Year of the Grasshopper

What a year to decide to document gardening. I have never in my life experienced a plague of grasshoppers like we have this year. When you step off the porch, they are like a wave jumping away from you. They ate every leaf off of my lilac bush in the back, they topped off all the carrots and decimated some of the lettuce plants. The sunflower leaves look like green lace and we have lost some of the potato plants. I caught a glimpse of what the pioneers must have felt as the crickets came and began devouring their crops - completely helpless and hopeless. Especially since they couldn't jump in the car and run down to Smiths or Costco if the grasshoppers eat the whole garden. I wonder if I have enough faith to bring the seagulls to Eagle Mountain? By the pictures you can't tell how destructive the grasshoppers have been - they haven't found everything yet, knock on wood. The peas are doing well and the kids snack every time they go out to weed. The peas hardly ever make it into the house. The beans are doing well also, although only Nicolas' bean plant has produced beans yet. The corn that hasn't been blown over in the wind looks good, we have had a few tomatoes and the plants are loaded, and we have brought in 3 zucchini so far. We have had lettuce coming out our ears (so we haven't been too sad about the grasshoppers eating them) and have given bags and bags of it away. The spinach hasn't been as good this year - not like last year - and it is about done. The pepper plants look good but aren't producing very many peppers and the little plants that we started inside - that were doing well - were completely devoured by grasshoppers. Cantaloupe and watermelon and cucumbers are finally taking off but I hope its not too late for them to produce. One grapevine is being destroyed by grasshoppers, but the other 2 are doing great and the strawberries are too. Hopefully most of the garden will make it to harvest time. If I could upload video (can't figure out why I can't. . . ) I would video Jared out in the garden with a flyswatter, going after the grasshoppers. Funny show!