Rodeo weekend

Last weekend was the ultimate fest beer weekend. This weekend was the rodeo. Pics to follow, possibly even a utube video if Crys* gets around to it. The day started sparkling early with a fast and a trip to the 9 News Health Fair in Monte Vista, where we discovered that going to our own doc for blood work and stuff was a whole lot more reasonable than the charges at the health fair..... Then we picked up the RV, and filled the propane tank (only took 8 1/2 gallons) in preparation for our June trip to several canyons in Colorado and Arizona. We're gonna hit the Grand Canyon for 3 nights, Canyon de Chelly for 2 nights and Mesa Verde for 2 nights. More about that as it comes up and gets finalized. At this point we have the reservations set up for dry RV camping and this payday I'll buy the National Parks Pass for the trip. We think the new(er) RV will work just fine for us. Got it from a co-worker and we had our trusty mechanic Raul go through it. He fixed the brakes, which were in HORRIBLE shape, and some water stuff like the water pump, temperature sending unit and radiator cap connection which needed soldering. I drove it to get propane and then home. Crys* and the kid (Autum, she and her mom are coming with us on the trip) will swap stuff from the old ('74) RV to the new ('78) RV today while I level the spot for the bee yard. BUT ...... Yesterday was the freakin rodeo. After the health fair and breakfast at Crys*' favorite place, Boogies in Del Norte, we got to work. I had to rope Hazel, the Llama, to catch her again and she behaved so very well. No spitting and no weird noises this time. I think roping her a month or so ago really helped. The generator was going and I grabbed the electric shearer. It went really well, she didn't move around much and the shearer worked pretty darned well. This one we got all of on the video camera and Crys* will go through and edit and all that stuff and share it when it's cleaned up and all the cursing is bleeped out of it. Then we moved on to Choco, our navajo/angora weather. We had to rope Choco also, and he is wary and quick :D. Then we got him down and I grabbed the electric shearer. The first strip down his back went well, and the second and on the third I nicked him. Took about a quarter sized chunk of hide off the poor little guy. SO I figured I wasn't being careful and we started stretching the skin. Damnit, nicked him again. At that point we shut down the generator and put the electric shearer back in the case. Out came the hand shears. Yep, did the whole rest of him by hand. I was not gonna nick our baby again. He was so good. Hardly a complaint the whole time. We were pretty tired by the end of that and he was so happy to be let go. On to Stanley, our angora weather. He comes to us easily, is really friendly and loves treats. He is a whiney, complaining, hollering freakin MESS to shear. He jumped every time we made a cut of the fiber, thrashed, pitched a fit, screamed with his tongue out and his eyes bulging the whole time. THE WHOLE TIME. You'd think he'd get tired? Not our Stanley, he was like, "You're gonna keep cutting? I'm gonna keep torturing you for doing it". It was REALLY pissing me off. I kept seeing me taking the hand shears and plunging them into the little bastard so he'd stop moving. Decorum, intelligence, and wisdom prevailed. By which I mean I listened to Crys*, as that is the only place those things come from. I am a product of my nurture and nature which means if you piss me off I want to kill you. It took an interminable time to finish our whiney, yowling, thrashing little boy. At the end of that we were exhausted, backs hurting, tempers worn past angry to just desperate to settle down. It was to the shower first as both goats shit and pissed on us during the process. I had a tic to burn to death that had decided to feast on one thigh, ug. We scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed and finally got the stench off. Then we had to make dinner. Crys* did most of that, mushroom stroganoff which was delicious. Then we watched some TV and put the kid to bed. (Did I mention that Autum spent the weekend with us and was wonderful at keeping Stanley occupied while we shaved Choco)? This morning is bright and wonderful with that job done. Just a bit of work here and there and all of it fun. :D Life is good.