Photo: Flickr

Summer folks on the New England shore have a long-standing tradition of flying the flag from Memorial Day to Labor Day. We always flew the colors at my in-laws place on Cape Cod and when I built a house nearby I had trouble finding a flagpole that wasn’t aluminum or some form of plastic. I found a salvaged one made from a 30-foot-long Spruce taken down from an old estate in Wianno–a town in Barnstable County, MA.

Every seven years or so it needs a good scraping and a couple of coats of paint. With today’s modern boat finishes it makes sense to spend the extra money on a high-quality marine grade coating that will keep its gloss and last for years.

While I’m sure to tackle a couple of projects around the house this weekend, I intend to spend the better part of the holiday relaxing, grilling and spending time with family and friends.  I hope you are planning to do the same.

Happy Fourth!

P.S. If you are inclined to tackle a couple of projects this weekend, consider:

Care and Repair of Outdoor Furniture
Creating Your Ideal Outdoor Room
Smart New Choices for Outdoor Lighting