Summer Days

I think someone is ready for the kiddie tractor pull at the Wayne County Fair. Not sure how far he will get on the trike but......

Last night was Jessie’s beef skillathon. The poor girl gets soooo worked up. She had to finish 3 project books yesterday (Market Beef, Beef Breeding and Feeder Calf) and she did some studying. Todd and Tyler went with us – and the whole way in she is worrying what if I don’t do good, what if I forget, what if I forget how to tie the rope. We finally told her to stop it! She can get a zero and still be good to show at the fair – there is no pass or fail.

We wait, and wait and wait some more. Fortunately there were a LOT of people we knew there, which made the time go faster.

She comes out – she got a 96. Apparently her books weren’t complete enough because I didn’t have her do the final profit and loss pages. HELLO? 36 days til fair? How in the heck can we figure out the final amounts if she hasn’t sold her flipping steer yet??????? (Apparently we are supposed to make it up - I found that out this morning).

Anyhow……she is beyond thrilled, I’m just happy the skillathons are done.

Tonight we are washing the two feeder calves that are going to fair. This ought to be interesting as neither of them are very tame yet. Tomorrow night we are going to Medina County Fair to watch the steer show.

And I was out in my garden last night. And I have TOMATOES. Nothing red yet but for a couple of romas but……they are coming. And our sweet corn is tasseling. I need to do my other ½ bushel of green beans that I got from the Amish. Maybe tonight. And I have a LOT of herbs that need dried, so I’m off after work to find a decent dehydrator for them.

Is anyone else amazed at how fast this summer is going? I cannot believe it is August already.....

Saturday Fun

Saturday morning Jessie and Tyler had a very important job waiting for them.

Helping to wash cars at our 4-H fundraiser. There is a car dealership in Wooster - Performance Pontiac. The owner allows groups to come in and do car washes. And the kids get all the money.

They have to rinse the cars off and wash the wheels before an employee drives the car through the automatic car wash. Then they have to dry the cars off after they come out. Sorry - no pics of the actual work they did - my camera batteries died. Which is a good thing - as when I was back supervising the kids spraying off the cars - I got soaked twice.

And there is lunch provided - this year it was hamburgers and hotdogs and chips grilled out while you waited for your car to dry.

Our 4-H club made over $400, all of which will go to a local charity. I was not there all day - I left about noon to go home and can 18 quarts of peaches and make 12 pints of peach jam - which has not set up yet:(

Tonight is Jessie's beef skillathon, and I am turning in my entries for the fair - a lap quilt (the top is done but I haven't quilted it yet), flowers, bread and a sweater (still have to finish knitting it). Tyler said he wanted to take something to the fair, so he is taking his corn, his eggs, hay and straw.

Meet Ali

As Jessie pointed out the other night, I have a LOT of pics of her and Oreo on here, and her and her pigs, but non of Ali.

I never thought a heifer could be a pain in the butt, until her.

Notice the good shorts?

This girl has a theme going on of getting dressed up to go to the barn.

Oh well - they will wash.

We brought her last fall as a calf, and she spent the winter in a large pen inside with 2 other heifers (didn't want them being bred to young by Mr. Bull now). About April Jessie decided she wanted to show her, so we started tying her up and walking her.

We turned her out for about a month here about 2 weeks ago, and she hated it. She is a real people cow, if that is possible. She would see us walk out of the house and come running and be waiting by the gate. Her other 2 friends (heifers all brought from the same place) have adjusted to being outside, but not our Ali.

She looks almost identical to Oreo. Which means you can tell who picked out Jessie's heifer and steer. I pick on color and markings, Todd picks on conformation and good beef qualities. Sometimes, like in the case of Ali, we get lucky and end up with a cow that we both like.

Of course, Tyler is ticked that we didn't bring in his calf, Mittens. But she and Moose are enjoying being outside with the gang.

And Tyler and Buck. Just because they are such good friends. Buck is supposed to be a bird dog, but.....he would much rather play with Tyler and go on walks than actually hunt birds.

Kris

Thank you

for your kind compliments on Jessie's sewing ability!

She did not qualify for State Fair - which is a HUGE sigh of relief in our house. That would have entailed 2 days to go down to columbus for the judging, and we are already going there on the 8th to watch the steer show and swine market show, and she will possibly show in the pig show. State Fair is EXPENSIVE but I'm planning on taking a cooler of drinks. If memory serves me correctly, it's something like $4 for a small drink. I don't think so.

But she did like sewing enough that she wants to do it again next year. So I'm thinking her very own sewing machine will be on her list of Christmas presents from Santa. I just got my machine back from being fixed from the last time she used it.

And yes, I am taking time for myself in this hectic life we are calling summer. My 3rd sweater for ME is coming along very very slowly. But I am enjoying the process as I sit out on the deck and listen to the kids argue, fight and play. I try to take the hour right when I get home from work and sit down and work on it or read a book.

And the kids have been using new chore charts for their chores every day. They don't have strenuous chores, just things like: water the pigs, water the steers, gather chicken eggs, vaccum, pick up their bedrooms, water the flowers and unload the dishwasher. If their chores are done by the time I get home (2:15) I pay them 25 cents a chore. If they aren't done, they pay me.

And I don't pay for the watering the animal chores - if Jessie wants to show these million animals, she needs to take the responsibility. But....she will also get the money that she receives from the sale to put into her college account, so it is a fair trade.

Have a great day!
Kris

Excellent

Is what Jessie received on her beginning sewing project - both the judging and the construction parts.

So I am thrilled that I did not help her much at all!!!

We were at the judging last night from 5:45 to 9:15 last night. Of course though, tonight is the "style show" and apparently to find out how she placed, we need to go to that as well. So I know what we will be doing tonight. And she has decided she needs orange flip flops (she asked for orange high heels, which I shot down in a hurry) for tonight even though the judging is long over.

Have a great day everyone!
Kris

All over the board

That is where this post is going:) hehe


I've been swamped. And so grateful that I have a good job where I don't work 40 hours a week, but after last week (I think I logged 66 hours between Monday a.m. and Saturday night at 9:00 p.m.) I am so thankful that I normally only work 30 hours a week.

Jessie's 4-H projects are chugging right along. Oreo is large. Her pig is large. Who incidentally she has not named, so I've taken to calling them porky. I know.....original. Her feeder calf has been weaned and has a halter on. 45 days to keep everyone on track with weight, get her feeder calf walking and convince her heifer that standing there without licking her to death or chewing on her is a good thing. Ally is a pain in the BUTT she is way to friendly.

We've been spending about 3 hours of quality time out in the barn most every day. Not all at once - we've taken to breaking it up - some in the afternoon when I get home from work, with the majority of the time in the evenings. And she is out there every morning like clockwork making sure everyone has water and hay and is comfortable. I have not been brave enough to let her feed them - some of the supplements we are feeding are rather expensive, and I don't want her feeding too much or not enough. But that is ok. She is only 9 and is pulling more than her weight in taking care of the animals.

Tyler starts school in 2 weeks. Yes, in 2 weeks I will drop my baby off at the elementary school for 3 mornings a week. So he can get acclimated to the school before all the big kids come back to school. And in 3 weeks he will get on that big yellow bus and be gone all day every day.

HURRAY!!!

Can you tell both him and I are so ready for school to start????? Seriously, I love my kids but it is time. And he is so excited to start school.

And I have 2 finished knits inbetween the craziness we have called summer:

Yes, I did finish up the second sleeve of the karate sweater at 5:00 a.m. before going to work on Saturday. Which I love this sweater and wore it saturday to work and received lots of compliments on it.

I've had lots of time to sit and knit while waiting for judgings to be completed. The third sweater for ME is about 1/3 of the way done. Can you tell I am selfish? But....I have not brought myself a brand new sweater in......um.......5 years.....lots of hand me downs from my mom or my SIL, lots of sweaters brought from yard sales. But these are brand new sweaters knit just for me (I have broughten lots of the yarn on clearance or off of ebay).

I have not touched my sewing machine, but I do have to crank out 2 quilts that I enterd in our county fair. So I guess I'd better start thinking about that soon. Although I cheated and entered a lap quilt, a table runner and a sweater. No bed quilts this year. Just not enough hours in the day.

I won't mention my garden til I drag myself out there tonight after Jessie's clothing judging. When I was out there last week - the only thing I had growing were tomatoes, peppers and corn. The green beans, peas and beets grew about an inch, and then died out. It's been a wierd summer here - cool with not much rain until this last week.

I still have about 200 blog posts to read and catch up on. And I'm really trying to visit you all - I will get there eventually! So hang in there with me, please.....

Until later,

Kris

Life

We've been doing this:

This is the Jessie version of walking her pig every night. We've got a looonnnngg way to go.

And this:

I'll be back after I wade through my 400 blog posts to read:)

Kris