Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Things have been hectic
Haven't had any time to blog the last few days. Here is something that my sister-in-law Sharon sent me early this morning. Something for you to enjoy since you've taken the time to visit my page.
A teacher gave her class of 11 year olds an assignment: To get their parent to tell them a story with a moral at the end of it.
The next day the kids came back and one by one began to tell their stories.
Ashley said, 'My father's a farmer and we have a lot of egg laying hens. One time we were taking our eggs to market in a basket on the front seat of the car when we hit a big bump in the road and all the eggs got broken.
'What's the moral of that story?' asked the teacher.
'Don't put all your eggs in one basket!'
'Very good,' said the teacher.
Next little Sarah raised her hand and said, 'Our family are farmers too. But we raise chickens for the meat market. One day we had a dozen eggs, but when they
hatched we only got ten live chicks, and the moral to this story is, 'Don't count your chickens before they're hatched'.'
'That was a fine story Sarah.'
Michael, do you have a story to share?'
'Yes. My daddy told me this story about my Aunty Sharon . Aunty Sharon was a flight engineer on a plane in the Gulf War and her plane got hit. She had to bail out over enemy territory and all she had was a bottle of whisky, a machine gun and a machete.
She drank the whiskey on the way down so it wouldn't break and then she landed right in the middle of 100 enemy troops.
She killed seventy of them with the machine gun until she ran out of bullets. Then she killed twenty more with the machete until the blade broke. And then she
killed the last ten with her bare hands.'
'Good heavens,' said the horrified teacher, 'what kind of moral did your daddy tell you from that horrible story?'
'Stay the hell away from Aunty Sharon when she's been drinking.'
A teacher gave her class of 11 year olds an assignment: To get their parent to tell them a story with a moral at the end of it.
The next day the kids came back and one by one began to tell their stories.
Ashley said, 'My father's a farmer and we have a lot of egg laying hens. One time we were taking our eggs to market in a basket on the front seat of the car when we hit a big bump in the road and all the eggs got broken.
'What's the moral of that story?' asked the teacher.
'Don't put all your eggs in one basket!'
'Very good,' said the teacher.
Next little Sarah raised her hand and said, 'Our family are farmers too. But we raise chickens for the meat market. One day we had a dozen eggs, but when they
hatched we only got ten live chicks, and the moral to this story is, 'Don't count your chickens before they're hatched'.'
'That was a fine story Sarah.'
Michael, do you have a story to share?'
'Yes. My daddy told me this story about my Aunty Sharon . Aunty Sharon was a flight engineer on a plane in the Gulf War and her plane got hit. She had to bail out over enemy territory and all she had was a bottle of whisky, a machine gun and a machete.
She drank the whiskey on the way down so it wouldn't break and then she landed right in the middle of 100 enemy troops.
She killed seventy of them with the machine gun until she ran out of bullets. Then she killed twenty more with the machete until the blade broke. And then she
killed the last ten with her bare hands.'
'Good heavens,' said the horrified teacher, 'what kind of moral did your daddy tell you from that horrible story?'
'Stay the hell away from Aunty Sharon when she's been drinking.'
Thursday, April 24, 2008
More Snow
This is what we get for laughing at those smug Albertans who are always bragging about how much better their weather is than ours. Admit it - you didn't feel bad at all that they had a three-day snowstorm earlier this week. Well, it's payback time. Hopefully this system passes through quick.
Monday, April 21, 2008
I wish I'd written this
Passed along the internet by my sister-in-law Sharon:
Death of an Icon
Please join me in remembering a great icon of the entertainment community. The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and trauma complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71.
Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, The California Raisins, Betty Crocker, the hostess Twinkies and Captain Crunch. The grave site was piled high with flours.
Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded. Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times he is still was a crusty old man and was considered a positive roll model for millions.
Doughboy is survived by his wife Play Dough, two children, John Dough and Jane Dough, plus they had one in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart.
The funeral was held at 350 for about 20 minutes.
If this made you smile for even a brief second, please rise to the occasion and take time to pass it on and share that smile with someone else who may be having a crumby day and kneads it.
Death of an Icon
Please join me in remembering a great icon of the entertainment community. The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and trauma complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71.
Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, The California Raisins, Betty Crocker, the hostess Twinkies and Captain Crunch. The grave site was piled high with flours.
Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded. Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times he is still was a crusty old man and was considered a positive roll model for millions.
Doughboy is survived by his wife Play Dough, two children, John Dough and Jane Dough, plus they had one in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart.
The funeral was held at 350 for about 20 minutes.
If this made you smile for even a brief second, please rise to the occasion and take time to pass it on and share that smile with someone else who may be having a crumby day and kneads it.
Friday, April 18, 2008
I'm not incompetent . . . really
1. Sleep in until 6:00 a.m.
2. Realize I’ve slept in and jump out of bed.
3. Check the cows.
4. Start having a panic attack about all of the work that needs to be done today.
5. Write my blog first.
Sometimes I feel like I’m living a stand-up comedy routine.
I’ve been trying to get an ad to a potential customer and thankfully he has a good sense of humour. For some reason the three emails I’ve sent him never arrived, so we decided I should send it by fax. I spent a day with the page sitting in the fax on re-dial and it never went through. Yesterday I had to be in Winnipeg to finalize details of the paper that I am working on frantically in an effort to finish. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I do the paper for the Manitoba Cattle Producers Association which means I sell and typeset the ads, do the page layout, source the articles, edit and write. It’s a huge job and I love it.
So yesterday I am at the office and suddenly remember that the fax I’ve been trying to send is still sitting in the fax machine at home. The paper goes to print TODAY, so I was running short of time. I phoned the potential customer and told him that I would try faxing it again. I double checked his fax number. I was heading for the fax machine, when someone I needed to interview walked in the door. We do the interview and then I took a few phone calls. I checked my emails. A few things I’ve been worried about were there in my inbox. Hallelujah! I started working on page layout. A few hours passed and, heart lurching in my chest, I suddenly remembered the fax. I began searching through the mounds of paper on the table where I was working (I left out details of the other 400 distractions that took place) and I was just about to stand up when the President walked in. Not the President of the United States, but the President of our Association, Martin Unrau. He was there for a conference call that was going to start in 10 minutes. Martin was carrying a box of donuts. It was 3:00 p.m. My mind instantly went into donut mode as the devil on one shoulder said, “Eat a donut.” The angel on the other shoulder said, “Your diet isn’t going that well. Resist the donut.” The devil said, “But you’ll hurt Martin’s feelings.” Imagine, the Devil being worried about Martin’s feelings. It didn’t help that Martin actually said, “Karen looks like she needs a donut.” Maybe it was the way I was staring at the box, I don’t know.
So I ate a donut. The conference call began and ended, then Martin and I discussed his editorial comment for the month. My mind was whirling with details of things that needed to be done. I’m was tired because I spent the night at my niece’s apartment and didn’t get much sleep because the two cats harassed me all night. I’m not used to having one cat sleeping beside/on my head, and another on my chest. I flung them off the bed a few times, but you know cats, they just keep coming back.
So I ate another donut. I was halfway home when I realize that I never did send that fax. By the time I got in the door and had my computer and files unpacked, it was 9:00 p.m. I pulled out the note I’d made earlier and re-checked the fax number. I’d transposed two of the numbers, so for the past few days my machine was re-dialing some poor old lady in Winkler.
But today is a new day and I am optimistic that sequestered away from distraction I will actually get this paper done. Unless of course something interesting happens . . . and the chances of that are actually pretty good.
2. Realize I’ve slept in and jump out of bed.
3. Check the cows.
4. Start having a panic attack about all of the work that needs to be done today.
5. Write my blog first.
Sometimes I feel like I’m living a stand-up comedy routine.
I’ve been trying to get an ad to a potential customer and thankfully he has a good sense of humour. For some reason the three emails I’ve sent him never arrived, so we decided I should send it by fax. I spent a day with the page sitting in the fax on re-dial and it never went through. Yesterday I had to be in Winnipeg to finalize details of the paper that I am working on frantically in an effort to finish. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I do the paper for the Manitoba Cattle Producers Association which means I sell and typeset the ads, do the page layout, source the articles, edit and write. It’s a huge job and I love it.
So yesterday I am at the office and suddenly remember that the fax I’ve been trying to send is still sitting in the fax machine at home. The paper goes to print TODAY, so I was running short of time. I phoned the potential customer and told him that I would try faxing it again. I double checked his fax number. I was heading for the fax machine, when someone I needed to interview walked in the door. We do the interview and then I took a few phone calls. I checked my emails. A few things I’ve been worried about were there in my inbox. Hallelujah! I started working on page layout. A few hours passed and, heart lurching in my chest, I suddenly remembered the fax. I began searching through the mounds of paper on the table where I was working (I left out details of the other 400 distractions that took place) and I was just about to stand up when the President walked in. Not the President of the United States, but the President of our Association, Martin Unrau. He was there for a conference call that was going to start in 10 minutes. Martin was carrying a box of donuts. It was 3:00 p.m. My mind instantly went into donut mode as the devil on one shoulder said, “Eat a donut.” The angel on the other shoulder said, “Your diet isn’t going that well. Resist the donut.” The devil said, “But you’ll hurt Martin’s feelings.” Imagine, the Devil being worried about Martin’s feelings. It didn’t help that Martin actually said, “Karen looks like she needs a donut.” Maybe it was the way I was staring at the box, I don’t know.
So I ate a donut. The conference call began and ended, then Martin and I discussed his editorial comment for the month. My mind was whirling with details of things that needed to be done. I’m was tired because I spent the night at my niece’s apartment and didn’t get much sleep because the two cats harassed me all night. I’m not used to having one cat sleeping beside/on my head, and another on my chest. I flung them off the bed a few times, but you know cats, they just keep coming back.
So I ate another donut. I was halfway home when I realize that I never did send that fax. By the time I got in the door and had my computer and files unpacked, it was 9:00 p.m. I pulled out the note I’d made earlier and re-checked the fax number. I’d transposed two of the numbers, so for the past few days my machine was re-dialing some poor old lady in Winkler.
But today is a new day and I am optimistic that sequestered away from distraction I will actually get this paper done. Unless of course something interesting happens . . . and the chances of that are actually pretty good.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Definition of a Canadian
An Australian Definition of a Canadian - Written by an Australian Dentist
You probably missed it in the local news, but there was a report that someone in Pakistan had advertised in a newspaper an offer of a reward to anyone who killed a Canadian - any Canadian.
An Australian dentist wrote the following editorial to help define what a Canadian is, so they would know one when they found one.
A Canadian can be English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek. A Canadian can be Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, Arab, Pakistani or Afghan.
A Canadian may also be a Cree, Metis, Mohawk, Blackfoot, Sioux, or one of the many other tribes known as native Canadians. A Canadian's religious beliefs range from Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu or none.
In fact, there are more Muslims in Canada than in Afghanistan. The key difference is that in Canada they are free to worship as each of them chooses. Whether they have a religion or no religion, each Canadian ultimately answers only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.
A Canadian lives in one of the most prosperous lands in the history of the world. The root of that prosperity can be found in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms which recognize the right of each person to the pursuit of happiness.
A Canadian is generous and Canadians have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need, never asking a thing in return. Canadians welcome the best of everything, the best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the best services and the best minds. But they also welcome the least - the oppressed, the outcast and the rejected.
These are the people who built Canada. You can try to kill a Canadian if you must as other blood-thirsty tyrants in the world have tried, but in doing so, you could just be killing a relative or a neighbor. This is because Canadians are not a particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, can be a Canadian.
Monday, April 14, 2008
The Big Bad Wolf
1. Check the cows
2. Make myself some tea
3. Check my site meter and see I'm getting visitors
4. Already know what I'm going to write
On Saturday night we were watching TV when suddenly we heard a banging noise. It wasn't something crashing inside the house, but rather an echoing boom outside. We looked out the window but didn't see anything. The next morning, our neighbour Teresa Johnson called. She told me that her husband, Greg, shot a wolf and asked if we wanted to come see it.
We knew immediately the wolf she was talking about. Neighbours on all sides of us have caught a glimpse of it over the last few weeks. It has been living in the croppings of bush that separate our farms from one another. The dogs have been restless and behaving strangely. While out checking the cows at night, the yips of coyotes could be heard until one howl from the wolf in response turned the air silent. His large, unmistakable tracks were seen in the snow near where our cows are turned out with their young calves.
The occasional wolf has passed through our area over the years but this one is the first I am aware of that had taken up residence. It is an unfortunate fact that all of us have calves that die this time of year, bringing predators closer to our farms to find easy access to food. That supply will dry up very soon. When that happens, the young calves could easy become prey.
Greg explained that he was coming back from the barn with their two young children after checking the cows. He saw the wolf just on the other side of the yard fence. Wolves in paintings are nice to look at. Wolf pups playing in the wilderness on TV are fun to watch. A wolf a few hundred yards from where your children play is frightening.
The boom we heard the night before was Greg's gun. People debate all the time whether or not farmers should be allowed to kill predators on their farms. But until you've seen a bear or wolf near the house, you don't fully realize how startling it is. Predators are left alone when they keep to themselves in the bush. When they become too comfortable and venture into the farmyard, they've left their territory and now are in ours. The safety of our families is the first concern and then the well-being of our livestock.
And in case you're wondering, yes, it was a registered gun.
2. Make myself some tea
3. Check my site meter and see I'm getting visitors
4. Already know what I'm going to write
On Saturday night we were watching TV when suddenly we heard a banging noise. It wasn't something crashing inside the house, but rather an echoing boom outside. We looked out the window but didn't see anything. The next morning, our neighbour Teresa Johnson called. She told me that her husband, Greg, shot a wolf and asked if we wanted to come see it.
We knew immediately the wolf she was talking about. Neighbours on all sides of us have caught a glimpse of it over the last few weeks. It has been living in the croppings of bush that separate our farms from one another. The dogs have been restless and behaving strangely. While out checking the cows at night, the yips of coyotes could be heard until one howl from the wolf in response turned the air silent. His large, unmistakable tracks were seen in the snow near where our cows are turned out with their young calves.
The occasional wolf has passed through our area over the years but this one is the first I am aware of that had taken up residence. It is an unfortunate fact that all of us have calves that die this time of year, bringing predators closer to our farms to find easy access to food. That supply will dry up very soon. When that happens, the young calves could easy become prey.
Greg explained that he was coming back from the barn with their two young children after checking the cows. He saw the wolf just on the other side of the yard fence. Wolves in paintings are nice to look at. Wolf pups playing in the wilderness on TV are fun to watch. A wolf a few hundred yards from where your children play is frightening.
The boom we heard the night before was Greg's gun. People debate all the time whether or not farmers should be allowed to kill predators on their farms. But until you've seen a bear or wolf near the house, you don't fully realize how startling it is. Predators are left alone when they keep to themselves in the bush. When they become too comfortable and venture into the farmyard, they've left their territory and now are in ours. The safety of our families is the first concern and then the well-being of our livestock.
And in case you're wondering, yes, it was a registered gun.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Countdown Begins
1. Sleep in a bit. Don’t get to the grounds until 6:10 a.m.
2. The countdown begins
3. The cinnamon buns come out of the oven in 20 minutes.
4. Reason it is okay to eat one, afterall, it is the last day of the Fair.
Day 6. Almost done. There is a feeling of excitement in the air as we prepare for the last day. As much as we all enjoy doing this, it will good to get home.
Susan Spiropoulos rolled by this morning when I was writing and we had a little visit. She had to bring something heavy from the office down to this part of the Keystone Centre and couldn’t find a dolly. “That way when I want to visit, I have somewhere to sit down.” Susan is great. Not only is she gorgeous, but a ton of fun. I won’t see her now until the next event which is Livestock Expo in early November. (Yes, that is Evil Esther Fyk tempting Susan with her cinnamon bun samples!)
I’ve made a good connection with Jillian Ray from Grunthal. She has been working for both Dairy and for Beef this week. She has show cattle and has offered to bring a cow-calf pair to the Red River Ex. This makes my job easier on two counts – not only do I not have to worry about finding suitable animals but I also have a worker. Jillian is helping me this morning get the pen clean. The cow and calf are getting ready to go home. They are more fidgety than usual – it’s almost as if they can sense it’s the last day too.
Janice and I are almost giddy when the show opens. We remind ourselves not to watch the clock and to just have a fun day. In previous years when things started to get boring we found ways to amuse ourselves. Last year, we counted the number of Crocs that came through. I was hoping to convince Amanda Kopeechuk, who was working with me, that yes these sandals ARE comfortable.
We’ve done an informal analysis on stroller quality but have forgotten the results.
This year we are trying to guess a person’s profession based on their looks. Then I strike up a conversation to find out which one of us is right. I got this idea from Jay Leno’s “Judgemental Bastard.” It’s a real hoot. They take a tv camera onto the street and Steve Schirripa from the Sopranos watches people, guesses a few obscure things about them and then asks them questions on camera. He’s right 98% of the time. Our perceptions are not that accurate, but a few times we’ve been bang on.
This was fun. The family featured on our consumer display came by so I got a shot of them. The Beswithericks are from near MacGregor. They are young, enthusiastic and great spokespeople for our industry.
Bob from Dairy is losing his voice. He has only two more milking demonstrations to do. There is a lot of dust in the air from the grains display next to us. My throat is not sore but my voice is as scratchy as everyone else’s. Everyone who comes through loves the milking demonstration. It is a highlight of the show and have of the reason is because Bob is just so darned entertaining.
Val comes by in the early afternoon asking how we like our coffee. She gets back a half hour later after making a run to Tim Horton’s. with a box of the good stuff. I'm so excited my shot is out of focus.
Well that’s it for this year. It won’t be long and preparations will begin for “Touch the Farm” at the Red River Ex. That display will open June 13 – 22nd in Winnipeg. See you all there!
2. The countdown begins
3. The cinnamon buns come out of the oven in 20 minutes.
4. Reason it is okay to eat one, afterall, it is the last day of the Fair.
Day 6. Almost done. There is a feeling of excitement in the air as we prepare for the last day. As much as we all enjoy doing this, it will good to get home.
Susan Spiropoulos rolled by this morning when I was writing and we had a little visit. She had to bring something heavy from the office down to this part of the Keystone Centre and couldn’t find a dolly. “That way when I want to visit, I have somewhere to sit down.” Susan is great. Not only is she gorgeous, but a ton of fun. I won’t see her now until the next event which is Livestock Expo in early November. (Yes, that is Evil Esther Fyk tempting Susan with her cinnamon bun samples!)
I’ve made a good connection with Jillian Ray from Grunthal. She has been working for both Dairy and for Beef this week. She has show cattle and has offered to bring a cow-calf pair to the Red River Ex. This makes my job easier on two counts – not only do I not have to worry about finding suitable animals but I also have a worker. Jillian is helping me this morning get the pen clean. The cow and calf are getting ready to go home. They are more fidgety than usual – it’s almost as if they can sense it’s the last day too.
Janice and I are almost giddy when the show opens. We remind ourselves not to watch the clock and to just have a fun day. In previous years when things started to get boring we found ways to amuse ourselves. Last year, we counted the number of Crocs that came through. I was hoping to convince Amanda Kopeechuk, who was working with me, that yes these sandals ARE comfortable.We’ve done an informal analysis on stroller quality but have forgotten the results.
This year we are trying to guess a person’s profession based on their looks. Then I strike up a conversation to find out which one of us is right. I got this idea from Jay Leno’s “Judgemental Bastard.” It’s a real hoot. They take a tv camera onto the street and Steve Schirripa from the Sopranos watches people, guesses a few obscure things about them and then asks them questions on camera. He’s right 98% of the time. Our perceptions are not that accurate, but a few times we’ve been bang on.
This was fun. The family featured on our consumer display came by so I got a shot of them. The Beswithericks are from near MacGregor. They are young, enthusiastic and great spokespeople for our industry.
Bob from Dairy is losing his voice. He has only two more milking demonstrations to do. There is a lot of dust in the air from the grains display next to us. My throat is not sore but my voice is as scratchy as everyone else’s. Everyone who comes through loves the milking demonstration. It is a highlight of the show and have of the reason is because Bob is just so darned entertaining.
Val comes by in the early afternoon asking how we like our coffee. She gets back a half hour later after making a run to Tim Horton’s. with a box of the good stuff. I'm so excited my shot is out of focus.
Well that’s it for this year. It won’t be long and preparations will begin for “Touch the Farm” at the Red River Ex. That display will open June 13 – 22nd in Winnipeg. See you all there!
Friday, April 4, 2008
Job Security
1. Arrive at the fair grounds early and get some writing done.
2. Reflect on what a good week it has been
3. Push away thoughts of the "to do" list that's in my head - everything that needs to be done when I get home.
4. Eat a cinnamon bun and a hunk of fudge. Tell myself this is okay because I shared the fudge with Janice.
5. Discover that Janice is also going to start her diet on Monday.
Day 5. Three Directors from the Association I work for came by to check out this year’s booth and after about ten minutes of watching kids run in and out, each of them asked: “You stand here all day?”
I confess that mostly I sit.
“All week?”
I said yes – with a smile. I call this Job Security.
Manning a booth at the Fair all week is something most people don’t want to do. For some reason, I really enjoy it. I think I’ve inherited this trait from my Dad who has always said that life can be boring as hell or a ton of fun depending on your attitude. Dad is a retired bus driver who likes people. We can both sit for hours and watch people, talk to people, silently make fun of the goofballs and daydream. I know my dad would think what I’m doing this week is the perfect job. Both of us really like to talk.
People who come to the Fair are here to have fun and I like being a part of that. I get to talk about the cattle, our industry and the Association I work for. Not everyone wants to talk, some just like to look at the cow/calf pair, watch our video and spend quality time with their children. And that’s okay.
I've always wanted to drive a scooter. So when this cattle producer came by and I asked him about it, he let me take it for a spin. There weren't many people around (they were all watching the "Super Dogs") so I took a drive over to the Dairy booth to show off to Bob. We'd discussed earlier how much fun it would be to have one of these gizmos.
Sherry Baumung, our "go-to girl" at the Fair told me today that she and her husband went for supper one night this week at a local restaurant. They overhead people at the table behind them talking about the Fair and they mentioned my booth! They liked the calving video and were commenting on people’s reactions to seeing a calf being born.
And that makes it all worthwhile.
Tomorrow: The countdown begins
2. Reflect on what a good week it has been
3. Push away thoughts of the "to do" list that's in my head - everything that needs to be done when I get home.
4. Eat a cinnamon bun and a hunk of fudge. Tell myself this is okay because I shared the fudge with Janice.
5. Discover that Janice is also going to start her diet on Monday.
Day 5. Three Directors from the Association I work for came by to check out this year’s booth and after about ten minutes of watching kids run in and out, each of them asked: “You stand here all day?”
I confess that mostly I sit.
“All week?”
I said yes – with a smile. I call this Job Security.
Manning a booth at the Fair all week is something most people don’t want to do. For some reason, I really enjoy it. I think I’ve inherited this trait from my Dad who has always said that life can be boring as hell or a ton of fun depending on your attitude. Dad is a retired bus driver who likes people. We can both sit for hours and watch people, talk to people, silently make fun of the goofballs and daydream. I know my dad would think what I’m doing this week is the perfect job. Both of us really like to talk.
People who come to the Fair are here to have fun and I like being a part of that. I get to talk about the cattle, our industry and the Association I work for. Not everyone wants to talk, some just like to look at the cow/calf pair, watch our video and spend quality time with their children. And that’s okay.
I've always wanted to drive a scooter. So when this cattle producer came by and I asked him about it, he let me take it for a spin. There weren't many people around (they were all watching the "Super Dogs") so I took a drive over to the Dairy booth to show off to Bob. We'd discussed earlier how much fun it would be to have one of these gizmos.
Sherry Baumung, our "go-to girl" at the Fair told me today that she and her husband went for supper one night this week at a local restaurant. They overhead people at the table behind them talking about the Fair and they mentioned my booth! They liked the calving video and were commenting on people’s reactions to seeing a calf being born.
And that makes it all worthwhile.
Tomorrow: The countdown begins
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Getting Even
1. Eat my first balanced breakfast in a week.
2. Get ready for the board meeting
3. Yes, that is straw stuck to the back of my sweater
Day 4. Today I didn’t have to go to the Fair. The Manitoba Cattle Producers Association is having its monthly board meeting here in Brandon. Since I do the Association’s newspaper, it’s pretty important that I attend these meetings so that I know what’s going on. If you're interested in seeing copies of "Cattle Country" go to the MCPA website: www.mcpa.net and click on the Cattle Country links.
I left the booth in Janice’s capable hands. In this photo she is watching the reaction of our visitors who were drawn in by the video we have of a cow giving birth to a calf. It's a wonderful video and a real attention grabber.
Janice and I became friends when I first started coordinating these events in the summer of 2006. Her name was given to me by one of the Association’s Directors who said she had volunteered to work the booth in the past. We hit it off right away. I started pestering her during the Amazing Ag Adventure last fall that she should accompany me to Brandon for the week. Being that she is the caterer for her local curling rink, she wasn’t sure if the season would be finished and couldn’t commit. I called her a few weeks prior to the Fair to get a final answer. Her husband Glen answered the phone. We had a long talk, joking and laughing and when we finished, he said, “I’m going to tell Janice you’re really mad at her.” Which of course I wasn’t. She called the following day and sounded tentative. Finally she told me that Glen had told her I was angry. We both laughed at him teasing us and I filed this away for later use.
Halfway through the Board Meeting I was called down to the display to do a media interview. Turns out it was a television interview so I quickly tried to do something with my hair which looked like I’d spent the week at the Fair. The interview went well and when it was over, the reporter asked if there was a cattle producer she could talk to. As it turns out, Glen decided to come out to Brandon for the day. He walked into the booth right then and I snagged him. Of course he did a great job, but afterwards shook his head at me.
“Even?” he asked.
“Even.”
But I don’t trust him. I’m already plotting my revenge against what he’s going to do to me next . . .
The Manitoba Equine Association had the most beautiful horses on display in their booth.
Tonight is our annual get-together after the Fair closes. We all gather in the exhibitor’s lounge and eat pizza and chicken while sampling some of my homemade fruit wine, as well as Donna's homemade cranberry liquer. Yum.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
It's a Bonding Experience
1. Get to the grounds at 5:45 a.m.
2. Tease the Dairy Guys that I was in first
3. Tease them again
4. Reward myself with a cinnamon bun
Day 3. I’ve informally surveyed the folks I work with here and I think it takes a certain type of person to spend a whole week at the Fair.
Technically we aren’t “carnies” but we do hang around and try to draw people into our booths. Our approach is much quieter, however, we let the animals do the work for us. Kids like anything baby. Baby calves. Baby lambs. Baby chicks. Baby pigs. And eggs. You’d be surprised how fascinated kids are by the fact that eggs come out of a chicken’s bum. Well, I suppose it isn’t actually the bum, but you know what I mean.
Another difference between us and the typical carnival worker is that none of have a snake tattoo that runs from our wrist to our neck. And we don’t rip people off. We give away our prizes. Pig squeaky toys. Cow tattoos. Sheep pencils. Chick zipper pulls. Egg key rings. You’d be surprised how people go for this stuff.
And most of us have respectable day jobs. We are a motley group of commodity professionals who love what we do. I call them my second family. Here we are, and a brief description of what we do:
That's me, back row left. Sarah Lewis is beside me. She and her family raise sheep and pigs near Elkhorn. Marilyn Warkentin is a volunteer with the Manitoba Equine Association. Val Simoens is the Field Services Technician with the Manitoba Chicken Producers. Beside her in the bright yellow vest is Katherine Hebert. She is the Extension Specialist with the Manitoba Egg Producers. The tall fellow in the back is Miles Beaudin, the Swine Program Specialist with Manitoba Pork. The young lady in the red vest is Clare Robinson. She is a dairy farmer from Steinbach and a volunteer at the dairy booth. I'm going to skip over the two men between Katherine and Clare, saving them for last.
Bottom row: Austin Donohoe is a volunteer at the dairy booth. He's a student from Steinbach. Janice Lawrence is my partner in crime. She is a caterer from Argyle who also writes the weekly column about her community for the Stonewall Argus and Teulon Times. Beside her is Hayden Lewis and his sister, Bethany (note the bunny ears - no doubt mom Sarah will be pleased). Beside Bethany is Lisa Wiens, a grade 11 student from Grunthal who volunteers at the dairy display; and Jillian Ray a beef producer from Grunthal who spent time volunteering in the Dairy booth and in the cattle display.
The two men in the back are Leo Leclair and Bob Crowe. Leo is our Fearless Leader. A retired dairy farmer, he coordinates the display for the Dairy Farmers of Manitoba. He is in Program Promotion and Client Services with the Federal Financial Income Development Program. He and his wife, Solange, live at Letellier.
Bob Crowe is the Barn Boss. Explaining everything that Bob has done in his life reads like a grocery list, so I'll try and make it brief. Right now he is a Dairy Rep with Alta Genetics, a guard at the Dauphin Correctional Centre, the bus driver for the Grandview Comets hockey team and for fun, he volunteers as an auctioneer for charity events. Bob and his wife, Marilyn, own and operate Secord-Crowe greenhouses in Dauphin. Both Leo and Bob have been involved with the Fairs since "Thru the Farm Gate" and "Touch the Farm" originated, approximately nine years ago.
So here we are. Oh yeah, and I can't forget Sherry Baumaug. She is the Ag Awareness Chair and a Director with the Fair Board in Brandon. She is our go-to girl. When she's no
t running around the Fair, she is the owner/operator of Lyons Transmission Centre in Brandon.
Tomorrow: Job Security
2. Tease the Dairy Guys that I was in first
3. Tease them again
4. Reward myself with a cinnamon bun
Day 3. I’ve informally surveyed the folks I work with here and I think it takes a certain type of person to spend a whole week at the Fair.
Technically we aren’t “carnies” but we do hang around and try to draw people into our booths. Our approach is much quieter, however, we let the animals do the work for us. Kids like anything baby. Baby calves. Baby lambs. Baby chicks. Baby pigs. And eggs. You’d be surprised how fascinated kids are by the fact that eggs come out of a chicken’s bum. Well, I suppose it isn’t actually the bum, but you know what I mean.
Another difference between us and the typical carnival worker is that none of have a snake tattoo that runs from our wrist to our neck. And we don’t rip people off. We give away our prizes. Pig squeaky toys. Cow tattoos. Sheep pencils. Chick zipper pulls. Egg key rings. You’d be surprised how people go for this stuff.
And most of us have respectable day jobs. We are a motley group of commodity professionals who love what we do. I call them my second family. Here we are, and a brief description of what we do:
That's me, back row left. Sarah Lewis is beside me. She and her family raise sheep and pigs near Elkhorn. Marilyn Warkentin is a volunteer with the Manitoba Equine Association. Val Simoens is the Field Services Technician with the Manitoba Chicken Producers. Beside her in the bright yellow vest is Katherine Hebert. She is the Extension Specialist with the Manitoba Egg Producers. The tall fellow in the back is Miles Beaudin, the Swine Program Specialist with Manitoba Pork. The young lady in the red vest is Clare Robinson. She is a dairy farmer from Steinbach and a volunteer at the dairy booth. I'm going to skip over the two men between Katherine and Clare, saving them for last.
Bottom row: Austin Donohoe is a volunteer at the dairy booth. He's a student from Steinbach. Janice Lawrence is my partner in crime. She is a caterer from Argyle who also writes the weekly column about her community for the Stonewall Argus and Teulon Times. Beside her is Hayden Lewis and his sister, Bethany (note the bunny ears - no doubt mom Sarah will be pleased). Beside Bethany is Lisa Wiens, a grade 11 student from Grunthal who volunteers at the dairy display; and Jillian Ray a beef producer from Grunthal who spent time volunteering in the Dairy booth and in the cattle display.
The two men in the back are Leo Leclair and Bob Crowe. Leo is our Fearless Leader. A retired dairy farmer, he coordinates the display for the Dairy Farmers of Manitoba. He is in Program Promotion and Client Services with the Federal Financial Income Development Program. He and his wife, Solange, live at Letellier.
Bob Crowe is the Barn Boss. Explaining everything that Bob has done in his life reads like a grocery list, so I'll try and make it brief. Right now he is a Dairy Rep with Alta Genetics, a guard at the Dauphin Correctional Centre, the bus driver for the Grandview Comets hockey team and for fun, he volunteers as an auctioneer for charity events. Bob and his wife, Marilyn, own and operate Secord-Crowe greenhouses in Dauphin. Both Leo and Bob have been involved with the Fairs since "Thru the Farm Gate" and "Touch the Farm" originated, approximately nine years ago.
So here we are. Oh yeah, and I can't forget Sherry Baumaug. She is the Ag Awareness Chair and a Director with the Fair Board in Brandon. She is our go-to girl. When she's no
t running around the Fair, she is the owner/operator of Lyons Transmission Centre in Brandon.Tomorrow: Job Security
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
I Picked Up a Chick at the Fair
1. Arrive at the Fair at 5:50 a.m.
2. Feeling a bit tired as always on the second day
3. Carry in a cranberry-blueberry bran muffin and coffee from Tim Hortons to stave off a cinnamon bun craving
4. Hoping for a good few hours of writing
Day 2. One thing I really enjoy about the Fair is arriving first thing in the morning. Everything is quiet and nobody is in our area except for Leo and Bob (the dairy guys) and the security personnel. This morning when I came in the heavy horses, Percherons I think, were being led through the empty parking lot by their trainers. All was dark except for the streetlights overhead. I am not a horse person but I could appreciate the beauty of the solitary, peaceful scene. Soon the parking lot will be full of cars and people will be everywhere.
I check our cow. She is chewing her cud and the calf is asleep by her side. Last year I figured out it’s not a good idea to feed her as soon as I get in because if I do, she poops on the floor as soon as we take her out of the pen for her walk to the wash racks. Her name is Sunshine, a heifer that was shown at last fall’s Agribition in Regina and was the Reserve Champion Female at last year’s Winter Fair. Her owner, Andrew Kopeechuk, will be by today to see how she’s doing.
I wave to the dairy guys and then find a quiet spot near the canteen and set up my laptop. I am anxious to work on my novel. The story is set in rural Canada so this is an inspiring atmosphere. So much better than the desk in the hotel room. I can see the miniature horses through the window and hear the sounds of the animals waking up. Trainers are walking the horses by and soon the show cattle will arrive. Sitting here, I am able to write a few scenes and feel myself grow excited about the manuscript. The story is coming together nicely and my characters are as alive to me as the people who walk by and stop to chat.
The parallels are interesting. I am writing about a city girl who gets stuck in a small town. People often ask writers how much of their stories are autobiographical and that is a difficult question to answer. For me, the story and the characters are a mishmash of both real and imagined. The fact I am a transplant gives me an edge, an understanding.
Right around the corner, the cinnamon buns come out of the oven. I can smell them and would be able to resist except Esther Fyk brings by a sample.
A few hours later, I am done writing. Now it’s time to clean out the cow pen and get ready for the day ahead.
People love the baby animals on display. Thru the Farm Gate is pretty interactive, a great opportunity to see animals up close. The Manitoba Chicken Producers have a great display that includes chicks being hatched.
Manitoba Pork has a sow and piglets. This is very popular, especially with the kids.
2. Feeling a bit tired as always on the second day
3. Carry in a cranberry-blueberry bran muffin and coffee from Tim Hortons to stave off a cinnamon bun craving
4. Hoping for a good few hours of writing
Day 2. One thing I really enjoy about the Fair is arriving first thing in the morning. Everything is quiet and nobody is in our area except for Leo and Bob (the dairy guys) and the security personnel. This morning when I came in the heavy horses, Percherons I think, were being led through the empty parking lot by their trainers. All was dark except for the streetlights overhead. I am not a horse person but I could appreciate the beauty of the solitary, peaceful scene. Soon the parking lot will be full of cars and people will be everywhere.
I check our cow. She is chewing her cud and the calf is asleep by her side. Last year I figured out it’s not a good idea to feed her as soon as I get in because if I do, she poops on the floor as soon as we take her out of the pen for her walk to the wash racks. Her name is Sunshine, a heifer that was shown at last fall’s Agribition in Regina and was the Reserve Champion Female at last year’s Winter Fair. Her owner, Andrew Kopeechuk, will be by today to see how she’s doing.
I wave to the dairy guys and then find a quiet spot near the canteen and set up my laptop. I am anxious to work on my novel. The story is set in rural Canada so this is an inspiring atmosphere. So much better than the desk in the hotel room. I can see the miniature horses through the window and hear the sounds of the animals waking up. Trainers are walking the horses by and soon the show cattle will arrive. Sitting here, I am able to write a few scenes and feel myself grow excited about the manuscript. The story is coming together nicely and my characters are as alive to me as the people who walk by and stop to chat.
The parallels are interesting. I am writing about a city girl who gets stuck in a small town. People often ask writers how much of their stories are autobiographical and that is a difficult question to answer. For me, the story and the characters are a mishmash of both real and imagined. The fact I am a transplant gives me an edge, an understanding.
Right around the corner, the cinnamon buns come out of the oven. I can smell them and would be able to resist except Esther Fyk brings by a sample.
A few hours later, I am done writing. Now it’s time to clean out the cow pen and get ready for the day ahead.
People love the baby animals on display. Thru the Farm Gate is pretty interactive, a great opportunity to see animals up close. The Manitoba Chicken Producers have a great display that includes chicks being hatched.
Manitoba Pork has a sow and piglets. This is very popular, especially with the kids.
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