Amazing weekend!

This past weekend was so much fun, such a great way to start off the summer! Friday night was Little Black Dress Night, an annual event to celebrate being young women. It's always a good time, and this year we had a small but very fun group. We got all gussied up and headed to Trostel's Dish, a tapas restaurant, and shared appetizers featuring foods we had never heard of. After that we supported our local theater by attending the Des Moines Playhouse's production of The Wedding Singer. The food was great, the show was great, and the girls were great. After the show we headed back to my house and made mini chocolate cakes--perfect way to end a girls' night out!

The next morning my sister and I were off to the Worth County Fair. We went up to support our dad (more on that later), but the moment we rolled into the driveway we were put to work. Saturday morning of the fair is the beef show, and even though we're too old to show at the 4-H show, my parents haven't slowed down a bit. My cousin's boys both had a bottle calf and my parents also helped their future neighbors with their bottle calves. The family has purchased the land but won't move for a few years, but Dad already has them showing his cattle. This was their first year and I helped them wash and blow dry their calves and they were quick to learn and not afraid of the calves at all. They did a great job!

Cousin Kooper and his calf Schnitzel

This poor kid's calf fainted on him on the way into the show ring!

The neighbor girls showing Dad's calves

The main reason we went to the beef show on Saturday was actually for what happened after the beef show. My dad began a new program for the 4-Hers in Worth County called Catch-A-Calf, a program similar to what both my sister and I participated in at Ak-Sar-Ben when we were in high school. The participants were to be 13 years old or older, currently enrolled in the beef program, and would be returning next year to show at the beef show (not seniors). Four participants signed up, we released 4 calves (about the same size as the two in the picture above), and the kids had to catch them, put halters on them, and get them across finish line. The first two across the line win a calf. We were worried that the calves wouldn't put up much of a fight, but it was probably 10 minutes before the first one was caught. By an 11-year-old girl that was so eager they opened up the contest so she could enter. The three boys probably spent another 10 minutes before another was caught.

It was great entertainment; the crowd loved it and cheered and groaned with every move. I think Dad was a little disappointed that only 4 kids had signed up, but the response afterwards was overwhelming. People that watched it (the arena was packed and no one left until it was over) said how great it was to watch and kids came up and told him they wanted to do it next year. It was new, so the visibility helped. Dad was beaming by the end of the day. I'm so proud of him not only for taking this idea to the Worth County Cattlemen who decided to support this project for a few years (different farms will donate the calves each year), but he believed in it so much that he's donating this year's calves. The kids will get the calves in the fall, after weaning, and the contest begins. I can't remember all of the categories, but they will be judged on their record keeping, live show, carcass contest, rate of gain, showmanship... it will be a great program. Not sure what the winner gets, but it will be great for the beef program in the county. And it will also be a good way to get more Polled Herefords out there.

The rest of Saturday and Sunday was spent enjoying the fair. I ate way too much fair food, saw some old friends, played bingo, rode the carnival rides, watched the sheep show, perused the 4-H exhibit building, saw the horses and chickens and cattle... It was great to be back, and great to see so many familiar faces. I also spent some quality time with my family playing games, enjoying the fair, and just hanging out on the porch enjoying the beautiful weather.

The weekend couldn't have been any better. It's the beginning of busy; Rick's parents are coming up this weekend, then the State 4-H Conference is next week! I have a lot of things to get done between now and then!