Wahoo....

Yay - I can't believe it!  Another school year in the books!  Since I home school, every year I have to put together a portfolio of all that I finish in school.  In the spring, my evaluator from PA Homeschoolers comes from Kittanning, PA to review what I have done.  Believe it or not, we actually like when she comes.  I look forward to sharing all my hard work with her and this year wasn't any different.  I think she was really happy with what we accomplished this year.  In fact, I passed the school year and will be headed to 8th grade next year.  Whew!

To complete the year, I also did testing today.  I enjoyed the testing this year because a friend of mine from 4-H also signed up for testing in her grade too.  The best part was that after all our hard work, my mom, my friend Maddie (What a popular name!), her mom, and I all went out to lunch and even had a pit stop at Sweet Frog!  It was a great day!

So, I officially have to complete 10 more days and then, let the summer begin! 

Madi and Maddie enjoying Sweet Frog and the fact that testing was over!

My Friend Donna...

Last Wednesday night, my mom and I drove to the State College area to visit a very special friend of ours, Donna McGraw.  A few short weeks ago, she had a knee replacement.  She's working really hard to gain her strength, but for now, tending her bunnies is really hard.  My mom and I went to visit her and we really wanted to help her, but she ended up helping me.  You see, she has been raising angora rabbits for a long time and she does a fantastic job with them.  I have been seeing and visiting with her for years now and her angora rabbits are always in tip top shape!  She always does well at shows!  I was very honored when she asked me if I would like some of her American Fuzzy lops because she was having trouble tending and grooming them all because of her recent surgery.  Well, knowing how much she cares about her rabbits and what great homes they have, meant a lot to me that she would choose me for her fuzzy lops!

So, my mom and I went to visit her.  Her home and her "rabbitry" is spotless!  Her daughters have been doing an amazing job keeping up with all the work that the bunnies need.  Donna sent me home with 7 of her fuzzy lops and a great 6 hole cage too.  I can't thank her enough for trusting me with her bunnies.  I also brought home a black English angora young buck too!  I will work really hard to keep these lines going because they are very nice American fuzzy lops!  Can't wait for the next show.....

Thank you Donna for helping me!  I have a special package for you!

Love this buck!

Who wouldn't love this face???

 

Working With Journey....

Well, today, after doing my schoolwork, I went to gym class.  Gym class for me is a lot different than gym class in public schools.  For me, it means collecting all my equipment for myself and my miniature horse named Journey, load it all up into the horse trailer, and head for CATRA.  There, I work in the indoor ring with Ben.  He  runs a business called Horse Mastership Essentials; and he has really taught me a lot about working with Journey.  Ben teaches me more than I could ever read in a book!  I am working really hard to build trust between us both so that we can soon begin to drive a cart.  For now, I am focused on working with him in hand to do many obstacles, and line-driving.  When we are at CATRA, one thing I'm really lucky enough to be able to do is work with Journey and not even use a lead-line.  It's hard to be able to practice that at home, but when I'm at CATRA, that's one thing I love to do!

I will be taking Journey to 4-H fair this year.  I might use Bumble, my sister's miniature to drive, but I will use Journey for showmanship and in hand trail class!

Journey weaving cones without a lead line!

Cone on his hiney!

Look Ma, no hands!

So many cones!

Parking the car...

I like my gym class!

 

Easter Sunday....

Happy Easter to everyone!  Today is a day that I always look forward to.  My family always gets together, my mom always prepares the meal, and then we spend the rest of the day just enjoying the beautiful day.  This year, I was given a great gift....  it wasn't a gift you can just buy, and it isn't even a gift that you can MAKE happen.  It was just a wonderful gift....  What was it?  Well, I have been raising rabbits for years now, but this morning, on Easter Sunday, my guinea pig, Elsa, decided to have her babies, or pups, which is what you call baby piggies.  She had three of them.  They are all very healthy and just adorable!  

I'm not really good at telling if they are boys or girls yet, but they will definitely have Easter names.  Elsa is doing a wonderful job taking care of them.  They are all Himalayan marked cavies, another word for guinea pigs, but much like dalmatian puppies who take days to get their spots, the pups won't have their markings for a bit yet.  

Here are a few pictures of them:

The family including: Elsa (the mom), Hemi ( the dad), and all three pups.

I also added another surprise this day,  a pair of pigeons.  They were sitting at our 4-H auction on Saturday and my mom and I decided to bid on them so that I could learn a bit about them.  What I know so far is that there are around 310 different breeds of pigeons.  People hold shows for them just like they do for dogs, cats, rabbits, and just about every other specie of animal.  The breed that we brought home is a pair of Old German Owls.  They are now loving their outside pen that my dad and I made. 

Theo, the old cock.

Theo, the old cock.

This is Merry, the old hen.

 

Speak Out Night

This past Tuesday, I went to a 4-H event called Speak Out Night.  I gave a speech on 2% of America is feeding America.  My title was Hold-on 2%?  If you'd like to hear it - please visit this site:

My Speak Out Night Speech

Speak-Out night is a great opportunity for 4-H'ers to develop public speaking skills.  Did you know that the fear of public speaking tops the fear of snakes, illness, and even death?  If you ask me, it's a pretty good idea for kids to begin gaining confidence and experience in front of crowds so that it can be second nature to them when they grow up! 

So, on Tuesday night, April 15th, we travelled to the Cumberland County Extension office with a few other members from Dauphin County.  Perry County also participated in the event.  Kids can choose to do impromptu speaking, power point presentations, prepared speeches, pledges, radio spots, or demonstrations.  I competed in the prepared speech category and had a great time.  I was very proud to be chosen as the judges choice in my category!

Dauphin County 4-H'ers presenting at Speak-Out Night 2014
 

WOW, What a day....

They're here, they're here, they're finally here.  I told you all about Peek-a-boo Lace last weekend and today, on what has been the most beautiful day of spring so far, the Shelly's delivered her here.  Not only did they bring Peek, but they also brought the other two little girls I fell in love with while I was at their farm last week.  I already told you about the one, but I decided to get two.  :)  I guess they're like Lays Potato Chips.....  

Well, they arrived around 1:30 and it was already about 75 degrees outside.  When we opened the truck, Peek-a-boo was a bit stressed and hot.  We carefully lifted her down off the truck and got the babies out too.  We took them into the barn where it was a lot cooler for them all.  I got Peek some fresh, cool water, but she wasn't ready to drink it.  We spent a little while just petting her and talking to her, of course she understood everything I said.  The babies just settled right in.  We practiced with Peek-a-boo getting onto the milking stand which she did, reluctantly at first, but she did okay with it.  

After she cooled down a bit, we took her into the goat pen with all the other goats.  I introduced her to Clover, my two-year old nanny.  They weren't too impressed with each other at first, but didn't seem to mind each other.  I then went and made bottles for the two new girls which they inhaled; and then, I took them to the pen too.  The babies really enjoyed jumping on the logs and things laying in the pen.  They settled right in.  We walked away and kept them all in the pen.  Peek-a-boo really seemed to enjoy being out with them all.  Around 5:00, I brought Clover and Peek-a-boo back into the barn.  I fed and milked them both.  Right now, Clover and Peek are together and they seem to like one another.  I will keep checking them through the night, but when Peek and Clover are alone, they cry, when they are together, they seem happy and not stressed.  Have you ever heard Nubians cry?  They make a lot of noise! 

I can't thank the Shelly's enough for bringing the girls here today and spending all the time with me that they did.  It's so great to know that between my vet, 4-H leaders, and the Shelly's that if I ever have any questions or problems, they would all help.

Introducing.....   Esther-Ella

Introducing....  Luna

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Peek-A-Boo

Spring has really sprung here!

Well, today was very adventurous, full of excitement, and it's only lunchtime.  Did you ever have one of those days where it just started off wrong?  Today, I had one of those days.  Only my sister, mom, and I were home since my dad already left for work and my brother wasn't home yet from his Washington, D.C. trip for the National 4-H Conference.  The first thing we always do is feed the animals.  When we went to the barn, somehow the inside latch had managed to lock the door from the inside.  (Just for the record, my baby goats didn't do it)  

So what do you do when the animals are inside calling for breakfast and you can't get in?  You go get the cordless screw-gun and start taking the screws off the 500 lb door's by the hinges.  We finally managed to get into the barn and realized that Harley, my sister's ewe was in labor!  Now, we were already running late because of the door, so Ashley and I ran around feeding while my mom checked on Harley.  Ashley then had to race to school.

Ok - so are you following all this so far?  Locked door, baby on the way!  Guess what?  The baby was stuck.  Only one foot was presented.  That's not good.  Two feet with a nose should always come first.  So now mom, without her fearless assistant, my brother, had to go in.  Harley was down.  I stayed at her head to keep her calm while mom worked to get the baby repositioned.  After what seemed like forever, she found the other foot.  Harley was such a good girl during all this.  We were back in business.  Harley pushed and mom helped a bit.  POP! GUSH! Out came the baby!  A little boy who shall rename nameless until my sister comes home.  

Mom and I cleaned the stall to give them fresh comfy bedding.  Then I dipped the baby's umbilical cord in Iodine and helped his mommy dry him off.  He's a little small and was shivering a bit, so I fitted him with a sweater (the sleeve of a large sweatshirt).  We also milked his momma and gave him about 4 ounces of colostrum.  This step is very important for newborns.  They NEED colostrum soon after they are born or they have all sorts of trouble.   

Since its a beautiful day in PA, mom and I took him and Harley outside for a little bit of fresh air and he was able to bounce around Harley, tail wagging in the breeze.  Life is good!

Almost there......

Spring Has Sprung.... Finally!

Momma cleaning her babe!