Somewhere, in this barn, there is a little kid that wants to be JUST LIKE YOU.

Here we are getting ready to launch our rockets the 3 times
that was required before entering them along with their
record book in the Chase County Fair. (Circa 1994ish.)

I was a proud member of the Challengers 4-H Club from the age of three to age 18. Now, I know what you are thinking, “legal” 4-H age is eight by January 1^st of the current year. So maybe I should say I was an “honorary member” of the Challengers 4-H Club until I reached the cut-off of eight by January 1.

My mom and her cousin led a group of 14 ornery boys – and me – God blessed them with more patience than most! There was a five-year age difference between their youngest “of age” member and myself. I was also was the only girl in the club.

Together, we did every project we could squeeze in from showing all species of livestock, rocketry, to baking cookies the night before entry day. We spent a lot of time together at meetings and shows.

Just like all our other projects, I wouldn’t let them leave me out. I let my parents know I wasn’t going to sit out of the game when my eight-year-old brother got to purchase his first show steer from a neighbor, so my parents and I compromised and I got to purchase a bucket calf for my first Pre-4-H livestock project.

Here I am, in 1991, watching the boys get
their steers ready for the show.

I watched my brother and the other club members throughout the year feeding, watering and bathing their steers, hogs and sheep. So I then fed, watered and bathed my bucket calf, just like they did. I was their shadow, and they were my heroes.

What my heroes didn’t know is that I was watching their every move. I tailed all of them, mentally noting their every move when fitting their steers, (complete with shaved bellies – thankfully that trend subsided in the early ‘90s), washing their hogs and shearing their lambs in preparation for the show. I took my mental notes to my “open class” animals and mimicked their actions, so that I could be just like them! If one of them balled a tail, I balled my bucket calf’s tail. If one of them wore black, lace-up Justins to show, I wore black, lace-up Justins to show. I mirrored their actions to a T.

I saw them occasionally dunk a younger 4-Her, who had been ornery to them earlier in the day, in the tank. I watched them be the instigators of the annual wash rack water fight. I saw them play tricks on the unfortunate soul that fell asleep in a lawn chair in the barns.

My mom is still the leader of the Challengers 4-H
Club. I helped her make these posters to hang in
the show barns for all species at the 2015 Chase
County Fair in Nebraska. The response from
parents and exhibitors was great! Yuma
County in Colorado also has similar signs.

But I also watched them be good sports about winning and losing. I watched them shake the hands of the Grand and Reserve Champions after each show, even though their steer might have only received a blue ribbon. I watched them help each other and their neighbors in the show ring when a stubborn animal wouldn’t cooperate. I watched them help younger members of the program get their animals safely to the ring and back to the stalls.  I watched them thank the judge for their time after the show and also thank the exhausted extension agents for their efforts as well.

These young men had no idea I was watching all of this or the impact it would have on me for the rest of my life.

As a retired showman, I now sit back in the barns and watch the juniors, intermediates and seniors and I see the same pattern – the older showmen have no idea that the beginners are watching their every move and essentially idolizing them.

I challenge every showman, over the age of 12, to start paying attention to their actions in front of the novice showmen in the barns. I challenge them to remind themselves and their peers that: SOMEWHERE, IN THIS BARN, THERE IS A LITTLE KID THAT WANTS TO BE JUST LIKE YOU. YOU OWE IT TO THEM TO BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE.

Be a good role model. Set a good example. In a few years, when you too are “retired” from the show ring, you will see your efforts come full circle and it will be more rewarding than you could have ever imagined.

The BEST Cinnamon Rolls

THE BEST Cinnamon Rolls

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm water
• ¾ cup buttermilk (room temperature)
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup melted butter
• 3 packets regular yeast
• ½ TB salt
• 2 eggs
• 5-6 C. bread flour

Filling

• 3 TB butter, melted
• ⅔ cup brown sugar
• ⅔ cup sugar
• 3 TB cinnamon

Frosting

• ¼ cup butter, softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla
• enough milk to make it spreading consistency

Instructions

1. In a bowl, mix together water, buttermilk, sugar, melted butter and yeast. Allow to sit for 15 minutes..
2. Add in salt, eggs and flour. Mix for 5 minutes and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
3. Prepare your filling by mixing together melted butter, brown sugar, sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
4. On a floured service, roll dough into a 12 x 16 inch square.
5. Spread your filling over the top and roll up. Cut into 12 large rolls.
6. Place rolls in a 9x13 baking dish.
7. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.
8. While baking, mix together your frosting ingredients. Spread on warm rolls and serve.

Recipe Adapted From lil' luna.

Taos the Snow Dog

(As written by Taos.)

My mom came home from work Monday night and made chili and homemade cinnamon rolls. The house smelled great. I didn't get any chili, but she did let me sample part of her roll after supper. It was delicious.

Dad is busy calving heifers, so this time of year he gets home late. I waited and I waited and waited some more, but he never came home.

It got late (about 8:30 p.m.) and I could barely keep my eyes open, so I retired to my bed (the one that mom and dad think they need to sleep in too).

The next morning, I woke Mom up so I could go potty and to my surprise everything was WHITE! The trees, the lawn and even most of mom's Jeep was covered in SNOW!

SNOW IS MY FAVORITE OF ALL MY FAVORITE THINGS!



Mom said Dad had to spend the night at work because the baby calves would get too cold if they were born outside. This disrupted my normal routine, but because I am Taos the Cow Dog, I suppose I understand the importance of keeping those babies warm.

Mom bundled up in her winter clothes and we headed out the door to do chores.

I ran. I spun circles. I bounded through the drifts. I even made a few snow-puppy angels.

It. Was. Glorious.

For one day of the year, I got to be Taos the Cow SNOW Dog! I played until I got so tired that I, once again, couldn't keep my eyes open and Mom let me back in to sleep on my nice warm bed.