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| Milestone roses take first place in competition |
8/28/13 Chatterbox
Betty Kaiser
“Time flies” is the lament of life. As our local W.O.E. fair
ended, I realized that the days of summer were winding down to a precious few
and school days about to begin. Oh, there are still vegetables to be picked and
fruit to be canned, but summer is on the way out!
One day its show time for 4-H and the next minute moms and
dads are scurrying around getting their kids ready for school. There are
clothes and school supplies to buy, haircut and doctor appointments to be made.
Carpools and after-school care must be arranged; older kids must be signed up
for classes and athletic teams. Whew. Being a parent is big job but rewarding.
I was reminded of the joys of parenting as I watched parents
and children participating in W.O.E. activities. It was particularly evident in
the livestock division. Clearly they were learning life skills that will serve
them well in every avenue of life. It made this mother’s heart happy to see
them working together.
I always wanted my kids to join 4-H but they were city kids.
I was interested in animal husbandry but they were not. They liked scouting and
camping but raising chickens, cows, pigs and sheep were not on their so-called
bucket list. And unless it was horseback riding, my grandchildren were equally
uninterested.
Of course, not having to raise animals (while I was raising
kids) saved me a lot of time and money. Maybe that’s why I like going to local
fairs and being around the animals so much. I get to appreciate other people’s
hard work and expertise without any personal investment.
Small town events are like family reunions. You get to
appreciate the achievements of other people’s children as if they were your
own. Saturday morning at the W.O.E. I reveled in the joy and interaction of everyone
from toddlers to teens to adults.
Sitting in the bleachers at 10 a.m. I was waiting for the
Lumberjack Show to begin. Axes were being thrown at targets and participants
were sizing up logs with a variety of saws. I had no idea there were so many different
chain saws! In the modified division the first contestant couldn’t get his saw
going and when he did, he couldn’t keep it going. Of course, as soon as he
walked off the field, it started! Everyone broke into applause. Family does
that.
A couple of little guys (brothers) were sitting in the
bleachers near me waiting for the competition to get going. The older of the
two, Gavin Williams, 5, had his very own plastic chain saw. After much coaxing,
he reluctantly posed for a picture with his saw. I can just imagine that he was
thinking that one day he’d be competing out on that field.
Suddenly, I heard a familiar noise. It sounded like horses.
It was horses! Two members of the Cottage Grove Riding Club had ridden up from
the creek and were watching the competition. Lending a little western
authenticity to the event, Macie was riding her horse Seven. Courtney was on
her horse Pete. Dressed in riding clothes, they were also members of the
Queen’s Court.
Meanwhile, the logging contest was underway and I learned a
bit about sawing and throwing that I didn’t know. For instance, did you know
that in the center of the axe throw target is a can of beer? It is warm and
shaken. Yuck. But if you hit it and the beer spills out, you receive extra five
points. Yea!
Later, I wandered into the barn to check out the livestock.
It was a busy place. In the small animal and birds category I saw a variety of
birds, chickens, guinea pigs and rabbits. Goats and some adorable shaggy sheep
were the biggest animals that I saw.
The kids not only showcased their projects but also
demonstrated animal knowledge at very young ages. Seven-year old Campbell Ellis
was incredibly poised and articulate as he stood at the exhibition table and
answered questions. His guinea pig and chicken each won a blue ribbon.
Eric Stone is
only three years old but this was his second year at the fair! This tow-headed
little guy was clutching a chicken that was almost as big as he was (maybe a
Bantam?). Also (if I understood it correctly) he had an Olive Egger rooster!
And yes, he also won blue ribbons.
The goats were so beautiful and such happy creatures.
Unfortunately, I was taking mostly mental notes so I don’t have names and
breeds to share. But I believe that Honey, Summer and Skye all belonged to the
Saucedo family. They were gorgeous beige and cream colors. I wanted to take
them and their shaggy sheep friends home to be our meadow mowers.
After I congratulated the kids, I moseyed over to the
textiles, culinary and food preservation divisions. I admired the quilts and a
huge squash and sunflower. Caroline Pettit filled me in on the fine points of
entering preserved foods for competition as I checked out some beautiful table
settings.
Finally, it was time to go and I discovered that I was a
winner! In my first entry—at any fair—my beautiful Milestone roses won first
place. Wow. A blue ribbon. I can’t believe it. I’m going to savor this all year
long while I plot my next entry.
Thanks, W.O.E., I had a great time. See ‘ya next year!
Disclaimer: I’m
a born and bred city girl. It’s pretty clear that I don’t know a rooster from a
hen. My apologies to anyone whose name I have misspelled or animal I have
incorrectly identified. Corrections gladly accepted. Congratulations to all!
Betty Kaiser’s Chatterbox is about people,
places, family, and other matters of the heart.
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