House Cleaning...

Today was a great day for house cleaning...but not mine!

Today it was the chickens' turn... 

I emptied out the shed, and started shovelling.  Last spring, I put the straw and manure on my garden for fertilizer, but decided against it this fall.  Chicken manure is high in nitrogen, and too much nitrogen in the soil tends to produce large plants, but little "fruit", so I think I'll have Jim spread some cow manure on the garden this winter instead.  It will have plenty of time to work it's way into the soil before I plant next spring.

I put the feeder outside while I was shovelling, and the ladies had a feast...

And just in case you ever wondered if a chicken has a tongue...

The whole time I was working, I had a guard covering the gate, watching for escapees...

It's a good feeling to have this job complete.  I always think that once their shed is house cleaned, the chickens should lay more eggs, but it doesn't seem to work that way!  The days are getting noticably shorter, and I've been finding fewer eggs this past week.  But there's nothing wrong with hoping, is there?

West Lampeter Fair...Day 4...

It's Friday night, and there's a mixed bag of emotions...

We're tired, but had a great time at the fair this week.  Tonight was a tough one, though.

You see...all of those animals that were shown at the fair, with the exception of the dairy cows and heifers, were sold tonight. Each youth sent out letters to potential buyers for their animals over the past few weeks in hopes that they would purchase their animal at tonight's youth livestock auction.  Everyone hoped that their animal would turn a profit...

Family, friends and buyers filled the stands.  First, the steers were sold...then the pigs, lambs, dairy beef and goats.  There were lots of tears.  The youth spent months caring for and training their animals, and tonight they had to say goodbye...

We're going to miss these girls!  This is how April and Dot spent many of their days...curled up together on their platform that Grandpa made.  Maybe they thought it was a throne...

Thanks for following fair week with me.  I took pictures and wrote from my perspective, but there's oh, so much more than this!  If you've never been there, mark your calendars for next September!...it will be here again before we know it!

West Lampeter Fair...Day 3...

Today at the fair was different from any other day we've ever spent there.

This was the first time that anyone in our family was involved in showing an animal...and it put a
whole new perspective on fair life.  Now, when we walk through those dairy, pig, sheep and goat barns, we know how much work was put into raising and training those animals...all for one show in late September!

The day began by heading to the fair right after breakfast.  Jenna took the day off school, because we didn't know how long it would take to prepare for the show.  She fed and watered April and Dot, and then gave them a bath.  It was a little chilly, so she towelled them off thoroughly before we took them back to their pens filled with fresh shavings...

There were several 4-H'ers and FFA-ers from Church that were showing animals this week, and quite a few supporters showed up to watch and encourage them.  We are so thankful for the support that all these kids are given...they know they are loved!

Grandma and Grandpa were there looking on...

 

The goats were divided into classes according to weights.  Dot weighed in at 80 pounds, and was shown in the second class of the afternoon...

After the individual goats were judged, the showmanship judging was held.  The kids are judged on their poise and confidence, always keeping their eyes on the judge, keeping the animal between themselves and the judge at all times, the ability to answer individual questions asked by the judge, and more.  Jenna could chose which of her goats to show for this, and she chose April.  Here, the judge is asking her about the parts of the goat and the feed she used...

Here the judge is explaining the reasons that she placed them where she did, and giving constructive criticisms.  She was a very encouraging judge...told them not only where they could improve, but what they did right...

And the color of the day was...RED...both April and Dot placed second in their weight classes, and Jenna placed second in showmanship for first year participants in her age group!  We are proud of her! 

Raising these goats was a learning experience from day one... a lot of hard work and fun all wrapped up in one. (I'll ask Jenna to write about it someday as a guest blogger.)

My computer is giving me headaches tonight...it won't let me type underneath the last picture, so I'll wrap it up right here...I should have one more post tomorrow night..

The night was topped of by a delightful young lady that we know well, getting the thrill of the evening...GRAND CHAMPION DAIRY BEEF!  Congratulations Katie!!

West Lampeter Fair...Day 2...

Day two at the Lampeter Fair began quietly.

The fair grounds were quiet and empty, save a few people who came early to feed their animals or to prepare for a morning of judging exhibits.   It will look a lot different tonight...

 My first responsibility this morning was to make sure that the judging of the baked goods ran smoothly.  We have two great judges that come year after year, and a wonderful group of volunteers who helped to display the judged items and prepare them for the evening's baked goods auction.  One of the fringe benefits of this job is the taste testing...

We were finished soon after lunch, and I headed home to tie up some loose ends.  After evening milking, we headed back over to the fair.  We caught the tail end of the antique tractor parade....there's that 1936 John Deere D again!  We were hoping to watch Marty participate in the tractor pull, but it was just too muddy, so it was cancelled.  That was disappointing, but mud is mud...

While Jenna headed off to feed her goats, Eric searched out friends, and Jim meandered around and talked with old friends, I headed to the baked goods auction.  All of the items that were judged this morning were sold tonight, and the proceeds put into the fair's general fund.  Although the total amount of entries was down this year, we still had  a good sale.  This young lady baked the prize winning Hershey's Chocolate Cake, and will be eligible to compete at the State Farm Show in January.  Her cake sold for $47...

I bought this blue ribbon Apple Pie...and it is delicious!  That little piece that is missing is the part that the judges tasted.  They left us a lot to enjoy...

I'll leave you with this image of total relaxation after a long day...

Tomorrow will be another busy day at the fair.  Jenna will be taking the day off school to prepare for the goat show.  Above all, we hope she enjoys herself! 

Stay tuned for more pictures!

West Lampeter Fair...Day 1...

Today was the beginning of the annual Lampeter Fair!

We hear...

Maaaaaaa...

Baaaaaaaa...

Moooooooooo...

Putt...Putt...Putt...Putt...

Laughter and the constant murmur of conversation...

We smell...

French fries...funnel cakes...sausage sandwiches...

Ummm...manure!

We see...

Old tractors...

Goats, sheep, pigs, steers, horses...

Quilts, crafts, baked goods,

Old friends...

Tents full of commercial exhibits (and free pens!)...

We feel...

Excited for another fair season...

Full from eating fair food...

Sad just thinking about saying goodbye to our 4-H animals...

Exhausted but happy...

And oh yes...a bit wet and muddy from the rain this afternoon...hopefully that's the last of it for the week!


  A line formed at the office for exhibitors to register their various entries....

Jim and I took Jenna's goats, April and Dot, over to the fair while she was in school.  After school, she came over and fed them and settled them into their pen.  They're happy to be surrounded by so many goat friends.  They don't know it, but their siblings are only a few pens away.  The goat show will be on Thursday at 4 pm...

My brother in law Marty entered his 1936 John Deere D in the antique tractor competition.  Tomorrow night he will participate in a tractor parade and an antique tractor pull.

Starting her up...

Heading down the driveway towards John Deere row...

 It sat in the middle of a Kansas field for umpteen years before he brought it to Pennsylvania and got it running last December.  He hasn't stopped grinning since!

It's just the beginning of a busy, fun week.  Entries will be judged tomorrow morning, and then the fair will be open to the public beginning at 1 pm.

Each night I hope to share a few pictures or stories from the day...stop by to see how it goes!

In Search Of...

In search of...

...a caption...

Ag Bag Row...

I call it Ag Bag Row...

The yard on the north side of our house is full of marshmallows...more than we've ever had before, and here's why...

This year has been challenging weather-wise to say the least!  We had an extremely wet spring...had a horrid stretch of hot, humid weather in July...had several weeks with no rain...then we battoned down the hatches for Hurricane Irene one weekend...and then amost drowned from Tropical Storm Lee the very next week...

   We prefer feeding good quality dry hay to the cows, but sometimes the weather just doesn't cooperate.  In the middle of the summer when the sun is hot, Jim listens for a forecast of three to four good drying days before he mows hay.  This summer was unusual!  We have one full hay mow of dry hay upstairs in the barn, and part of another, but a lot of the hay was baled wet, in round bales, and then wrapped.  After baling, the bales are left to cure for at least two weeks before being opened and fed.  This is what we call "Balage".

Jim marks them with spray paint, so he knows which field they came from, and sometimes the date they were baled...

E4...fourth cutting, from rental ground at "Esbenshades"
TS...this hay was from next to the "tobacco shed"
H5...fifth cutting from "home"
OFWP...from the "other farm" next to the well pump
OF5  9/19...fifth cutting from the "other farm"...baled on September 19th

We're almost finished with fifth cutting, and will possibly get a sixth off of some fields!  We'll see...

Ag Bag Row might not be quite done growing!

**Linking again to Farm Friend Friday...over at Verde Farm