The Clark County 4H fair is in full swing. We have been preparing for this for several months now...mostly. Up until Saturday morning around 9:20, Madolyn was still putting final touches on her scrapbook which was to be judged around 10:15 (you know, in less than an hour)...but that is how we roll around here. That is the only general project for Mad this year, thank heavens, and she got an A with a blue ribbon!
Then there's the horse, Woody. Woody is a big, beautiful guy in his mid-teens. He & Mad hit it off the first time they met, and minus a rough patch last year, have done very well together. Thankfully, Woody has come to his senses and returned to his old self. He was for sale for a while (which is better than the alternative around here, nothing intentional, just seems to be the norm) but we couldn't get rid of him and now I'm glad that we didn't. Woody and Madolyn will be showing off in the horse ring later this morning. It was priceless last year during the horse show when Madolyn & Woody were doing barrels, everyone was cheering for Woody (as in hurry up, you old horse) and clapping and yelling for them. I loved it. I just laughed because I knew why they were cheering. He's not exactly known for his speed, but he carries on. They did great, especially for it being their first time in a real competition. No awards, but they completed the classes and there were no major mishaps. I'm looking forward to another performance today.
Tomorrow is the goat show. We lost our beloved, Sandy, this year so it will be a little different without her in the ring. Madolyn showed her the first year of 4H and received Grand Champions on her; showed her last year and got another Grand Champion with her. She was so gentle and sweet. This year the main attraction will be Dude. Dude, twin to Dodger the blind and somewhat retarded goat, is looking pretty good so far. He is very friendly and doesn't mind Madolyn pulling him around to and fro. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how it goes.
Madolyn does such a good job in the ring. She takes it seriously and tries so hard to do everything right. It makes my heart swell with pride when I watch her maintain her composure as an unruly goat tries to pull away. Last year right when the judge looked her way, she walked in front of the goat during the showmanship competition. You could just see her facial expression, it told the story. 'Oh crud, I just screwed up.' The judge kinda laughed as he told her, "Young lady, you knew what you did wrong as soon as you did it, didn't you?" He couldn't give her Junior Showmanship, she received the Reserve. It's okay, she did a great job and we were proud of her, of course. The key was that she knew what she had done wrong when she did it and I bet she doesn't do it again.
4H is such a great program. It's not just about animals and farm life. There are lots and lots of general projects to choose from. This year I was a judge's helper and I learned a lot about the various project choices available to kids. I really had no idea. It's awesome to see these kids' work and hear them describe what they did, why they did it and see their confidence. I believe it really does help prepare kids for their futures and I encourage you to support your local 4H program if possible. With our great state's financial situation, programs like these are having their budgets cut in many ways.
Ask me, oh, about Wednesday morning how I feel about my heart, head, hands and health...I bet I won't be so chipper...but we'll relax, regroup and start planning for the next year. Lane has another year to wait and then he would like to show pigs...Heaven help us!
1 comment:
I think 4H is great. Only wish I had known it was when my kids were young.
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