County Fair 2009

We made it through another Coconino County Fair. Everything turned out really good this year and Taya did really well. Her steer weighed in at a wopping 1158 pounds. We were keeping him from drinking in order to hit the middle weight class and low and behold he had lost 50 or more pounds than a few weeks ago so we should have given him the water but oh well, he didn't drink when we gave it to him anyways. So she hit the lightweight class. She won that class and then went on to take 3rd overall. The Grand was a very nice steer and the reserve had 300 pounds on her but the judge took a long time deciding. But better than that our favorite doctor came and bid on her steer. Along with The Landscape Connection, Northern AZ Diesel, Homco, and other great people!! She got $5.00 a pound. Do the math it is close ot $6000. Also Olsen's Grain added on $100. So all in all the girl made out big time. The Grand got $6.00 a pound and the reserve got $4.75. Thank you to Nate Tritle for buying the steer. He is a good person. He shows up right before the auction starts and says, where's my steer? Where's Taya and my steer. I hope someday I can do that for someone but I think I'll be in steer debt for a few twenty years or so! She also got Reserve Champion Showman with her steer in the junior class.

Then there is Baby Cakes. She needed some more weight also. We poured on the food to both of these animals but they just wouldn't eat enough. It came in the middle of her weight class. Homco Glass & Mirror bought her pig for $4.30 a pound. She got $1000 for it. A big thanks to Homco for supporting Taya and the auction this year! So if you need a loan from Taya, too bad. She is making the mortgage this winter. Just kidding! I Hope. When the pig got loaded on the truck headed to the meat processor Payce and Sydnee couldn't hold back many tears, nor Taya of course. But Sydnee turns around and says "I'm not doing this, I'm showing a goat!" Goats don't go to processing so she would be safe with that. Taya did really well at showmanship with the pig. She got like 5th out of 13 or so but don't know why because she did really good.

We all had a good time living at the fair for five days. We got our new camp trailer and it worked great for us. Nice to have a get away from the fair to go to. It was also nice that Paula and David (Aunt and Uncle) were set up with their Fodder machine right across from steer barn so we could hang out there and rest. She was a great babysitter for Kai and Sydnee. So now we are home and working with Payce's steer already. Troy wants to win so bad he can't sit still. Me on the other hand would like to get the steer in late May and go from there. Shoot... train it with a horse the week before the fair like the Good Ol' Times.

Day before fair

Here is Flash and Baby Cakes for one last picture at home. We will be living at the Coconino County Fair for the next few days. Please send money to the following address. Ha! Hopefully we can hang out at our camper a lot to save from buying all the carnival food. But oh what about the Kettle Corn, and the Bean & Cheese Fried Bread, and the Snow Cones, and the Cotton Candy, and the grilled corn (oops... I won't be buying any of that this year). I have had enough corn to turn me into masa. All I need to do is be wrapped up in a corn husk and steamed. I can guarantee Troy will try the Bean and Cheese Fry Bread like everyday to bring back his chidhood memories, even if they cost $9.50! They make a killing. You could buy 50 pounds of beans, flour and lard with that much and make a million of your own.

This is her pig. Looks really pretty. Don't you wish you could be washing up a pig and showing it in front of everyone. And to think we did it and are now re-living it! Well I hope I'll blog when we get home and let you know the results. Her steer of course was very bloated tonight so I should have showed the picture of it standing uphill in the pond and tied to the Bobcat to relieve some gas! Maybe next week.