Has it been a month?

Sorry for no putting up any updates. The truth is I haven't been writing a regular column since the new guy started the end of August. I've been busy training him and trying to figure out what all my "new job" entails. So far it has been babysitting the new guy, still doing cops and courts and covering a few meetings, a little bit of sports photos, working on some special sections and covering for vacation.

I had my first day at the SN learning the ropes of their cops and courts. I'll be there Tuesday and Wednesday this week filling a vacation hole.

Speaking of vacation, I did use a few days of my own. Here's my last column on my vacation:

What I did on my summer vacation
When people announce they are “going on vacation,” that can mean many different things, depending on the person. Some people spend their days off catching up on the yard work or chasing after their children. Others go camping and brave the outdoors. Some go on exotic vacations to Mexico, Africa or Canada (OK, “exotic” might be stretching that last one) or to NASCAR races or to watch their favorite college or pro team play. Others visit relatives or old friends. One person in our office spent his vacation at a jazz camp for adult students.

I spent my vacation at the county fair.

For the past several years I have taken vacation to go to the fair. It’s become a tradition now, so I won’t be able to back out at least until my little brother outgrows 4-H in five years. I do usually take just two days of vacation for the whole affair. I don’t think I could handle any more “fun” than that. Anyone who participates in a county fair on the large scale like my family knows it can be a stressful time. There’s cattle to teach to lead, wash and clip before they can go on the trailer. Dairy cattle numbers from our farm have ranged from one or two to a dozen or more throughout the years. This year we had eight entered. Six made it to the fair.

We have cut back on the animal front, though. At one time throughout our 4-H careers at least one of us kids has shown beef steers, market lambs, chickens, geese, turkeys, rabbits, dogs, cats and horses. Over the years I think my parents have gotten smarter. We’ve cut back to just dairy.

But the animals are only half of it. There’s also all the fairhouse projects. As a kid I can remember making quilts, canning chicken, gluing cutout letters to posters, arranging flowers, selecting garden vegetables, tracking down the best bale of hay on the farm, framing photos and art, and others I’ve long forgotten. We’ve cut back on that too. Most of my brother and sister’s projects are limited to summer-long projects: flowers, crops, vegetables, art, photography, etc. It saves on the last-minute poster making rush.

That’s not to say there isn’t a rush. Kaitlyn put the finishing touches on flower arrangements as we hurried to the fair Wednesday morning. Kristopher put his hay samples in the required clear plastic bags as we were loading the truck. Then there’s the cattle. Getting six in tip-top condition is a little easier than a dozen or so, but it can still wear on a person. They sure know how to make a mess in the few hours they have to themselves between midnight and 4 a.m.

But I will go back, year after year, until Kristopher is done with 4-H. Then, I plan to enroll Jacob.