2019 Sheepherders Gathering

 Every January it's time for the annual Sheepherders' Gathering at the Border Inn, located along Highway 6 & 50 on the stateline of Nevada and Utah. Sheepherders, sheep owners, and other aficionados of the sheep industry drive up to hundreds of miles to attend.

On Friday evening there's an Industry appreciation dinner (invite only) followed by Open Mic night. I really enjoy this, as you never know what entertainment there will be. Nephi Clark Allred "Red Clark" opened with a sampling of his musical repertoire (above). Check out the link to hear some of his tunes.

Thank Hank Vogel took the floor as emcee.

Denys Koyle started the Sheepherders' Gathering many moons ago, and it has become a huge success.

Next up were a variety of stories and tributes.

Recognize this little performer? It's Desert Girl! She sang and played (sort of) Mary Had a Little Lamb.

Her jokes were better than her playing (she needs some practice).
Q: What do you call a sheep covered in chocolate? A: A candy baaa
Q: What do you get if you cross an angry sheep with a moody cow? A: An animal that's in a baaaad mooood.

Next came more memories.

Melanie has been performing since she was just walking. It's been so fun watching her grow up and seeing her talent blossom. 

Waddie Mitchell, cowboy poet, was the headliner for the weekend. He certainly knows how to spin a good yarn!

We missed many of Saturday's events because we went into Ely for the Birkebeiner Ski Race. There was a sourdough pancake breakfast, film screening, and more poetry by Waddie Mitchell.

We got back in time so my husband and I could attend the delicious Basque-style family dinner. The crowd was huge, filling the whole cafe and events room. I managed to forget to take a single photo!

Then we were entertained by the Front Porch Pickers. They sounded fantastic, and it was a really great evening.

It's so nice to have a special event to look forward to in the middle of winter. Keep an eye on the Great Basin National Heritage Area website if you want to attend next year!

A Day at the Fair

On Saturday we went to the local county fair to watch the nieces and nephews show their animals, enjoy the exhibits and booths, and eat some yummy, unhealthy, hey-I-only-eat-it-once-a-year fair food (like fry bread).

We got there in time to see the large class of steers. Before entering the arena, the steers (and in some cases, the kids) were given a last brush. Note that Caleb has his number on in the above photo.

The steers were led into the grassy show arena.

Clay, Alyshia, and Caleb were all in this class, and had really big steers! Alyshia's had been behaving on the ranch, but in the show arena he kept wanting to make a getaway, making Alyshia run after him.

They walked them around so that the judge could get a view of all sides.

Note Caleb's shirt now. There are safety pins, but no number. Where did it go?

Apparently his steer thought it would taste yummy and ate his number off of him. Completely.

Clay smiled as he listened to his mom.

The judge ended up awarding Clay, Caleb, and Alyshia blue ribbons. He commented that their steers looked like they were from a commercial cattle ranch. He was right about that!

Next we walked around the booths. Desert Boy had fun collecting free stuff like yoyos and balloons and crayons. He also really liked this game where he threw ping pong balls into a house that had areas open to show where fires could burn.

Then it was back to the arena to watch the Showmanship round. Megan did a good job with her sheep. We were informed that Desert Boy will be able to take a sheep to the fair the summer after next. Yikes, that seems soon! And I know about nothing about sheep!

Alyshia's misbehaving steer kept up the act the second time around, while her dad and uncle looked on from the fence.

Caleb (with a new number attached) did a good job and won a Grand Champion for the junior showmanship class. That meant he got to compete in the round robin and also show a sheep and a pig; the latter was a new experience for him.

Caleb's steer.

After visiting more animals like ducks and rabbits and chickens, we went through the exhibit hall and wandered around again. We were lucky to catch a competition about to start.

It was the watermelon eating contest, and Desert Boy was willing to compete in the 0-3 year old division.

On your marks, get set...notice the boy on the left and the girl on the far right didn't really think it necessary to wait for the "go."

They had one minute to eat as much as they could. The girl next to Desert Boy needed a little coaching.

She's taken a couple bites, while Desert Boy keeps chomping down. Usually he hates the seeds, but he didn't complain at all about them.

It seemed like a long minute, but finally the time was up. The kids had to stop eating and the judges tried to figure out who had eaten the most.

And the winner was Desert Boy! He got a nice first place medal. He also achieved a very slimy shirt, hands, and face.

He was happy to keep eating the watermelon. And Desert Girl was happy to assist. She'll be ready for this age group next year!

4-H Sheep 2018

 After struggles with controlling his 4-H sheep at the 2017 County Fair, Desert Boy declared he wasn't doing sheep again. But after he got his check for selling his lamb, he changed his mind. So we got a couple lambs from Todd Holt in Delta at the end of May (thanks, Gwendy, for helping arrange this!). When I first saw them, I was impressed how good they looked already. One let Desert Boy touch him.

They are both ewes, and #144 ate food out of Desert Boy's hands immediately. #141 was definitely shyer.

Our current plan is that Desert Boy will show one lamb for 4-H, and Desert Girl, who is just a Cloverbud, will show one for open class. 

In an effort to get them tamer, we've been taking them into our yard frequently. However, they sometimes get loose, and then it can be a chore to get them back into the pen. 

We're hoping they will continue to gain well and tolerate being walked better!
4-H livestock projects definitely teach the kids (and parents) a lot, and overall it's been a good experience for us.

The Nativity Play--Dress Rehearsal

The kids will be in a Nativity play on Christmas Eve, playing an angel and King Herod. We had a dress rehearsal the other day, which is one of my favorite times to take photos because I don't have to stay in my seat. The play begins with Gabriel announcing to Mary and then Joseph what is to come. Then they sing O Come Emmanuel (with the help of the Innkeeper).

Meanwhile, the Wise Men were busy finding wise things on their smartphones. Ha, ha.

 The kids were really into singing. Desert Girl added a little stretching. She has a really hard time sitting still for 20 minutes. I'll just pretend she's fluttering around like an angel.

The little kids always add some comedic relief to the play. Thank goodness they have the older kids to hold it all together.

Of course, sometimes the older kids have their fun too. Mary decides her feet are sore, so she puts them up on the makeshift manger. I remember putting my feet up a lot when I was pregnant.

Later, Joseph and Mary had a little tussle over who got to hold the improvised Baby Jesus. It was funny to watch.

My angel!

The shepherds hung out on their hill, tending their sheep. Actually all their sheep were missing (the cast is a little small due to families being out of town), so they just played with their imaginary sheep.

And tried out some wrestling moves. The angels didn't approve.


Meanwhile, King Herod waited patiently on his throne, running shoes ready to make a mad dash if need be.

The three Wise Men came to visit him and find out where the newborn King was.

Later, King Herod died.

And the play ends with Joy to the World. It is so joyous to see the kids better understand the Nativity play and the true meaning of Christmas.

We'll see what interesting expressions transpire on Christmas Eve as they do the play with a big audience and lights and microphones. It's always good for a few chuckles. Thanks so much to Sharon for organizing it and directing the aspiring actors.

Wishing you a joyous Christmas!

A Drink in the Road

This last week has been a whirlwind of activity, including leaving for our spring break trip. It was a dark and windy day when we headed down the highway in a fully-loaded truck. We had to hit the brakes when we saw the sheep--and then take a photo when we saw what the sheep were doing.  Rumble strips aren't just to jar you awake, as these sheep discovered!