Crazy how life works sometimes. We chose to raise our youngest in a rural community, without city animal restrictions, where everybody knows your name and in most cases your great grand parents. Their are positives and negatives to this type of life, but in our opinion a wholesome place for our son to grow up.
Yesterday, my rural son got a call from his girlfriend who lives in a town with traffic lights, Walmart, Safeway, Rite aid etc. She asked him to come and wash her steer for the coming Fair. I just thought it odd that he went to
town to wash her steer (a new experience for him). I cautioned him and his buddy to take clean clothes to change into and different shoes as those were going to get dirty. They chuckled and gave me the "I've got it taken care of" nod. Moments later they walked towards the door and Ryan had magically acquired an extra shirt and so had Colby. I again mentioned a change of clothes getting a less than enthusiastic response. "How about extra shoes?" Ohhhh, now I hit the spot. Colby has more basketball shoes than can be lined up along his bedroom wall. He immediately swings around to return with an older pair of white shoes (obviously his pants would not get barn slop on them). Shaking my head they leave to scrub steers. In the end Colby had a few first time jitters when expected to work with the steers (texting: I can't touch him! He's covered in mud and crap!) but eventually summed up the courage to pose for pictures with a brush in hand and walked the steer with his girlfriend's encouragement. He says he will help if asked again. Not so sure that he was a lot of help or if he will be asked to participate again.
Yesterday, my rural son got a call from his girlfriend who lives in a town with traffic lights, Walmart, Safeway, Rite aid etc. She asked him to come and wash her steer for the coming Fair. I just thought it odd that he went to town to wash her steer (a new experience for him). I cautioned him and his buddy to take clean clothes to change into and different shoes as those were going to get dirty. They chuckled and gave me the "I've got it taken care of" nod. Moments later they walked towards the door and Ryan had magically acquired an extra shirt and so had Colby. I again mentioned a change of clothes getting a less than enthusiastic response. "How about extra shoes?" Ohhhh, now I hit the spot. Colby has more basketball shoes than can be lined up along his bedroom wall. He immediately swings around to return with an older pair of white shoes (obviously his pants would not get barn slop on them). Shaking my head they leave to scrub steers. In the end Colby had a few first time jitters when expected to work with the steers (texting: I can't touch him! He's covered in mud and crap!) but eventually summed up the courage to pose for pictures with a brush in hand and walked the steer with his girlfriend's encouragement. He says he will help if asked again. Not so sure that he was a lot of help or if he will be asked to participate again.
2 comments:
Way to go Colby! So, you think there is a farm in your future?
Update on the fair and the steer named Ozwald(?). The steer ranked in the top 5 and fetched $1.65 lb at the auction. But bigger news is that girlfriend's little sister was crowned "Little Miss Friendly" for the 2010 SW Washington Fair.
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