My Llamas are On to Something big...

"And what might that be?" you ask "What could a pair of fuzzy modified ruminants possibly be onto that is so big?". Easy, I'd tell you. The secret of life. Although it sounds silly, the more I think about it, the clearer it is. Everytime I look out the window at the two of them, Bodie and Superman are as happy as can be. So now you might be wondering. What is the secret to life? It's simple, just like a Llama's day: Take lots of naps, Surround yourself with really good friends, Go for plenty of long walks, Take things slowly, but never be afraid to go for it when the moment is right for a run, Always keep someone around who knows how to scratch your back, You can never have enough tender green leaves and when you feel insulted, put your head up a little higher. These lessons from the Llamas just hit me after a nice relaxing afternoon of Llama time. Waking them up for a nice slow walk in the afternoon sunlight, running a couple of times when it just felt right, returning home to scratch their backs (brush them-they love it!) and just standing with them while they enjoyed the twenty-four-hour salad bar that is my front yard. A really simple afternoon, but one that meant a lot. This afternoon with the Llamas helped me to realize that to be happy, you need to slow down and appreciate the little things every now and then. The Llamas also taught me to lead by example. How many times have I been told by the media and the people around me to take the time to slow down and relax? Countless times! But it wasn't until I was able to see the Llamas appreciating their simple, lazy Llama day, that I could really appreciate the power of slowing down every now and then. Above all, the Llamas have taught me to keep an open mind, because the most powerful lessons, can come from the most unexpected places...like the pretty face on the end of the lead.

State Conference

Well I've just gotten home from Fresno, where I've been for the past few days for the 83rd annual California State FFA Convention. I had a blast! Seeing keynote speakers Josh Shipp and Brooks Gibbs, rocking out to great music with friends in Selland Arena before every session, and a very fun Gloriana concert. On top of all this, there were the things that make state conference uniquely FFA. An agriculture career show, proficiency award and speaking competition, and of course State Officers. The opening session that the 2010-2011 California state officer team put on Saturday night was an adventure in its self: They were rappelling from the ceiling, zipping in on motorcycles, being dropped off INSIDE the arena by cool cars, and above all, celebrating the FFA organization and it's members. After the session, I caught up with retiring State Vice President Lindsey Anderson for a quick chat.

Even though she was busy running the conference, and probably tired from the outstanding opening session, she still had time to talk to a desert Ag girl. I was impressed. When asked what her favorite thing that she had done in FFA was, she answered quickly that it was competing on her Ag Sales team. This was because she and her team got to travel around to compete in Ag Sales competitions. While her team did go on to become the state winners and compete at Nationals, for Lindsey, it was more about becoming a family with her team and getting to spend time with them competing than it was about the title. Through this experience, Lindsey became very close to her Ag Sales coach and team members. On Monday, after an amazing performance at an impromptu talent show with the State Choir, I headed over to check out the career show. The career show was full of fun booths, advertising different agriculture colleges, career opportunities, and even a couple of feed booths. The booths that stood out most in my mind though, were the chapter booths. One in particular caught my attention.This booth, from the Delta FFA chapter, featured a California Ag Trivia game to win fun prizes, California Ag facts, and was staffed by a trio of Delta FFA redheads and their advisor. Here I am hanging out with the totally awesome Delta FFA redheads. Wouldn't we make a great team? :) While getting ready for the Gloriana concert with my roommates I heard a strange clanking noise. Wondering what it could be, I headed out into the hall. A couple doors down I found eNRGy, president of the High Desert FFA Section, holding a unique cowbell.I soon found out that not only was this cowbell unique, but it was one of a kind, eNRGy, had made it himself! While hanging out with Jacquelynne Garcia, 2010-2011 State Secretary at the SOLC, she mentioned that she was always getting lost. Inspired, eNRGy went back to his Ag Mechanics class and made her a cowbell, to help her with this problem.

This cowbell is made out of rectangular tubing, welding rod, and a bolt. eNRGy has made a lot of different things out of metal in his Ag Mechanics class, even barbeque's. To finish off the cowbell, eNRGy collected the signatures of the other retiring state officers, who he knows will always be there for her.

As the conference came t0 a close, I again caught up with eNRGy. He had given the cowbell to Jaque and she had been thrilled. This is just another example of how good with our hands, creative, and downright thoughtful us FFA members can be. All in all, I had a great time at State Conference, I met a ton of amazing FFA members, heard some incredible retiring addresses from the 2010-2011 State officers, watched as the new State officers were elected and sung in the best choir ever. Oh yes, it was a wonderful weekend.

The Joys of Sheep

Looking back, I probably should have realized what I was getting myself into that fateful day at the beginning of sixth grade. I should have seen the older girls, with the wild eyes and curled hair, should have asked. If I had they might have told me about the clippers, the banding, and the long daily walks. If they had told me about that, I might never have signed up. More likely though, they would have told me about the joy of watching it grow, the competitive spirit of working to have the best one, and the exhilaration of the spotlight in the show ring, and I would still be where I am today. My little sister, Brenna, and I have been showing sheep for six years now, and I am hooked. This year is a little different. This year Brenna's ewe Begonia, has two lambs of her own, Oreo and Ryan, and I am falling in love with sheep all over again. I love to go to fill up the water buckets and see them frolicking in their pen, and chasing each other back and forth. I love how fast they are growing. Here is my tribute to lamb love, for now and always!

Unpredictable

That's the weather in the desert all right! Last week we had a 90 degree scorcher, and today, April 9th....

I mean really who covers hay...In the desert....In APRIL??? Yeah, it snowed, I woke up this morning to a VERY unexpected white fairy land. And one very thrilled eight year old. Obie asks me to "Come outside! I have a present for you." This is NOT my first snow day so I of course asked him if it was a snowball. "Noooo" he says, and runs outside. Needless to say, when I headed out to feed the animals this morning, I had a gorgeous snowball in the hip... and a grinning, giggling brother! Even though most of the snow had melted, Obie had found enough for my "present", thanks love. The Llamas, were not quite as thrilled with our April surprise.

Bodie says that he is not a fan of snow, it covers all of the dove weed that he likes to eat. But he is happy to be munching on his hay! Well, the snow is just about melted now, but did make for a fun and eventful morning. We all deal with life's little surprises in different ways, sheep and brothers frolic, Llamas eat extra hay, my mom finds carrots for Obie's "Snow Jedi" and I write. Well, after a quick snowball fight that is!

If you give an Ag Girl the Keys....

Have you ever read If you give a mouse a cookie? It was a favorite of mine when I was little, every time the mouse finds something to do, something else suddenly needs done! I had an evening like that today. Just returned from a trip to pick up my little brother... turned driving lesson... turned "wildlife" viewing expedition. Whew! My mom and I were heading out the door, time to pick up my little brother Obie, when I realized that this would be the PERFECT time to drive, just me and my mom (who of course was gripping the edges of her seat the entire time... I have no idea why!). So I picked up the keys and off we went. As we neared my Grandpa's house, I realized that our normal parking space (on the side of the road) was occupied by a gorgeous red Angus cow. I carefully, carefully, carefully, pulled right in beside her, climbed (almost) silently out of the car, and she posed for her photo shoot. On the way back, I again drove home, this time singing "What would you do for a Klondike Bar" with Obie, when a buzzard or three swooped over the car. I first saw the buzzards five years ago, about fifty of them sharing the same tree across the street from my house, and here they were today, flying towards that same tree. So we stopped singing, looked at the buzzards, and then I drove off. I guess I now know what happens (and uh... so does my mom) if you give an Ag Girl the Keys...

You may think...

I admire the boundless energy of lambs. Really I do. Even when they use their energy to frolic past me while I'm trying to bring them food. Even when they run out of the gates of their pen, and take off into the desert. Even when- after escaping they decide to take their mother with them. I don't think I introduced myself. I'm Allie, I'm 17 years old and live in the middle of the desert, oh, and I happen to have a hopeless passion for Ag (agriculture). Especially sheep, and Llamas, and calves, and oh I give up, just about everything really. You may think that there isn't any Ag in the desert, but really, you'd be surprised. And well that's me, and this is me, this is my life, my world, my dreams, and my Ag. So anyway, that's how I spent my evening. Dragging my loving, loyal, kind dog- who coincidentally loves to chase and "play" with the lambs, into the house. Coaxing the lambs back into their pen-and then, when that didn't work herding them. Convincing their mother, our family Ewe Begonia, to follow them into the pen, and then making absolutely sure that the gates were shut nicely behind me. I admire the boundless energy of lambs, but really, why can't they share?