Another Weekend in the Books...

For those of you who have been laughing alongside me, everyone is home, and settling back in...

Late Friday, Charlie and Wyatt rolled onto our property, and unloaded just enough so that Charlie could head in to town and pick things up for the duty he volunteered for- snack bar at the goat show. Originally when he volunteered, he expected to return on Tuesday, but for any of you who know my husband well... hunting season comes with lots of "surprises" and changing schedules!

Undeniably, though, Shadow Paws is SO HAPPY to have Wyatt home. They are so funny together!

Anyhow, the show was fun. Fortunately, folks put up with me asking them to verify which goat they are showing and the herd name multiple times, as I am terrified I am going to miss something and not get someone lined up when they are supposed to be.  Happily, the only ones missed were found before their classes!  I come home from these events not knowing how on Earth the show secretary/ organizer, Kate, can possibly be willing to manage all the paperwork required before the show and still show up with her own goats, not running for the hills by show day.  I don't mind lining folks up, and getting the submissions in to the association, but all that work she does!

Charlie had to make one last stop on the way to town, so other folks did pre-setup for the food booth, and then the food area turned into a man-cave of sorts, with other Dads pitching in to cook and help serve.

Wyatt came in and manned the raffle table.  After having done it last year, he doesn't need me at all.  He prides himself on pitching in without needing an adult, though when little ones come running through, I really believe he encourages them instead of calmly keeping them enjoying themselves constructively. I know that is just maturity, and that it will come with time and guidance, I will keep working on my patience!

The show was fun- a young man looked at me and told me it was the best day of his life. As Kate reminds us, they will have many best days, but I always hope the  youth will remember that this hobby of theirs is work- and lots of it- but at the root is it fun, with friendship and camaraderie.  Bailey did well in showmanship- 3rd of 8. This is only the second show with her new showmanship goat, who doesn't like to be crowded, and the youth just kept scooting up, so I think she was happy with that.  In a couple weeks will be a showmanship only show, hopefully she will continue to improve.

I still find there is a lot of anger in my heart for the people who made 4-H not fun for a while, and who continue to spread untruths, but as I sat in church this morning, I thought about how it frustrated me that I haven't softened my heart yet, and found that balance between standing up to people to demand the right, and practicing the compassion that I need to model for the kids and to not let those people change me. If you see me tripping over the juggling act, please be patient with me, but remind me to be the person I expect of me. It has been hard to practice forgiveness where people have hurt the children and not been held to account. But I know I will eventually be better for it.

After church, the children and I moved the guineas out to a pen where the Javas and Buttercups usually live. Those birds are temporarily living with the Buckeyes. I am hoping that it works for now so the guineas can establish their territory here, before any issues arise, because I am even more sure today that all of the Javas we raised have turned out tot be roosters!  Anybody need a Java rooster?

Wyatt and Charlie finished packaging up one of the two elk.  The other is still frozen, and they hope to finish it up tomorrow.  Bailey cleaned Glory's kidding pen again. No babies yet. A little more udder development, but based upon the breeding dates, we don't need to worry about them not arriving yet. Bailey will be keeping  close eye in between assignments this week!

Well, now the real work begins. Getting things put away, and getting the schooling back on track. I had planned for this couple weeks to be pretty light on school. After all these years with Charlie, I know to plan for crazy in hunting season, and he got to spend a lot of time on environmental science and orienteering with the kids while they were away.  I do think Wyatt's math books may have ended up in his grandfather's trailer, though, going to have to track those down in the morning!

Have a great week!  We will keep you posted about those babies, all the best to you all!

Kevin's New Friends, Chocolate and Snipe...

This morning, I brought home some new little friends for Kevin. Bailey helped me move a few birds around, and then once we had the VERY skittish Kevin in with the two little ones, we let them be for an hour or so with only checking in.  At first, Kevin was in the open section of the hutch, and the little ones were in the closed section.

Then, a little over an hour into it, Bailey went out to check, and Kevin and Chocolate were talking. Snipe was still in the other room.  But this was headway, so I asked Bailey to sneak out with the camera. (Excuse the already dirty hutch, please, the black feathers and poop make it look like I hadn't cleaned it before the move in!

Then Kevin went back in and visited with Snipe. Kevin seems to be taking a very friendly protector role with the two little ones, careful to step around them, even when being skittish, and gathered them up in the closed side for bedtime.

It is lots of fun to watch them together, it really makes me think Kevin was definitely needing friends to care for! We will see how they do, but for now things look great.  As you may remember, the guineas will grow to be part of our organic pest control support team. =) Such fun, and I look forward to watching them come into their own!

Hi, My name is Kevin...

Hi, my name is Kevin. The mama human who feeds me seems to think I should be friendly and socialized, so she keeps having me sit on her lap.  Then she proceeds to tell me I don't look like the chickens.  Funny but she got me to do a job the chickens don't do.

Ticks are prevalent in this area, and keep finding their way onto the property. When the mama human and the boy, Wyatt, went to the organic pest control place, they recommended guineas. That opened the door for a new job and a new home for me!  Apparently us guinea fowl like bugs even better than the chickens do. If you ask me, protein is protein, but I guess some birds are picky!

They promise me they are going to pick p a couple friends for me in the next few days. I am looking forward to that, because I am not quite as big as some of the birds here, but bigger than others, even though I am only a little over a month old.  The Wyatt human convinced the mama human that i look like the bird from "Up." I think that should mean treats and a movie, but apparently not.  So being that I am the first of the guineas to arrive here at Patriot's Dream on the anti-bug mission, I get the lead name of Kevin.

Wyatt also says the others will be Snipe and Chocolate, but I don't know what that is all about. I am just trying to grow up and am looking forward to more friends like me to arrive at the farm. Oh, and mama says she will keep you all posted about the progress of the mission, and to tell you that that is food I had in my feathers that landed in her lap. I don't know about her, but those human types are funny! I suppose as long as they keep feeding and being nice to me!

Urban Farming in Our Nearby "Kinda-big" Town of Tucson

Tuesday night, after work and the Farmers Market, I dashed downtown for a community meeting regarding urban livestock and gardening.  This is quite a hot button topic around the country these days.

From back in the historical context of our government encouraging all citizens to have two hens per person as layers and food source, to the modern times where folks seem to have come to believe that chicken comes without feathers on a Styrofoam plate with plastic wrap, there has certainly been a departure from the centrist viewpoint. As small farmers who believe in free range and organic, non-GMO practices, I read the notice talking about the concerns of the community representatives and thought I should go listen ot he concerns and, if needed or appropriate, be a voice for the middle ground.

In the meeting, were city officials looking at amendments to the city code, their staffers, and other farmers who managed livestock in the county area, as well as community members who believed in the proposed change for sustainable food sources, city livestock owners and gardeners  and community representatives from neighborhoods who were very concerned about the potential problems from  urban agriculture. There were abundant copies of the presentation slides, in addition to the legislation notes they were proposing. They took time to listen to everyone.

The staffers and those from the community who had been involved in the drafting of the proposed changes to the code had come into the meeting thinking they were ready to ask the council for a study session in October. But the folks who had been representing the community representatives hadn’t previously brought forward some of the intense concern being felt in a few of the neighborhoods.

Even in the most law abiding of communities, there are folks who abuse the rules and sometimes. We have a habit of sending eggs or pomegranates or homemade breads over the fences to thank neighbors for putting up with us in the Spring hatching and raising season before county fair. We are so lucky that our neighbors look at our silly little abode as a great neighbor, where they know what is going on and can drop by with grandchildren to check out the baby animals. But it isn’t like that for everyone.

And so, I ask, if this were your community, what would you think? What rules would you think were appropriate?