Spring Planting

The time has come (and gone, now) for spring planting. Whenever we plant our spring garden, we have a tradition of also releasing 1800 live ladybugs...which don't ever seem to live in our garden for more than 1 day, but we do it nonetheless. To most, this may seem like a really great thing - live ladybugs - but just wait until you have about 50 crawling up your arm. I don't care WHO you are...that gives you the heeby jeebies! But, ladybugs are known for bringing good luck and they have worked, thusfar, for us - last year we had a mammoth (and I am not lying - tomato plant)...

We also finished our yard - an 18-month family project of bucking old sod to the dump in 98 degree weather (two truckloads - that oriental guy for $200 seemed like quite the deal that day), digging and redoing all the sprinklers and drip lines (Trey), digging a 2 foot trench in 100 degree heat (for the "dry arroyo" - an oxymoron in my mind) and bucking several tons - at least 10 - of rock.

Now I will say, my OCD got the better of me when the yard was "complete" and I couldn't sit outside without obsessing over the gray concrete prison block walls (see previous pictures of Paige releasing ladybugs). So, while Trey was turkey hunting, I enlisted the boys' help in painting the brick walls - they thought I was CRAZY after 10 minutes into the project...and crazier when I declared that the paint was too light and 'flat' looking and I need to "faux" the walls. That is when they quietly laid down their paintbrushes and escaped.

But they were totally gung-ho when it was time to paint a sun petroglyph on the wall - the first day of summer break. I had tried to paint a sun petroglyph on there the day before...it came out looking like a snail in flames. So, Travis, Drew, Bella and Nico (our nephew) came up with a beautiful creation...which we love and have received tons of compliments on.

At a later date, Trey said he wanted a Lobo paw (not to be confused with a La Cueva bear paw -ech!)...which Travis promptly got out there and painted....now Trey wants another, and Travis is discovering that petroglyph painting on the yard wall is right up his creative alley!

Anyway, I am happy to report that I am able to sit out there and relax...read, even. In fact, a few weeks ago, we had family movie night outside on the patio with the 20" inch tv/dvd set up...it was great fun, almost like a drive-in. I'm sure our neighbors thought we were completely out of our minds, but we had fun...