@Mike CHS ... most of the contestants were there for a welcome thing and orientation and all that for first thing Tuesday morning. My son knows several of the Tn guys and likes most all of them. The Va and Tn people were all housed in the same motel so we all sat around and talked a bunch later Thurs night after the awards banquet. Unfortunately they did not have one place for all the meals and accommodations for everyone like some of the regionals do so it split people up after the banquet as they returned to the different motels they were staying in.
No DS didn't win.... didn't do all that good but with no real ability to practice in the make/model truck they were using there it was not unexpected although of course disappointing. There were 22 contestants in every event...and 3 places in each event so a possibility of 18 "places".... VA won 3rd in the tractor mower (with bushhog) event which was pretty good... the course was really tight and hard.... and the "prote'ge' " of the fellow that always does REAL good in the backhoe won 2nd which was awesome.... WVa won the most... home state advantage and they have been practicing with all the vehicles that were going to be used, right there on their lot.... TN won one class I think and placed in another... SC won 1 and placed in another... I think AR(kansas) won 1 and placed in 1...... I can't remember all of them...
We left and came home this morning.... Didn't get up at the crack of dawn and it was a 2 1/2 hr drive home... DS was in the state truck, so we followed each other part of the way and he stopped to see someone so I came on. Got home right about 10.... Some of the other guys left earlier, like 6 or so... and we actually ate some breakfast at the motel with a couple that were headed to Richmond and also a couple of the TN people that were leaving when we did...
Weather co-operated... they had been calling for some rain, out there on Thursday, but it was mostly just partly sunny and comfortable... Long sleeved T-shirt and a light sweatshirt early and the sun came out and warmed it up some, so just the shirt... by noon....
Home to partly sunny out today... 30% chance of stray shower but don't see any on the radar... 70's today and through the weekend.
Of course, I am working Sat aft and again at a different farm on Sunday morning....





Naturally, the sun is going to be out.
Plans are to get the cattle out of WV next Sunday 10/8.... pray it will be dry before that so we can get in and out without problems.
Going to go check on the cows at the nurse cow pasture and feed some feed in the bunk for the calves to go in for... want to get them caught up soon and castrated and all... Don't think anyone else there is due anytime soon.... and pull the bull out and the one with the new calf can go to a different pasture for awhile when it is time to get bred back... she was supposed to calve sooner than she did, that is the only reason she went there at the time... so she needs to get back with the ones she is "in time with" as far as the calving window....
Got to get 250 bottles into the racks for tomorrow and 125 for Sunday morning.... also need shorter hoses to go in the car for the herd tomorrow. I hadn't taken the meters out and will need 12 tomorrow with the shorter hoses.
Got lots of catch up with things to do, kittens were glad to see me... they had about eaten the food in the dish that I had filled heaping before I left on Wed aft....
All 3 chickens here and okay... big relief...
Back to reality.....





