Get Hooked
There are 5 kids in the Steelhead Ranch 4H group. We get together at least once a week in preparation for the WA Skamania County Fair Aug 18-22.
The kids all got to show in the halter class too! with stellar results!
We had kids in a couple of different age groups....
Brooke and Bailey in the 12-14 yr olds
Cody and Chase in the 9 - 11 yr olds
Hannah got to show Deschutes in the Halter class
Once the "scooping" chores are done we can move on to more fun activities.... like halter training the juvenilles!
With the first snow we also thought it was a perfect day to select a tree for Christmas!
We selected a gigantic fir!
Matt, Cody and Chase all took turns sawing....
then Matt sawed another 4' off..... and then another 4' off.... don't need the tree crashing over again like last year, and the year before...
we decided to bring the tree into the barn to dry off.....
Matt had a brilliant, although "redneck" method of de-flocking the tree.... wit
it started about 8am.... lightly at first then by noon it was time to suit up and go play!
As the rain has started and the fire season is over for 2012... its time to burn the piles of branches and dead trees!
I am happy to report only the "intended" limbs and branches were burned!
Its Raining, Raining, Raining.... so we took the kids to the pool!
Time to catch up on vitamins and vaccinations for the pacas!
Its was a rainy day here at the ranch... once the chores were done... Chocolate Chip Cookies!!! Cody made these 100% by himself!!! and they are VERY good!
Cody did a perfect job, and just like his mom after making about 15 cookies... he dumped the rest of the dough into the pan and made cookie bars!!!
I got this photo of the 2011 kids enjoying a fall day... there is a little grass growing again...
AHHHH the pacific NW in the fall.... where we go from extreme fire danger, to you can't get a match to light out in the rain in about 10 days.... Rain, Rain, Rain.... the alpacas don't seem to mind, they are happy that the grass has sprouted up green.
We shuffled pacas around into different pastures yesterday, getting the boys settled in for their winter down the road ~ 4 miles.... opens up the pasture here at home to move the dams as we wean the crias.
So after a few days
The boys and I finished up trick or treating and made it home about 7pm... to find 30 alpacas out and in the driveway! AHH! At least they never go far.... shake a little grain and they all come running in.... In general alpacas won't "test" fences... but they love to explore when the gate is accidently left open!
The first alpacas at the Skamania Fair... Cody and Chase and friends Bailey and Brooke!
Cody was champions showman for alpacas, then he was able to compete in the Large Animal round robin... he was to show all the other large animals.... pigs, goats, lambs, steer and a horse!