Okay so today we played some more with our yarn.  It is amazing what we are learning.  It is taking time to figure out what we are doing wrong and what we are doing right.  What things we like about our yarn and Roving and what things we need to improve.  What we found out today was that our yarn takes dye pretty good.  Or at least we think so.  I tried to get some good pictures but this is the best I can do for now. 

I tried to get a picture close up but as you can see it kind of Blurred and the bar from the holder showed through making it looked striped.   

Ms. Stacy also took time out of her busy day to show Mom how to set the twist on her two yarns she had made, show me how to ply the little bit of yarn I made on my drop spindle back onto its self and Make s special pink roving with me.  It is funny how no matter how busy Ms. Stacy is she still finds time to help others.  She told me a story today about a lady that was blind that could spin, crochet, weave, knit ... This lady could do everything.  Ms Stacy explained that the lady helped her when she first started and only asked in return that Ms. Stacy repay her by doing what we call pay it forward.  I think Ms. Stacy does a great job of paying it forward and I plan to do the same thing,  I will be making my first "payment" on my pay it forward this Thursday when I go to Billy's school and surprize him with the first ever QT Scholarship. 

    Today Mom and I loaded up the truck and took Granny alot of stuff to see and do.  We took alot of product to show her and we also took all of the Yarn for the poncho... Granny loved it all.  I got to wind some of it up on the ball winder but I still have more to do.  It was kind of fun but not for Mom because she was the one with her arms stuck out forever while I wound it up.  Mom even took time to show Granny how to spin but Granny said she would leave that part up to Mom and she would do the knitting.... 
    After we go done at Granny's Mom took me to make a couple of stops one of which was the post office.  We mailed all the Fall shares and the Alpaca Shares.  I then spent some time looking for some Female alpaca that I could purchase.  Mom spent the day cleaning up the fiber room that is now not as full as it was.  From there I turned in my 4-H forms for Leadership Rocks and County offices election.  
    Can you believe that this Thursday I will stand up and give away our first scholarship?  And the next day I will be running in Districts... Man, time sure has flown by.  It doesn't seem like it was that long ago that I was headed for Tunica and Regionals.  This year I won't be going to Regionals.  That is because the southeastern region has taken roping out of regionals.  It isn't fair but there is nothing I can do about it....
    Did I mention that Friday 25 chicks come in??  Since hatching this year we have been over run with roosters.  People keep telling me that it is because of the temperature being high in the incubator.  To bad I ran it low.  Anyway, we have new girls hitting the farm Friday morning or at the latest Saturday.... It will depend on the feed store. 

Okay so Lazy Sunday is the farthest thing from what we had...  Today Mom worked but Dad and I can say we worked harder.  Dad barrowed his cousin's big Tractor... This baby has a large front end loader on it and a large box blade on the back.  We spent part of the day filling dirt in and leveling the yard, part of the day cleaning out stalls and I even found time to ride the fence line and make sure everything was go to go for the summer months.  And we did all that before the family came to check out Angel.  After they left Mom helped me pack up all the boxes but one shareholders... They will be mailed tomorrow.  Mom says she is tired of her craft room being piled with boxes of fiber and yarn ...LOL ... I don't know why.  Most people would love that ... Maybe it is because it isn't her fiber or yarn ... LOL

Today was my first day back at the sale barn in a month.  I thought someone would have missed Dad and me but no one really said anything.   To bad that I think Dad and I worked harder when we got home then we did at the sale.  We banded one calf and cut another.  Then we spent time roping.  Our only real excitement came when I was roping and came to a huge Black Snake in the arena.  Dad went for the gun and I took to the saddle and got as far away as I could.  Mom just got mad at Dad for shooting it.  See when it comes to snakes everyone in our house has a different way of thinking.  Me? I think the only good snake is a dead snake.  I am not to proud to admit that snakes make me scream like a girl.  Dad?  Well, he is kind of like me but he thinks all snakes are poisonous.  So he wants them dead before they bite someone.  Oddly enough I am good with that.  
    Mom on the other hand thinks all snakes have a purpose and should be left to their business.  They are one of God's creature.  She even knows how to tell the poisonous ones from the non-poisonous ones.  The eyes, nose and tail... (Now knowing how I react to snakes do you really think I am going to be the one to get close enough to check out any of those parts of the snake ... NO! NOT ME!!!)  Mom isn't crazy about snakes or anything but she believes live and let live.  Mom even wrote a poem one time about a snake and her that was true and entered it in the fair and won first place.  I talked her into letting me post it here.  She said to make sure everyone knew it was a true story and she doesn't concider herself a writer by any means... She was being funny and even read it to her Mother who hates snakes more then I do.  I think it is funny cause it happened to Mom and not me.  I would have hated it if it were me.  Check this out....
 
I thought of Mother today.

When the daylight had all but slipped away.

For she would understand my plight,

That hot September night.

There were chores to be done.

And I had just begun.

On the Heifer, her halter I didn’t see.

Oh where, Oh where, can it be?

I searched the stalls but it wasn’t to be found.

It was hard to see what was there on the ground.

Back at the barn, there by the door.

Could it be her halter there on the floor?

I snatch it up, to go put it on.

Oh my Lord, What have I done?

A cold hard muscle stiff in my hand.

My legs are shaking and unwilling to stand.

We dance a dance that snake and I,

Just moments before he sailed through the sky.

The singing I did didn’t sound so grand.

Oh Shot! Where did he land.

The dance goes on with a shovel by now.

He got away, I don’t understand how.

Can’t go anywhere without slicing the ground.

With that fool snake somewhere around.

In the well house the very next night,

I stepped on what I thought was a pipe.

That cold hard muscle is under my feet,

Oh well, he is just looking for mice to eat.

So what do you think?  Is that a winner or what?  I can imagine the whole thing.  Mom really isn't scared to much of snakes but she never wants to touch one again.... LOL

With School work taking up most of my time and trying to finish my courses and raise my grades.  I am not having much time for anything else.  And when I do have time it is taken up with weighing out Roving and alpaca shares and packing yarn.  There is packaging to do for everything along with labels and stuff.  Mom is helping me and I am planning on Mailing everything out Monday.  I know it is nothing exciting to talk about but at least tonight Mom helped with the Alpaca shares while we watched "Bruce Almighty"... It was pretty funny and with the week Mom and Dad have had they both needed to laugh....

    After trying to sell Angel for weeks at the rodeos and not one person being intested in her, Mom decided to put her on the internet.  We got photos and video all together that showed how far she had come.  Then we posted her.  We have been taking calls all day but it is funny how everyone wants us the bring the horse to them to try or haul her here or there.  Mom says "if they are interested they will come to us.  Shopping for a horse is no different then shopping at a pet store.  You don't call them up and ask them to bring a puppy out to your house to see if it gets along with your family do you???"
    Well, she is right.  I think if people are truely interested they will come to us, see Angel and then try her out.  Mom also said that if we don't know the person who buys the horse she is going to do a home visit first.  She doesn't want Angel to become a Brood mare or go back to the condition she was in when we got her.  Mom is being very picky and she says Angel is worth it.  
    Not only did Mom take calls all day about Angel, she took time to bring home the last piece of wood I needed for the man hut.  It is now done and all together.  I will take a picture tomorrow and post it but it is just an over sized wood box with feeders in it.  It is only meant to keep the men out of the weather and in one place for the night so Ranger can protect them from Coyotes.

Okay the first Video didn't work but I think I have it now check this out ... It is cool to watch ...

    Sometimes it feels as if everytime I turn around there are issues to deal with.  Mom says she hates Drama ... Are issues and Drama the same thing?  I don't think so.  First, we had the storms.  Mom calls it an issue and everyone else is talking about all the damage they have and wanting to get pitty or symplathy.  Not so in our house.  Mom says the storms were an issue and we dealt with it because that is life.  We did have a few things to repair but for the most part everything was fine.  Even the "Man hut" as we call it (which isn't steaked down or attached to anything)  Didn't get any damage.  The wind didn't even blow it over.  So yes, the storms were an issue but as Mom says no drama here.  
    Another issue is that a customer of Mom's called and said the calf for the auction that he takes part in to raise money for a mission trip to China to fix cleff lips in children had died.  Mom got on the phone found a new one in just a few minutes and instead of having the calf they had a photo of the calf to bid on at the auction.  Due to schedules we will now be delivering the calf Friday.  Another issue solved ... No Drama there either. 
    Our whole day went like that ... The little shetlands had mucus in their poop today... We found out that the herd we got them from had Barber Pole worm issues.  Dad called the vet, got the medication, wormed everything and again no drama here.    Paperwork for USDA Spraying program had an issue because of the dates on which to spray ... Took the email to USDA office they took care of it ... Another issue down and still no Drama.....
    I also got a comment on the blog that my shearing video didn't show a picture.  Mom helped me remake it and it is uploading as I type this.  When it is done I will post it again and fix the link on the blog... Issue or Drama??  I say another issue.  I also got mail today.  It was my beads for my RJ's QTs stitchmarkers to go in every shareholder box we send out.  Not really an issue or Drama but I did want it to be my mail scale instead.... Oh well.  No issue or Drama there.  
    So back to my original question are these issues Drama?  Or is it just life?  How do you know the difference between drama and issues?  Or is it just the way you handle the issue that makes it Drama?? (or in our case that makes it NOT drama/)