of county fairs and epic adventures

Hmm, long freaking day.... got up, showered and mostly just bummed around my room. Had such a good time last night. Woke up just thinking about it all and listening to TobyMAC some more (new album: Tonight = awesome). Then after awhile Jim came upstairs and said they were planning on going to either or both of the county fairs in the area today.

I had to pick up some stuff at the library -- really, really, really wanted to watch Elizabethtown, so I was hoping it would still be available when I got there, and I really wanted to have it to watch on Sunday after church because I'm going to be super, super, ridiculously bored when Josh leaves for Minnesota after church on Sunday. Because after then, there will be no random outings or drives, or random shenanigans to look forward to. Lame.

Anyway, after dropping off a few items and picking up Elizabethtown, the first Narnia movie and another book, we headed out to Clarinda via Hwy 2 to hit up the Page County Fair. There was hardy a crowd, no parking fee, and you park on the street (or wherever), but there were animal barns galore! First off we walked through the cows and then tried to find the open class building to find John's (Dr Bowery) photographs, because apparently he'd won "best in show" of sorts. We finally found it in the 4-H building - actually, the only building with static things... it was super small, which kinda made me sad considering the fair should be about the same size as the Hood River County Fair. We found his pictures, which were definitely the best ones there, and he'd won a "champion" award on one, and the rest "blues" which is awesome. Best in his category/class. Not bad :) Then I looked around more at the rest of the displays in the building, but Jan and Jim were itching to get out and look at the animals. Once out in the barns, Jim asked just about everyone if they had a Dexter cow, which is the breed he wishes to purchase for the farm here eventually. I figured that no one did, and that the kids wouldn't likely even know what he was talking about (yup), but it was worth asking about, I suppose. We walked through the pig barn, the small animal barn with chickens, turkeys, ducks and rabbits, and the cattle and sheep & goat barn. They have a really nice show ring. Only one, but it's super tricked out. I was having show-ring envy, haha. But it had to be covered and super nice for the risk of rain that they get out here during the summer, whereas the Hood River fair doesn't need such a cover because it pretty much never rains much during the fair.

Then we felt like we'd seen everything there was to see. Jim asked if we wanted to stay for the carnival, but really, it was just two really, really small rides for little kids, so we headed out. Once in the car, Jan suggested we stop for something to eat on our way out of town, so we stopped for Chinese food there in Clarinda. It was quite good, but I actually think that Jan and I were given the wrong plates of food - not much difference, really, chicken, spicy, good... yeah, we didn't really care, and I didn't say anything and I don't think Jan even noticed, lol. whups. There was and advertisement for The Snoopy play which would be showing in a few weeks - we might just have to try to go to that here in Clarinda when it's playing.

After lunch we headed all the way over to the Fremont County Fair over in Sidney. This fair was about the same size (?) maybe a bit smaller. The sun was shining over there though, unlike when we were out at Clarinda. Same, only one, small building for all the static displays (I think Hood River has like... three, yeah?), building for horses, another for cows, and the last for small animals. It was really pretty there. The fairgrounds are in the same location as the Sidney Rodeo (which is in like, a week!). There was a talent show going on after awhile, and all the 4-Hers were dancing and goofing around on stage. It was cute.

We drove home after that and I just kinda bummed around for awhile. I was super tired, but didn't want to nap in the car... just because I didn't want to. Got home and was no less tired, which was lame. I knew that Josh might text me around the hour of midnight to help him work on his car because he was up in Sioux City alllll day talking to people about JSAW (Jesus: Snow-Asphalt-Water) schtuffs (to start skate ministries and get the word out about their organization and to raise funds). So, I bummed around on my computer for a bit before picking up a few snacks in town before all the stores closed up for the night and went home and took a nap at like, 8 for a few hours. Got up again later to the dogs barking at... goodness knows what and bummed around on my computer for a bit and then texted Josh for a bit because he was still on his way back town from Sioux City but wanted me to run by the church to see if the garage was still open because that's where the Fiero was parked and needing to be worked on (he'd taken the Impala up to Sioux City). Locked. No bueno. Tried all the doors. Drat. So we went about deciding if we should wait til morning, or try to see if someone was up and would open the door for us. I ended up getting ahold of someone - felt kinda bad for the late hour, but we got the door open, which was awesome. It was to be a long night working on the car, but I was down for the epic adventure (as I called it, because, I mean, as hard and stressful as things can be when you're doing them all night can be fun... somehow, don't ask for a better answer to that, lol).

Josh was still around an hour out of Shenandoah, so I went back home and read Captivating for awhile before he called because he was super tired on the drive and only about 10 minutes out from town. Poor guy, he'd been up since seven that morning from driving up to Sioux City, was up super late the night before from having gone to Blue in Omaha, and was up the night before that when we went to Tarkio and skating around town after we got back. So we talked for awhile and then I headed over to the garage to help him with the car.

We go in the garage and move some stuff around to make more work space around the car and set up my stereo system to help us work by rocking out to some awesome music (Phil Wickham anyone? yes please!). He was kinda grumpy from the drive and being frustrated about the car in general needing the work, but after I handed him a Pepsi I'd picked up earlier (snacksss) he improved, lol. Oh the miracles of Pepsi late at night. But then we were both bummed out when we couldn't find the part we needed to get the car apart. Really frustrated, actually, because this would mean that it would delay his departure for Minneapolis til later. As it was he had been hoping to leave Sunday right after church, but this would put him out several more hours to go to the store to get the part during church (as stores in town are really not open on Sunday here in SmallTown, Iowa, with the exception of a few hours mid-day) and then work on it after finishing up worship at the end of service.

So, frustrated about that, and tired, we call it a night - to be continued the next morning... we were at the garage til around 3am trying to get various different ways to work, but the spindle is so busted and bolts are broken which is majorly no bueno, so we have to get the new ones on before he can drive up to Minnesota.

of little work and an evening in Clarinda

Noting that virtually no work could be done in the garden and there was no further plan to put forth any effort into setting up the compost bin, and the chicks had yet to arrive, and everything (be it a pool) is already set up for that. So I slept in. Granted, it was only til 9, but then I bummed around and finished my most recent book. It was a good morning. Ha, though, I must admit that I woke up at my usual time of dark-thirty to go outside out of habit. Didn't actually get up though.

Cleaned my room - something that I was behind about a week in doing. It was sad how long it took me to pick everything up... I mean, I don't even have all that much stuff here, but it'd managed to find its way all over my room.

Worked on a bit of homework, but didn't really get to anything productive, which is kinda lame - just means I'll have to complete it all tomorrow, but that's ok, I can do that. Might go to the church to work on it. Cool, quiet, little distractions. Uncertainty of wireless = potentially very productive day ahead of me tomorrow.

Little known fact about me:
I've been keeping track of how many days I have left, by the ever dwindling quantity of gummy vitamins left in the bottle I got a few days after my arrival.

The chicks arrived today. I didn't really want to go down because I'm not really for the whole empty swimming pool idea... but anyway, managed to go out later and saw them. Yup, cuteness overload to the max. Wanted to name them, but there's just too many, and I don't want to get attached to them like that. It's sad, really. I'm going to try to care for them as much as I can, but other than that, I can only pray that they survive to full fledged chickens.

Jan went to her support group out in Clarinda -- I only know this because the car I was going to take into town to do some homework was gone. But it's not a problem, I mean, I can do stuff here, or take the bike.

Then around 4:30, I realized I should be heading over to the church for worship practice... going outside, the car was gone again. Jim was out getting some things at the feed/hardware store in town, and I didn't know when he'd be back, and considering how I'm still lacking the skillz to drive a manual (will anyone with a manual in Corvallis please teach me how to drive their car this next year?) I just took off with my bike; violin in tow.

Worship practice went a bit longer than anticipated, so Erica and I weren't ready to go to the Garrison House until 6:38, and Ashley was already in Clarinda waiting for us... kinda a bummer, but we headed out in that direction with Tricia anyway. Once we were almost to Clarinda, Ashley called saying that they'd changed their hours and were only open til 7... it was currently 7:02pm. Bummer. So, no cute coffee house, or fun music. But instead, since we were just about 2 minutes outside Clarinda, we went to J's Pizza instead. It was good pizza, and a lot of fun just talking with them. J's Pizza is really cute. Tacky wall paper, paneling, and oddly/obnoxiously pink tables and chairs. Not to mention all the people packed inside talking across tables and laughing amongst everyone. It felt like one big family reunion (who knows, anything might be in this area... kidding).

After pizza and talking about life, church, weather, family, and everything in between, we went over to McDonald's to hit up their smoothies. We sat outside, taking in the evening and continuing our conversations of the evening before heading home.

of better days

I woke up this morning with Mighty to Save playing through my mind. Especially the "shine your light out" part. So good. Such an awesome thing to wake up to. God is awesome.




Then, after cereal (cinnamon raisin Ezekiel is actually really good) Rose, Nancy and I talked a bit more, and Rose decided we should go to the extension office in the county. It's located out in Clarinda, which I'd never been to before because the cars were apparently not trustworthy enough to take that far -- I think it's actually that they're not so good for super long road trips like, 2+ hours, not just half hour drives, but anyway.

So after some cereal and changing, we took off for Clarinda. It was really good to just talk with Rose about stuff. Yeah, I mean, she's still kinda funny and goes on about how "James wasn't raised that way! Bob did everything perfectly" lol... but it was good to just get out from the farmhouse more, be around normal people, and then even better to see the scenery surrounding Shenandoah and get out some.

Clarinda is a bit bigger than Shenandoah, but it's still just as cute. We made a few wrong turns, but soon found the Iowa State University, Page County Extension Office. There we talked to a few people and picked up a stack of papers and brochures on well, how to start a farm, because that's what we're doing, and I'm just a college student, I have no experience doing this, and it's not my job, and no one else here has any more (if not often, much less) experience than I do. I also got to talk to the gal who is in charge of the 4-H program and got dates and such of the pre-fair setup dates and judging stuff that I could just show up to and either just watch or help out with. So awesome. So going.

Then Rose and I took a little detour to Coin to go to the Quilt Coop to check it out b/c she has a quilt that she wants to fix and such. It was a really cute place. A renovated barn chock full of fabrics and quilts. Then Rose got to talking with the owner and a farmer walked in. Overalls, cowboy boots, plaid shirt. Farmer. So awesome. Then we got to talking with him too (he's the husband of the store owner), and then he told me how he got the farmer's certificate in vocational studies from ISU here back in the 60s when he heard how I'm a GenAg/AgEd major out at OSU. Then he asked me where in Oregon I'm from. Now, this, peoples. Is a toss up. I can tell them I live in Corvallis (because I do currently), or that I live in Portland (because no one knows the difference, it's all dirt roads and canvas covered wagons to anyone east of Idaho), and at other times I say I grew up in Hood River (and throw in how it's east of Portland). This time, for some reason I decided to say Hood River.
"Hood River?" he said
"yeah"
"You know Odell? I got me some relatives out there"
"Wait, seriously?!!? I'm actually from Odell, but no one knows where it is, so I always leave that part out"
"Really? No kiddin. Yeah, the Graves, you know 'em?"
"Umm, don't think so, but the name sounds familiar, wow, small world!"
"Yeah, it just keeps gettin' smaller"

Trippy. To meet a farmer in small town, southwest Iowa and to know that he's got relatives back where I'm from. Trippy. So awesome.

Then we took a side road back to Hwy 2 before getting back to Shenandoah.

After arriving back in Shen, I had to take some dvd's back to the library, so once we got back out to the farmhouse (after picking up some stuff at Nancy's and eating lunch, Rose drove her van, and I rode my bike), and I just put stuff upstairs, grabbed the library stuff and headed out before I would forget and be charged fines for overdue movies.

Once at the library, I poked around a bit and found another book to read and got myself started on a HP marathon. Picked up the first three. I was going to reread the books, but that just takes so long and there are so many other books in the world that I'm just itching to read right now, so why would I reread them all right now? Not that I don't love them. I do. And they deserve a reread, but perhaps, not just yet. My loyalty to LotR is a bit stronger, so I feel I should reread those again before going on to HP again, lol.

Then after the library, I went over to the Shenandoah Assemblies of God and went to the office to just get connected and see what all is going on. I met Ashley, who works there in the office, and we just got talking for quite a while. It was good to just talk with someone my age again. I've missed it soo ridiculously much, I can't say it enough. We exchanged numbers and I signed up to go to a Royals baseball game on Sunday after church. Looking forward to it, haha, my first baseball game, is that not retarded of me? I need more school spirit. And that starts yesterday. That's another thing: I'm planning on going to as many games next season as I can fit in my schedule. It's going to happen. I love my school. Why not support it? Why not support the athletics? No reason. Done. I'm a Beaver Believer. :)

Then I came back to the farmhouse, reorganized my room and set up my new bed!!!! that Jim actually managed to get for me yesterday. I could not be more excited to have a real bed!

Uploaded some more pictures to my facebook album.

Also: This is just wonderful. Makes my day every time I watch it: