Ranch Raised

It’s our midweek check in, right here on Ranch Raised. The majority of my days, I think to myself, “I wonder what I could talk about tomorrow on Ranch Raised.” Then as they say, “life happens”, and I experience something that I just have to tell you about.

So many, like us, are in the thick of country fair season, so you are going to have to stick with me while I do a lot of reflecting on what I am seeing going in the 4-H and FFA worlds.

It is time to announce our winners of the Your Ag Network Swag Packs we are giving away in celebration of putting 200 episodes of Ranch Raised in the books!

These anniversary episodes always leave me a little nostalgic. In the beginning I had no idea how this was going to work or where I was going with it. Monte and Jesse and from Your Ag Network just kept reassuring me that they knew I had real stories to tell from rural America. So it began. And then it kept rolling. And it does seem that I always have something on my heart to share.

Yesterday I shared from the Farmer’s Almanac that the ‘dog’ in ‘Dog Days of Summer’ was in reference to, the brightest star in the sky, Sirius which is a part of the Greater Dog constellation.
Thus, the term Dog Days of Summer came to mean the 20 days before and 20 days after this alignment of Sirius with the Sun—July 3 to August 11 each year.

According to the Farmer’s Almanac, “the “Dog Days” of summer are from July 3 to August 11 each year. They’re usually the hottest and most unbearable days of the season. We often hear about the “Dog Days” of summer, but few know where the expression originated. Some think it’s a reference to the hot, sultry days that are “not fit for a dog.”

Beating the heat can be tough during these “Dog Days of Summer.” Thankfully, it is National Ice Cream Month, so we have to celebrate!

The days have been long, hot, and dry with bursts of damaging storms across most of these parts. I saw where the National Weather Service in North Platte, NE had posted that they have recorded a record number of days over 100 degrees this summer and let’s face it, we are still facing a whole lot more summer.

It is National Ice Cream month, so let’s celebrate!

I can smell the funnel cakes and walking tacos. I can hear the giggles of little ones enjoying the carnival rides. But, most of all, I can feel the pride in the 4-H and FFA exhibitors that have worked so hard on their projects they are exhibiting. The county fair is their super bowl in that sand arena!