Yo, gang, whassup?
Last week was a just a little busy, time once again for the Yuma County Fair. I worked a couple of days (Sunday, Monday and Tuesday to be exact) but the rest of the time was spent mostly with the kids (including mine) of many different FFA and 4H groups. Working with the kids, helping them with their animals, getting everybody prepped, pre-tested and "tuned up" for judging in front of the "professional" livestock judges. Assisting with the kids' Livestock Auction, brokering deals on some of those animals (Red Ribbon and below) that weren't eligible for auction; working "The Window" at the 4H food booth Friday night and the FFA food booth Sunday night while other people handled loading the critters (the animals, not the children) on the trucks to the packing houses.
Oh yeah, I also took a couple shifts working at my employer's sales booth in the Commercial Display building. While I'm at it, I managed to get myself shanghai'd onto the "Night Security Team"; keeping the idiots and gang-bangers separated from the livestock, until the crowds died down and the Sheriff's deputies could return from the fights on the midway.
That reminds me of my personal highpoint of the week - watching one of the gang-bangers "meeting" an 1100 lb Brangus-cross steer ("neutered bull" for you city-folk).
Short version of a long story : About midnight Tuesday night, a bunch of the local 'bangers were going at it (in back of/under the "Hard Rock" ride) with knives, sticks etc when the cops descended upon them. About 6 broke out and snuck into the Junior Livestock area "from the back way" and decided to hide amongst the kids' Market Beef Animals. My partner and I were ending a two-round "Stupid City Kid - vs- mad 270 lb Duroc hog" scuffle; when I noticed the cattle seemed to be waking up and dancing around a lot back there. Upon investigation, I pulled three kids out from between cattle in the south end of the pole barn. Was walking one out (northward) while he was trash-talking about being "tougher than a bunch of stupid cows"; and we watched one of his buddies fly backwards out from between two steers. The flying kid came up coughing and clutching his chest - including the GREEN hoof print over his third rib on the right side (seems the steer stepped in something nasty he'd left on the ground before kicking the kid).
Sarcastically told the other kid he could prove how tough he was if he wanted to, I wouldn't even try to stop him; but he just gathered up his wounded home-boy and split with his buddies for the north exit gate, only to meet the backup cops. The kid that was taught to fly by 5/8 ton of pi$$ed-off hamburger was taken to the hospital, treated for bruised ribs; and he and three of his buddies were taken into custody at the ER. Maybe we don't have bling-bling rims, neon and fart-cans on our trucks, but sometimes the rednecks still win
Anywhat, it was all a lot of fun; nice to watch kids put their efforts into something productive and actually learn something in the process.
Later!
Last week was a just a little busy, time once again for the Yuma County Fair. I worked a couple of days (Sunday, Monday and Tuesday to be exact) but the rest of the time was spent mostly with the kids (including mine) of many different FFA and 4H groups. Working with the kids, helping them with their animals, getting everybody prepped, pre-tested and "tuned up" for judging in front of the "professional" livestock judges. Assisting with the kids' Livestock Auction, brokering deals on some of those animals (Red Ribbon and below) that weren't eligible for auction; working "The Window" at the 4H food booth Friday night and the FFA food booth Sunday night while other people handled loading the critters (the animals, not the children) on the trucks to the packing houses.
Oh yeah, I also took a couple shifts working at my employer's sales booth in the Commercial Display building. While I'm at it, I managed to get myself shanghai'd onto the "Night Security Team"; keeping the idiots and gang-bangers separated from the livestock, until the crowds died down and the Sheriff's deputies could return from the fights on the midway.
That reminds me of my personal highpoint of the week - watching one of the gang-bangers "meeting" an 1100 lb Brangus-cross steer ("neutered bull" for you city-folk).
Short version of a long story : About midnight Tuesday night, a bunch of the local 'bangers were going at it (in back of/under the "Hard Rock" ride) with knives, sticks etc when the cops descended upon them. About 6 broke out and snuck into the Junior Livestock area "from the back way" and decided to hide amongst the kids' Market Beef Animals. My partner and I were ending a two-round "Stupid City Kid - vs- mad 270 lb Duroc hog" scuffle; when I noticed the cattle seemed to be waking up and dancing around a lot back there. Upon investigation, I pulled three kids out from between cattle in the south end of the pole barn. Was walking one out (northward) while he was trash-talking about being "tougher than a bunch of stupid cows"; and we watched one of his buddies fly backwards out from between two steers. The flying kid came up coughing and clutching his chest - including the GREEN hoof print over his third rib on the right side (seems the steer stepped in something nasty he'd left on the ground before kicking the kid).
Sarcastically told the other kid he could prove how tough he was if he wanted to, I wouldn't even try to stop him; but he just gathered up his wounded home-boy and split with his buddies for the north exit gate, only to meet the backup cops. The kid that was taught to fly by 5/8 ton of pi$$ed-off hamburger was taken to the hospital, treated for bruised ribs; and he and three of his buddies were taken into custody at the ER. Maybe we don't have bling-bling rims, neon and fart-cans on our trucks, but sometimes the rednecks still win
Anywhat, it was all a lot of fun; nice to watch kids put their efforts into something productive and actually learn something in the process.
Later!