Down on the Farm

This month we had the opportunity to pretend we were country folk. It all started with the Junction City Annual Rodeo.

Let me preface this. When I was four or five years old my brother packed me into his car to take me to see a rodeo. I was so excited, but when we got there he had gotten the date wrong. Although I forgave him, I have also longed to attend a rodeo ever since. So the other day when we were driving around town and I saw a sign advertising the rodeo the very next night I couldn't help but try to convince a very unenthused husband to take us. However, he loves me and so we went.

The kids got into the swing of things too and ran out to participate with the other kids in one of the events. They were supposed to run after a calf and pull a ribbon off it's tail to win. They didn't win but they had a good time.

Camilla has been mesmerized by the rodeo queens and other female rodeo contenders and now has a dream of riding in the rodeo. In this terrible heat wave we have had out here in the midwest, the girl invariably comes upstairs in long sleeves and long pants wearing the hat Jacob had on trek so she can look like a cowgirl. We have had a lot of tears lately as we make her go change into shorts and a t-shirt.

But as for my unenthused husband. . . he had a really good time too.

The next day some friends of ours were killing off most of their chickens and we were invited to come and participate and take home our kill.

Jacob the executioner was really intrigued by this part. Seeing a chicken killed was the whole reason he wanted to go.

Plucking the chicken. I compartmentalized this ordeal the entire time or I would never have gotten through it.

Camilla is a country girl.

Jacob gutting the chicken. Now that the ordeal is over and they are in my freezer, I simply cannot bear the thought of them. Perhaps Jacob will have to cook them too.