Halloween Dance

Only my son (a farm boy who shows pigs) and his girlfriend (a farm girl who shows pigs) would go to their school Halloween costume dance dressed as a man who shows pigs and his prize winning pig. LOL

I do have to admit that while he looked the way I see him dressed most days (jeans, boots, Heeren Farms jacket and hat), she looked so cute! She was most proud of her pink slip on "hooves" that she found for $1.00 at Target.

The Littlest Apple Tree

 This little guy to the left is a 4 yr old dwarf apple tree. Isn't he cute? Still just a baby as far as trees go, and just as confusing as any toddler can be as well.

We were told when we bought this tree that it takes at least 4 yrs for a tree to start producing fruit. He didn't grow at all until this year. Seriously, it was shorter than me until a few months ago. I'm only 5' tall, so you know how short it is.

Well that very next Fall, our little 1 yr old tree, gave us 1 cute little apple that you can see here.

Last year, our little 3 yr old tree (that was still barely 4-5 ft tall) gave us an entire tree full of apples. I seriously don't think another apple would have fit on there. It was amazing! Granted, they were all about the size of golf balls, but hey...we had apples!

Now we are on year 4. This is the year we would really start raking in the apples. I was so proud of my little tree for doing a nice job of growing over the past year. It was now around 6' tall and I couldn't wait to see just how many more apples we'd get this year. I waited and waited all year (apples are my favorite fruit after all). I could barely stand the excitement.

I thought of all the applesauce, apple crisp, and apple pies I could make, as well as fresh apple cider. True, I'd never actually make any of those things, because that requires using an oven, and mine is only there because I've heard kitchens without them look silly.  But...if I did want to, I'd have plenty of apples to do it with.

 Earlier this week I went out to see how the little apples were growing, and to get a guesstimate on how many apples we'd get this year. Look to the left. How many apples do you see? Zero? Me too.

Here I waited anxiously all Summer long, and wouldn't you know it, there is not a single apple to be found anywhere on that silly little tree. Not even one!



I am highly disappointed.

Farmers Market

Jay and I got up VERY early this morning to drive an hour to the Des Moines Downtown Farmers Market. They block off a large part of downtown and it's a festive atmosphere. It goes on every Saturday through October and it features all sorts of vendors: veggies, fruits, crafts, and food. There were several Asian stands with vegetables I had never even heard of.

Looking west towards the Court House

 

Did you know that Chinese green beans are like 2 feet long? Neither did I!

This food market is four city blocks long, including the side-streets for each block. We were told to get there early as the crowds arrives quickly, and oh my goodness I am so glad we listened. The market opens at 7am and we were there by 7:15. By 9:00 when we left, it was so crowded that it was hard to see the stands (especially for someone like me on the scootermobile lol).

 Jay paying for some sweet red onions

Jay was great and opened his wallet anytime I found something I wanted to get. He never once complained, even though I'm sure he was thinking "I got up early for some vegetables?" lol. He even took one load to back to the parking ramp where we were parked since the baskets on my scooter were full. What a guy. :)

I bought the usual things like green beans, onions, peppers, tomatoes, sweet corn, watermelon and cantaloupe, but I also found extra things like raspberries, freshly popped kettle corn, homemade dog treats, salsa, and fresh basil and parsley (I keep going to the fridge and sniffing those two items because they smell so good. LOL)

As you can see, the peanut butter dog biscuits were a hit!

Every other corner found a musician playing different songs. One couple played folk type music, one gentleman and his guitar sang oldies songs, one man had different horns and he was more of a jazzy crooner, and there was also an awesome jazz band. I loved the party type feel of the whole area.

One of the many stands full of all kinds of fresh produce, and some of the goodies we bought.

If you're ever in Des Moines on a Saturday morning, I highly recommend setting your alarm very early and going to the farmers market. We have been told that it's one of the top farmers markets in the country, and from what I have now seen, I believe it!

It's Tradition

The Iowa State Fair starts next week. This is a HUGE event, and people literally come from all over the world to visit. Here's a little trivia...did you know that a travel author listed our state fair as one of the top ten things to see and do before you die. Honestly...it's that big.

Our school system has now decided we will now be starting school BEFORE the fair is over. My nephew is scheduled to show his pigs on the first day of school. It's crazy!

Now some people might not think this is a big deal. But let's look at the big picture here. Let's be honest...Iowa is predominately an agricultural state. County & State fairs celebrate that fact. We don't have a Mt. Rushmore, or a Golden Gate Bridge, or even a Statue of Liberty. The State Fair and it's popularity is all we've got to celebrate.

I'll be honest enough to admit that I didn't fully appreciate the state fair before I had children who are raised in this lifestyle. Children who love this lifestyle. I have 2 girls who have actually shed tears over the fact that they only have one year left to show before their are too old. That's how much this is a part of them.

Farming is not just a job, it really is a lifestyle, and as I said, this is Iowa's predominant business & lifestyle. By all these schools deciding to start school before the fair is over, is to us, saying agriculture isn't important. That's a slap in the face to all the struggling farmers who are working so hard every day just to keep their farms going. Tell them it's not important.

We talked to Austin and told him that we would let it be his decision whether he started school or not right away, or if he waited until the fair was over. We also told him that we would support him 100% either way. Austin didn't even hesitate and he said "No way. I don't want to go. That's our fair, and I want to be there for all of."

Therefore, on August 19th, when children will be pulling on their brand new backpacks and heading back to our school for the first day, Austin won't be there. He will be with family, sharing and enjoying not only his lifestyle, but his heritage. And we couldn't be more proud of him for making that decision. Oh, and for the record, my nephew won't be in school either. We'll be cheering him on as he shows his pigs.

So we'll go to the fair and we'll enjoy ourselves.

We'll enjoy ourselves while walking through the baby pigs exhibit, even though we can see them at home.

 We'll  enjoy ourselves as we celebrate all the different species of livestock that are being exhibited...even cows, who may or may not have something against blondes. :)

 We'll enjoy the Butter Lady and her Butter Cow. Yes, it is a cow entirely made of butter. She does the cow every year, but she also does other things such as Elvis, Michael Jordan, and other celebrities.

And we will enjoy being there cheering and celebrating at the big boar contest. This is a picture of last years winner who was owned by Jay's twins cousins (one is pictured). They also won the previous year, and are hoping to win again this year.

And we'll also enjoy ourselves one evening at the best concert of all the concerts (in my opinon) that will take place at the fairgrounds grandstands: Sugarland (weeeeee!!! I'm so excited!!)







Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do. Not only is it is right...It's tradition.

Austin's Tractor

Austin totally rebuilt a 1949 John Deere tractor for an FFA project. It was judged at our county fair, and he will take it to the State Fair to be judged there as well.

Austin has wanted to do a tractor since he was a young boy, but you need to have completed at least one year in the FFA program at our school in order to be in the classes. So he was anxious to get started.

Jay and Austin found a tractor for him and brought to the school, along with several other students who were doing tractors. Some rebuilt the entire thing, some only did body work. Austin did the full rebuild.

Here's some pictures to show just how involved he had to get in this project:

 This is a picture of the front grill. It was green...sort of. Austin had to pound out dents and then totally sand it down before he could even think about repainting it.

The tractor had to be taken completely apart, to see what parts needed to be replaced (many did) and what could be reused. Even the ones that could be used had to be cleaned and sanded to make them look new.

Once the new parts came in, you couldn't just re-assemble the tractor because you still had more body work to do. As Austin said "sooo many stupid dents!" lol

Mechanics is not Jay's strong suit, and the FFA advisor has so many kids he's trying to help at the same time, so he allows kids to have someone come in and help them when needed. Our good friend, Jeff, is very mechanically knowledgeable and he was so great to come help Austin several times.

Jeff was also great when it came to teaching Austin how to put the newly rebuilt motor back together. Jeff talked Austin through how to do things when he helped him, but he made Austin do the actual work himself, so that he learned what he was doing, and why. What a great friend he is!

Once the body has been un-dented, and fully sanded, it then goes into the painting station. All the parts must be painted and if any mistakes are made, you have to sand those out and then repaint. The main parts of the body took 2-3 coats. After that, it's reassembly time.

If you look closely you can see all the nuts and bolts and cables that Austin had to clean or replace.He spent so much time on this project over the past year. They only have 1 1/2 hours each day in class ( although part of that is spent in the classroom). So most kids, including Austin came in before and after school to work on their tractors.

Remember that grill? Looks much better now doesn't it? :)  Austin's FFA Adviser came out to our place this Summer to help Austin apply the stickers and logos. You only get one shot with those and he has some special tool to aid in the application. It also helps to make sure you have it lined up properly.

After a very long year, the tractor was finally done. Austin is so proud of the job he has done on it, and so are we! When we asked him about doing another one he said "No way!" It took so much of his time, especially when you figure in school, sports, school music concerts, and homework. He also learned that he does not enjoy mechanics. He is a perfectionist like I am, and therefore he preferred the body work and painting, and enjoyed making sure it was just right.

However, he did say he'd like to redo another tractor without having to do the mechanical parts...just the body work. This next year he is taking a welding class in FFA, so who knows what will come of that. :)

Austin earned a purple ribbon at the fair for all his hard work, and purple is the highest ribbon you can be awarded.  We are extra proud because he was the only sophomore, and according to his Adviser, not many first year kids earn a purple.

As for the future of this tractor, it will remain a show tractor. With this being such a strong farming area, many have restored or rebuilt tractors over the years, so they appreciate all the hard work that goes into doing that. People are encouraged to drive their restored tractors through area parades, and Austin plans to do that next Summer.

In the meantime, it will travel to the State Fairgrounds next week to be judged there. We're keeping our fingers crossed!! :)

The 3 Little Pigs

Remember the story of the 3 little pigs?  While they were able to be safe in their Iowa farm home, the big bad wolf never gave up trying to blow it down. Hammy, Bacon, & Pork Chop got fed up with that wolf trying to constantly destroy their happy little barn. Their fear was at an all-time high, and their swine-esteem at an all time low.

After attending a self-defense course for pigs (no really...they do have them) they decided it was time to take back their lives...or at least, their part of the barn. They formed a gang and called it "Suínos Louco", which is how you say "Crazy Pigs" in Pork-tugese. They set out to prove they would no longer be bullied by the wolf or anyone, and they went on a wild rampage and became bullies themselves.

Hammy was the leader of the Suinos Louco.

The gang ran down the streets terrorizing anyone who got in their way.

Soon they were not happy with just taking back their part of the farm, but other parts as well. They thought the lush green grass in the horse arena looked like a great place to hang out and enjoy the breeze.

Hammy moved slowly, getting ever closer to the horses, while Bacon & Pork chop watched from a safe distance behind the rusty old wagon wheel. Max the horse gave one powerful kick to Hammy who let out a squeal and the gang retreated hastily. They learned to never try to have a turf war with gang members who are a bazillion times bigger than you.

The Suinos Louco showed up at our doorstep one day. Tucker did his best to try to scare them away, but it had no effect.

As I sat on the steps I tried to reason with them, but they wouldn't listen. How could I show Suinos Louco that they had better stop being bullies to all of us or else?

Then it came to me...

 The End

(Editors note: I whole-heartedly apologize for this sad attempt at a funny story. This is what happens when I wake up at 3am and can't get back to sleep. I call it an episode of "Thoughts Gone Wild". :-/  Someday there will be better sleeping medicines that will help keep things like this from  happening ever again. Until then, please bear with me.)

May I Have A Drum Roll Please.....

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you...... WATER.

That's right, our well is FINALLY finished! We now have good crystal clean water to do laundry in, do bathe in, to drink. Tomorrow night both girls will be home and we are going to dine with real dishes, not paper, and with real glasses and silverware, not plastic. We may even have to break out the candles.

I have to stop talking about it now. It gets me so happy I start to tear up like the Miss America winners do.

We Have Water -- Wait, No We Don't

If you saw my Project 365 post, you saw that the well company was here to dig our new well. However, in all projects there can be problems, and that was the case with our well.

The family owned/operated well company dug down 100'. They were sure they hit water, so they lowered some sort of pipe-thingy down into the hole, but found no water. While trying to remove the pipe, it somehow broke into several pieces.

Houston, we have a problem.

That meant they couldn't continue drilling there, so they had to start all over and drill a new well. I was getting worried that my yard could end up with so many holes in it that it resembled swiss cheese.

Houston, we have another problem.

The owner of the well company then informed us that a year ago they had scheduled a week long family vacation together, and unfortunately it was to start the next day.

So, there sits all the trucks and other equipment, looking like giant, ugly lawn ornaments and I can't wait for this week to be over so we can finally get this silly thing dug!


 And when it's done, I just may put on my swimsuit and run through a lawn sprinkler to celebrate!

A Moment Of Silence Please

Look at the picture. That is an empty salsa jar that has been filled with something. Can you tell what it is? Any guesses? Here's a hint...Remember the picture of our hot tub that I posted a couple of weeks ago? This is the same thing only in our kitchen.

Yep, it's water...from our well. Our well has died.

We have black water throughout the house...In our sinks, in our toilets, and in our showers & tubs...everywhere.

We've talked to the well service companies about getting a new well dug, but they are really busy at the moment and are guesstimating it'll be about 2 weeks before they can get to us - which means possibly 3-4 weeks before its done! ACK!

Think about going up to a month with no water in your house. Yes, we can still use the toilets, but no showering. No washing your face or hands. No brushing your teeth. No doing laundry or dishes (wait...maybe this isn't all bad lol). No cleaning the floors. No water for us or the dogs to safely drink.

Thankfully my wonderful in-laws are allowing us to invade their shower. While it's not convenient, it IS greatly appreciated. I'll go to a laundromat to do our laundry. Fun times huh?

So, I'm off to the dollar store for paper plates and cups. I'll also get bottled water for us to drink and jugs of bottled water (for the dogs and for brushing our teeth). I'll get an electric razor for the guys, plus some hand wipes to keep in the kitchen. Oh, and I'll need to stock up on Swiffer thingys for cleaning the floors.

Anything else I have forgotten?

Oy.

It's A Rerun

It's that time of year again, so I thought I'd rerun a blog post I did last year:

Jay Is Leaving Me

National Barrow Show

Austin is in our schools chapter of FFA, and our chapter is taking several kids to the National Barrow Show in Minnesota. This is like the Westminster of pig shows, without the chew toys, grooming & leashes.

They also have judging competitions, and that's taken very serious! We're talking major bragging rights for the school who's team wins! There are also individual competitions that are just as serious. Austin will compete in both, and he's very excited.

I try to be a good pig mama to my son, but I just don't get as excited about this as he does. Evidently it's something you need to grow up with, because my girls love it as well. As a matter of fact, when Ashley found out Austin was going on the trip, she was jealous and wished there was some way she could go again.

I stood there looking at her wondering if she could possibly have any of my genes in her.

Are your kids involved in something that seems odd to you and it makes you wonder if they could even be related to you? How do you share in that excitement?

The Great Swine Round-Up of 2009

They are aware that we can't speak their language, and despite popular theory, they are smart and use their secret language to their advantage. They devise a plan and go in to great detail being sure they have left nothing out. They are diabolical and precise. They planned and planned until the time was right for the Great Swine Breakout.

Ok, actually the truth is, that a couple of days ago one pig knocked down the fence (probably rubbing up against it scratching an itch). The others followed him through the new open door and woohoo it's a pig party ... all over the acreage!

Jay was eating lunch when the dogs started to bark. That's our sign that someone's pulled in, but this time it was to let us know the pigs were out. I wanted to warn the pigs to get back quickly, because they interrupted Jays soap, and that's never a good idea. He likes knowing what that sneaky ol' Erica is up to.



Some just stood frozen like a statue and stared at us. You could tell it was their first breakout. They really needed a mentor.







Others were more bold. They were obviously the veterans of the group. They knew where the best tasting grass was and they headed straight for it! (good thing they stayed away from the pumpkin plant!)





Then there were those so excited at all the new room they had to run around, that they just ran from here to there and back again...not sure what to do, but they were having fun doing it.

The farm cats were not amusedEspecially when everywhere they looked, there was a pig stalking them (well, to my knowledge, pigs don't really stalk, but as freaked as the cats were, I think THEY thought they were about to become kitty-kabobs).

The dogs watched, whined and barked. Back when we still had our old dog Sammi, she was great for chasing the pigs back to the barn. I tried to explain to Tucker that while he might think he's big and ferocious, in reality.....he could just as easily turn into a puppy-kabob.

While some were being rounded up, others ran around with reckless abandon, determined to enjoy the mayhem.

Or at least until that Farmer Jay guy came along and chased them back home.

The end.