L. got her new 4H piglets on Tuesday and she is thrilled. The 9-week-old swine are super friendly and very cute.
They are a mix of the Hampshire and Yorkshire breeds and although siblings, they look really different (they probably have a mix of some other breed as well but we're not sure).
The male is black with the white band of a Hampshire (like L.'s pigs from last year). The female however is a lop-eared, all black pig.
As for their names, L. had a hard time making a decision this year (last year's Roman Mystery series book inspiration couldn't be used again). At her suggestion, I posted a query to my friends and family on Facebook to help her narrow down her choices.
After some input and L. doing a lot of hemming and hawing (i.e., code words for driving me crazy with her indecision, which is nothing new for us) she settled on...
Petunia for the all black female Groovy Smoothie for the white banded male
And for anyone wondering, yes, Groovy Smoothie was named after the 4H Mini Forum Groovy Smoothie class. L. is quite pleased as she came up with the idea on her own. I would guess there will be a few chuckles from 4H friends at the Cumberland fairgrounds in September when they read that name over the loud speakers during the swine auction.
Groovy Smoothie and Petunia are snuggled up in a warm dry shelter for the weekend. When the sun makes a re-appearance in Maine, hopefully before the end to the long holiday weekend, the piglets will be out and about in their pen. That's when G. plans to get some better pictures of the little guys.
I spent way too much time worrying about the pigs escaping their pen all summer. Apparently once pigs grow accustomed to a place, they are very reluctant to leave it (although they always seemed to be faking us out with their chewing and digging). Why I did not know this before now is a mystery but a lesson learned for my novice pig-raising family. And one we are not likely to ever forget.
Yesterday our friends brought their livestock trailer over to our house to pick up the pigs and bring them to the Cumberland Fair. We purposefully did not fed the pigs breakfast so we could entice them with food to lure them in to the trailer.
L. tried grain.
Then bread rolls.
But no, the pigs were not fooled and refused to get near the trailer.
Then L. tried to coax them out the door with her pig board (white boards are used to direct pigs, which you often see at fair shows since pigs can not wear halters like other livestock).
She couldn't even get them close.
Then L., along with three adults armed with boards, tried to maneuver the pigs out the door.
But the pigs still could not be "coaxed" to leave.
So out came a couple of large, thick pieces of plywood to move around to close off parts of the pen as we worked the pigs toward the trailer.
After a slow start and several nimble escapes, the adults finally made this tactic work for Pulchra. But Titus, the big lazy guy who L. called her "snuggle bug" all summer, showed his true colors. We had a bugger of a time getting him out the door.
Have you ever had a 260 pound pig throw himself at the board you have braced with your arms and legs, and then crack the thick board across them?
No? Well let me tell you, it will leave you with a few bruises and some very sore knees.
After 45 minutes of manhandling and lots of disturbing piggy screaming, we did manage to get them into the trailer and off to the fairgrounds.
Once at the fairgrounds, the pigs required more manhandling to get them OUT of the trailer. But once out, they walked in to their pen without much more trouble (they were likely as exhausted as their human counterparts were).
Everyone was a little worse for the wear (pigs and the Almeida family) but Pulchra and Titus are now settled in to their new temporary home.
Here's a look into the early approach to getting the pigs in to the trailer.
Things started out calm and easy, which is when the above video was shot. But when it became clear that things were going to get ugly, I told G. to put away the camera and pick up a board to help. And trust me, it was better that we didn't get those high-pitched piggy screams on video. They were very disturbing and unsettling. No, it's better that part was not recorded, though I doubt my crew will forget this experience anytime soon.
L. has learned a lot about the day-to-day work of raising pigs since April and now she is getting ready for the next phase of this 4-H project - selling her pigs at the Cumberland Fair's 4-H Livestock Auction.
L. is responsible for "marketing" her pig to encourage people to come to the auction to bid on it. She wrote a letter to give to a few people (business owners, friends and family) asking them to attend the auction but asked me last night if I would also post it on my blog to, "let the moms know about it."
So here is L.'s letter explaining the 4-H Market Hog Auction at the fair. And please, forgive the shameless plug for L. but I figured I've shared enough stories about the pigs since April that I should include the ending of the project too.
September 2009 I would really appreciate it if you could come to the Cumberland Fair to bid on my market hog at the 4-H Livestock Auction.
I have grain-fed my pig since I got her and I have taken good care of her. She’s had plenty of attention and exercise and is a good healthy pig.
I am selling my hog at the livestock auction and I plan to put the money I get from selling my pig in to my savings account to use in the future.
People who go to the auction to buy pigs sometimes go with friends and then they buy a pig together. If you buy my pig with a group it is cheaper for you to do it. Pigs are bid on by the pound. My hog is about 260 pounds right now. And there are people at the auction to take the hog to be processed or you can take my hog home to breed her (she is a mixed breed of Yorkshire, Hampshire and Duroc).
I learned a lot about raising healthy pigs this year and I hope to do this 4-H project again next year. I learned a lot about being responsible for my pigs and raising healthy pigs.
I hope you can come.
4-H Livestock Auction
Wednesday, September 30
4 p.m.
Show Arena
From, L. Almeida
If you are wondering how she feels about the pigs going to market, I can honestly say it changes every minute of every day. Truth-be-told, I'm having the same mix of emotions as well. One thing is for sure though, there will be tears at the fairgrounds. No doubt about it. The question is who will have more, me or L. Because unlike the old nursery rhyme, no piggy is staying home - and hopefully none will run "wee wee" amok at the fairgrounds either!
Learning #1: The pigs have not given up on their escape plans and have resorted to chewing their way out of their pen. The hole they've made is large enough to stick most of their snout through and the only thing from stopping a sniff of freedom is a stapled piece of a Tyvek feed bag (we used the empty bags to cover the shelter in an attempt to keep the rain off the already aging recycled wood we used to build it - it's worked well actually). Fino's working on a patch job as I type this since the escape plan was uncovered by L. this morning.
Learning #2: Don't ever say, "This is the LAST time I'm dumping sand in to this pen." Those words will bite you in the you-know-what (raising pigs has a tendency to do that) and you'll find yourself deciding one more time really is necessary. But in the spirit of ingenuity, and sheer discouragement at this necessity, Fino rigged up our trailer to the lawnmower tractor. Gathering and dumping sand was done with much more efficiency and we both wished this idea had come about earlier this rainy summer.
On August 30, after yet another significant rainfall, the pen was as muddy as ever and we felt another sand dump was needed to keep the pigs healthy.
Fino's new sand moving rig, which we are hoping not to have to use again this year.
Learning #3: During this latest sand dump we thought it would be helpful to secure the pigs in their shelter so we could keep the pen door open to shovel in the sand. But Titus squeezed through the small opening in the metal fence we used as a barrier for the shelter. Luckily we got the main pen door closed before he could fully escape. Had I not seen it myself, I would NOT have believed that Titus, a 240-pound hog, could ever have managed to squeeze through an opening hardly the width of a size 7 woman's boot.
Learning #4: Pigs love stale animal crackers. They grunted and nudged L. relentlessly after she gave them a handful of crackers looking for more. She felt so bad she didn't have any more that she fed them each a jelly sandwich (a rarity because the pigs are exclusively grain-fed). They wanted more of those too and L. decided they were never going to be satisfied so she stopped feeding them with a declaration, "You guys eat like pigs!" (She's quite enjoying her own pig humor these days.)
Learning #5: Chickens like pig grain as much as pigs do. While the pigs are trying to escape to the wilds of our backyard, the chickens who have free range of it are trying to get IN to the pig pen to snag their grain. This morning I had to pluck a chicken out of the pig pen. The hen recognized her error immediately and darted through the electric fence wires but couldn't manage to get over the secondary fence and back to freedom. What confused me most about this scenario (the chickens have been angling for a way in to the pig pen for a couple of weeks so it was only a matter of time before one tried it) was that the chicken seemed no worse for wear at having gone through the electric fence. I did an extra check to make sure the electricity was still running through the wires. It was. I'm thinking about re-naming that hen Houdini because it was nothing short of magic that fence didn't barbecue her.
Learning #7: A nice fall breeze can have an interesting effect on the odor in your house when its direction blows past the pig pen and through your large back door screen. We are now enjoying a fresher smelling breeze through the front door.
Learning #8: At no time can you loose your sense of humor during your first year of raising pigs. Anything less than laughing at your own naive notions about livestock is just not worth it. Grin and bear it and make changes for next time.
Did I just say next time?
Big boy Titus is just a "giant snuggle bug" according to L.
L. did a weigh-in for her pigs yesterday and it was, as expected, a messy and muddy affair. Even with the dry spell recently, the downpours from thunderstorms have kept the pig pen as wet and pond-like as ever. But we have been less concerned about the puddles these days because the water has been keeping the pigs cool in the hot temperatures (unlike the cooler, more problematic situation a few weeks ago).
Even before this weigh-in it was clear the pigs have had a growth spurt recently (eating 100 pounds of grain per week will do that do you). And because they are quite large, there is less space for them to manuever out of reach so I had hoped this weigh-in would be a bit easier than previous ones. But Pulchra is still quite agile and managed to get away from us while trying to get the measuring tape around her middle (a special tape is used to take measurements in order to guesstimate livestock weight).
We were successful in getting the job done and we guesstimated each pig was about 250 pounds. This revelation prompted L. to make the quintessential mama comment.
"Wow my babies have gotten so big!"
Unlike the last time, G. managed to get the antics of this weigh-in on video. And since compromise is important with my family, I conceded to posting the video of me (looking my best of course) trying to out-maneuver a large agile animal in a muddy pen.
As you'll see, the weigh-in went OK for Titus (aka "Bubby" these days). He's a laid back personality and a quick back scratch is all he needs to comply with most requests (I do appreciate his idea of exercise on weigh-in days). But Pulchra, she is a different story entirely.
And in case you'd like see how much these pigs have grown in a little less than three months, you can re-watch the video I took of L. doing the late-May weigh-in (they were a bit under 90 pounds then).
As G. reminded me (in the most recent video) the proper comment to say here is, "Holy Pig!"
The farm where Sparkles (G.'s cow) lives was doing some haying this weekend and my family went over to help out.
Haying season has been significantly shortened this year due to such a wet summer (to store square bales of hay in a barn loft, the hay must be dry or it will start a fire) so there was a big effort to do as much haying as possible on this rare (for this summer) stretch of dry weather.
Last year I posted my 10 learnings about haying (it was my first introduction to it) and this year I have a couple of updates about this aspect of my farming education.
Last year I wrote: Wear long pants and a long sleeved shirt even if it is wicked hot outside. Last night G. and I were nursing cuts and a rash from the constant contact of hay on our forearms. This year: I wore long pants but still chose a short sleeve shirt because even though it was cooler in the hay loft this year, I can't stand to be any hotter than I have to be. I'm nursing another hay rash and cuts on my arms but not complaining about it this time around.
Last year: Bring lots and lots of water. It might have been the upper 80s outside, but on the roof of a barn, it gets a whole lot hotter. This year: We froze our water bottles the night before and they stayed cold for the duration of our work at the barn. It was wonderfully refreshing so we plan to do this again next year.
Last year: People with pollen allergies should plan to have an extra dose of antihistamine and eye drops on hand along with access to an air conditioned room for the night to fight off their body’s reaction to being around that much hay. (G. and I had a rough night sleeping last night but we were feeling much better today.) This year: The extra dose of antihistamine and eye drops didn't help much. I still spent the night wheezing and coughing and G. coughed and sneezed all night. We both agreed it was par for the course and opted to indulge ourselves with frozen slush as our feel-better remedy.
Last year: Hay bales are slippery when you climb on them. Swinging a heavy bale while balancing on a few bales of hay (we had to build from the floor up) took some coordination. Both G. and I took a header off the hay stack but were unhurt (unless you count the painful blush each of us conjured after the tumble). This year: I'm happy to report there were no novice falls for either G or I this time! But I have to admit that I whacked my head on the barn rafters while stacking the bales in an almost full barn. My head has a nice knot now but at least my faux pas was a little less obvious this time.
Last year: There is a science to stacking the bales of hay. I was instructed to use the momentum of the bale to squash it in to place in the stack and could not seem to get the hang of it. The rest of the stacking crew made it look easy (years of experience will do that). This year: My technique was still sorely lacking and I needed a bit more coaching on my swing. I think I improved slightly by the end of the 4+ hour day but an expert I am still not.
Last year: It takes about 5 1/2 hours to load and stack 1,400 bales of hay in the hayloft... This year: We loaded hay in to two different barn lofts and spent about 4 1/2 hours between the two locations stacking bales before the machinery experienced a mechanical glitch and we called it a day.
Last year: 1,400 bales of hay will feed about 20-25 beef cows during winter. I knew cows ate a lot but I have a whole new perspective about how much that "a lot" actually looks like now. This year: We were reminded again about the amount of work it takes to feed a couple of dozen cows in the winter.
G. took a bit of video of the square baler in the field and Fino giggled the whole time she was recording. It makes me laugh to hear how much he enjoyed that piece of machinery.
Here's a peek inside the hayloft with some video G. took last year.
Rain and pig pens are not a good combo. Not only has the pen been a muddy awful mess for weeks, the puddles of water that are not drying up are now becoming a health issue for the animals.
A farmer friend told L. when she first got the pigs that she needed to check their poop every day. That the poop was the best way to confirm the health of her pigs. If something with the poop changed, that would be the first indicator that something could be wrong with the animal. And L.'s resource book about pig health explained that with pigs, a simple case of diarrhea could lead to death in just a few days.
Over the weekend I saw a couple of watery poops from Titus which made L. (and the rest of us) concerned.
The pen used to be dry in the spring (for all the irony that is at the moment) but now the water situation is at critical mass. I’ve joked about "Pig Lake" on my Twitter account a couple of times and the expansion of Pig Lake’s Basin (at the entrance to the pen). But the situation became more serious the other day and we cursed the weather and the pigs' natural inclination to root. They do this (dig) frequently and enthusiastically and the holes they create collect water that take much longer to dry up (maybe they're hoping to swim to China instead of digging to it?).
We also noticed that the smell of the pig pen had changed. This may sound strange to people unfamiliar with farm animals but there is a healthy stench to a pig pen. I think we’ve got a handle on that smell (which isn’t all that great but we’ve gotten used to it) and believed the standing water in Pig Lake was changing the smell into something more foul and unhealthy for the animals.
So it became time for us to review our options to deal with the situation this past weekend.
One option was to dig up the fencing and move the pen, which presented all sorts of logistics problems on how to contain each 200+ pound pig while we did that (an all day project in the best scenario). Our other option was to figure out a way to dry out the pen with sand. The sand option was considered the more do-able choice.
Getting sand into the pen meant digging it up in another part of our property and using the wheelbarrow to dump it into the pen. Yes, we could have purchased bags of sand from the home improvement store but we were worried about the store's sand salt content. In case you didn’t know, salt (even a small amount) can kill a pig so it’s important to minimize their exposure to it. We thought it best to use what was already in the pigs' natural environment (with the bonus of being the thriftier choice as well). Earlier this summer we had dug a couple of holes in a far off corner of our property to bury the manure and dump the sand we dug in to the pig pen. We decided to do the same thing again only on a larger scale. (i.e., dig deeper holes, get more sand).
Each wheelbarrow filled by Fino and I required L.'s assistance once we got the wheelbarrow to the pen's entrance. She had to use a board to direct the pigs in to another part of the pen so we could wheel in and dump the sand. This was tricky because (1) the pig's are always angling for an escape route and (2) the pigs were thrilled with the piles of sand and immediately set to root in it before we could spread it out. We got a handle on getting in the pen but gave up on spreading of the sand with shovels and just used our boots to push it in the general direction that we believed would do the most good. After more than a dozen sand-filled wheelbarrows and a sprinkling of hay and shavings we decided the pen was as dry as we could make it at that point. It was an intense aerobic workout that lasted nearly four hours and we were exhausted by the end. And as funny as this sounds, so were the pigs. They were laying down and snoozing as soon as we left the pen (around 10:30 p.m.) after the last wheelbarrow dump and didn't wake up until after 8 a.m. the next morning (usually L.'s out at their pen at 6 a.m. to give them breakfast but they were still fast asleep so she let them "sleep in" until 8 a.m. when she roused them by poking their noses to get them up to eat).
Of course it rained that night (this is the crazy summer of 2009 after all) and although Pig Lake had not fully returned, there were still plenty of puddles in the pen the next morning. So last night we set about digging another hole (hopefully no one will trespass on our land and fall in to one of the large 4-foot holes!) and filling another half dozen wheelbarrows of sand for the pen.
Then finally, after much sweat and blisters, I think this morning we finally have a handle on the pig pen situation (which would be aided by the rain subsiding for a day or two, just putting in my cosmic order for that). The pigs' healthy stench is back and Titus' poop is back to being solid and looking normal again, much to L.'s relief.
Oh, and for those who have more experience farming than we do, it's OK to have a chuckle at our expense after reading this blog. It's our first year with pigs and we (kids and parents) are living the 4-H motto -- "Learn by doing."
I do think we're deserving of points for effort in getting this pig thing figured out though -- and my family is becoming healthier in the process with all the exercise we've had building the shelter/pen earlier this spring and taking care of these pigs during this crazy weather. There isn't much sitting around watching TV at our house this summer. The pigs and rain (as well as Chickenland) have ensured we have had plenty of exercise in our daily routine.
Who needs a workout at the gym when you've got pigs?
PIG LAKE - before PIG PEN - after hours of manual labor It's not pretty but the pen does seem to be a heck of a lot drier than it was the other day. Now if the rain can stay away for a few days we might not have to do another sand dump... PIG PEN IMPROVEMENT - in progress Pigs loved the piles of sand and there were many happy pig grunts as they set to work immediately to root. L.'s getting good at directing the pigs with the board and pushing them around (they're twice her body weight now). This will serve her well at the fair in September when she shows her pigs. The pigs love a good scratch. L. can have them on the ground in seconds and in a trance-like state of bliss afterward, which will be handy in keeping her pigs calm when they go to the fair. And as you can see by the photos, there were those of us doing the manual labor and another (G.) who took a more documentary - and less muddy and physical - approach to the situation (although we cut her a break because she deals with plenty of mud and wet at the cow farm).
G. was invited to work at Ossipee Fair last weekend to help a farm with their sheep at the fairgrounds. After her experience at June Jamboree with her spirited cow Sparkles, G. was reluctant to walk back in to a show ring. I (as well as her 4-H leaders) thought this opportunity would be a good way to re-introduce her to working with animals at the fairgrounds without the pressure of showing an animal. Plus, she loves grooming and caring for any sort of animal and was curious about sheep so decided to give it a whirl.
I'm really glad she did because she ended up getting coaxed in to the show ring to help with the Sheep Open Show because the farm needed a couple of extra hands.
G. worked with the 4-H kids from Breezy Knoll Farm and she really enjoyed her time in the sheep barn. The farm had a bunch of sheep slated for the open show so it took a couple of people to get them gathered outside the show ring. G. was part of that wrangling and that's how she was coaxed in to the ring to help show a couple of them. G. didn't have a chance to change out of her barn clothes for the open show but it didn't matter because this sort of show is all about the animal and has nothing to do with the person showing it (at June Jamboree G. was in the show ring with her cow to be judged on her showmanship of her animal, which included how she handled it, her grooming skills and showing it to it's best advantage).
G. was pleased as punch that one of the sheep she brought in to the open show ring won a blue ribbon. And even though this show did not consider her showmanship skills, she had a good handle on the sheep (who, truth be told, was even-tempered anyhow) walking and moving it around for the judge.
Even though G. was well-aware that this show was about the sheep and not her, she was still quite excited about handling the sheep that won a blue ribbon. And it was a sweet gesture that the farm let her keep the sheep's ribbon after showing her enthusiasm for it. She was feeling so good after this show that she willingly took a cow for a walk around the fairgrounds. That was another milestone since G. was sure she didn't ever want to walk a cow around a fairgrounds again after Jamboree. She and this mellow cow had a nice walk about and the boost in confidence by the end of her day at the fair was great.
Now G. is thinking that showing animals at the fair isn't quite such a nerve-racking experience but she's not sure she and Sparkles are up for a repeat performance in the show ring together this fair season. But she is at least reconsidering the option open for the possibility at Cumberland Fair in late-September.
And no, G. has no plans to change her beef project to sheep next year. She still loves the cows she works with at Wenwood Farm and has every intention of continuing with her beef project next year, with one caveat. She wants a new calf in the fall. She's even more certain now that Sparkles is just not wired for the fairgrounds ... but she believes she might be with the right animal partner.
It's always an interesting journey to watch how your children learn and gain confidence with the things they enjoy.
And I want to do a shout-out for David Smith who gave G. a nice pep talk about the fun of showing and helping her learn the ropes at the fair -- and for encouraging her to get in to the open show ring with the sheep and have fun with it. Thanks!
The Ossipee Valley Fair marks the start of the summer fair season (it opens tomorrow) and the kids have been busy putting the final touches on their 4-H exhibit hall projects for the past couple of weeks.
Last night myself and another mom from the girls' 4-H club took the trek to the fairgrounds with all of the club's entries (30+ different projects) to set them up in the hall and turn in the kids' entry form paperwork (the judging takes place today, it's always the day before the fair officially opens).
As is the case every year, there were plenty of parent volunteers from various clubs setting up their respective club member's entries. It's a friendly group and we usually chat while doing our set-up and several people commented on what a difference a year can make. Not in the kids' projects but in relation to the weather.
Last year setting up the 4-H exhibit hall at Ossipee was a test of stamina in the sweltering heat and humidity (I'm sure you're disappointed I don't have any pictures of hot sweaty mamas from last year to post here). This year most of us were wearing fleeces underneath raincoats and lamenting the prep work required to get some of the projects wrapped to transport to the fairgrounds in the rain (i.e., all the posters and artwork that could NOT get wet - we all managed the feat without incident thank goodness).
But as in past years, we made quick work of getting the 4-H exhibit hall set up with all the displays (which requires hammers, nails, tacks and some creative decorating skills by the more experienced volunteers) in only a few hours.
My crew will be at the fairgrounds on Friday (and Sunday and probably Saturday because we never seem to stick to my more minimalist plans) and it looks like maybe the weather might actually cooperate with a break in the clouds!
But I'll still put in my plea to the sun powers to please cut G. and her friends a break and actually provide that sunshine because handling livestock in the rain and mud really is not much fun for anyone.
This shot was taken with my cell phone so it's not so great. But the exhibits this year by all the various 4-H clubs are both interesting and clever and worth a stop to the exhibit hall if you're headed to the Ossipee fairgrounds this weekend.
And in case you didn't know, anyone can enter exhibits in nearly any county fair in Maine. The general exhibit hall (which is different from the 4-H designated halls) is open to any Maine resident of just about any age (I think the minimum might be 3 years old at most fairs). Entries usually require some minimal paperwork (name, address, category/class of your entry) but it's a whole lot of fun for the kids to see something they've made at their local fair. My kids have entered projects as general Maine residents (not 4-H) in the Topsham Fair and had a lot of fun getting ready for that fair with their friends. They dressed up their dolls for judging, entered a painting they did with finger paint, decorated cupcakes, framed photos they've taken, made a variety of crafts, etc. It was lots of fun and no 4-H connection was required.
If you've never done this before and are wondering how to enter your kids' projects in a fair, post a comment below with the fair you'd like to enter and I'll post a link (or phone number) with that fair's exhibit hall information (each fair is different so you've got to find the specific fair's exhibit guidelines).
The weather held out (mostly) for our overnight camping adventure to Maine 4-H Days and everyone in the family gave the trip a big thumbs up. It was not however without a few bits of drama -- and humor.
We got a late start leaving the house even though the car was packed, the pigs, chickens and cats had their respective food supplies prepped the night before and our neighbor on board to check on them to ensure everyone had enough food until we got home.
But L., in her half asleep state at 6 a.m., went out to clean up the pig's pen one last time before leaving and followed her usual routine and opened the chicken coop (we were planning to keep the coop closed while we were gone). After 20 minutes of trying to direct the 25+ chickens back in to the coop along with a couple of uncooperative of ducks (typical for them) and a guinea, we gave up. I talked to our neighbor again and asked her to close our coop that night (the chickens always go in at dusk so round up then is much easier; the ducks are another matter and we told her to ignore them) and she agreed to take on the extra duty.
We got on the road an hour later than planned and arrived at the fairgrounds in time for the girls to start their first workshop (this was a 4-H event with overnight camping at the fairgrounds).
L. had an NXT robotics class in the morning and programmed the robot she and her partner built to bounce off walls and redirect itself. There were several modifications to the design during the 3-hour workshop and L. really enjoyed herself.
G. had an all-day silk painting class (it was a modern way to batik) and Fino was hanging out with her (I wanted to go to the robotics class with L.). A little while in to the class G. told me Fino fell asleep in his chair and when G. nudged him awake, the teacher suggested he do some painting. He likes to doodle so decided to take her up on the offer and painted a rooster. After some bantering with a friend about his painting, I couldn't resist making a quick Tweet.
Sarah suggested Fino draw a hen to go with rooster to fill page. Fino said no, his rooster is happy without the female. Funny guy.
We set up our tent next to friends (the girls' 4-H club decided to camp as a group) in a great spot under some tall trees in a grassy area with an electrical outlet nearby that my friend Nicole had picked out. It was an ideal location.
During the afternoon workshops though (L. at a mechanical robotics class, G. and Fino still in painting class) we started hearing the Emergency Broadcast System warnings about severe thunderstorms and hail.
Our group made the decision to scope out a barn to move our tents to and settled on the pulling ring (part of relocation effort was finding a barn that was not already in use with animals, had a dirt floor (no cement dairy barn floors) and didn't have a scheduled show the following morning).
Moving our gear, which was plentiful among the group, to a new location across the fairgrounds was a chore (but funny in retrospect) and prompted another Tweet.
Moved tents to pulling ring in anticipation of storms, hail. Quite a site moving set up tent to new locale. No pics of that. HA!
After relocating we found a silver lining in moving from our original (and much nicer) spot - we were closer to the bathrooms and the cement blocks used in the pulling ring were helpful in setting up the grills.
Before we fired up the grills though, we had some pre-dinner entertainment with a Zumba class and that required another Tweet.
We're taking a Zumba class at 4H days and even got Fino to shake it up. Video to come later for sure. G is on job.
Sarah organized a dinner plan that included an old club tradition (she's been involved in the club since she was little) - make-you-own chicken and veggie tinfoil packet. It's the perfect campsite meal when feeding a group of kids with different food preferences. My family marinated chicken strips and others brought a wide variety of veggies. The kids were given a section of tinfoil and directed to butter a square in the center of the foil (to prevent sticking) and add whatever ingredients they wanted. Afterward the foil was folded closed, names written on the top with a permanent marker and then set on the grill. It took about 15 minutes to cook the packets (the chicken was cut thinly, as were the potatoes to ensure shorter cooking time) and it was really tasty.
Sarah also brought supplies to make homemade ice cream and of course that was another big hit. L. had a bit of trouble because she didn't close the inside baggie correctly and the salt from the ice on the outside leaked in to the cream and well, that batch was a salty concoction no one wanted to eat. But they got another serving going and it came out just right.
The after dinner activities included bean bag tossing, biking, jump roping (with light up ropes) and a bunch of other outdoor games Nicole brought (she brought tons of fun stuff for the kids to do) and I was very appreciative she had a variety of ways to keep the kids entertained since sleeping was the last thing on their minds.
There was some evening rain (an affirmation moving to the shelter of the pulling ring was a good thing) and we woke up early (in part for me because the bleating goats were so loud even though they were several barns away - and L. can debate all she wants, we aren't getting goats) to get breakfast rolling before more workshops.
L. woofed down her pop-tart and then broke out her "Bad Cats" book. This is a book that is not exactly appropriate for her age-group (some adult humor) but most goes over her head. I do not however encourage L. to share this book her friends but she ignores this advice because it's a favorite (she blogged about this book if you're unfamiliar with it) and this prompted another Tweet.
L just broke out her 'bad cats' book at breakfast. Now corrupting her friends with potty humor. Good thing lots goes over their heads.
After 15 minutes of hysterical laughing on L.'s part with her friend S. about various cats in this book and S. trying to convince his mom he had to get a copy for himself (sorry Nicole!), the group digressed into more colorful breakfast conversation that prompted yet another Tweet.
Breakfast conversation at campsite also includes story from friend of beer drinking goat. Then, cats don't lay eggs.
After much laughing the group headed off to their various workshops. G. worked with a group of younger 4-Hers in a digital photography class in the morning and L. had a blast (literally) with her Rocketry class with the NASA Challenger Learning Center instructors. The rocketry class was so successful with their various designs that an announcement had to be made to ensure everyone on the fairgrounds was aware of flying rockets and to keep an eye out to avoid them (one rocket shot over several barns and landed several hundred yards away from its launch pad). L.'s rocket only shot 10.5 meters high but I think naming her rocket, "Piggy Titus" (after her pig Titus, which she explains to people means "giant" in Latin), was actually the highlight for her.
My kids said several times during this trip that they really liked camping with friends and Fino and I agreed. Both Sarah and Nicole has brought all kinds of 'extras' we don't typically bring on a camping trip. My kids were happy to have other moms around who had the planning skills (and energy) to pack all those things that made a trip extra special and this prompted another Tweet.
Everything we forgot camping our friend Nicole had. Her car and trailer held all, along w/3 kids and a chicken. My kind of mom friend.
We don't have any other firm plans to go camping again this summer but if it ever stops raining I know the kids will be calling their friends and trying to talk their parents in to planning another trip.
I'm grateful for today's sun because I'm hoping it dries up some of the mud in the pig pen. The pigs, who I mentioned previously have a mission to dig to China in them, have completely destroyed all the grass in their living space. And because of that and all the rain we've had the past few weeks, walking in to the pen to feed the pigs has been a very messy ordeal that absolutely requires tall rubber boots.
But Fino came through with some "upgrades" yesterday that allow for fewer visits in to the pen. He installed a barrel feeder that drops grain in to a box for the pigs eat (a tarp above the pen keeps the box relatively dry). The added bonus of this contraption is that it will save us money on grain since the pigs can't knock over the box (it's secured to the side of the shelter and has a box inside to control the release of grain) like their old feed pans.
To avoid all the spilled water dishes that make the mud even juicier, he installed some reinforced pipes (protected by a 3-foot stake in the ground) for water spigots that release water when the pigs nibble on them (it's nice they have something other than my butt to bite).
These pen upgrades took a couple of weeks because we were trying to avoid buying special livestock equipment (it can be pricey) and Fino needed some time to work out the building details. And after L. measured the pigs and discovered that Pulchra was approx. 130 pounds and Titus was about 120 pounds, we knew we needed to make everything extra sturdy. When pigs at these weights want to push something around they can do it!
L.'s been knocked around a little bit recently (we've been told pigs get more aggressive as they get older and we're seeing some of that) but the pigs like it when she scratches their backs so they don't mess with her too much. Even a few pig "kisses" is a majorly messy affair because these animals are covered from head to tail in mud (and appear happy to be that way) so L. leaves the pen covered in mud well above her tall rubber boots.
I am thankful for today's sunshine and hope that the forecast for the rest of the week is drier than predicted. If not, at least L.'s visits to the pen can be minimized to scooping poop and making sure the feeder and water spigots are working correctly.
Oh, and when you tell your kids to clean their room because it's as messy as a "pig pen" well, now you have some perspective on what that really means.
G. showed her cow Sparkles at the 4-H Jamboree this past weekend and things did not go quite according to plan. G. was nervous (this was her first show ever) and that in turn made her already spirited cow nervous which made for a challenging combination. But even after the initial antics of her cow and G.'s tenacity in getting control of the 1,000-pound animal in the ring (G. has an innate sense of how to handle her animal and good upper body strength from working with this particular cow), they finished with a blue ribbon for their efforts.
And there was a big sigh of relief from G. (and her cow she believes) that the show was over.
After some jumpy behavior, which I knew G. could handle because Sparkles has done this sort of thing before at the farm, both G. and Sparkles calmed down and did OK in the end. Here's a short video clip of her and Sparkles in the show ring.
In addition to showing animals (beef, dairy, sheep), there were workshops for kids to learn new skills at Jamboree. L. participated in a poultry showmanship class that taught her how to bathe a chicken, which was really simple actually -- just a pan of water and a few drops of castile soap. There were a few "ewwws" in the group when it came to washing the chicken's vent (i.e., butt) but L. was really interested because she's been wanting to do this for years (my kids love grooming animals of all kinds). The kids also learned the things they would be required to do in the show ring with their chicken and by the time the class was over, L. was excited about showing her chickens at the fair this year.
L. also spent some time with her pig club to learn about board training. Since pigs can not be halter-trained like other livestock (their bodies aren't conducive to halters), boards are used to guide the pig in the show ring. Upon first glance it looks easy but there are some finer points to making the pig go where you need it to and that includes taking it slow and easy as well as staying calm. L. is not generally an easy-going, calm type around animals (she's her mother's daughter in this respect) but she did really well working with the pig (his name was Snuggles) at this workshop and was eager to try this at home.
When L. applied the skills she learned at Jamboree on Pulchra and Titus, well, let's just say that things did not go quite so smoothly (and will likely be the subject of a future blog entry).
G. was all about cows at Jamboree and she and the other kids involved in beef projects participated in a clipping contest. Several cows were put in crates and teams had an hour to make the designated cows ready for the show ring. G.'s favorite part of the beef project is grooming her animal and although she's still learning the finer points of using the clippers (a moving object requires a practiced and steady hand), she enjoyed working with her team to get the cow looking her best.
Not knowing much about showing myself, I was unaware of the number of hair products used to get a cow ready for the show ring. The supplies brought to the fairgrounds include shampoos, conditioners, gels and sprays. One of the moms of a more experienced showman said she gets funny looks at the hair salon (for people) when she buys multiple bottles at a time and not sure she wants to offer the explanation they are actually for a cow. And she said that most women she knows who are primpers would be put to shame in comparison to her son's array of products and primping for his cows.
It was a busy day at the fairgrounds but a great learning experience. G.'s not sure she'll be showing Sparkles at any fairs this year but she's exploring some ideas that will take her to the barn stalls at a couple of fairgrounds this summer.
With pigs, chickens and cats we've got a lot of waste disposal duties distributed among family members at our house. Some days I feel like there is no escaping animal poop, especially when one of the chickens decides to leave a present on the front door stoop (I always look down before taking that step now because I've stepped in a 'present' on my way to the office in my nice shoes more times than I care to remember).
Or when one of our three cats leaves a present on the rug next to the litter box (and it's never our blind cat's mistake as we could understand if he missed his mark but our female cat who is persnickety about her litter box).
But the mounds and mounds of pig waste L. deals with every day is probably the worst of the disposal duties.
So it's no surprise that L. has poop on the brain these days and decided to make an outhouse out of recycled cardboard for her Webkinz animals ("all animals have to poop mom").
Last night she decided to spray paint her outhouse metallic gold and added the final details, including a mini toilet paper holder. I questioned the gold color choice but L. explained that this was a "stylish outhouse" and I was reminded yet again of her unique and creative spirit.
"It's a bling bling outhouse, a stylish way to pee."
"It's a bling bling outhouse, a stylish way to store your manure."
I only had my cell phone handy so I used the voice recording option to capture her explanation, which I posted with a photo of her creation on YouTube (it's not really a video but was the easiest way to post it). This short clip is quintessential L. -- aka an "L-ism" as referred to by friends and family.
Being this child's mother is a test of my sense of humor as well as damage control to explain comments made out of context and just plain stamina because I never know what will come out of her mouth next. But one thing I do know (and appreciate) is that life with L. is never dull.
