Ft. Worth Stock Show 2011

This past week clan Daniel spent a fun and freezing week at the Ft. Worth Stock Show and Rodeo getting ready to show their steers. Show day started at 6:00am with the washing of the boys.
It was only about 14 degrees. See where the soap bottles are sitting? Yeah, that's frozen over.

After the washing comes the drying.

And of course the silliness and goofing around ensues.

Then it's our turn to show so me and the kids and our Ag teacher go wait to enter the arena with the 74 other steers showing in this class alone!

Milling around outside the arena.

My beauty in the ring.

She did a great job.

Bub in the arena with his steer.

He also did a great job.

We definitely had a good time.

Ft. Worth is a huge show and a lot of big dollar steers are here. We always expect to finish here lower than other shows we attend but the whole clan is together for an entire week with no TV, video games or interruptions.

Always worth it and always a good time.

The big freeze!

OK, so the first week in February 2011 just might go on the records as the coldest 4 day period in the North Texas area. I don't know but I do know that I was as cold as I have ever been. We had ice, snow, sleet, temps in the teens and twenties and wind chills hovering around zero. This is a good definition of clan Daniel's daily existence. Mud and poop covered boots! From left to right Sisters, Sissy's, the Mrs., Bub's and mine. The Mrs. was kind enough to start us out on cold days with a hot breakfast. This particular day it was scratch made biscuits and homemade gravy.

The animals had a tough time in the cold weather so we had to pay extra attention to them.

Snowball fights were possible Friday as we finally got some snow instead of just ice.

Jake and the other animals stayed in close to the barn and waited to be fed.

By Friday the wind had sort of died down so the animals would venture out into the sun.

Each day during this cold spell I would go out a couple of times a day to make sure water was accessible for all.

The girlie's wanted more snow so a broom to the trees helped with this.

Kids sure love playing in the snow.

And making angels.

The goats waited patiently each day for me.

And always hoped I would feed them.

Snow-covered homestead.

Whipper-snappers playing.

Back shot of the place.

Animals.

Babe.

We needed to split would to keep the fireplace going. I've heard all my life that wood warms you 3 times. First when you cut it (that was in the spring),

second when you split it,

and stack it.

And the 3rd time is when you burn it. That is definitely the easiest.

Birthday Girl

Saturday was my oldest daughter's 10Th birthday on Saturday. We had spent the whole week at the Ft. Worth Stock Show freezing to death so the Mrs. let Sissy pick what she wanted for breakfast. Sister chose monkey bread!
She has received quite a few birthday cards with cold hard cash so she decided to by...

A new bike!!!

Ain't she a beauty?