SN-ice Day...

One thing that I didn't mention in my post about the San Antonio Stock Show was the interesting WINTER weather we had. The best description that I heard of what we awoke to that morning was "snice". A thin layer of ice covered by a thin layer of snow. You can imagine that it was a travel NIGHTMARE for those of us south Texans who are not accustomed to anything white falling from the sky...except hail, of course. They closed ALL of the highways and interstates -- how does one do that exactly? -- but we had a show to get to IN San Antonio at 9 am!! The stock show didn't cancel, but did postpone for two gracious hours (note the sarcasm), however, those two hours were enough to allow the sun to shine, begin to turn that ice a little slushy, and make the interstates much more passible.

Because we had to get on the road...to allow enough time to get to the show...the kids didn't have nearly enough time to play out in the cold stuff. :( However, I did get a few pictures of them enjoying it while it lasted...because by the time we walked out of the show barn...almost all the evidence of the winter weather was GONE!

The kids couldn't wait to get their hands on the 'white stuff!'

Good layer of snow on the trampoline!

The snow was so powdery it really wouldn't pack into a good snowball.

Summer stood at the garden box...the sn-ice settled there and around the trees...you couldn't really see it in the grass.

Luke enjoyed jumping on the trampoline...it made a strange crunching sound because of the layer of ice.

The view of our street just as we were leaving for the stock show. It was good and slippery, but Kyle did an AWESOME job of navigating the slick roads. Must have been all of those years traveling on the back roads of Alabama and Tennessee in the winter weather!

Another Friday...Another post :)

Well, I'm tempted to say that my new Friday 'thing' might be a blog update...but who am I kidding!?! Two Fridays in a row HARDLY makes this a new 'thing'! :) However, I am happy to be back at the computer...waiting impatiently for photos to upload to show you more of what we have been up to.

This week has been wonderful - a slice of heaven/Alabama came to visit us and it was DIVINE! However, I'm getting ahead of myself and I must go back to stock shows and post pics from San Antonio. The girls each took a hen to San Antonio and it was our first "Major" show. Now when I say "Major"...I don't mean 'big' or 'large'...although that would be true...but "Major" as in the type of show it is. The "Major" shows are open shows and people come from all around to compete...you don't have to live in a certain area/county like the smaller shows. So you can imagine if people can come from ALL around, the competition is fierce! There were 208 hens in the show and only 35 place and make the sale. If you weren't in the top 35...you aren't even given a placement and you must march over to the trailor with your bird and load it up for the processing plant. Sadly, we weren't in the top 35...but we weren't the first ones out of the ring either...sort of middle-of-the-pack.

Middle-of-the pack is NOT what Kyle was hoping for and so now the competitive spirit in him has raised its head and he has made adjustments to the feeding program. We'll see next week at Austin (which is on a Friday...just incase I don't post...ha!) and the following week at Houston (also a Friday) if the changes have paid off in the show ring. Who knew...except the 'turkey people' out there...that sooo much went in to raising these birds!?! :)

The arctic temperatures had us bundled up tight. I know that those of you reading this blog who have lived up north...or in the arctic...are laughing histerically right now...but take someone from 70 degree weather and put them in the 10s and 20s...it's ARCTIC! :)

Summer posing with her turkey the night before the show.

This picture is sooooo Kyla! Instead of standing beside Jon...who is holding the bird for her...she is standing beside the judge...almost as if she is keeping her eyes on him! ha! It looks like she might even be giving him pointers.

Kyla and Jon...waiting for the judge to come back around.

Jon helping Summer carry the bird into the show ring.

Summer was RIGHT by us in the ring...which was fun for photos, but not so fun when we realized that the birds that were going to really 'compete' were across the ring -- I guess you REALLY can't have it all! ;)

These birds are REALLY getting heavy now. Thank goodness Jon was there to help out!