Environment

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Photo courtesy of kelley interior design Kelley Proxmire of Kelley Interior Design in Bethesda suggests using a mirror on an outdoor fence or various groupings of potted plants to add interest to a patio or deck.

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A helicopter fills a 600-gallon bucket with water from a local reservoir in Alpine, Utah, on Wednesday. Hundreds of homes remained under mandatory evacuation orders. (Associated Press)

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Secretary of Energy Steven Chu (right) and Sen. Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, announce construction of a hybrid geothermal/solar power plant in Nevada last summer. (Associated Press)

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Oscar Pistorius of South Africa runs with the aid of carbon fiber blades. Both of his legs were amputated below the knee when he was 11 months old. (Associated Press)

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National Animal Firecrackers, seen during an antique fireworks auction from the collection of George Moyer. (Rod Lamkey Jr./The Washington Times)

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Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder says some ballot efforts in November, particularly those by public sector unions, are "a stifling of Michigan's reinvention." (Associated Press)

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Homes are left in ruins after being destroyed by the Waldo Canyon Fire in the Mountain Shadows neighborhood of Colorado Springs, Colo., on Monday, July 2, 2012. The 28-square-mile wildfire, which has killed two people and destroyed nearly 350 homes, was 70 percent contained on Monday. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)