Fixing fence is the one of the hardest jobs on a ranch. I no longer live on a ranch, but I do know what hard work is. Fences are everyone's concern, but nowadays,the "hole" is always your neighbor's side not your own. It used to be that you would respect your neighbor and mend the fence together. If their cows got in your field, a simple phone call resolved the problem. You might even saddle up your own horse and help them gather them up. We need more people who are willing to roll their sleeves up and fix the fence regardless of who your neighbor is. There are people in this country who need to be reminded that a fence is like the way you should conduct your life. Your posts should be straight and neat. The wire needs to be stretched tight and your gate might be closed, but can still be easily opened. And most of all, we can all saddle up together and ride the range, it won't matter if you have an Appaloosa, Quarter Horse or Thoroughbred. The cows still have to be gathered, fences have to be fixed, and the range is a wide open space of opportunity for us all.

Horse Tails, Spurs and Curry Combs-Oh My!

Posted Wednesday, August 20, 2014, at 8:49 AM

Fair Time brings back some memories of being in 4H or participating in parades. Our dad had high standards for both his horses and his kids. Not necessarily in that order.

Dad was a good teacher and I am sure that I challenged his patience on more than one occasion.

I have been missing my dad these past few weeks. Memories of fairs, 4H meetings and trail rides linger upon my heart with a wistful ache. I wasn't the best cowpoke in the bunch, but I did benefit from the teaching and experiences that Dad had to offer.

A few days ago, I went with two of my grandkids to the State Fair in Sedalia Missouri. I took in the wonderful smells of horse and cow manure and was able to share a few things with the kids about my growing up years.

KaeLynn loves animals, but Nathaniel not so much. After viewing a few horse and cow barns, he let me know that he was finished with the livestock portion of our tour.

We barely scratched the surface of what the fair had to offer and plans are already being made to go back again next year.

I am so thankful for the memories that surfaced with this blog My 4H years are long gone, but the lessons of life that was taught by our dad live on. Dozens of kids have benefited from his legacy of horsemanship, including a few of his grandchildren.

The Elmore County Fair is not as fancy or exciting as the bigger venues. And some of the same old issues keep cropping up like a good amusement park or the cost of travel. However, several generations of families have participated on those fair grounds. Hundreds of volunteers have donated money and countless hours of their time and expertise.

And this is the real treasure of the fair; countless volunteers who help to shape and mold young lives and the kids who benefit from learning life's lessons in a good way and receive something more valuable than a ribbon or a trophy. They keep the legacy alive so that more generations of young people can benefit from the joy of achievement and success

Nothing is more satisfying than to hear the pride your Dad's voice when all the work of the fair is done and his "kids" have done well. The icing on the cake was if you have surpassed your own personal best from the preceding year.

Maybe next summer, I will be able to come to the fair with my grandkids. I would love to point out all the things that their grandma did as a young girl.

Have a good week everyone!

Comments

View 3 comments

Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. Please note that those who post comments on this website may do so using a screen name, which may or may not reflect a website user's actual name. Readers should be careful not to assign comments to real people who may have names similar to screen names. Refrain from obscenity in your comments, and to keep discussions civil, don't say anything in a way your grandmother would be ashamed to read.

When you're kid, everyone always said "enjoy this, it will be gone before you know it." Fair days are definitely one of those times I wish I could go back to and slow it down. It was so much fun. And yes, lots of lessons learned. Lots of tears shed, pride squashed and then rebuilt.

I'm so glad and thankful to have those experiences as well.

Thank you for sharing.

-- Posted by ktlm on Wed, Aug 20, 2014, at 10:56 AM
I remember my share of tears too. Thank you for the kind comments.

-- Posted by KH Gal on Wed, Aug 20, 2014, at 11:39 AM
Katie and Bonnie, I'm with you on the great memories of Fair. I wish we could all go back! Those were definitely times of physical and emotional growth. Losses, wins, overall life experiences. This year with Jilly being able to experience it for her 2nd time, was especially poignant for me. The idea that she nearly didn't make it, to watching her ride into the arena on her yellow mare, both all decked out in purple, was a moment to grasp onto and never forget. She was in 4 classes, and got 3 Reserve Grand Champion ribbons. That's icing on the cake, but the real prize, was just that she got to go.

Thanks for sharing!

-- Posted by jessiemiller on Wed, Aug 20, 2014, at 2:39 PM

Respond to this blog

Posting a comment requires free registration:

If you already have an account, follow this link to login
Otherwise, follow this link to register