4-H Is Not For Sissy's

Growing up on a farm most farm kids belong to a 4-H  club and look forward to taking projects to the county fair. Raising livestock or completing a project in woodworking, photography, sewing the list is endless. If you have attended the Iowa State Fair maybe you may have seen them over and in front of the 4-H building. Not me! I belonged to a 4-H club in Dallas County, Tim belonged to a different one in Dallas County as well. Neither one of us participated in the projects. Tim doesn't remember why he didn't. I know why I didn't, my dad explained to me if you take livestock and it wins you have to sell it. What! No Way!

 A participate decides on their projects by December then you spend roughly the next seven months completing it and documenting it. If you decide on livestock you are spending that time bonding with an animal, then you have to sell them. I am the type that if I name them they are mine forever. I cried when I accidentally ran over a couple of our turkeys once (that is a whole other story).

April 09 we had a calf born that we thought would make a great 4-H project. He was stocky and stood perfectly only thing was we have no kids at home. 4-H is for 10 yr olds thru 18 or 4th thru 12th grade. A high school friend of Tim's has kids that are in 4-H and he mentioned to them about this little guy. (I hadn't named it yet). Scott brought his kids over Blake and Emily. Blake picked this guy and another little shaggy calf and Emily picked one. Off they went to get weighed and become their 2010 4-H project. Tim was just giddy thinking he had raised something good enough to show at a fair.

A true 4-H project is that the kids pick their own livestock, usually within the county they will be showing in, do the work and record all information. Just like in sports there are parents who stick their two cents in and sometimes a whole lot more money than that into the project. It takes the true meaning out of what 4-H is for. Not Scott and Barb they insist the Blake, Emily and big sister Sara do the work themselves. They will help when needed but it is their projects.

July comes and it is time for the Dallas County fair. We have not seen the calves but hear that they will be shown. We go over early in the week to peak at them. Blake has taken three to the fair two of which were ours. He named them Drewby (he was the stocky one) and Shaggy. Emily takes one but it is not ours. Very impressive! They look fat and happy.

The showing is on a Saturday morning and Tim takes off with camera in hand to see how the kids do. Tim watches as the kids wash and groom their animals, helping each other and just having a good time. Show time is close and then the seriousness sets in on their faces.

I am not sure how Emily does but Tim does say she is the hardest working girl out there. She got in and helped others without blinking an eye. Blake however discovered that Shaggy was 40 lbs. to light to show in his class but was unable to show him. Now Drewby, Tim will be blowing up pictures of this guy and hanging in his barn. Drewby placed 2nd in his class! The down side is he was then sold, but then there is a Carcus Class and Drewby got 6th so that was additional money for Blake. But how hard would that be to lead your calf to the truck and come back with an empty halter? Yea you get a check but that was a pet, he had a name. This is why I couldn't complete a livestock project. It does bother the kids for awhile then they are deciding on the next years project and what they could do differently.

We are proud of Blake, Emily and all 4-H'ers who take part in 4-H and follow thru on a project. We look forward to watching their progress next year and little sister Faith will be following in their footsteps in the near future.  The lessons these kids learn will be invaluable in life. Scott and Barb are proud that their kids do it the correct way thru hard work.

Tim has been asked by some of the local kids  if they can look at our calves for their 2011 project. He is ecstatic about that! It is the little things in farming that make it all worthwhile!

Blake giving Drewby a bath!

Blake and Drewby in the Showring

Blake and his State Fair calf Haus. Couldn't resist this picture, it says it all!

My Adventure in Mowing

I typically do all the mowing at our house, especially since I work part time and I have more free time.  I don't mind I get out of the house get some sun, but it also gives me a lot of time to think of projects, we have 10 acres to mow. I use to have a Cub Cadet, a typical riding mower. It would take me about 8 1/2 hrs to mow everything. Last year we traded that in for a Dixie Chopper. WOO HOO! It makes mowing now a 4 hour event. If anyone knows anything about a Dixie Chopper they are loud and they are fast. I feel like Tim "the tool man" Taylor minus the grunt,  like "the tool man" I get myself into predicaments. Today was no exception!

 I was mowing down our driveway which a quarter of a mile long. Down out the bottom of the drive we have the ditch mounded up with trenches in it so that water won't fill the drive. Well I got stuck. Not really stuck because there is no mud, it was more like wedged. I couldn't go forward or backwards and I certainly couldn't push it out. Boy that driveway looks long!

All else fails call Dad! No answer on either his cell or the house phone. Call Tim it is 3:30 in the afternoon maybe he is on his way home (yea right ). I have the feeling that these two do not answer their phones during the day when they see that I am calling because they do not want to know what kind of trouble I have gotten myself in.

 I have to walk up the drive to get the 4 wheeler, in flip flops. I get the 4 wheeler and a chain and go down to pull myself out. Oh the dog, don't forget the dog, Pepper (our black lab) has to come with. You start the 4 wheeler and the dogs go crazy. Today only Pepper goes, Sadie was wore out from an early walk.

I  pulled myself out, park the 4 wheeler in the shade, take the key and continue to mow. Pepper digs a spot and takes her position next to the 4 wheeler. I head back up the lane and then have to make another swipe down. Get half way down the lane and Pepper peeks her head around the corn looking for me. If dogs could talk she would have said "Did you forget something?" I have more mowing to do at the bottom of the lane while watching Pepper circle the 4 wheeler and making sure that I see her. I continue up the other side. Mow at the top of the drive and see Pepper sitting down at the bottom of the driveway  in the middle of the lane. I finish up and park the mower. I start to head down the drive and Pepper comes running toward me. She sees me walking and begins her happy jump (she jumps straight up in the air as if she has springs in her legs). We walk to the 4 wheeler she starts barking and we begin the drive back up the drive. Pepper is prancing, head held high as if she won a prize. She made sure I did not lose the 4 wheeler!

Nobody will ever be able to steal our 4 wheeler unless they want a dog. What a girl!

Pepper Chillin with Fred the Peacock

Sadie

Where To Begin

This is our first attempt at blogging! He, would be Tim, I am Shari! We have been married ten years and moved back to rural Dallas County eight years ago. You see we both grew up on a farm and couldn't wait to get back out here. We were lucky enough that my dad let us build a house on a parcel of land that his dad gave to him when he got married 49 years ago. My parents live 3 miles away and Tim's mom lives about 10 miles away.


It has been suggested that we write a book on the trials and tribulations of life on the farm (who has that kind of time). Suffice it to say there is never a dull moment and we have the philosophy that you better laugh or you will go crazy!


Our farm consist of 40 chickens (give or take a few with the is heat, you never know what you will find when you do chores at the end of the day). Two guineas (18 eggs in the incubator and fingers crossed). three peacocks and one baby pea, momma hatched out four be we can only fine one, raccoons! If anyone needs beautiful peacock feathers, we can set you up!


We have three horses and one miniature donkey, her name is Punkin. We have thirteen cow/calves, 10 calves, 9 of which will go to market in January. The one that probably won't go is Lucy, we bottle fed her last year and she is our friend, just like Lucky who we bottled fed this year. You just can not eat something you named. Ask my dad, I wouldn't show animals for 4-H once I was told you have to sell them after spending 9 months taming and training them.


We also have the token barn cats, one of which was rescued 6 years ago and lives in the house. Her name is Mia, I call her ugly. She is mean to anyone who comes into her house, she has even gone so far as to attack people when they come near me while I am sitting at my computer. She has no claws but that doesn't stop her. I feel safe as long as I can get to my computer. We also have two of the best dogs. A yellow lab Sadie, she is ten years old and has cancer, she doesn't let it stop her. Start the four wheeler and she is there, going for a walk she is there, she will not be doing anything the rest of the day but she is going with you! Then there is is Pepper a beautiful, feisty, four year old black lab. We swear she has springs in her legs, she jumps straight up and down. Not on you just up and down. If she sees me with tennis shoes on and heading toward the door it starts and it doesn't stop until we get about 500 yards from the house. If you start the four wheeler it is worse she jumps and springs and finds chickens to chase. She doesn't catch them she runs at them until they squawk and fly away.


That about sums up what are farms consists of. Hopefully you will enjoy the goings on of our farm life, we know we do!