SPUD DAY! SPUD DAY! SPUD DAY!

Now, I am and always will be a girl from California, but I have to say that the best thing Shelley ever produced (I can say that because my husband went to school in the neighboring community of Firth) is . . .

SPUD DAY!

Potatoes are a way of life for many people in Southeast Idaho, but Shelley takes it to a whole new level. The High School is shaped like a potato cellar; they are known as the Shelley Russets. Yes, a mighty intimidating mascot; a potato. And a great deal of the town willingly walks around wearing shirts that say 'Russet Pride'.

Anyway, the day is always the third Saturday in September, and begins very early at our house; there is a parade. It is our fortune that it lines up right in front of our house! This year, the Methodist Church won the early bird award by being the first float in front of our house; they arrived at 7:30 AM!!!!!

Now, I must qualify and state that I use the term 'float' loosely. Most floats are comprised of trucks with posters, and kids inside throwing candy. However, there are some who take it to a whole new level. AND the entire fire department fleet drives in it, making oodles of noise. There is the band from the High School and Junior High, they only march in the one parade and don't do field shows, so sometimes even they ride in the back of a flatbed truck.

This year's theme was. . .

(DUM-DUM-DUM)

POTATO LOVER'S PARADISE

Call me naive, but I didn't know that potato lovers had a paradise, and I really had no clue I was living in it!

This is the float that won; it was done by one of the High School Service Organizations. Yes, that is an overly large potato basking in what would be the sun if it was a nice hot day. Funny, huh?

This is the student council for the High School. They made palm tree segueys. These are Tacey's friends from the Volleyball Team. They got to ride in a boat! This is a float from one of the local churches; yes, these are potato people at church.

You must also know that this is NOT your traditional sit and watch parade; this parade requires A LOT of interaction - especially if you are a kid who enjoys candy. This is because every float throws candy at you. The kids always get a WalMart bag full of candy.

Now, the other thing about Spud Day is that the weather is always part of the fun. Some days it is SO hot and we all get cancer causing sunburns; other years it snows. You just NEVER know!

This year chose to be rainy; not sprinklie but RAINY! But as candy is vital to all children, of any age - an umbrella was sufficient to keep the candy chasing going! This is my Mom and Tacey and Dallin on the candy hunt.

The next thing we do is walk to City Park; my home away from home during baseball and football season. Here you stand in line and they give you yummy fully loaded baked potatoes. Not little baked potatoes, but meal-sized baked potatoes with butter, sour cream and cheddar cheese.

They also give you milk that has a shelf life. Call me picky, but I don't believe that milk should come in little boxes that can live safely on your shelf for years. Not only does the milk not spoil, it comes in freaky flavors; strawberry, chocolate, vanilla and ROOT BEER! (Yes, I can hear you saying 'eewwwww'. I feel the same way) As I am NOT going to put whatever perserves that milk into my body, I brought my own little Diet Pepsi. HA! This is Mom and Jilana enjoying them 'taters'.

Tacey and Laura doing the same.

This is Ben actually enjoying his Root Beer milk. (EEWWWWWW)

After that they have a couple of must-see events. The first is the Potato picking! Depending upon your age you are placed into a particular heat and have to be the first to pick up your designated poundage of potatoes and put them in the bag. Dallin and McCade chose to stay home after they got wet at the parade, but Emmalee came in third in her heat!

That is Ben and Laura who went over to coach her on her potato picking technique behind her. Then her dad Eric, went to offer his advice gained from experience.

Josh was a little further behind in his heat.

We also enjoyed 'Winder's World Famous Funnel Cakes'. We love the Winders; they have been friends of our for a very long time. There is alot of people at Spud Day; Emmalee got lost for a little while, and was sad.The local businesses and people rent booth space to sell weird little cool things and advertise their business. There were little cloth bags that cooked potatoes in the microwave just like they were cooked in the oven, video phones that work on your internet line. More importantly, we learned why the banks are all failing; because their logos are partying at Spud Day!

But

The best part of Spud Day is the

SPUD TUG!

Normally tug of war ends with one team in a pool of mud or water, but in Shelley at Spud Day they land in a big pit of Instant Mashed Potatoes! I have to admit that I count the days and anxiously await the Spud Tug. It is my most-favorite public sporting event.

This is the pristine, no potatoes tug of war area.

This is the ultra-special CONCRETE mixer that mixes the mashed potatoes. The firemen are good at bucket brigade, so the potato flakes get into the mixer better.

Then they fill the hole!

Unfortunately, the rain started AGAIN, so we were in danger of not being able to see any of the Spud Tug excitement. But when I opened my big, super-size umbrella I realized the last time I had opened it was at the beach in San Diego. I came to this epifany when beach sand fell all over my head. BUT this is cool, my umbrella had the face of Jesus in sand on the inside!

Then, the saddest and funniest thing happened. We got stuck in the wettest, hardest, coldest hailstorm. We ran to a nearby parking lot and Shane came from home to pick us up.

We were VERY wet.

We went back by the park today. I think everyone else must have deserted when we did. the mashed potatoes were still in the hole, waiting for someone to tug, lose and fall into them.

The trash cans held the evidence of the fun, and the canopies over the picnic tables were in disarray. It looked like a sad ghost town.

I guess I will have to wait until next year to see people who are covered in mashed potatoes(boo-hoo).

Hope you enjoyed your vicarious Spud Day experience!

Danielle

I guess I should . . .

I was going to let my birthday just pass by with no acknowledgement of the event. Truly, I refuse to admit to anything close to my chronological age, as you truly are as old as you feel, right? But, I am forced to look at recent events and make a few comments. . .



I must be barely over a year old; I just learned how to walk.

I must be in the eighth grade; I attend a significant number of middle school athletic events.

I must be barely into my 20's; I just graduated from college.



In rememberance of that day an undisclosed number of years ago, here is my first picture.

Don't you think the black and white is a nice effect?

I guess I should be worried; Tacey prayed I would have a nice birthday and not get any older this morning. Either time is going to stop, or I am going to drop dead!

Happy Birthday to me!

Danielle

Busy end of the week

Well, lets see. . . .

Haley and Laura came to visit and spend the day on Wednesday. Tacey took over all baby duties once she got home from Cross Country practice. But before then, Haley decided that Dallin is the BEST THING TO WATCH! He danced around and she watched him intently. Then when he left the room she got SO MAD! So, as the gentleman he is, he returned to entertain her some more. It was a nice visit. See how big Haley is getting?

Tacey and Haley

Haley and her favorite entertainment; Dallin!
Haley and Mac.
Big Girl Haley; 3 weeks and 1 day old!

Then Thursday Tacey ran a Cross Country meet and came in Second for the girls in her school. She has made enough of an impression on her coach he has told her to run with more experienced runners so she can get faster. More importantly, she is having fun! On another positive note, I didn't end up teaching Agriculture that day - that is a good thing.

Friday we decided to go to the Eastern Idaho State Fair. We had two goals; to eat as much as we could, and to eat as much as we could. Isn't that what the fair is for? We saw the usual Horses, Cows, Pigs, Goats, Rabbits, Pigeons, Sheep, Chickens - OH! CHICKENS!

(I can't seem to get away from chickens, *sigh*)

There was this really crazy bad-perm chicken there! I had to take his picture! He or she (?) looks NOTHING like the chicken that tried to live in our garage.

His (her?)feathers are curly!
(The fact I don't know whether it is a him or a her is further evidence that I should continue to stay out of agriculture classes.)

We also saw Tacey's 4-H submissions to the Fair. She won blue ribbins for both.

This is her survival kit; complete with freeze dried Ice Cream. (That was her Dad's idea.) She decided she would be depressed if she was lost and the Ice Cream would be a necessity. Leave it to her Dad to have freeze dried ice cream in the emergency kit. . .

This is a game she made for Science Class that taught the circulatory system.
They also had a lot of fun inter-active science exhibits there. The boys enjoyed them alot.

In the end, I got my Corn Dog, Scones, and Chocolate Dipped Strawberries so I was good.

Tacey ran another race today, and although we don't know the official placing yet, we think she came in the the first 15 or so; out of over 100 girls. Official results to come when we get them. . .

Happy Day!
Danielle

CABBAGE!

We seem to have an agriculture theme today at our house. It began last spring when Dallin brought home a baby cabbage plant in a cup. He was told if he grew the cabbage, and it was the biggest one from his school it would be placed in a drawing to win a $1,000.00 bond. Dallin is very motivated by money, and grew this wonderful cabbage.

It is really big, but hasn't totally filled in the cabbage part - it is basically leafy. I think this year was a bit too cold - as it snowed mid-June. Everything seems to be growing a little later this year. I didn't want to pull it out of the ground to weigh it, so I took measurements and then went to the grocery store for comaprison and made my best guess. We hope it will keep growing and make an awesome chicken cabbage salad or cabbage soup. We shall see. . .

Then the school district called and asked me to substitute for the Ag class at the High School. If you are not laughing hysterically, you should be. The only thing I know about agriculture is that I know nothing about it. I know the difference between a cow, a horse, a chicken and a pig. I know which end eats and which end doesn't, but I couldn't tell you what each of these animals eats. Yeah, and they want me to teach farm stuff to all these farm kids. Even if it is only for one day - it is still a very funny idea.

Anyway, enjoy the picture of Dallin and his amazing cabbage!

Danielle