Zucchini, Tumbling rock walls and 644

644 - this represents the number of ladybugs I sucked up into the vacuum!!! UUUUUUUUUUGGGGGHHH! Since our house is a century old and the previous owners weren't that great at upkeep, the ladybugs figured this was a pretty good place to hibernate over the winter months...although they don't always stay in "hibernating mode" especially when the temp warms up a little bit, and especially not when spring is almost here!

Ceiling in Katie's room


644 ladybugs out of two rooms and in just one day!!!! I used to think ladybugs were cute, but NOT ANYMORE!! In fact, they stink - quite literally! They have their own peculiar little musty odor - that I completely detest!!
I try to vacuum or sweep them up almost every day, but sometimes I get so fed up with them, I let a day or two slide; which yes! I know that doesn't help them go away, but I get to the point were I just feel like I, myself, am crawling!!!
They have gotten better since we have lived here, but I'm convinced there are colonies of millions of ladybugs in our walls, just waiting for their turn to come out!
One REALLY GREAT thing about spring, is that once it gets here and the days stay warm all the time, the ladybugs will be once again drawn into their natural habitat - the great outdoors! I can hardly wait!!!!!!!!!!

All huddled in the corner of a window


644 - they must really be driving me crazy, enough for me to count each individual one before it's little life was sucked out :)

Anyways, on to nicer-smelling topics :)
We have always been big veggie eaters, but with the prices of zucchini and summer squash being 1.99 a lb. I decided we could do without them - although we were used to eating them 2-3 times a week! Lately, my taste buds have been clamoring for some good zucchini and summer squash! and I had shared my desire with Jaron.
Well, last night he ran to the store to get a few items for me and when he came home he had zucchini and summer squash!!! I was one happy girl!!! and he said they were .99 a lb. That was even better :)



So tonight we enjoyed some for supper, fried in the skillet with bacon and garlic powder and seasoned salt - and it tasted just as delicious as I have been imagining!!
I can't wait for summer when we can grow our own and eat as many FREE ones as we like!!

...and the walls came tumbling down...in 3 sections...in our front yard!
We have had so much rain, that our very dilapidated rock walls decided with all the moisture, they had had enough and weren't going to stand up anymore.
(and I am realizing that I'm painting this picture that we live in a dump...which we really don't. The house needed the most attention and the yard has had to wait until #1 the house was livable and #2 you can't work outside with snow and ice, so outside work time is very limited!)
So, Jaron and Benjie have been out since 5 picking up the rock off the road (it is now 7:25). Jaron was feeling bad they didn't get in their exercise playing tennis, well, I don't think he'll have to worry about that now :)



Heave, ho....too many more rocks to go!...


The other two sections of wall were much smaller, but still it is time consuming, because they have to carefully stack all the stone in the truck and then unload/stack the stone in the lower yard, until Jaron will have a chance to rebuild them, which had been in the plans anyway. And we also lost a bunch of our iris bulbs :)


Just so you'll know that we really don't live in a dump, here is a pic of the house. It needs soo much more work, but you can only do so much with the changing seasons and let's not forget...money helps too :)
The largest wall that fell is the one in the lower right-hand side of the picture and that doesn't show all of it, because of brush and the picture ends, but that should give you some idea! I am really looking forward to the day when the yard is finished as we plan. Terraces, rose garden, large backyard, veggie garden, play area, and more! Some day, Lord willing, it will be fantastic and worth the wait and work!!

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