This is Only the Beginning, Not the End!!

           My last three weeks have been a whirlwind of fun! I am so sad that my internship is over. It may be over but this is just the beginning I feel. I have made lifetime friendships with my co-workers and I am going to miss all of them. Most of all I will miss my supervisors. They were the best supervisors I could ask for. We have had a ton of fun together, and they have taught me so much that I will remember forever.

Me and Carol



Me and Alex



 

The week after our fair, we had to start getting ready for the field day that was coming up fast! KSU would be coming to visit in the morning and it would be open to the public that evening. I was in charge of making sure we had everything together (chairs, tables, sign-in sheets, etc) and helping get it there. I did a craft time with the kids while I was there too! We made a butterfly using coffee filters, markers, pipe cleaners, and a little bit of water. I think the kids had a good time. I know I did. The field day was held at our small farm assistant (Rickey Miller)’s place. We had several speakers, and we had a draft horse drawn wagon ride, which was a huge hit not only for the adults but for the kids. They loved being able to ride a wagon into a field surrounded by cattle. We had a pollinator station, a raised bed and taste testing section, a pond management section, a mineral requirements station, a turnip pasture for replacement heifers, a GOAP program station, bee management station, and blackberries station. We had about 85 people come which was an amazing turnout since the farm is located 30 minutes from our office! Once the Field Day was over, time was growing shorter for Rickey Miller’s time with us. He was retiring on July 31st. He has been such a help to me throughout this summer. I call him my grandpa now :) 



But everyone was going to miss Rickey because he always helped with the horticulture side of the business. Now Carol is going to have to take on both the big crops and large animals, along with the odd animals and horticulture side. Everyone in the office (excluding Carol and Rickey) we’re talking one day about how Rickey says he will miss all of the “girls”. However, We said he would miss Carol most of all. LOL! So then we got this fabulous idea that since Rickey didn’t want any big extravagant gift or big deal about him retiring. They always eat at the Patio when an intern leaves, so that’s where we were all going out to eat at. Carol and Rickey had no idea though what was in store for them at this party. We teamed up with a local person to get a corgate board. It was going to take too long to get the vinyl print in so Lynnette made some calls and talked to Andy Mills over in Meade County and they agreed to help. They have a banner printer and so I sent them the perfect picture and they printed it out. Then brought it back to the office. Next we had to laminate it. But how since Carol can hear everything and is always around. Well she happened to take off on a Thursday and there ya go! We laminated it and took it out to the person who would attach it to the board and then he jigsawed it out!! It turned out wonderful and the best part? Carol and Rickey still didn’t know! Well once the party started, I picked the perfect song “Me and my Shadow” by frank Sinatra. A line says, ‘like you can’t get rid of your shadow, you’ll never get rid of me’. It was PERFECT! Then we hid her in the closet so they wouldn’t see and we brought her out after the speeches, and they about died! They laughed harder and more than I have seen them do the entire summer.

It really made the last week amazing. After Rickey’s big party and the Carol reveal, we kept her in the office as a greeter until Wednesday when it was finally time for Carol to go home with Rickey. Everyone who came through the office, said hello to it before they realized she was a board, and then many even took pictures with it. I came up with the idea that were going to have to make a second carol and start a “Where’s Carol” thing. And take her different places like the gnomes do. It would be fun to put a section in the newsletter and see who can guess where she will be next or see where she has been. Carol could now be at every meeting and every show! I think it’s so fun and the cut out is so real.

 Along with the festive, I also went to the Dog Club Show. They were practicing on having people there while doing their agility and obedience, so that their dogs get use to noise before they head to state. The turnout was nice, and the kids all had fun and did a great job.

 

 

           

On Wednesday, was Rickey’s last day so I spent time with him. He helped me figure out how to plant my community garden. Since my wood after waiting 5 weeks just was finished. Now I have to pick it up. Then we all said see you later and Rickey was officially retired.

 

 And that evening I went to an “I Love Cows” award presentation. The winner got to pick out a heifer and take it home with them. 

 Thursday was all about the Princeton Field Day. We left at 5:30 in the morning and got there. I enjoyed myself and meeting all of Carol’s colleagues. They were all super nice and explained a lot to me. It was fun to take what I have learned and listen to the specialists and see the things I learn being said in their presentations. That goes to show you I have an awesome supervisor.

My last day of work… Friday. Carol could not be in so I didn’t get to say goodbye. But I still stayed hard at work. I helped Alex with a bunch of state fair papers that needed to be sent out and made an easy excel spread sheet, for her. Then I worked on some State Shoot things she needed to be done. I will miss each and every one of the people I worked with. They have been so helpful and taught me a lot. I am going to miss this place, but I shall be around. I hope they will allow me to be around and maybe come back one day! It’s been a great summer! And I will never forget it! This is only the Beginning, Not the End!