I can't think of anything off the top of my head, but you sure do a great collection. I like the chicken and your tipsys' and your totems, ok I like everything. I'm coveting here.

100 LED outdoor Christmas lights is $10.00 free shipping on eBay. Many colors to pick from. One string comes with 8 programed lighting patterns:
* combination
* in waves
* sequential
* slo glo
* chasing/flash
* slow fade
* twinkle/flash
* steady on

You can put them on a timer to turn them off and on, or leave them on all the time. They use very little power.

dcarch

Have you checked out Harbor Freight (Harborfreight.com)? Seems like I saw a pack of 4 solar lights for $20. Unless you plan to have them all done in a very short time I think this would be the way to go. It is only $5 each and they seem to last a long time.

Love both ideas. Friday is VA day for father-in-law so Harbor Freight here I come.

Don't have an electrical source for the christmas lights...but I'd love to do it if I could find a alternate source like a battery pack AND bury the wire so my father-in-law doesn't run over the wires with the lawn mower!!! LOL

Here is a link that might be useful: my garden junk

msTEXASbeaniac,

Landscape lights are commonly found in suburb TS's. But you really must get a buddy who is an electrician. Outdoor plugs are sold at Lowes and Home Depot. You locate a plug inside the house and put your outdoor plug on the exterior wall (the outdoor can tie into the indoor plug).

Some projects have to be done in phases. Collect all necessary hardware needed. Ask around in your social circles who has electrical training. Fix a BBQ dinner, have him over to install the plug.

Running a set of landscape lights is doable for a non-electrician.

I personally am waiting for solar light technology to advance. The lights are inadequate for my taste.

Collect these things and take it in phases and you will be glad you waited.

Those mushrooms are gorgeous!!!!!!!!

Susie

A little more details:

Landscape lights have the power and timer module which can be plugged indoors. The output from the module is typically 12vac, and can be run outside without an electrician if you can read instructions and somewhat handy. Each light is between 10 watts to 20 watts.

Outdoor electric outlets should be hooked up based on local Building Code, which specifies how much load you can hooked up to one circuit.

ItÂs always a good idea to have outlets outside so that you can plug in things and tools. I always like outdoor outlets to be GFP type because you are always near water.

If you donÂt have too many lights to light up outside you can still consider LEDs. They come in many colors and they last 100,000 hours. You can use an old car battery to power them. Even the battery is not good enough to start a car, it can still have plenty to light up LEDs for weeks on one charge. Many suppliers on eBay sell LEDs with resistors to allow you to run LEDs with 12vdc car batteries.

dcarch

Dcarch: I know I'm gonna hate myself for asking...but are LED's the same thing as solar lights? I had some solar lights that stopped working...didn't know you had to recharge them...what do I look for; there doesn't seem to be anything there...looks like its sealed.

Rosemarie

Rosemarie

LEDs are tiny (5mm to 10mm)solidstate electronic lights, typically operates on 3.6 Vdc max. It will not "fire" if the voltage is too low.
Typical solar lights use silicone solar cells to charge up ni-cad batteries, and the batteries fire up the LEDs at night.
However, ni-cad batteries do not last very long. Nic-cad batteries are about 1.2vdc each, most likely there are three of them inside the solar light, one or more could be bad.
Also, some may have photocells to turn the lights on only in the night.

They do not need to be charged. If they do not work, that means some parts have gone bad inside. They can be easily repaired if you have some electronic experience.

dcarch

thanks...I guess the better bet would be the led's. Where do you get them and do I have to ask for it in a particular way? Lost in the dark...need light!!!

thanks 4 being so patient

Lost In The Dark,

For instance:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Lot-of-100-X-5mm-White-LED-13000mcd-Free-Resistors_W0QQitemZ370144008433QQcmdZViewItemQQptZBI_Electronic_Components?hash=item370144008433&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

100 LEDs for $10.00. They come with a resistor so that you can run them with 12vdc (car batteries).

These will require you to solder. Becareful that LEDs are polarized. The longer leg has to be the positive terminal of the battery. One car battery will run all 100 LEDs for a long long time on one charge.

dcarch