The Fourth of July initiated the alfresco season. It's time to be outside and enjoy the breezes, scents and vitamin D while you dine.

If there will be a senior attending your picnic or barbecue, there are some safeguards I suggest you consider.

Lawns are frequently rough for walking, so have someone take your senior's arm and escort him/her to a seat.

A seat with a straight back and arms, if possible, please. You may enjoy sinking into a lounge, but getting out of it is a pain for some. That includes Adirondack chairs. Folding equipment is verboten, as well. The last thing you want to see is grandma tangled in a collapsed chair.

Plant seniors at a table, if you can, in the middle of the activity. They are not apt to circulate, you know, and balancing a paper plate in one's lap isn't the best idea.

Choose a shady spot or make sure to provide a wide-brimmed hat if he/she hasn't worn one. Basking in the sun ain't for the elderly.

Plan your menu carefully. The steak may not be tender enough for your senior so have easily-chewed alternatives.

Make sure there's a beverage that will keep them well hydrated: iced tea or a fruit punch would do.

Handy access to the john is a good idea, with someone briefed as escort if the ground is rough.

Here's the recipe for a homemade vegetable-and-fruit wash that will remove pesticides and germs:

Fill a large basin or bowl with cold water; mix in 1/2 cup vinegar and 2 T salt.

Soak the fruit and/or veggies for 25 to 30 minutes or more (this will not effect the flavor at all; the vinegar cleans, and the salt draws out any little bugs, dirt and other small unwanted things. It also will remove some of the wax. Rinse under cold water and dry.

You might want to get a hold of the matriarch's potato-salad recipe. Many of your guests may have grown up on it, and she will be flattered. My mom's version contained hard-boiled eggs and chopped onion in mayonnaise. She sprinkled a little vinegar on the bare, cooked potatoes to add some zing.

Sometime this summer, barbecue a leg of lamb for a treat. It tastes like a whole new meat. Have the butcher take out the bone and butterfly it. Marinate it overnight. Throw it on the grill.

Forget about the timing for a regular leg o'lamb. It's the thickness of a steak and doesn't take long. Years ago, I was serving one, but before I could cook it, my sister sent an SOS, and I had to go pick her up. My guests decided there wouldn't be time to cook the lamb when I returned, so my aunt rolled it up, wrapped it in tinfoil and put it on the grill.