A Wilds Day!

A few weeks ago Jake's brother and his wife invited us to go to the Wilds.  It is a branch of the Columbus Zoo and is located about half way between their home and ours.  We have never been to the Wilds.

A herd of American Bison

It ended up being a beautiful cooler day, with Jake's entire family.  His Mom and Dad, his sister Katy and her new husband Calvin, Jake's brother Andy and our sister-in-law Leslie and their two year old son Payton.

If you have never been to Wilds in eastern Ohio I highly recommend it.  In my opinion it is better than the zoo.  You buy a ticket and load a bus and we got to see more animals then I have ever seen at the zoo.  There is no crowd, because you are on the bus.  You don't have to worry about your kids running off, because they are locked on the bus.  The bus does have open sides, for wonderful picture opportunities and the camels like to stick their head in the bus.

This Giraffe feeder is a different take on the round bale feeder.

They do let you off the bus to explore in safe and gated areas.  Did you know a rhino can run 25 mph?  Don't worry though this was a safe and gated area, where the kids were walking down to feed some catfish.

A great Sunday in eastern Ohio at the Wilds!

Senior Fair

I participated in Junior Fair for eleven years.  I always enjoy looking through projects at any county fair anywhere in the country.  I love a County Fair.  However in many places across the country the increasing age of senior fair exhibitors and declining entries saddens me.  Last year while visiting the Belmont County Fair with my friend Stephanie, I said I am bringing back senior fair. So I made three entries this year for the 2012 Belmont County Fair.  We took them today.

The first one is the quilt I finished up last year after the fair.

The second one is on the pictures I posted on my blog last year and then it became one of my most read blogs Happy Cows Live Everywhere! I have recently learned that the pictures I love taking where all the cows are at the bunk eating, are confusing to the consumer.  Apparently many think they have to live like this with no place to move.  This picture shows some of the area they have to move about.

The third entry is the one I am most proud of, which is Jacie's quilt.  This is the first quilt top she has made and the first quilt I have quilted (by machine).

None of my entries are perfect and we probably won't bring home purple ribbons.  In fact I was joking, saying that fair attendees would probably look at our exhibits and say "I could do better than that".  That would be exactly the result I am looking for, bring your entry next year and then the senior fair grows.  

What farmers do for fun.

My brother who farms full time with my dad and uncle, bought a boat this summer.  This weekend he brought his boat and his girlfriend Erin to Seneca Lake for boating, swimming, tubing and skiing.  It was a wonderful summer afternoon.

Jake on the tube.

Let the record reflect she never was actually pulled on the tube.

Boating makes you sleepy.

two girls - one chair

Moooving Cows

We move cows around a lot.  We move them closer to the barn, if we need to work them, breed them or sort them.  Many times we are just moving them to better grass.  I really enjoy getting the inside work done, like homework, supper and dishes and then go out just before sunset to move cows.  Jake usually takes the 4-wheeler and keeps them out of the brush and going in the right direction in the front.  The girls and I in the buggy just keep them moving from behind and hangout with the followers, slow pokes and injured (if there is one).  I sometimes wonder what a real cattle drive would've been like on horse back.  Of course when you think about it, it was really slow waiting on calves to catch up and water breaks.  I wonder how many miles could be covered in a day? Our cattle drives are short, in pleasant weather (usually) and best of all there are no Indians.

These photos were taken by Jaelin.

Friday Fix

Today's Friday Fix is: how to answer the questions of young minds?  As we were moving cows last evening the girls were buckled into the one seat next to me in the buggy.  I am aware we were breaking at least 3 of the 70 safety stickers found on the ATV.  As a mother I felt we were all safe.

The girls not knowing I was listening were talking to each other about many things.  I was pretending not to listen and only answer questions directly asked to me.  I have no idea where they come up with some of this stuff and if I do know where it comes from, I have no idea how to answer them with the limited knowledge they have about agriculture and science.  You have to have a BS in Agriculture to understand some of these things.  I find God is a good answer to some of the questions.

1. Like much of the US we were experiencing drought like conditions in our pastures.  However in the last several weeks, spring has arrived for the second time, making the grass grow green and fast.  This prompted this question from Jaelin.  Where does grass come from?  I am thinking where do you go with this, do you explain the growth of a plant, the life cycle of grass, photosynthesis.  I know she (who will start kindergarten next week) will have no idea what I am talking about.  The answer is God gave us rain, that he didn't give to many people in other parts of the country and that helped the grass grow.  The answer is God.

2. Jacie leans over to Jaelin and says see that is a bull.  Prompting this question, How do you know that's a bull?  Jacie says, because you see that, well that, well you know Jaelin.  They didn't ask and I am not answering that one.  I can't even play the God card.

3. It was an hour or two into moving these cows who were moving along really well when Jaelin asks Jacie, How do cows get married? What? Where does she get this stuff?

4. Jacie wants to learn to drive the buggy, mostly because my brother Jason watched the girls last weekend and he taught her to drive his golf cart.  She then asks, Who taught you to drive, Mom?  I told her Uncle Jason taught me to drive.  She said really because you are a better driver than him. Hilarious!

So what questions do the young minds in your lives ask and how do you answer?

The answer to the last Friday Fix:

The remains from the previous bridge found in central Nebraska was built at ground level.  At times the locals say it was impassable do to high water.  The new bridge was engineered well above the water.

Jake's Photos

Jake just got back from traveling the west.  He sent me a few pictures along the way of things HE found interesting. I hope you enjoy them.

for the love of the game

Jake and I went to the Clippers game on Saturday night, to celebrate Ohio Beef Producers support of Striking Out Hunger. Ohio Beef Producers have worked together with Kroger to give 2 pounds of lean beef to the Mid Ohio Food Bank for every strike out recorded by the Clippers Pitching Staff. It made me really proud to be a small part of something so big.

It rained right before the game started and then of course there was a beautiful rainbow.

The back of our awesome shirts.

My date to for the love of the game, just one night of for the love of beef.

I am sharing more about the Striking Out Hunger program through the new Ohio Cattlemen's Blog.
http://www.ohiobeefpromotions.org/_blog/Beef_Bytes/post/Striking_Out_Hunger_with_Lean_Beef/#.UCrw-J1mRRE

A Creek in the Sandhills and the Olympics

Our girls will probably not be Olympic swimmers.  I am alright with this.  However I would like our girls to have basic life skills, included in those would be the ability to swim. We have not been successful in them even getting in the water without their "swim safety gear".  See our recent beach trip blog.  However while we were in Nebraska staying with our partners the Martins, after putting a delicious roast soaked in beer on the grill. We traveled up a dirt road into an area so calm it looked like a private island in the Caribbean where only the rich and famous go.  The clear water and sandy bottom, combined with the beautiful and quiet scenery was paradise.

Jacie decided right there in Birdwood Creek she would go under water for the first time ever.  We have been in pools across this country and the ocean, but this is where she decided would be the place.

Jacie: Did you see me? Did you see me?
Me: No, you better do it again?

Ok, I got it!

Within the same week while at the Lexington Pool she with the help and encouragement of one of my good friends (and former lifeguard) Barb, Jacie decided she could jump off the side of the pool and go completely under the water.  She didn't even hold her nose.  She has made tremendous progress. Who knows you may see her in the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Thanks to the Martins for showing us this piece of paradise and a life changing experience on Birdwood Creek.

American Pickers

Jake, the girls and I really enjoy watching American Pickers.  On our trip to our Feed Yard last week with the girls, we stopped to see the home place for the show of American Pickers. Their place is right off I80 as you cross the Mississippi River into Iowa.  This happens to be a half way point for the trip to 4+ Feeders.  Jacie walked right in and spotted a sign on the wall. She said, "I remember when they picked that".

We decided to walk across the street to where Danielle from the show has her own shop.  When we were walking up the hill, Danielle walked in right in front of us.  The girls were excited and she even took a picture with them. If you haven't seen American Pickers, you should tune in - it is a great show.

 *More to come on the working vacation to the Feed Yard this week.

The Miller's

Jake and I are blessed and fortunate to be making great friends as we journey through life.  Jake was a part of the first Ohio Farm Bureau AgriPOWER class http://ofbf.org/get-involved/agripower/, where he really got to know John Miller.  John grew up in the same county and they even went to college together, however never really got to know each other until AgriPower.  They talk on the phone weekly and have become the best of friends. They spend most of their time talking farm and business.  I enjoy conversations with his wife Mindy who is a tremendous farmer's wife, cook and mother.  Our girls play well together with their two girls Carly and Cara and son Carter.  They traveled to Nebraska last year to our feed yard and recently came to eastern Ohio to visit.

We cooked and ate dinner at our place, followed by some lolly gagging around looking at the dry conditions and cattle. It was a wonderful evening. Thanks for a good time - Miller Family!

Grandma Pooman's Chocolate Delight

We were invited to a 4th of July Celebration and I was looking for a cool summer dessert to take.  I started searching for a recipe with chocolate pudding that my Grandma Poorman would make.

I found it and the recipe written in my Grandma's cursive is being shared with you today.

I made the first layer and immediately noticed it didn't look like Grandma's.

I then added to much cool whip to the next layer. 

With the chocolate pudding, cool whip and nuts added, it was complete.

Unfortunately, it didn't taste like Grandma's.