Seriously, just try it.  It’s the only way that you will learn.  

Some of us are genetically pre-disposed to try it, even when we know we shouldn’t.  For example, the little pond north of the house is “dry”.  This evening, I decide to drive the gator across this dry pond.  It worked well for just about 2 chain lengths.  I now know this because it took 2 chains hooked together to tie the gator to a pickup ball so that I could pull it out.  It looked dry but only an inch or two below it was mud.  Really sticky mud.  Now I know.  

     In all honesty, most learning happens when a person can step back and say, “Damn!  Don’t do that again.”

     Over the years, it has drove me nuts when people would say that they could never clip/shear.  You never will be able to if you don’t grab a set of clippers and just try it.  Granted some are better than others but anybody can rough one out if they will just try it. 

     Trimming hooves is another deal.  Try it.  Take some off.  Feel the hoof pad.  Take some more off.  It doesn’t take long to learn when to stop.  It is actually a whole lot like clipping fingernails. 

     And teaching is a whole bunch of just try it.  The past 8 years has consisted of a whole bunch of “Kids, I haven’t ever done this before either but let’s try it.”  Making wurst, building dump bed trailers and operating a greenhouse were all foreign to me till I/we tried it.  And in those instances, I tried it with an audience. 

       Let’s get in the way back machine to 1993.  First year teaching and I had never given an FFA speech or taught somebody to write/give a speech.  I had also never written a proficiency app or national chapter app.  I had to jump in and try it.  Glad I did. 

       In 2003, when 3 girls talked me into buying goats, I didn’t know the care, feeding or management.  I knew livestock but not goats. There were no veterinarians in OK to use for health problems, no “experts” to use for feeding & showing tips.  Texas braced their goats–Okies had to show on the chain.  I had to try it and I learned.  And I am still learning.  

     In the course of Try It, failure is a prerequisite.  If you can’t step back and say “I can do better than that” then you really didn’t try.  AI and ET work in goats is still just a try it, take notes and try not to replicate that disaster.  It’s getting better but it won’t work if you don’t try.

       It’s called life.   Get out there and try it.  The worst thing that will happen is that you will learn what not to do.  

        Be like John Lennon and Imagine.  It’s easy if you try.  

This Wednesday (today) morning about 10:30, I grabbed a crew of sophomore boys and headed south of Shattuck to pick up some equipment.  On the way back to town, the “fasten seat belt” light kept coming on and dinging.  I told the co-pilot to buckle his seat belt.

      Startled, he replied, “Mr. Kelln, we are on the highway!  My seat belt is buckled.”  I said, “Undo it and re’click it.”  

Light still on. 

That meant it was my seat belt but people, like always, I was fastened in.  

We got to the ag building and the boys jumped out to start unloading the equipment.  I wanted to get out but couldn’t.  The seat belt would not release.  I was trapped.

       No kidding.  Couldn’t get out.  A 2020 model pickup and the seat belt had me locked in.  I pushed the red button repeatedly.  I pulled on the belt.  I turned the pickup off.  Then re-started it.  I put my foot on the brake.  I put it in gear and then back in park–all while pushing the red button.  I opened the door, turned up the radio, held my head sideways and my tongue out–and kept pushing the red release button.  I made sure that I wasn’t plugged in to the wrong seat belt.  I dug my phone out of my front pocket and called THE Rob Magness.  He is the service manager for Jess Wales Chevrolet.  He had never heard of this problem but would order me a new seat belt receptacle.  

       Dang!  Now I have got to figure out how to get out of this thing.  I kicked the door open, pulled the belt out as far as I could and then try to unfold.  I’m only 5’10” according to my license.  But with a bad right hip and worse right knee combined with bad angles of being in a drivers seat–well, I was tangled up like a pile of coat hangers.  I had an Ecco shoe hung up on the side of the seat belt and my head/neck tangled up in the rest.  A sophomore boy came out of the ag building and I hollered “Get over here and help me.”  Good kid.  He pulled one side of the belt so that I could duck my head under and around it.  Now I could get the opposite leg out.  Like William Wallace, I felt FREEEEEEDOM!!!  

         There was one saving grace.  Can you guess it?  Nobody videoed it.  Witnesses….yes.  In today’s society, hunh?!? No video!  Imagine that….if you can?  You can’t make this stuff up. 

On a side note.  Many consider “Imagine” by John Lennon to be the best song of all time.  My opinion– no.  Great song, yes.  Best ever–no.  Happy Birthday has brought more cheer than any other song ever.   And “Amazing Grace” is so good on so many different levels and styles.  

         This one is long and I don’t care.  If you don’t want to read it……..don’t.  It is that simple. 

         Tammy and I have watched the 1883 show.  It’s good but not always great.  In short, it is about a group traveling to Oregon.  Not all of them survive the journey.  They have Tim McGraw and Sam Elliott as guides.  We watched this streaming show during the months of February and March.  Ironically, this is stock show season in Oklahoma and Texas.  GOD bless the rest of you, but let’s be real, Oklahoma and Texas are the two most important stock show states.  No offense.  Just keepin it real.  

       I survived another OYE although I am having hell getting rid of the barn cough.  I’m not a 100%.  But like the rest of you, it ain’t covid and I’ll get through it.  Just like I have for the past couple of decades. 

      I experienced some firsts at the 2022 version of the Oklahoma Youth Expo.  Normally, I just have a satisfaction feeling.  A feeling of a job well done, goals reached, dreams dashed or like OSU football, there is always next year.  This year was different. 

         For starters, I knew that we had a good set of ag mech projects.  However, I had a senior boy that pushed all of his chips into the middle of the table.  Eric Quisenberry is the kind of kid that EVERY ag teacher wants/needs in class.  He won the livestock division at OYE in ’21.  He wanted to win it all this year.  He didn’t.  Yet, he had the grand champion at Woodward District and ended up Bronze overall at OYE.  He won a whole shop full of tools from these shows.  So cool!

        He built a cattle tub and alley.  This project took up a lot of real estate and if you’ve ever been to the Shattuck Ag Building, we don’t have much shop space.  It was fine as he worked and worked and worked.  Nobody else welded on it.  In short, he built a project that is better than you can buy from a commercial outfit.  Badass!!!  His presentation was spot on.  OYE made a video about him and his project.  I get choked up watching it. (I’ve now watched it 9 times)  The OK State Secretary of Ag spent time and photo ops with him and this project (and she knows what it’s like working cattle).

         In short, I felt pride.  Not self pride.  Pride for the kid.  I’ve dealt with a lot of big winners at major shows.  This one felt different.  I taught him the skills.  I gave him the opportunity and he took it and ran with it.  I wasn’t the dad, the jock, the breeder…..I was the teacher and I had the privilege of watching him work, build and most importantly, set an example for the other kids.  His goal was to be grand.  It didn’t happen.  He placed right where I would have placed it.  As good as this project was….it doesn’t have axles, hydraulics or electrical.  And let’s be real, Bronze at a major show is wicked good!   Super proud of this kid.  My sense of pride is not for me.  It is strictly for EQ as he made a goal, worked for it and rang a bell in the end.  So cool!

        Now, back to the livestock world.  Another senior had pushed all in with his sheep project.  Clayton Washmon decided to forego athletics his senior year.  It was all about showing sheep.  My goodness!!  Bad accidents.  Fungus, more fungus and a whole bucket full of bad luck plagued him all year.  His attitude changed from a love of stock shows to one of a person that was determined to just finish the damn race.  He rolled into Woodward district.  He had grand with a wether that he raised.  How cool is that?  Badass cool is the proper answer.  At OYE, he took three really, really good wethers.  The first two placed but not where we had hoped.  Simply put, there were better lambs in those classes.  

       Senior year for Clayton was now down to one lamb.  One he raised.  Out of 9 classes of cross wethers, he was in class 7.  And the class was good.  The judge pulled him quickly on the walk.  But, he also grabbed a couple of others.  

        People, I have had the honor and privilege to have been associated with a lot of winning animals at major shows.  I’ve followed many an animal down that ramp into that arena and watched as numerous kids/animals were picked as winners–all species.  I’ve done it with some of my best friends and I’ve done it with my own kids.  Never, never before have I been nervous at a stock show.  Jared Schneberger has stood with on that ramp and commented, “I don’t have a dog in the fight and I’m nervous.  You have 4 kids in the lineup and you are you.”   Duke was one of them and it didn’t matter. 

      This was a first.  Never with my own kids, never with students and never with friends.  I’ve never been nervous.  This felt  different.  Way different. 

       I was actually up in the stands watching as Clayton’s class sorted to the top ten, then six, then “Yes!  The judge made those 6 walk.”  The knot in my stomach now came untied.   At this point, the stock sorted.  Trust me.  Winning a class at OYE with a home-raised wether was not the goal.  Really cool backup plan–4 sure.  

       As the show unfolded, Clayton made the premium sale.  And as a bonus, he also raised another premium sale wether.  Clayton had 5 wether lambs born last year.  2 of those 5 made the sale at OYE.  Think about the flocks with hundreds of ewes that didn’t have one.  40% is huge!   

        No matter what these two studs accomplished, the best part was how all of the other Shattuck kids acted.  All of the sheep showers and their families stayed an extra day in order to watch Clayton show.  All of the Shattuck Ag Meckers were hoping and cheering for Eric to get a piece of the big prizes.  It was fun!   

       Now, add in that Sydney Melton had taken it upon herself to win some scholarship money in the skillathon.  As a sophomore, she won the senior division.  Dang!!!  She needed to be reserve champion.  Once you win it, you’re done.  No matter, she picked up some scholarship money and is a wicked good kid that is constantly working to make things better.  

     And back to 1883.   If you haven’t watched it, oh well.  OYE has turned into a show that if you want to participate, well, you need a guide to get you to the destination.  The year is currently 2022 and there is no doubt that if you want to ring a big bell at a major show like OYE, you better have a guide.  And even that doesn’t guarantee a thing.  I’m just saying that it isn’t for the faint of heart.  In 1883, as I stated earlier, they had Tim McGraw and Sam Elliott as guides.  And their people drowned, got shot, stabbed, horse thrown, snake bit and shot with a turd covered arrow.  Only a few made it to Oregon.  And some of them walked with a limp.   Sam Elliott blew his brains out on the beach in Oregon and Tim McGraw stopped in Yellowstone where he buried his daughter.   It ain’t for the faint of heart. 

         Not every animal nor every showman needs to go to OYE, Houston, San Antontio, etc.  On that note, I left some really good ag mech projects at home.  I left some really good goats at home.  People, these major deals aren’t for the faint of heart.  Sometimes, a family is better off heading to Red River than trying to vie for an Easter colored ribbon.  Months ahead, a family needs a plan, a BUDGET, goals, work ethic and they dang sure need a trustworthy guide.  And even then, you better be prepared to walk away with a limp and hope there was some learning experiences to justify the losses.  

        And yet, there is a wicked good story that comes out of OYE.  If you have lost some faith in stock shows…. well, I understand.  Yet, the story of the grand barrow exhibitor at OYE will restore your hope and love for the game.  The cast includes a kid that was dealt a REALLY rough hand in life, a wicked bad-ass ag teacher, a former student of that ag teacher as a guide, a community and some help from OYE leadership that is just helping to make it all happen.  It’s not my story to tell.  But if you livestock junkies need a fix, call me.  Great, GREAT story! 

       People, have a good one.  Have a better tomorrow and here’s to cheers of things getting better, regardless of who you voted for as POTUS.  I’m done.  

        I thought that I was going to have to call in a crack squadron and let them use the urban assault vehicle in order to complete a mission behind enemy lines.  Here’s the deal.  The server that hosts this website is housed in a building complex in the Ukraine.  So basically, the Russians shut me down.   With the use of superior intellect, some duct tape, baling wire, WD40 and a bit of super glue, we are back and operational. 

       We got 3/4″ inch of rain.  Bout damn time.  The current weather conditions remind me of a fast food burger place–Wendy AF!! 

      Stopped at a Wendy’s on Sunday in Weatherford, OK.  I wanted a Frosty.  Walked up to the front door.  Locked!  WTF?   1pm on a Sunday and locked.  Drive thru only, not enough staff to open the front part.  Well BS!  They can’t find a couple of college kids to work?  I left and went and got a McFlurry at the nearby McDonald’s.  What’s the world coming to?  Nobody wants to work and the McFlurry machine was working.  

Have a good one.  

        Tis the eve before the beginning of the OYE.  As an ag teacher, it is hard to be a fan of the OK Youth Expo.  It is well ran and it is a premier show.  I am not here to bash OYE tonight.  I will wait until I’m wore out and pissed at the world to do that.  

       However, on this eve of leaving to OYE with ag mechanics projects, I found myself reading a blog.  It is a blog from a former student.  Chancey wrote about writing things down.  She’s smarter than I and a helluva lot better writer, so I thought, “Hey, I’m thinking about the ag mechanics show.  Shattuck is taking several exhibits.  Not as many as originally planned.  But, I can see the end of the journey for this year.  I don’t know nor care about the end as much as what I’ve learned in the middle.”  I then thought, I need to write this down.  So here goes.   

      For starters, it hasn’t taken me long to realize that if it is just about “winning OYE” that an ag mechanics project can turn into a shit-show, much like a livestock project.  All focus on one goal–finances and teaching be damned.  Is it better to have 1 big project to gather a big banner.  OR is it better to have a lot of high quality projects with more kids involved.  Decisions.  Now, we took a lot of projects to districts.  But not every project (livestock or ag mech) needs to make the trip to OKC.  Hard decisions need to be made.  

–Yeah, it’s close to being a really good project.  The only way it’s going to get done properly is if those baseball games are missed.  Make the decision.

–So what if you’re a senior.  The project is half-assed and it isn’t up to par.  Stay home.  

–Welcome to the real world.  Supply chain problems are a real deal.  We should’ve ordered those parts before Halloween.  4 months ahead is behind in today’s society.  Who knew?

I have not become some Ag Mech junkie ag teacher.  I’ve always kind of been there.  My students have built cool projects–large and small–for decades.  Granted, we are more public with them the past couple of years.  And yes, I am going to continue pushing for these ag mech shows.  Why?  It makes sense.  Common sense!

Here’s why.

1–Ag mechanics skills such as READING a tape measure, welding, cutting, safety, carpentry, CNC designs, electrical, etc. are NOT going to go out of style.  Every student will use these skills.  Every parent likes these skills taught and every other person in the school appreciates these skills being taught.  There is NO drawback to these skills being taught properly.  Ag Educators are supposed to be teaching these hands-on skills to some degree already.  These skills are not racist, sexist or dependent on socio-economic standards.  These skills are timeless.

       Now, I am not against a livestock show….but let’s think about skills like wrapping legs, blow dryer operation and “fitting legs”.  Not exactly skills that are easily relatable to the general public or for long-term success in 99.9% of all employment situations.  

2–Record keeping.  Once again, a skill that we are supposed to be teaching.  If a kid is putting together a portfolio of their ag mech project, they are keeping track of material costs and time invested.  A student is most likely never going to get upside down in an ag mech project.  Sometimes, it’s as simple as what are those horseshoes worth, how much time did it take you and what did the paint cost?

         Now, if you are an OK ag teacher helping a kid fill out their “F”AET record keeping system (does the F stand for Fake or F…?…. now children, consider the source)  and they have show animals….well, most likely, there have been some numbers “fudged” to the keep them profitable.  “Let’s not put the real purchase price of that animal in the books.”  Or “You never showed that one, let’s not count it.”  Maybe this happens.  Just me?  Hell no!  98.2% of all show animals are not profitable. No doubt when you add in all the side costs–leg wraps, feed additives, needles, consultants, super glue, blade sharpening, bedding costs.  My GOD!! Bedding costs.  The best part of an ag mech project is when you budget a full piece of metal on THIS project but you only use 3/4 of that stick.  But that leftover 1/4 stick is FREE for the next project that needed 5′ of 2″ square tubing.  Win! Win!

3–Marketing.  Like that great Whitesnake song “Here I go again”.  We are supposed to be teaching this skill.  Once a kid builds something, they take ownership and pride in it.  They WANT to know what it’s worth.  And a lot of those “1st’ projects get paid for by family members.  They are now family heirlooms.  Turn the kids loose to take pics and make their own marketing fliers and watch out.  They will make videos, slide shows, tik toks, etc.  Odds are that they have been snapping pics as they built it.  Today’s kids love marketing stuff.

4– Public Speaking.  This is no secret that I love public speaking contests.  Now, I’m not saying that the ag mecher kid will be a national qualifying prepared public speaker.  But, watch a kid take pride in their workmanship and sit back and watch the passion come out when they talk about THEIR project.  They built it.  They learned it.  They OWN it!  They CAN and WILL talk it.  

So wait a minute.  You are saying that there is an event, in FFA, that students can learn skills, keep records, market it and learn to talk about it?  Yep.  And they can possibly make money while winning awards/tools/scholarships?   You betcha!  Sometimes….just sometimes, it all comes together.  And it all actually makes sense.  

What about ethics?  Alright.  Did the kid do the work?  Yep.  If it’s done at school, the other kids ALL know who did what and who is getting good with the tools. 

I’ve been a part of grand champion animals in all species and at all levels.  That isn’t a brag.  Just a fact which allows me to say that most (people, parents, administrators, etc) truly do not care who wins a stock show.  But let a kid build something and watch the support and money start to flow.  I’m right. 

None of this blog post is designed to encourage other ag teachers.  I will, however, strongly encourage ag teachers in the Woodward and Enid districts that are not already helping students with ag mech projects to get their shit together.  I have seen what is coming.  You might want to grab a hold.  But as a whole, I truly do not care if you want to continue the lazy, short sighted pursuits of chasing a hamster wheel banner that will require a jock and force you to make ethical decisions to help u obtain that win.  Do whatever fancies you.  Any of you can come look at my trophies.  I only have 3 and they are named Tammy, Kela and Duke.  I damn sure don’t have any for Mr. Congeniality, Rays of Sunshine or giving a rat’s ass what you think of me.  However, I am right.  At this game of being an ag teacher, I’m better than most, not as good as some…. yet, I do know the best.  

       Looking back, I shouldn’t have wrote that last paragraph or two.  Chancey said “to write it down”.  And I am genetically predisposed to not being able to stop my thoughts.  Some blogs are well written and are un-offensive.  And then there is this one.  Not so much.  

       People, have a good one and a better tomorrow.  I’ve got to watch it all come together.  Might take a year or 3 but together it will all come. 

       This is one of those posts where I have SO much stuff to dispense but I know that I need to use jurisprudence.  Do I mouth off that much and get a lawyer contacted or do I sit, wait, watch and say, “Told you so!”

      Let’s go random instead.  Woodward opened a brand new McDonald’s on Friday.  I did not go.  Tammy did and she sent a pic of the new technology at the new place.  The family text group had mixed emotions.  Kela was like “Wow!  I’ve seen those overseas.”   Duke was like “This warranted a picture?”  And me….well, I wish I had gone to the new McDonald’s on opening day.  You see, in 1980, there were two, well maybe 3 things, that I vividly remember.  One, was the heat wave that dominated the summer and all 3 tv channels.  Two, was the brand new opening of A McDonald’s in Woodward, OK.  It was such a big deal that my dad checked me out of school at Cedar Heights Elementary and took me to the brand spankin new McDonald’s to eat lunch.  I got a happy meal that had a name-tag bracelet in it.  Don’t think that I didn’t go back into that school sporting my new hardware!?!?  I was pimpin.  Lookin’ back…I guess this is when I realized that my dad loved me best cuz those other 2 losers that I call brothers NEVER got to go to a McDonald’s opening day!

        The third thing that I remember….I got some shiny rocks.  If only I knew how useful they would become.  

      Woodward District is over.  It was outstanding.  The quality of stock was wicked good.  The show was ran real well.  The facilities are top notch.  The premium sale was THE BEST premium sale in Oklahoma!  Shattuck only had 14 animals in the sale.  I was hoping for 15.  I am proud that we had all 4 species covered plus a dominating showing in the ag mechanics and LOTS of showmanship recognition and Shattuck ran the social media team for the show.  Maybe the best part was that the steer was raised in Shattuck.  One of the barrows was family raised AND I could say the other barrow was as Uncle Tom & Aunt Nancy Lamle raised it.  The grand lamb was raised AND shown by Clayton Washmon.  We had a large percentage of the goats in the sale.  None of them raised by me.  (Didn’t sell any).   I will, however, brag that the highest priced goat on our string was $1,600 and it stood 2nd in class behind the grand.  Everyone of our goat showmen will be profitable this year.  Bet most of you clowns can’t say that.  On a side note, our parental and community support is wicked good!  How cool is it that our superintendent and principal attended every day of the show?  They even hauled ag mechanics projects.  And no, their kids don’t show.  They were just there to support their students.  Suprise!  Even our 5 year retired superintendent was there watching & cheering each day.  “Bleed Red!”

Hell, if administrators can go watch a damn ball game (boring as hell to me), they can come watch a stock show (probably boring as hell to them).  If your school administrators aren’t attending, do a better job.  THAT or get better administrators.

Time to step away.  Have a good one and a better tomorrow.  

       I’ve done some really cool stuff during my time on this planet.  My bucket list is..well, unique.  Let’s get real—I missed my chance at petting a koala.  Instead, my daughter got to do that.  I can ante up a bunch of cash and go shoot a damn warthog.  I should.  Probably won’t.  And eating a penguin….what do I say?  

      It has been a whirlwind few days.  Get done, load up and head south.  Do what we do and then head back home to do what we do.  Thanks to the Dragon Lady for allowing me to do this and Duke for coming home to take care of stock.  

        I’ll be honest.  I have wanted and waited for the chance to judge a Texas major goat show.  Why not?  There was a decade plus that our crew could beat your crew any damn day.  I never used any politics, never got caught cheating (swapping out goats, drug tests, etc.)NEVER….we just excelled….wherever.  Did I mention NEVER?  Shows like state fairs, OYE, Tulsa, Phoenix, Denver, Kansas City.  Lots of banners from goats that I bought and/or raised!  And we did it without any stench of wrongdoing.  

      About 2016, I realized that I was not going to get offered a Texas show.  I get it.  I’m not mad.  I honestly get it and am fine with it.  But why not Bryan Kennedy, Allan Poe, Mikey Thompson or Tommy Milligan?  Seriously.  Answer me why not?  Okies have been super competitive at all levels of this goat game–buying the best, raising them, showing them, selling great ones, etc.  Let’s just keep recycling judges.   Anyways………  I get it.  However, I dare a stock show to step outside the political arena and just keep it real.  Most politics at a stock show start at the top.  

       It isn’t the same but for damn sure it is.  I just got home from judging the San Antonio Jr. Ag Mechanics Show.  I judged at A Texas Major.  It ain’t the same.  I know it.  I didn’t get paid a damn $.  With hotels, gas & meals for the Dragon Lady and I……it cost me just under a smooth grand.  Which I am fine with.  I never had a week at Okie State that I spent a $1,000 bucks and I came away with I don’t know….maybe $50,000 worth of learning.  Priceless.  

        I was on a team that judged trailers.  These trailers had to meet DOT inspections, plus measure square, plus look good plus be functional plus the kids must be able to talk welding processes, bill of materials, paint and electrical.  

Now, go back and re-read that previous sentence and imagine judging a stock show and having the showman answer every question from 1 to 3 judges–nutrition, genetics, speed of the treadmill, who aired it, loineye area, etc. etc.  –while being judged in class.  I’m not even going to comment further as you readers think about the stuff that you have witnessed near a showring.  Some of these kids couldn’t pick their animal out of a crowd of 2.  

       Gotta get back on track.  

       The San Antonio Jr. Ag Mechanics show is beyond describable.  Pictures do not do it justice.  Almost 800 projects displayed  in numerous barns.  Most are professional quality.  Try starting the day with a 16′ flatbed trailer built by six 8th graders that could talk the tensile strength of the MIG wire AND the type of primer and paint that they used.  Did they have help?  I don’t care. Those stock show kids have help as well.  These kids were on point at 8 am and Tammy & I went back to visit them at 6:30 pm.  They were still on point.  They didn’t place.  But very few of you ass clowns that read this could build a trailer as good as these kids AND you dang sure couldn’t talk it like they did.  It was impressive.  The kids, the projects, the show….all of it.  

          There isn’t enough time for me to write all my thoughts about this experience.  Anybody that truly knows me, knows that I grew up a livestock junkie.  As a parent, I would rather not talk about the stock show game.  As an ag teacher, I have a lot of issues with the current livestock showing industry.  As a teacher, parent, supporter…..I am liking this ag mechanics deal.  And Texas is ahead of the game.  Way ahead.  

        There is NO SINGLE PERSON on this planet that understands the value of the livestock show industry more than I.  I am a product of the stock show industry.  I do not care about a banner.  I care about the journey.  We have problems and WE need to fix it before the problems are exposed.  

       I was listening to a presentation about a trailer as I watched some San Antonio premium sale (slick sheared) steers were led by,  Those were good livestock.  We probably ought to slick shear ALL goats.  It made sheep better, steers better and it will cost on some sales at first……who cares.  Make em all better. 

I need to stop.  It’s hard to tell my direction.  

          Glad to have the opportunity.  I saw things that I was glad to see.  

      We wrapped up the goat and sheep shows of Woodward District.  Now there is a break until the cattle show on Monday.  So I should have a day or 3 to recover and rebound.  But NOOOOO!!!  I couldn’t pass up an opportunity.  So I will travel to a different state to do something that I’ve always wanted to do…even though it’s not the same as I originally hoped.   We’ll get to that next week.  

     Now, those of you that know me, know that my bucket list consists of 3 items:   1–Pet a koala  2–Shoot a warthog and 3–Eat a penguin.  No, I’m not going to get to do any of those.  Well, unless the opportunity presents itself.  

     The Dragon Lady has taken care of all of the stock around here for the past couple of weeks.  Dang we are glad to not be kidding any goats.  As I’ve passed through I’ve kept feeders full and hay out for the cows.  I have a 5085E Deere loader tractor.  Cabless.  I love that tractor.  I have very rarely wished that I had a cab on it.  However, when going to the hay stack 1.5 miles away at 22.4 mph and a negative windchill in my face…..sometimes one gets to thinking.  I now have my eyelids thawed out from the tears streaming down my face.  

      Speaking of cold!   Woodward has one of the nicest fairgrounds in all the land.  However, Tuesday morning, I headed into one of the restrooms for my morning constitutional.  I thought the air seemed a bit cold as I walked in.  I pulled into a stall and dropped my drawers and then sat down.  I was really wishing that I had time to go to a warmer environment but time was an issue.  I took care of business but I am real sure that I now have a freeze brand of a porcelain toilet seat on my ass!   COLD!!!  Wednesday morning meant that I found a different bathroom.

     Off to the next adventure so that I can get back and finish this district show.  Have a good one and a better tomorrow.  

     I really don’t know what to write.  

      We are in the middle of the Woodward District Jr. Livestock Show.  Friday found some kids and I on several radio stations promoting the Ag Mechanics show.  Saturday was the Ag Mechanics show.  The entries were up and the quality was way up.  Shattuck did well.  The sponsors did great!  The prizes were awesome.  And we got to start a scholarship program just for the Ag Mech show.  I’m proud of what we are building with this program.  

     Sunday was the barrow show.  Excellent quality.  And not just on the top end.  Every hog was well fed and well presented.  In the current stock show game, there is no room for not having an animal fed right and shown right. 

     On Sunday evening, I was headed west towards Shattuck.  We heard a weird noise and then the air pressure monitor started a countdown towards zero.  We had blown a tire.  I had a freshman student with me.  He is the kind that makes you realize that ADHD is written in capitol letters.  He stays wound!   But I quickly realized that he was the perfect kid to have when changing a tire.  He was all over it…. like a spider monkey all jacked up on Mountain Dew playing NASCAR pit crew!  

       Now on to a couple of days of shearing wethers–goats and sheep.

Have a good one.