My first was tall and handsome, with a tropical configuration.  My second was short and squat.  Both met the very same fate.  A summer storm would blow in, and before I would have time to run to and rescue them, they would fall over and break.

So this year it was early in spring when I decided to stop throwing money away on stylish but fragile outdoor lamps.  And because of the angle of our balcony in relation to the golf course, a constant breeze makes unprotected candles a lesson in futility.  As luck would have it, lanterns are everywhere this season.

I bought two this weekend.  The tall one is from Wegmans and was on sale for $13.99.  The shorter one I found at Pier 1, and I think it was $10.  I got the candles at Pier 1 as well.  I chose them because they match the color scheme on the furniture cushions, but I think later in the summer I will need to switch to citronella.

The lanterns go in every night, safe and sound from toppling winds.