Bugs and Babies

I know I have been bad. A whole month since my last blog but not much really going on. School has started and I'm back to work. This year I received 21 new students. That has given me a full bus and it has taken this long to show the new kids that - yes, I am the meanest bus driver out there. Sorry - safety first.

I have also been doing allot of canning. I almost took pictures of all the jars and posted about that but if you have ever canned before you really don't like to think about the process - you just enjoy the results.

So my car brakes have decided to act up. My car is a 95 and I have been a little worried that it might start showing it's age. So the ABS system started the act up. The brakes or automatic brake system - for those slippery moments. Well, it isn't slippery yet, and lights are coming on - and the brake peddle is going to the floor - or almost to the floor. We take it to the dealer and they tell Matt that it will cost $2400.00 to fix. WHAT??? I pick myself off the floor and Matt tells me that he can work on it for allot less. Like step one will only cost $100.00. Great!!

So while he is working on my car I decide to rake the back yard. Oops! What was I thinking? This is October and yesterday was a beautiful 60 degrees and partly sunny. THE BUGS ARE BACK!! For those of you who have had the pleasure of walking in my back yard during the month of October - you know what I mean. For those of you who do not - well, our tree in the back yard is an Ash tree. In Ash trees, in North Idaho, a little blue gray knat lives in the bark or wherever and in the month of October hatches. They only live long enough to breed and lay more eggs in the tree for next years October. This life span of four weeks is very hard for those of us who breath. I am very thankful that it is only for the month of October or this tree would have been cut down with the rest of them. Anyway, there are millions and millions of these little bugs flying around, making it very hard to breath. I mean - I really don't like bugs going up my nose or eating bugs for lunch. (I have food and don't need to practice survivor skills) So this is my solution -

I first looked to see if I had a surgical mask - one used to paint with - but no luck. The only thing I had was a bandana - So all I need now is a cowboy hat and I can rob the local bank. But first the lawn. I had to mow the back orchard first. Then I used the mower to help rake the light area next to the shop. I looked at the shop - outside, south wall and this is what I found -

Now these are the bugs - now picture this all over the south wall - and this dense flying all over. Now in the winter - it is great to have a scarf over your mouth and nose - but in 60 degrees it is not. I was sweating like a pig! Do pigs really sweat? Where did that expression come from anyway? Anyway - after 3 hours of hard work all the little leaves where in bags - the lawn was cut and I went inside - to breath freely. I went into the bathroom to notice a black ring around my neck - under the collar of my shirt - looking closer -UGH - it is a ring of dead bugs. I take off my shirt and find dead bugs around my waste and all over my torso. I have never taken a shower so fast in my life. I had a major case of the willies. But the yard looks great.

But the better news is that I'm going to be a Grandma again. (happy face, happy face :) :) Before the raking of the yard I had to run an errand for Matt. Off to Shucks to get a vacuum hose. I am pulling into the parking lot and my phone rings. I don't see a picture - my phone is set up to show the picture of the caller - this I can see without my glasses. I answer - "Sue here" and the reply I get is "your daughter here" It is Cristy!! Wow - on a Saturday morning. She is using her father-in-laws phone and tells me she is pregnant!!! Number 7 is on it's way. I was so glad that I was only in the car - and not in the store because when I let out my scream - I didn't bother anyone. I can only imagine the response I would have gotten if I was in the store. It is hard to explain after 911 was called. So now I have to figure out how or when I can go to Virginia - right around May 2.