Rest in Peace dear Wendy

Once upon a time, a young woman traveled to Chicago to bring home a puppy.  But, this puppy was not just any plain and ordinary puppy.  This puppy was special. . . to the young woman this puppy was the world.

Isn't this how all dog stories start?  Every dog is the smartest, prettiest, brightest, fastest dog the world has ever seen.  Some are purebred and pedigreed, some are, by definition, mutts.  But, with the love of their owners, all dogs are special.

My story to Wendy actually began far before that October day when I brought Wendy home.  It began about ten months earlier when I brought home puppy Audrey, a red-merle Australian Shepherd.  I was going to love and train Audrey to be the best dog in the world.  But, then in a freak farm accident, Audrey was taken from me.  I was devastated.  And, then my mom told me that the best way to heal from the loss was to find a new puppy to love.

A breeder in Chicago learned of my heartbreak and called me to offer me a pup.  I was hesitant to accept her offer.  I was not sure I could love another pup so soon.  But, I promised her I would at least visit.

When I stopped at the kennel, there was one puppy who was very spunky, constantly taking the lead in all of the cute antics that puppies engage in.  She loved to play in the puppy tunnel.  She loved to play with toys.  And, she loved her ball.  I thought she was a bright little girl. . . and through the tears that came, I decided that maybe this pup could help fix my heart.

I brought the little blue merle puppy back to Ohio.  When asked what her name was, I had no response.  My sister, ever the perfect librarian, and thus the best namer of animals I know, decided that my puppy should have the name Gwendolyn.  My other sister, ever more practical than the first, suggested we shorten the name to Wendy.  And, the name stuck.

Over the years Wendy and I went on many adventures, fairs, trips, and more.  Wendy loved my husband.  She was constantly running between us to bring us balls or something to throw.  And, when our daughters came, Wendy loved them as though they were her own.

Today it is hard to smile, know that my dear sweet Wendy is gone.  No more ball throwing, no more tree climbing (yes, she liked to shimmy up trees!).  Just sadness. . .  I hope that the pain of losing such a faithful dog soon ebbs and I can focus on the good memories of Wendy.  Soon, I hope!

And, Just Like that, Summer Break was Over. . .

School is in session.  And, I have mixed feelings about that.  I am not sad, I did not cry when I left my third daughter in her kindergarten class today.  Being down this road a couple of times before, I knew that this would not get me teary eyed and emotional.  But, I am wavering between regret and relief.  I am relived the summer is over.  We did not spend time in a hospital.  And, we had a good and fun-filled summer.  Yet, there is a twinge of regret.  There was no special summer trip for my girls.  We used our vacation time to go to fairs.  This is how I grew up, and I am not sure I can imagine how it would be to take a trip away during the summer.  But, still I wonder. . . do my girls feel that they had a fun summer?    It might be years before we have that conversation.  I just hope that they are enjoying farm life as much as I do.  Until then, here are a few pictures of the first day of school - 2014!

AgriPOWER Class VI Session 2: Ohio Agriculture

Whew!  I just got back from a whirlwind tour of Ohio agriculture!  I am and have always been a livestock farmer in central Ohio.  I live on the Darby Plains, and the landscape is very flat. . . beautiful, but flat.  But, that does not mean I do not like the hills, too!

Session 2 of Class VI's AgriPOWER was held this past weekend in Wooster (in the hilly part of the state) at Ohio State ATI/OARDC (Ohio State Agriculture Technical Institute/OhioAgricultural Research & Development Center).  And, oh the things we learned!

Our first seminars were on using Social Media and developing Authentic Voices to share our stories in agriculture.  Dan Toland showed us what is available in Social Media.  This isn't my parents' Social Media anymore, as we have now moved far beyond just email and/or FaceBook.  There are so many modes of Social Media, that I am sure heads were spinning as the seminar came to a close.  Melanie Wilt helped us learn how to sound authentic as we passionately share our agriculture stories with the world.  In today's world, less really is more.  Joe Cornely continued where Melanie left off, sharing with us how to best speak with the media as the opportunities present themselves.  And, Callie Wells shared tips for using visual aids in our intereactions via Social Media.

August sunset over Troutman Vineyard

We then adjourned to an awesome dinner at Troutman Vineyards near Wooster.  We were able to tour the vineyard and learned of the devastating affects that the 2014 Winter had on the grape crop in Ohio.  Troutmans are not harvesting any grapes from their vines this year.  And, many plants are a total loss.  Fortunately, the family is able to purchase grape concentrate to use in their wines.  An interesting side note is that Deanna Lombard Troutman grew up in my small central Ohio community of Chuckery!  What a small world this truly is!

The Water Garden at Secrest Arboretum

The next morning we were given a tour of OSU ATI.  Our first stop was the Secrest Arboretum.  I was fascinated to learn first hand about their research for various nurseries.  They often test plant and tree varieties to see how they will do in the Ohio climate.  Secrest Arboretum was hit by a devastating tornado in September of 2010.  As a result, there are very few mature trees in the arboretum today.  More on the 2010 tornado can be found at http://youtu.be/S-VMjWhx7TA and http://youtu.be/fdfKJZ0u1aY.

Quasar Bio-Digestor

Our next stop was at the Quasar Bio-Digestor.  What a fascinating peak at the future of energy!  Approximately 30% of the energy used at OARDC and ATI is supplied by the bio-digestor.  This was closer to 50% before energy began to be diverted to use at the Wooster Waste Water Plant.  The technology used here is based on German research.  There was also a fueling depot where vehicles could fuel up if they were capable of utilizing the fuel created by the digester.

ATI/OARDC Greenhouses

We then ventured over to the greenhouses.  The greenhouses were especially hard hit by the 2010 tornado.  And, the greenhouses are still being rebuilt.  But the research continues on.  One of the most intriguing studies that we saw was a dandelion for latex study.  European dandelions are high in latex content.  So, studies are being done to determine the hardiness of the dandelions to survive in American climates as well as the possibility of breeding in more latex to American dandelions.  Can you imagine fields full of purposely cultivated dandelions in the future?  

USDA Eastern Soft Wheat Lab

Our next stop was the USDA's Soft Wheat Labratory at OARDC.  Being a livestock farmer, I had no idea that this laboratory existed.  It was interesting to see what research is being done with wheat.  We learned that it can take 10-12 years to develop a new strain of wheat that might have a market life of just a few years.  New strains of wheat are constantly being developed and brought to market.

That afternoon we received several briefings on important issues facing Ohio Agriculture.  Our first guest was Bruce Buurma of Buurma Farms.  He spoke to us about the desperate need for Immigration Reform.  His farm uses a large labor force that is comprised primarily of guest workers.  But, current US policy makes procuring workers more and more difficult.  

Dr. Larry Antosch spoke with us about the water crisis in Toledo.  He shared with us what is being done to work with residents towards a solution.  This is a critical issue that continues to affect farmers in the water shed.

Jennifer Coleman from the Ohio Soybean Council then shared with us the dilemmas facing farmers today.  It seems that perception of farmers is great while the perception of farming is less than stellar.  Today's society demands that we receive "permission to farm."  We are constantly having to educate and re-educate the public regarding the science of farming.  This is an ongoing battle.

Welcome to Rittman Orchards!

After such a information packed day, our AgriPOWER class traveled to the Hawk's Nest Golf Course to unwind with a golf lesson.  We soon felt like we were pros and challenged each other to a "Put-Off!"  Brooke Beam of Sabina won this little contest.  Dinner was a steak fry at the clubhouse on the golf course.

The next morning we travelled to Rittman Orchards for a tour.  This is a classic example of niche marketing in north east Ohio.  The orchards at this location date to the 1920s.  The farm began as an apple orchard.  It now consists of a farm market, orchards, a vineyard, and some traditional farm fields.  Rittman Orchards is also foraying into agri-tainment and has recently added a corn maize and wagon rides in addition to u-picks at the site.

A family owned dairy

Our final stop of the session was Bristol Dairy.  And, I have said it before, you can take the girl off the dairy, but you cannot take the dairy out of the girl.  This was by far my favorite stop of our tours!  The dairy is a 2500 cow dairy that ships 9 semi loads of milk a day.  The farm is family owned and operated.  I was hesitant at first to embrace the size of this operation, but after a thorough tour, I have come to the conclusion that the size of this farm is the only thing that sets it apart from so many other Ohio dairies.  

And, now I find myself anxiously awaiting our next session.  We are traveling to Washington, DC in September.  




  

My GreenAir SpaVapor+

It took a few days, but I finally tracked down some essential oils to use with my GreenAir SpaVapor+. Having not been very familiar with essential oils, I was a little clueless on where to look, etc.  But, I did find some lavender for the diffuser.

I especially like the changing lights of the diffuser.  My girls tend to agree!  They like to spend hours(okay-I am exaggerating!) watching the colors change.  And, I think I am raising GreenAir customers as the SpaVapor+ has just been added to four Christmas lists.

If I were to change anything on the GreenAir SpaVapor+ diffuser, I would make it a little smaller.  It seems to take up too much space on my night stand.  I know, that is a minor complaint, but it is the only thing I would change!  Thank you, GreenAir, for sending me a great product!

Another Money saving website

You know me, I love a great deal.  So, it should be of no surprise that I am telling you about CouponPro today!  This site is constantly updated to reflect awesome deals and steals.  Head on over to http://www.couponproblog.com/ !  You will be glad that you visited.  And, if you are on FaceBook, you can "like" CouponPro for up to the minute deals and steals!  Happy Back-To-School!

A Promise

My husband is starting to experiment with Adobe PhotoShop.  This is a photo that he snapped as he headed over to church for a meeting. 

My GreenAir Spa Diffuser

Oh, boy!  Oh, boy!  Oh, boy!  I have another product to review!  This one is from GreenAir, a manufacturer of aroma diffusion products.  Follow along for the next week as I set up my diffuser and evaluate its effectiveness.  The model that GreenAir sent me was the SpaVapor+.  So, now I am in search of Essential oils to put in the diffuser.  And, if nothing else, my girls think it is COOL!  And, if in the meantime you would like to check out GreenAir's website, go to http://newgreenair.com/

Glasses, art camp, and Back-to-School, OH MY!

Do you know my oldest daughter?  Well, she lost her glasses.  We think she lost them at home, but she might have lost the at the Ohio State Fair.  So, this week, while in art camp, my oldest daughter gets to take a few minutes to run over to the optometrist to get a new pair of glasses.  I would not fret, but she has been complaining of TERRIBLE headaches since last week.  And, this is just the beginning of our Back-to-School saga!  Stay tuned to see how art camp finishes out and our shopping adventures begin!

Gotta love this! Thank you, Farmer Derek!

We all get busy. . . but the World does not slow down.

Leaving the Ohio State Fair after a very successful run

Whoa!  Wait a minute!  What happened to summer?  My girls just began their summer break.  I had plans.  After softball was over I wanted to take a family vacation.  But, somehow 4-H and summer fairs and shows took over our lives.  Now the fairs are over.  The next show is in November.  Art Camp starts tomorrow.  And, I have open house information for my girls' Back-To-School nights.  Seriously?  Back-To-School?  Already?  I am ready for the girls to go back, I think. . .  But, I still have so much planned for the summer!  I guess our summer vacation will have to be reworked into a mid-fall retreat.  Does anyone else feel the way I do?

The Fairs are over. . .

It is late Saturday night, and all is quiet in the Headings house.  The sheep are all tucked back into their pens.  The heifer is going to spend the winter at my cousin's farm.  And, we are sitting around talking about next year.  NEXT YEAR?  Just three short hours ago, my girls were tired.  They were crying.  Life is not fair!  Why do we have to show animals anyway.  But, we are home now.  Everyone has showered.  And, we are admiring the ribbons.  Ah, yes, the ribbons.  But I am sure that our reward was far greater than those ribbons.

We are reminiscing over our successes, our learning experiences, learning how to work together.  We learned how to arrange scrapbooks, we learned how to shoot bows.  We learned how to show lambs.  We ALL learned how to fit lambs for show.  We learned how to show cows.

Only Madeline was in 4-H, but we all learned a lot from 4-H this year.  From lamb camps, to actual 4-H camp, all four of my girls (and my dear husband) pitched in to make this year's summer a success in the show ring.  We all realized that Madeline might be WHO was showing the animals, but we all saw that it was OUR farm that was being represented.  We learned that it takes all of us working together to achieve success!


So, now that we are clean, our truck is unloaded, our lambs are sleeping, we have decided to plan for next year.  And, the girls are begging for a chance to show at Louisville this fall.  Our feet and arms ache, but the drive to succeed is greater than our weariness.  We are looking at farm catalogs to see what equipment will make it onto our Christmas lists.  What child wants a livestock blower for Christmas?  Well, if Santa gets these lists, he might think we need four blowers!  I have also seen hydraulic blocking stands and top line bushes on the lists.  And, my husband, ever the diligent tailor, is working on sheep blankets in the kitchen.

Even as we are exhausted, we have our eyes on next year.  As my youngest daughter likes to remind us, we have our eyes on the roses! Go TEAM HEADINGS