The world of Amanda

I am not good at this blogging thing, I post great for awhile and then it just goes by the wayside of a couple of months. LIfe is hectic but good!

The Orofino Lumberjack Days Fair is officially over in about three hours and I have to brag on my daughter. Mariah is 9 and completed three 4-H projects. She had a great time with her projects and brought home the ribbons. In Dough Art she received a Top Record Book ribbon, a blue ribbon and Grand Champion of the Arts and Crafts Division. She brought home a plague and a #25 gift certificate to Kings. In sewing she brought home a blue ribbon on her skirt, a Top Record Book ribbon and a red ribbon for modeling in the style review. In her chicken project she received a blue on her record book, a blue on her chicken, a reserve champion on her fitting and showing a chicken skills and a blue on livestock judging. I asked her how she received a blue on judging sheep, cows and pigs when she knows nothing about any of those things and she told me she just looked at them for what one she would want to eat. LOL

Our family put in many open classes exhibits and brought home lots of ribbons so we are pleased. All but Emmy who thinks the fair is way over-rated and too long.

To me when the fair is over so is summer and fall is officially here. The nights are getting cooler and the days shorter and I am preparing myself mentally for winter. I have been canning the last two days non-stop when I am not at the fair and have canned 7 quarts of dill pickles, 17 pints of hot salsa and have grapes being steamed for grape jelly. I have left to make up - pear butter, apple butter and apple pie filling. Also blackberry jam which has to be done in the next couple of days before the berries are gone. I am pleased because all of the veggies and fruits were grown in my own garden or on our property. There is still so much I want to do to make our property better and more self-sufficent but it takes time and money. Money is big and I am lacking in this year, so I will continue to slowly work at it until I die. Hopefully I have years left to work on it.

Our animals are the same with only one new animal joining us since I blogged last and that is Holstein our new kitty. He is wonderful, adopted from the Humane Society neutured and precious. Still a kitten so he is playful and fun. I will begin the new duck pen for the Indian Runner Ducks that I hope to hatch soon. The duck eggs should be here this week and then into the incubator for 28 days. The incubator is currently holding silkie chickens and hopefully I will have some new babies in about 10 days. We have seperate the chickens so I will have three pens, the laying pen, the Blue/Black/Splash Orpington pen and the Silkie pen. Then we will have the main duck pen with the mixture and the geese and then the other duck pen with the Indian Runners.

Take care my friends!