New Experiences

After living in northern Colorado for 16 years, Wonderful Guy and I seized the opportunity to go to the National Western Stock Show last month.  My cousin came from western Kansas to attend.  He is a farmer/rancher sort, so was going …you know…as a professional.  The Guy and I were rubberneckers mostly, but also wannabees.

 The outside of the expo center.  There are other critters on the other side, horses and cattle and such.  This was my favorite.

You see. I put the idea in Cousin’s mind that he might raise some fine fleece sheep, and he is okay with that.  Really he is. His plan was to work in attending some of the sheep shows, and with him in tow, my plan was to check out the fleeces. I educated him on what a spinner looks for, or at least, what I look for.  We chatted up the tenders of the fleeces, and he talked up some of the sheep people when I wasn’t around.

We spent some time in the evenings looking at my Fleece and Fiber Source Book (Deb Robson and and Carol Ekarius) checking out the really handsome breeds, the stylin’ breeds with their fine wool, and the ones that we thought might best survive the predators Kansas offers. Otherwise known as the ones with horns and/or the sheep with muscles....

What we figured out is that we have more to figure out before the decision is made and sheeps are purchased.  That is good.  I prefer prudent decision making to rash rushing off.

Then he spent the sheep money on a couple of Scottish Highland cows…which I do believe is his first love!

However.  We drove to Denver for the show on two separate occasions, one with the two eldest Grandgirls in tow.  Omifun!  (And also exhaustion)  There were stories to tell the parental units about pony rides and petting zoos and foot long hot dogs and funnel cakes and ice cream and cotton candy and Cousin getting his boots shined, but the story that got told first?  ‘There was a buffalo with blood on his horn.’  Yep. Blood and gore.  It could have been poop.

Here Grandgirl #1 is detailing the footlong hotdog she shared with her sister for lunch to her parental units.

Grandgirl #2 took about 4 steps to each one of ours! She was zonked within 10 minutes of starting the car.

(Both of the above photos are with camera phones.  No apology, only explanation)

What was a non-event happened at the learning center on the kid's floor.  Members from (I think) the Rocky Mountain Weaver's Guild were demonstrating spinning and weaving.  My grandgirls were all whatever...spinning wheels and wool...seen that....ho hum.  A woman was handing out little tufts of alpaca and telling the observing children that the ladies 'were spinning this alpaca fiber into yarn.' And my girls handed it right off to me.  Here, grandmama, this obviously is for you.

This is just because. She was having fun, and I got a genuine smile from her.