California 4-H Exchange!!

     Last spring while working in D.C. I met a former 4-Her from California, Char, whose mom, Cindy, is a 4-H leader in California. Because Cindy and I both love pigs, Char suggested we begin a 4-H exchange this summer. Well, we just finished Round 1 when Bob and I took five 4-Hers to California. These kids have been actively participating in agriculture for a number of years, and the majority of them plan on continuing that participation in their future somehow. We were excited to take Katherine, Morgan, Lexi, Justin and Kyler with us this year. It was definitely a great experience to see how much the kids in California are involved in the breeding side of raising 4-H pigs.

Day 1: The first day of our 4-H exchange trip to California is going well! Lots of laughs, fun places to site see, and fantastic kids :)
We left Ellensburg at 7 am and finally reached our first stop in Grants Pass, Oregon around 3:30 pm and checked into our hotel. Then we went up to the Oregon Caves with the intent of going on a candle-lit tour, but unfortunately all the tours were full! So we explored a little bit, did our souvenir shopping and then had pizza and swam in the pool.

Multnomah Falls

The Oregon Caves

Day 2: Successful! Drive-thru trees, groundhogs and Lightning McQueen sum up the day. 
We pulled out of Grants Pass at 7:30 am and made our way through the Redwoods! It was a long and windy road, but SO totally worth being able to see those giant trees!! The kids really liked talking with Paul Bunyan, and we even drove through a tree. By the time we wound around in California a while we reached our destination of Corning around 5 that afternoon, at which time the kids were divided out among host families to hang out for the evening.

Day 3: Bidwell Mansion, my first In-n-Out burger and some awesome swine facilities! 
Each of the host families kind of planned something for the morning's activities, and since the family Lexi and I stayed with had a couple of chores to do, Bob picked us up and we went exploring. If you've ever been exploring with Bob then you know what it's like, but for those of you who haven't....exploring with Bob is just like exploring with Lewis and Clark would have been. It's always an adventure filled with u-turns, laughs and lots of sights. The boys went squirrel hunting and the other two girls went olive tasting and hung out with their host family.
That afternoon we were able to see a few of their 4-H swine facilities. The major difference I noticed between WA and CA setups for 4-H swine (at least in Corning) is that one or two (or more) of the kids have sows and farrow them out to pick their pigs from, and then sell to the rest of their club. It was great for our kids to be able to see that side of things, because while a couple of them have dabbled in breeding pigs for themselves, it didn't last long. After looking at the pigs we had a pool party with their club at the local public pool.

The whole group

A spotted sheep!! With a scary guard dog!

Bidwell Mansion

Bob in front of a giant olive.

Day 4: Cheese tastings, "goose droppings," and the things you learn about your kids....
Our fourth day began at a local family run and operated dairy. They are the second smallest dairy in California, and milk 30 Holstein and Jersey cows twice a day every day. The best part about their dairy (I think) is that they take the milk they get and make cheese from it. It takes two days' worth of milk, four milkings, to make a good sized batch of cheese. I thought this was really cool because of my connection to a friend who makes goat cheese, and while on a smaller scale does the same thing. The dairy names their cheeses for a few of their cows, but also some of the products the cheese may be soaked in for flavor. It was really cool to see.
In the afternoon we loaded up the kayaks and hung out at the lake. It was so clear I couldn't believe it. And the geese, oh man....okay, storytime. The kids went kayaking and when they came back played in the water a little bit and then laid down to dry off a bit. Well, Kyler, who is one to burn easily didn't put on sunscreen. Of course, I warned him that it wouldn't be worth it later, but whatever. Haha, then he gave me the perfect opportunity to pull a little joke. He was laying down with his hat over his face so he couldn't see. I snuck up on him and dropped some sunscreen on his stomach. Of course that woke him right up but I was long gone and the sunscreen hidden so we proceeded to tell him that the geese dropped him a present. It was pretty good.

Geese on the beach

Our kayakers

Cheese!

The kids with a "California Happy Cow"

Day 5: Volcanoes, caves and waterfalls, handing Bob a camera=bad idea, and oh jeepers these kids!
We left early in the morning and drove through Lassen Volcanic park. It was incredibly eye opening to see some of the things there, and the vegetation visible on one side of the park and not on the other. We stopped in numerous places for pictures and had a picnic lunch in a great spot next to one of many lakes. After the volcanoes we found the Subway Caves, which were created by lava flows when the volcanoes blew in 1915. Our final stop for the day was at Burney Falls, a gorgeous waterfall that the kids enjoyed walking to and cooling off a bit.

Day 6: After 14 hours in the car with a variety of animals, aliens and maybe a teenager or two....we made it home all in one piece!
It was one heck of a long drive home, but we made it. We stopped in Medford at the Boot Barn and I found some new work boots. After I couldn't even tell you how many years the old blue champs have been around, but they can now retire to the book shelf.


Next stop, SeaTac airport to prepare for D.C.!! I'm excited to spend a week in one of my favorite places with a few of my favorite girls! Even if it will be hot and humid, and eeehhhhhhhh....it's gonna be fun!