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 rocket L. made at her rocketry class - Piggie Titus - is still operational and she and Fino are quite literally having a blast with it.
Last weekend Fino built some sort of pressurized rocket launcher thingie that connects to his air compressor. (Can you tell I'm not the science genius at our house?) I don't know exactly how he made it but he and L. have been launching Piggie Titus in the backyard over and over again for the past week and a half.
L. has been experimenting with the rocket's wings and decided that the pizza box ones she made last weekend were inhibiting the rocket's potential for flying higher. Both she and Fino agreed Piggie Titus was better off with a nose adjustment (there's clay in the tip of the rocket that they tweak and re-balance). So Piggie Titus has been launching sans wings lately and since that adjustment, has been flying over the house and clear in to another part of the backyard. L.'s theory about going wingless appears to be working out just fine.
L. wears her coat for launches so she doesn't get too wet (water rockets spray everything out as it launches) and the ear protection because she doesn't like the loud popping noise at launch. She's a persnickety one with some things but it usually doesn't stop her from having fun. G. was going for some photos like she took at the Maine 4-H Day's rocketry class but had less open space to set herself up to take video and photos. G. took some video but missed the first launch when the chickens didn't know what was going on and were curious so they got really close to the launch box (they are always part of the backyard antics). But they backed off more quickly than they did with the Mentos and Diet Coke experiment a few years back because they sensed this blow up was going to be much bigger once the air compressor started.
And because I can't resist a moment to reminisce, I tracked down that Mentos video (Fino loves to make things explode - it's his inner child that L. in particular appreciates), you can watch the initial curious chicken turn in to a runaway:
I'm not sure how much longer Piggie Titus is going to stay together (the bottle and tape are showing signs of significant wear today) but I would guess before the summer is out there will likely be a next generation rocket on the horizon. This backyard science stuff has been keeping the kids (I include Fino in that reference) happy in the yard even if the chickens aren't so keen on it.
I'm a little worried what they will come up with next...
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 Almeida family has a few suggestions for you of activities and places to explore this summer with your family.
Mining for gems
You don't have to know anything about rocks and geology to take your kids on a mining adventure. Just gather a couple of simple supplies and hike to a public quarry. Oh, and be prepared to bring home a large bag of treasures, because the kids are going to want to keep everything they find.
Get a full listing of public quarries at the state's website (www.maine.gov/doc/nrimc/mgs/explore/mining). Below are a couple of places my family has visited and really enjoyed.
A suggested supply list:
Hammer; chisel; sturdy canvas bag to carry treasures home; safety glasses (There can be a lot of flying debris when kids are splitting rocks with hammers, so be sure to protect their eyes. If you don't have safety glasses, sunglasses work OK in a pinch).
MOUNT APATITE, AUBURN
There are two quarries at Mount Apatite open to the public, the Maine Feldspar and Greenlaw quarries. Quartz, feldspar and mica are plentiful here and for families new to mining, these gems are easy to identify and can be quite pretty. My family has also found small pieces of tourmaline and apatite and the kids covet those finds. (Read previous blog entry about this area)
PERHAM'S, WEST PARIS
Perham's is a jewelry store (800-371-GEMS), but it also has a mineral display of uncut gems from the mines of Maine. It's a great stop to learn more about identifying rocks and gems you might find while mining. Perham's also owns several quarries and you can request a free map at the store to visit its public quarries. My family has visited the Waisanen Quarry and the 1/4-mile hike from the trail head is an easy trek with our gear (it's the outbound trip with our bag full of treasures that would make anything longer more difficult for us to manage). When we have visited this quarry there have been both coarse and fine screens next to a nearby pond. This is a great way to gather, rinse and identify various gems – not something found at many other public quarries.
WESTERN MAINE MINERAL ADVENTURES, PARIS
This mining experience is a bit different because it is a screening location. Here you screen a bucket of mine run material containing different gemstones from local mines. Visitors are assigned a worktable to screen and wash the contents of their bucket to find gems. What we like about this experience is that there are knowledgeable people on hand to help identify the gems you find. But be warned that screening can be addicting and it can get a bit pricey if you fill multiple buckets (prices start at $10 per bucket). Check out the website for pricing details - www.diggems.com. (Read previous blog entry about this place)
Hiking
During the summer, a hike that leads to a quiet swimming hole or another special destination motivates everyone in the family to take a trek together.
A suggested supply list: Bathing suit and beach towel (if there's water anywhere along the trail the kids are going to want to go for a dip); binoculars; sunscreen and bug spray; bird and/or tree identification guides; water (frozen overnight so it stays cold in backpack); picnic lunch.
DIANA'S BATH, WHITE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL FOREST, NORTH CONWAY, N.H.
A short hike (less than a mile) on an easy, packed gravel trail brings visitors to waterfalls at Lucy Brook that includes rocky basins to take a dip. There is an outhouse at the trail head but not at the waterfalls so plan accordingly with kids. And bring a change of clothes to do a bit of shopping at the outlet stores a short distance away. Also note there is a $3 parking fee at the trail head. (Read previous blog entries about this place)
MORSE MOUNTAIN, PHIPPSBURG
The two-mile (one way) trail, which is mostly paved, takes hikers to the summit of Morse Mountain and then on to Seawall Beach. The elevation gain on this hike is around 100 feet total, so it's not a difficult climb – and it's stroller-friendly for those with little ones who might not be able to walk the full distance on their own. Be sure to bring both bug spray (for the wooded trail) and sunscreen (for the beach) on this hike as well as beach towels, because no one will be able to resist hanging out at the beach and taking a dip in the ocean. (Read previous blog entry about this place)
GRAFTON NOTCH STATE PARK, NEWRY
The trail to Table Rock is approximately a three-mile hike (a round-trip loop) that's well suited for children with some experience hiking (the elevation gain is about 900 feet, so be sure your child is ready for that) and includes some time on the Appalachian Trail. My kids enjoy chatting with thru-hikers they meet on the AT and it makes for an interesting geography (and history) lesson about the trail. If you are not up for hiking a mountain, there are some shorter (with less elevation gain) hiking trails that will appeal to younger family members at the park. Screw Auger Falls is an interesting place for kids to explore with its exposed rock and pools of water (good for dipping feet). And Moose Cave is also a fun stop to explore and learn a bit about the geology of the area as well. (Read previous blog entries about this place)
PINE TREE STATE ARBORETUM, AUGUSTA
There are several miles of hiking trails on fairly level terrain so families can choose a loop that suits their fitness level. The hosta garden is particularly entertaining and features "Abba Dabba Do" and "Elvis Lives" varieties (yes, those are real hosta plant names). The Almeida kids love reading the plant identification plaques on this trail and the hosta garden is a great incentive to get the kids excited about this trail system.
(Read previous blog entries about this place)
Orienteering
Orienteering is a treasure hunt using a map and compass – only instead of a treasure chest, participants try to find various control stations. Each control station has a unique hole punch, which participants use to mark a course card before moving on to the next station. Control stations are positioned both on and off trail but are always located on a distinct feature like a large boulder, the top of a knoll or near a stream. It's a great way to teach the kids about maps, and even if mom and dad aren't fluent with using a compass, these courses offer maps that are easy for novices (and using a compass is not required).
One suggested supply apart from hiking gear: compass.
We went to Chipman Farms in New Gloucester with friends yesterday morning to pick strawberries. We each brought a container and it turned out my family picked 22 pounds in about 1/2 hour, which was an indicator that the berries were plentiful even if the poundage was a bit more than I had planned on buying.
The girls decided they wanted to make jam and after a quick stop back at our friend's house for some rhubarb, we decided on a strawberry-rhubarb jam recipe.
Once the canning was done, both girls wanted to do more baking with the extra rhubarb (thunderstorms were keeping us indoors anyhow) and after sifting through several cookbooks L. settled on rhubarb pie and G. chose rhubarb coffee cake (a recipe suggested by our friend Sarah). I had never cooked with rhubarb and the girls liked the jam so much that they really wanted to experiment with some other rhubarb recipes.
The girls made them all by themselves (I was tired after cleaning up the canning mess) and both desserts received a thumbs up by the whole family (especially the coffee cake, which reminded us of spice cake that we all love). Here are the recipes in case you're inspired to do some baking with your fresh fruit.
RHUBARB-STRAWBERRY JAM From: Ball (canning) Blue Book
4 cups crushed strawberries
2 cups chopped rhubarb
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 package powdered pectin
5 1/2 cups sugar
Combine strawberries, rhubarb, lemon juice and pectin in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Return to a rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary. Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Yeilds about 6 half-pints. (We made this recipe twice)
RHUBARB COFFEE CAKE From: MerryMakers 4-H Club 3rd edition cookbook by Nanie Thibault
2 cups flour
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk
2 cups rhubarb, cut up
Topping:
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup coconut
1/4 cup chopped nuts
4 Tablespoons margarine
Sift 2 cups flour, 1 1/4 cups sugar, soda, salt and spices. Beat eggs, then add oil and milk. Combine flour and milk mixtures. Fold in rhubarb. pour into greased 9x13 inch pan. Mix 2/3 cup flour, brown sugar, margarine, coconut and nuts. Sprinkle over top of the cake. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.
(We didn't have coconut or nuts and the recipe still came out great. Oh, and G. used a bundt pan instead of the suggested pan and it worked fine. She said cakes taste better when she uses that pan.)
RHUBARB PIE From: Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook
1 pie crust
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups fresh sliced rhubarb
Crumb topping
Topping:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tablespoons butter
Mix flour and sugar until combined. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
In large mixing bowl stir together sugar, flour and cinnamon. Add rhubarb. Gently toss until coated. Transfer rhubarb mixture to pie crust. Sprinkle crumble topping over filling.
There are a couple of things wrong with this picture I took tonight of L. feeding her pigs. Can you guess what they are?
1. L. weighs less than a hundred pounds yet her boots are sinking in to the mud up to her ankles by the feeder and it's making dumping grain tricky (it's actually much deeper in other places in the pen where we haven't been dropping hay and shavings to soak up some of the water). It's also a majorly messy affair with the pigs swinging their bodies around in excitement of getting their dinner, which means that she's typically covered in mud in less than a minute. The upside is that at least she knows how to use the washing machine...
2. L. is wearing her winter coat. Yes, that is the same coat she wore on the February cover of the magazine (which was shot during a big snow storm) and it's not because she's one of those kids who is always cold. No, the temperature reading at our house says 55 degrees and it's not even fully dark yet (is it really July 2?).
3. Even after dumping leaves, wood shavings and hay today, I don't think the mud pit, which used to be the pig pen, will ever dry out. I usually take the glass half-full approach to things but I'm thinking that half-full isn't sounding as ideal as half-empty right now.
4. Not pictured. The creative stringing of the cord that powers the electric fence, which has shorted out a couple of times recently (that's very bad since the pigs still haven't given up on their dreams of freedom) because of the increasing volume of puddles around the pen.
Even with these wrong things, there is some frolicking -- gloating even -- going on at our house with all this rain.
Curse those ducks.
The ducks are in a constant state of motion running from puddle to puddle in our yard and happily quacking the day away. So much so that I couldn't even catch an in-focus picture of them because they appear to be elated to have so many bodies of water in such close proximity to play in these days. They can't seem to settle on just one.
OK, I've said my peace that life with animals isn't so easy right now but I figure at this point things can only get better. Right?
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.
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. 
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.
