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My neighbor offered me a solid-oak storage shed. We put a couple logs under it, dragged it to our property, and added some great free rock, three more windows, and a door. Now we have a guest house that sleeps two.

—Roger Reeb
Racine, OH

Instant Doghouse

An inexpensive and easy-to-make doghouse can be created very quickly by using an old 50-gallon barrel. The barrel, with one end cut out of it, makes a good shelter where Fido can get out of the wind and rain. With a little straw for bedding, the barrel makes a comfortable home.

To keep the barrel stable and secure, stakes can be driven into the ground on either side of it to keep it from rolling about. The barrel can also be wired to the stakes, with the wires going over the top of the barrel and fastened to the stakes on either side to ensure that it does not move about or become dislodged by a rambunctious dog. The stakes can also serve as a solid anchor for a chain, if the dog is to be tied.

—Heather Thomas
Salmon, ID

From One Mother to Another

Here are two down-to-earth parenting tips. Keep a bar of soap on the changing table and stick the diaper pins in it. The soap will make the pins slip through diapers as smooth as silk. You'll save on diaper pins and there's less chance of poking your little bundle of joy.

Also, here is a recipe for homemade clay that I like better than the old flourand-salt standby. Mix together 1 cup corn starch, 1 1/2 cups baking soda, and 1 1/4 cups cold water. Stir constantly over medium heat until very thick (about five minutes). Cool and store in sealed container. This clay is soft and smooth. It can air dry or you can bake it in a 250° oven until hard. It works great for making beads or whatever other creations your budding artist sculpts.

— Julie Bowe
Mondavi, WI

Neither Rain nor Sleet nor ...needle?!

How about a mailbox that looks like a big ...ouch? This huge hypo needle alongside the road is actually a clever mailbox. The plunger part of it is hinged and swings to the side so the mail can be inserted. It belongs to Dr. W. F. Hancock, a veterinarian about four miles south of Wahoo, Nebraska, on U.S. Highway 77. A sign on the building says it is the Wahoo Animal Hospital. Most people involuntarily squirm a little when they see this, and if animals comprehend such things I don't suppose it does them much good either. No matter how you slice it, this Paul Bunyan—scale innoculator will keep the neighbors guessing for some time.

— ElwinTrump
Wymore, NE

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