Duquoin State Fair 2014

We got to go to the fair again this year at Duquoin. I am so glad we made it another year. I so miss going to fairs and this is usually the only one we get to go to now. We had left our camper at the fairgrounds campgrounds when we went to the steam engine show at Pinckneyville the weekend before.

It was very hot this year with heat index of around a 100 degrees most days. We were able to cool off in the camper during the day and that makes it nice. I watched the horse races and got to look at the new campers on display. Tommy spent a lot of his time in the tractor and equipment area. We stayed 2 nights this time. Entries in the exhibit building were down again this year, but the ones that were there were really good. That was one of our favorite places to be this time because that building is air conditioned. Here are some pics.

 

The draft horses and ponies were there this year

These are some of the Haflingers

 

 

I liked the horses this exhibitor had even though they did not place at the top of their classes.

They are more like our Haflinger Jack.

 

 

It amazes me that they can get all of this horses tail into this

 

 

This is a class of large draft horses

 

 

The mules are still my favorite

But I do wish they would bring some of a different color because they all look alike :)

 

 

These exhibitors are so serious about showing their mules

This young lady made funny noises at her mule

 

 

This young feller was so cute

His mare mule was Grand Champion Mare Mule

 

 

This is one of the Cashdales-a 4 horse hitch of black Clydesdale that were on exhibit

I didn't get a pic of them driving around

 

 

This is the rig they hauled the Cashdales around in

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the cakes and cupcakes on exhibit

 

 

I really liked these gourds

 

 

Tomatoes

 

 

Tow Mater was there

This is for my grandsons, Joseph and James

 

 

Loved the color of this market hog

 

 

They were showing dairy cattle this time

 

 

Camels in the petting zoo

 

 

Part of the free entertainment were this group of rescued dogs

It made me think of Shyann

 

These are just a few of the things we saw this year. We had a good time and look forward to going back next year.

 

Fun with the J's

I know I have been bad about my blogging. When I started this, I wanted to try to blog at least once a week. I soon saw that wasn't going to happen. We have just got over a horrible winter and I didn't blog about it at all. I still have problems writing about negative things. But one thing lately I can write freely about is the time we got to spend with our grandsons, Joseph and James. Julie brought them down a couple of weeks ago. She was running in a 5K in Clinton with one of her friends. So we got to keep the J's while she did this. Joseph had a bad cold, but he didn't let it slow him down much. James was going full speed ahead. He gets in his gait and can be gone in the blink of an eye. Tommy hooked up a wagon to the 77 Oliver and took us on a ride Saturday morning. We went a pretty good ways and they had a big time. Then they got to wander around the farm doing what they wanted to do. We had a litter of kittens that were just big enough to be played with a little. I had tried to handle them some so they would be used to being picked up. Joseph had a big time playing with them. He really loves cats. He spent a lot of time with them. I was amazed that their mom was so good about it. Of course we call Joseph the Cat Whisperer. James has grown up so much and is smart as a whip. He and Joseph spent a lot of time playing toy tractors when they were in the house. Here are a few pics of their activities.

 

James getting introduced to Ollie

 

 

Joseph playing with the kittens

This was one of his favorites

 

 

James talking to the heifers

 

 

James feeding the chickens

 

 

Farming

 

These are just a few of the things they did. It is always so wonderful to experience things on the farm through their eyes and we are so glad that Julie brings them down here.

 

 

Fried Oreos

I have wanted to make some of these for a very long time. During one of these past cold days, I decided to try some. I really didn't expect to like them so much. Now I am hooked! We have seen these at fairs for a few years, but never had got any. I have never tasted anything exactly like them. And they are very easy to make which makes them dangerous. I just dipped them in some pancake batter that I made from a mix. Then fried them in oil until they were brown. I figured they would be best warm, but we even liked them after they got cold.



I finally took a pic of some before we gobbled them down.

Happy Monday, everyone!!

Long time, no words

It has been a long time since I have blogged. I don't like to be negative on here and I am afraid I might have been. Taking care of livestock in the winter has never been easy, but this year has been more trying than usual. It has been hard just to keep everything fed and watered. I have never seen as much ice in water troughs as there has been this year. We have to make sure we take the hoses off and drain them every time we water so they won't freeze. Seems like every time I look up Tommy is putting out hay. I know we haven't had it as bad a some farmers, but it has definitely been worse than normal.



On a lighter note, we decided to work a group of preconditioned calves last Saturday. It was in the 30's for a change so we wanted to take advantage of the warmer temperature. Well, we didn't consider that we would have to get things unfrozen like the working chute, gates, etc. We are using a new working chute this year and it has way too many bells and whistles on it. There is always at least one incident of someone pulling or pushing the wrong handle. It is way better than our old system and we are getting more used to it. I even had a calf eat my paper off the clipboard. Guess he needed some extra fiber :)



I am also taking heart that we have been getting seed catalogs in the mail and Rural King has seeds out now. I told Tommy yesterday that I need to think about what seeds I am going to start. As fast as time flies, it won't be long until we are in the garden again.

I have several things I want to blog about, so maybe I will get back to it.

Happy Wednesday, everybody!!!

Taking down the Christmas tree

Today I took the tree down. Usually this is a task that I don't really want to do, but for some strange reason, this year was different. As I was taking the ornaments off the tree one by one, memories kept flooding into my head about what each of the ornaments meant. The really old ones like the felt ones that started my whole crafting mode off made me think of the time Mama and Daddy came up for Christmas after Tommy and I got married. I got the idea from Tommy's mother who had been to an extension craft meeting. I guess you would say that's when the bug bit me. Then there were so many that made me think of when Bonny and Julie were little. The ones they had made and put their time in. Then there are the ones that Julie and I would buy on the day after Christmas sales at Homestead and other places. That reminds of times spent with her. Then there are the ones that my sisters have given me that they have made or picked up on trips or all the farm animal ones that they knew would be special to me. My Aunt Dot, who passed away this year, made intricate ornaments and gave me one each year for a while. They were special and unique just like she was. It was like having all these people in my house this morning. One that touched me was a picture of Shyann the border collie that we lost this fall. Julie had put it in a frame and fixed it to hang on the tree. I know a lot of people might see this as corny, but as I get older more of these things happen day to day. Another thing is every year I say I am going to throw my tree out and get a new one. This year I realized that this tree has been through so much with me and has hung around. What difference does it make that when we bought it many years ago on after Christmas clearance it didn't have a stand in the box and it has to be tied up to something to keep it from falling over. Tommy just rigged it up using an old stand that was used for real trees. That is just one of many times he has fixed something for me like that and made it work.

So today I am feeling so blessed to have this tree and all the ornaments. I realize that there were so many things involved before they ever made it on my tree. Thank you Lord for everything you bless me with and all the people and animals that you have put in my path.

Happy New Year to everyone!!!

What Christmas means to me

As I get older I find my priorities at Christmas changing. To me it is about God sending Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem for the birth of baby Jesus who later died on the cross for our sins to become our Saviour. This is the reason that we have Christmas.  I do love that it is a time for family and I was blessed this year to have my family all together and sit down at the table and enjoy some food. I appreciate them taking the time and expense to get here, and I thank God for keeping them safe.

For me the gift giving is all about the youngsters and seeing their happy faces as they open something they want. I look at so many people getting stressed out about a lot of things that are not important. When I was growing up I can remember my Mama and Daddy being happy at Christmas. I don't really remember them giving each other anything(though they may have)- but I got presents on Christmas morning. They may have been stressed out, but I just don't remember them showing it. I don't understand the thing of some people having to borrow money to buy expensive presents, but if someone wants to give a gift and can afford to they should be able to.

We live in a world that moves way too fast. I can remember going to my Papa and Mama Shaw's house and we had such a good time. Of course it was within walking distance, so there wasn't the added stress of long distance travel.  It wasn't about the presents then, but just eating good food and running around acting crazy with all my cousins. And I had lots of cousins. That still happens places now, but so many other things have been thrown into the mix. I don't have anything against new traditions being started, I just don't like how the old traditions sometimes seem to be thrown by the wayside.

These are just some of my thoughts this season.  I love this time of year for a lot of reasons, but it still remains that Jesus is the reason for the season!! I hope everyone will slow down enough and forget about being politically correct and remember that Jesus is the greatest gift that we will ever receive.  I pray that you will take time for family and be blessed as much as I was this year.
Merry CHRISTmas to everyone!!! Jesus loves you!!!!

A Tribute to Shyann

Tommy and I lost our best friend this week. Shyann, our border collie, died doing something she loved to do. She was helping us get up cattle so we could wean calves. She was a huge part of our life on the farm and will not be forgotten. She came to live with us in May 2006. I could tell almost from the beginning that she was something very special. She always gave love unconditionally never asking for anything in return. I am so grateful to have been blessed with such a wonderful companion and she will be missed. Here are just a few pics of her life with us.

                                                 She loved sheep

When she was younger, she didn't mind having her picture taken. But as she got older it was harder to get a good picture of her.

                                             Out in the hay field

                                      Playing with Chloe in the snow

                     She was happy except for when it was thundering or someone
                                               was shooting a gun.

                                    She loved watching the baby chicks

    She would go wacky over a garden hose when you were running water

Here she is with Julie and Shelby. One of her things she would do is put her foot on you until you petted her.

                 She dearly loved playing with the bad cuz that Julie got for her.

                              She loved Joseph and liked looking out for him.

When we got the ranger, she really didn't want to ride in it, but she soon learned to come running any time it was cranked up.

Rest in peace, Shyann