D-Day November 8, 2011

I know, I know, I have been a negligent writer who has been gone from her blog for way too long! The reason is that as of the end of September I have been trying to finish THE POLIS and get it sent off to my editor with the VERY HIGH hopes of getting a third book done this year that has been on the back burner since I decided to tackle THE POLIS. Therefore, for about a month, I have been steering clear of the internet during my allotted computer time in order to really hammer out that project. This nose-in-the-air attitude to social media might continue for another month until I finish the book. 

However, since I have received so many verbal comments about the sheep story, (see previous story) I thought I would give you a final update before I get back to writing off-line. The kids did pretty good at the fair. Wave was not able to be there even once due to how late the harvest was, but thankfully his family, and my family, stepped in (as always) and helped out. Summer earned a best in show for the devil-sheep Diva and got a blue ribbon for Dude. The boys took home some reds and some blue ribbons for their pigs as well. The temperature at the fair was almost 100 degrees every day and that caused all of the kids and the animals to be tired and uncooperative, so I was impressed with the efforts of all of the kids, the staff and the parents. 

Not wanting to miss a moment of the festivities, I tried to ignore the pain in my ribs for the whole week and as a result ended up back at the doctor with pleurisy, which is an inflammation of the lining between the ribs and the lungs. Of course, I was just plain mad about that! 

The last day of the fair, the pigs and Dude were (vegetarian warning! Close your eyes mom!) taken away by the butcher, and the whole show was over by noon, leaving us with nothing to do but go home and hope that the animals that we loved so much, and for so long, were quickly removed from the slaughter trucks and "taken care of." 

We had the other two hogs, that did not go to the fair, butchered at the end of September and they turned out to be fabulous! Vegetarian Warning! The morning after we received the meat, I got up and made the kids sausage patties for breakfast, at which time six-year-old Jack proudly exclaimed, "Yummy! Evil Dr. Pork Chop tastes good today!" 

Sick I know...However, that is not the end of the story just yet. Diva, the devil sheep went home with the kids 4-H leader to "finish out" before she will be butchered. She could not come back to our house because apparently, sheep will not gain weight when they are alone. Figures, huh?  Can anyone say high maintenance or...DIVA!  Currently, diva is living the high life at another farm in our area fattening up with other sheep probably looking for the next person to attack! She will go to the butcher on Nov. 8, 2011. 

Vegetarian Warning again! Jack will let you know how she tastes!

See you all on here again after THE POLIS is complete and out of my hands!