Outdoors
This is where you’ll find lots of information for hands-on success outside. Gardening, farming, vehicle maintenance and repair, outdoor structures and more.
Review the entire Archive of Outdoors Articles here, or do a more in-depth search to find what you’re looking for.
FIREWOOD: Watch Three Videos to See How We Make It
Every year since 1989 I’ve prepared firewood to heat our rural Manitoulin Island, Canada home, and over the years I’ve settled…
TOOLS: Swedish Company Makes Axes Like They Used To
There’s an allure to handmade tools for Steve Maxwell, Canada’s Handiest Man. Here he talks about axes, specifically Gransfors Bruks…
WOODWORKING: Mill Your Own Short Lumber the Simple Way
It’s easy to look past the obvious fact that lumber comes from logs, but once you start thinking this way,…
AUTOMOTIVE: Three Secrets for Great Driveway Autobody Work
If you’re interested in reducing the cost of owning a vehicle, then learning to do basic paint repairs and autobody…
OUTDOORS: Join Us as We Make Home Heating Fuel from Dead Trees
Join us on a tiring but productive family work bee as we turn some dead elm trees into valuable home…
WILDLIFE: Rescuing a Rare Blandings Turtle
Click to see why I think these are the best rubber boots in the world, watch an unboxing video of…
FARMING: See A Little Pasture Management Trick in Action
Over the last few years I’ve been increasing the productivity of the cattle pastures on our Manitoulin Island homestead, and…
RURAL LIVING: Water Well Drilling With Nice Surprise Near the End
If you’ve never had a water well drilled, you don’t know the combination of hope and fear involved. Hope because…
EASY-KEEPER COTTAGE: Don’t Build Or Renovate To Make Work For Yourself
Thousands of people who own beautiful lakeside cottages will tell you that owning the place is fun, but a ton…
DECK FINISHING: “What Should I Do About Conflicting Deck Stain Advice?”
Making Sense of Deck Finishes Question: What should I do about conflicting advice I’m getting about deck finishing? I just…
PELLET STOVES: How To Install Your Own Economical Heating Appliance
DIY Installation An Option What’s involved in installing a wood pellet stove as a heating appliance? If you’re wondering if…
OUTDOOR WORK: Learn to safely & Effectively Use a Firewood Splitter
In this week’s video episode, learn how a hydraulic wood splitter works; see safe methods for using a wood splitter…
OUTDOOR WOOD: “How Can I Fix the Fuzzy Wood on My Deck?”
QUESTION: What should I do about the fuzzy surface fibers that developed on my deck? In the fall I stripped…
MULTI-FUEL GENERATORS: Ideal Option for Long-Term Outages
Home generators have never been more popular because people are more concerned than ever about backup electrical power when the…
OUTDOOR PLAYSETS: Tips & Plans for Building Your Own
Steve Maxwell, Canada’s Handiest Man, talks to homeowners about how to build a safe and fun wooden play area for…
HEATING WITH FIREWOOD: Three Reasons It Makes Sense
According to Steve Maxwell wood heating makes sense on several levels; cost savings, cleanliness of combustion and the aesthetics of…
OUTDOOR PROJECTS: Real-World Tricks for Working With Posts, Beams & More
There are tricks that make a big difference to the visual success of outdoor woodworking projects, and that’s what you’ll…
HOW TO GET RID OF GNATS – 10 Fast, Easy Ways That Really Work
The term “gnat” means different things to different people, but generally they’re small biting and non-biting flying insects that often…
YARD & GARDEN: How Poor Soil Conditions Can Sabotage Your Driveway from Below
Your driveway’s biggest enemy is not the weather or heavy traffic – it is what lies beneath the surface. While…
RURAL WATER SYSTEMS: Watch Us Install a Deep Well Hand Pump
There’s something special about getting your water from a hand pump. Somehow water tastes a little bit better when it…
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This is where you’ll find lots of information for hands-on success outside. Gardening, farming, vehicle maintenance and repair, outdoor structures and more.