My Heart Is Full!

It is 4:45 am Wednesday July 5, 2017 and I reach over and turn the alarm off before it goes off at 5:00. I have laid awake for the last 2 hours and it is time to get going to the fair grounds. I reset the alarm for 6:30 so that Kris will wake up for work on time and I quickly get dressed and leave the room so I do not wake her. 

Faith and I load a ice chest bag of drinks and head for the fairgrounds. The forecast is for 100 degrees and it has already been hot the last three days while we have been at the fairgrounds. Now the Big Joe on the radio says 106 by weeks end. Welcome to fair week.

By 6:00 we are waiting in line to unload and before you know it the pig is vet checked, weighed and in his pen. He made weight at 226 pounds. He is smaller then we wanted but the heat wave in June really slowed him down. The day is spent watching for me and working for Faith. 

On a normal year I would be helping at the scale then setting up for beef weigh in and then helping with beef. On a normal year I would then help take down the beef walk way and set up for the next days swine show. On a normal year I would being running around in the heat working my but off.

This is not a normal year and I have better then normal friends in my corner. The auction committee keeps me away from the hot hard work as a way to love and protect me against my own problem, you know the Parkinson's thing. I spend the day instead running errands doing stuff for the Fair Board that I was just appointed to and visiting. Dickie Hall keeps me very entertained. 

Faith spends the day clipping pigs, teaching others to clip pigs and washing a lamb. No she does not have a lamb but her buddy Belle does and there are far to many giggle opportunities for them to miss. She is a hard worker.  

Tuolumne County All Stars doing the Flag Ceremony.
There is my Faith raising the American flag.

Teaching Maryn how to clip her pig.

Duke the pig.

Suddenly its Thursday and it is Swine show day. I am announcing again and this year working with Bailey Orpurt. My sister Sharon is right there busting her groove moving pigs all over the barn. Faith makes market and does not do so well in showmanship. She is all smiles as Duke is going to the auction.

Showmanship. I love this picture Maria Hines.

Each day of the fair has its different events and with it comes the chance to see old friends who return for the shows. I am the announcer for the sheep show and the beef show so I am blessed with a spot to sit and see all my old friends. Before you know it we are setting up for auction and having the chance to see old friends that I showed with.

Cleaning up for the auction.

Saturday night leaves me amazed at the community. Early in the day I give the exhibitors a challenge to clean up and set up their party just like RA used to and the kids do a great job. Faith leads the Auction in the Pledge of Allegiance and Savannah Wittman sings the National Anthem. What a way to start the show. The fire works this night will belong to the buyers. They spend over $360,000 that evening and Faith sells Duke for $15.00 a pound. UNBELIEVABLE!!

Hugging Tanner one last auction night as his leader.
 He was a wonderful President for our club. 

The Four Amigos!

There are many things in this world that bring me joy but none more then my kids. 

A hug from dad. This kid is a hard worker and it does not go unnoticed. Thank you James Smith.

My last swine group. These little wiper snappers brought me so much joy and in the end many tear

Tuolumne Pioneers win the Herdsman Award.

One of the greatest parts of the fair is living life with old friends. We all grow up but so many of us come back with our kids. Below are some of those I showed with who are now raising their kids at the fair.

Jeff and Ryder Wittman

Paula (Wittman) Shane & Sarah Marick

Heather ( Thomasson) & Kendall

The night ends and I cant help but think about all I have seen and heard. My old swine leader was at the fair, many old friends and I had the chance to make so many new friends.

Sunday comes to soon. It is my last day. As I walk in I can feel it slipping away. Faith has taken over my job of organizing pigs for the Round Robin show and Nick has taken over moving them. I know it is for the better as today my legs are a mess from the Parkinson's. I have kept my challenges to myself as good as I can but my friends know and they see the little signs, they know about the leg cramps I have been waking up too and they know that I have not slept well due to headaches. They see me stumble and even when I try to hide the shaking hands they know what I am doing. Retirement from 4H is coming soon and I know it is for the best. 

The hard part is not really leaving as I know I will be back as a parent and as the Vice President of the Mother Lode Fair Board. However, as a leader you have many hours of working with the kids and parents and relationships are formed. I will miss that. I will miss telling the large tall tales and watching their faces as they believe me. I will miss the giggles, tears and corny jokes. I love them all.

God made kids that way you know. The bible says:

Matthew 18:5

And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

God has shown me through this program that all kids need us and we need all kids. He has allowed me to work with the blind, deaf and special needs children. I have watched a child go from hiding behind their mother to becoming a wonderful speaker. I have members who went to college and those who can make submarines with their bare hands. I LOVE THEM ALL!

Sunday ends with my club honoring me with a wonderful belt buckle and so many nice things said.  I hug so many my arms ache. I tell every one of those kids that I love them. AND I DO! I get hugs and kisses from old friends. The biggest gift of the day is when that stubborn old Dick Hall tells me he loves me and tells my wife I am a good guy. Do I cry? YUP! Grown Men do! 

Then its time to walk away. I hug my three country girls from the Sibley family and their brother ropes me one more time. Then he ropes Emily the new Swine leader. The torch is passed. I take Kris' hand and walk away. There is a lump in my throat and a smile in my heart and a beautiful woman on my side.

I won't miss the laughter as it is in my head like the sounds of the river as it winds it way through Kennedy Meadows. I wont miss the memories because each night they flash though my mind like lightning from a passing Sierra mountain storm. I wont miss the friends because they will forever be carried in my heart like a leaf softly floating in a fall wind storm.

What I will miss are the moments. Those moments when a child needs a quick word of encouragement. I will miss terrorizing new parents with made up stories and rules that dont really excist. I will miss faces and words. I will miss the little things that make each day different and special.

But I know that somewhere it is written in time and that time will be remembered by others and the stories will be shared and retold through the years and they will go in different directions and travel with others on different journeys.They will be my stories and our stories. Stories of a special time and a special place. Soon the journeys will come together as one and the stories will become one story.  a story that we will tell our grand kids. We will tell them of a  special place that lives in our hearts and it will go on with me as I follow........ My Journey.

'Cause you are the one light that shines on me

Without your love God knows where I'd be

Lost without a prayer

                                                            Somewhere way out there

My soul would turn to dust

Heaven help me

If I ever lose your love