Yards Usually Share 11 Rare Personality Traits

People Who Put Up Bird & Squirrel Feeders In Their Yards Usually Share 11 Rare Personality Traits

Published by Jenni Sidey

People who put up bird and squirrel feeders in their yards usually aren’t doing it just for decoration or entertainment. Taking the time to feed backyard wildlife tends to reflect rare personality traits such as empathy, patience, and genuine concern for small animals that many others overlook. It’s an unassuming, often overlooked habit, but it says a lot about how someone feels responsible for the living things sharing their space. More than anything, keeping feeders stocked shows a deep love for animals and a natural instinct to nurture. People who do this regularly tend to notice their surroundings more closely, appreciate quieter moments, and stay committed to caring for something outside themselves. Here are the rare personality traits many of these bird and squirrel feeders share. People who put up bird and squirrel feeders in their yards usually share 11 rare personality traits: 1. They’re open-minded and curious about the world around them Rido | Shutterstock People who put up bird and squirrel feeders tend to stay curious about what’s happening outside their window. They …

Coolfly Aura Review: More Angles, Fewer Advantages

Coolfly Aura Review: More Angles, Fewer Advantages

Published by skeptic

Assembly was quick and tool-free, requiring only a handful of included knob screws. I also like that it included both fence- and pole-mounting options, the latter of which is critical for preventing squirrel damage. ScreenshotCoolfly app via Kat Merck Smart feeder companies continue to upgrade their cameras’ quality with each new model, but the general range still seems to be anywhere from 1080p photos and 2K video on the low end (as with the Birdfy Lite), all the way up to 32-MP photos and 4K video (as with Camojojo’s new Hibird Pro). The Aura falls somewhere in the middle of this range, with 4-MP photos and a respectable 2.5K Ultra HD video. The camera’s 150-degree field of view is wider than that of a typical bird feeder camera, and it helps to capture all angles of what’s really the Aura’s signature feature—a wraparound perch with little platforms on the left and right sides, where you can position the camera upright (which shows pictures in a horizontal “landscape mode”) at the angle you prefer. If you …

Backyard leafhoppers inspire next-generation cloaking tech

Backyard leafhoppers inspire next-generation cloaking tech

Published by skeptic

From Harry Potter to The Lord of The Rings, tall tales regale us with the potential benefits of invisibility. Many researchers would like to bring such benefits to the real world. One new tech might allow some things to practically hide in plain sight. Its inspiration: the common backyard leafhopper. A camouflage artist, this insect is an expert nanoengineer. An adult leafhopper coats its body with a liquid. That goo is filled with tiny, complex nanospheres. These anti-reflective, soccer-ball-shaped objects are called brochosomes (BROK-ih-zoams). As light hits them, they change its behavior, explains Roman Rakitov. He works at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow. An insect biologist, he did not work on the new study. Those brochosomes cut the reflection of both visible and ultraviolet (UV) light. Instead of being shiny and eye-catching, the leafhopper becomes rather dull — like its surroundings. Something that reflects little to no light can become nearly invisible. So those nanostructures in the leafhopper’s coat make it “less visible to some predators,” explains Rakitov. That’s especially true for predators …

Joanna Gaines’ backyard at 40-acre Texas farm goes on forever in lush new video with youngest son Crew, 7

Joanna Gaines’ backyard at 40-acre Texas farm goes on forever in lush new video with youngest son Crew, 7

Published by Daniella Wilson

Joanna Gaines and her son Crew Gaines might wish they could be somewhere else this weekend, but there’s nothing wrong with the view we’re seeing! The Magnolia Network co-founder, 47, took to Instagram with a stunning clip of her youngest son, seven, playing a round of golf in their family’s backyard. Joanna and her husband Chip, 51, live on a farm near Waco, Texas, approximately 40-acres in size, and the glimpse of their sweeping backyard and the vistas surrounding their home (as you can see in the clip above) definitely show it off. © InstagramCrew Gaines filmed golfing in his family home’s stunning backyard “Pretending to be at the @themasters today,” Joanna captioned the clip of Crew, and fans were equally as taken by their home as they were by Crew’s skills with a putter. “Nothing better than a chicken salad sandwich and golf at the Masters! Go Crew!” one gushed, with another adding: “Perfect place to practice.” A third also went: “Augusta called. They want their grass back,” with one simply saying: “Gorgeous ‘course’.” …

Irrigreen Smart Irrigation System 3.0 (2026) Review: Smart Watering, Less Hassle

Irrigreen Smart Irrigation System 3.0 (2026) Review: Smart Watering, Less Hassle

Published by skeptic

For the purposes of this review, Irrigreen sent me a kit that can connect to a garden hose, so the yard needn’t be dug up just to give the system a try. I’ve tested Irrigreen in two prior incarnations, so I was familiar with how it works, but first-timers are likely to be a little flummoxed by Irrigreen’s unique approach—with each sprinkler connected to the next via a bespoke cable—and its inexplicable lack of setup documentation beyond a few YouTube videos. I’ve long complained that Irrigreen’s instructions are entirely online and are needlessly convoluted. If anyone needs a high-quality printed installation manual, it’s Irrigreen. However you set things up, the heart of the operation is the Irrigreen controller, a semi-industrial box designed to be wall-mounted and which offers a few basic controls to allow for simple manual operation. You’ll need the Irrigreen app for almost everything, though, so these controls are unlikely to see a lot of use. While plumbing must be run to each sprinkler head, Irrigreen works on a single control cable, which …

Gozney Dome Gen 2 Review: The Ultimate Backyard Flex

Gozney Dome Gen 2 Review: The Ultimate Backyard Flex

Published by skeptic

(One word on the arch, though—it reduces the oven mouth width from 16.5 inches to about 13 inches. I learned the hard way one night that many pizza peels will no longer fit, including Gozney’s own large-size models. Make sure you have a peel that’s 12 inches or smaller.) Also, thanks to the generous ceiling height, the Dome is a more versatile oven than its competitors in that it can be used for cooking meals other than pizzas. Steaks, fish, or other skillet meals are safe not to splatter on the ceiling, and two included meat probes can be connected to show real-time temps on the Gozney’s display. (Among the Dome’s accessories is a mantel designed to extend the cooking surface for things like skillets and dutch ovens, as well as a wood-handled door to enclose the oven for baking.) King of the Road Photograph: Kat Merck While the Gozney isn’t a permanent install, unless you spring for the wheeled stand ($500), you will want a sturdy, semi-permanent space where it can live, as well …

Robot Mowers Are Actually Good Now

Robot Mowers Are Actually Good Now

Published by skeptic

Photograph: Simon Hill Light Detection and Ranging (Lidar): This system, also used by self-driving cars, fires out rapid laser pulses to map the terrain in 3D. It enables mowers to cut grass under thick tree canopies or near tall buildings where GPS signals usually fail. AI Vision: Some mowers now employ cameras to recognize lawn areas, borders, and obstacles. Robot mowers with AI vision can potentially avoid stray footballs, cats, other critters, and maybe even pet mess. But they can also be too sensitive, stopping for fallen branches, leaves, or overhanging plants. Some of the top mowers, like the Mammotion I’m currently testing, employ a combination of the last three technologies to map and cut areas accurately, navigate reliably to and from the charging base, and avoid unexpected obstacles. None of them is foolproof. My top pick chewed up a deflated paddling pool, but if you set the sensitivity too high, they leave areas uncut. In addition to finding their way, many of the latest robot mowers are built to handle rough terrain. Not too …

3 Best Robot Lawn Mowers (2026), Tested and Reviewed

3 Best Robot Lawn Mowers (2026), Tested and Reviewed

Published by skeptic

Mowers I Am Currently Testing We are just into a new cutting season here, so I haven’t tested these new robot mowers enough to make a full recommendation, but here are my impressions so far. Photograph: Simon Hill Mammotion Luba 3 AWD for $2,399: If this robot mower continues to perform as well as it has in its first week, it will earn a spot above. It is pricey, but the Mammotion Luba 3 AWD can handle relatively rough terrain and steep slopes, and it combines three technologies (GPS, LiDAR, and AI vision) to ensure it can cut larger lawns even where there might be tree cover or other awkward spots. It boasts quiet operation, efficient pathfinding, and leaves a lovely finish. The obstacle avoidance is solid, and it does a decent job around the edges. I also appreciate the manual mowing option, enabling you to cut any problem areas with remote app control. Husqvarna Aspire R6V for £999: I was excited to test this new robot mower from Husqvarna because it is more affordable …