Inside Extension: Extension Interns: I have a feeling the next six weeks will go a little slower than the first, let’s just hope it’s true

Time has flown by at the LaRue County office this summer. Over the past 2 weeks things have calmed down some and I finally feel like I am getting settled in at the office. Last week I was able to lead the second meeting of the Gardening Club for the summer. A little nerve-racked as I stood in front of those 15 kids alone, I talked to them about the pumpkin and squash seeds they received to plant in their gardens.

This week also marked the start of the LaRue County Fair. In total we had increased numbers of both 4-H and open division fair entries with over 160 4-H entries! As the start to this internship has proven, it is a different ball game when you are standing on the other side of the table. It was a joy to see 4-Hers come in with their entries, glowing with pride and excited as the fair officially began. After a long afternoon of entering, judging, and displaying the work of these youth we finally finished up for the afternoon. Following this however was not more preparation for the fair week as you would expect but instead I headed straight home to pack for a week at 4-H camp. As we set off to fill 2 girls cabins and 1 boys cabin at Lake Cumberland 4-H Camp for the remainder of the week, I anxiously looked forward to the tree identification class I would be teaching the campers that week.

Though forestry is not my degree, I work closely with that in natural resources and have enjoyed the few dendrology and vascular plant taxonomy courses. Lydia Richardson, Meade County 4-H intern, and I worked together to teach the campers about tree identification making it fun with a dichotomous key scavenger hunt. It was nice to be able to interact with all the campers but I did miss being with the girls in my cabin as they were in other classes. This year also marked a special camp week for Carole Goodwin, the Meade County agent. She enjoyed her last 4-H Camp week as an agent and we celebrated with a little cake and a few gifts for her to remember her times with 4-H.

Winding down to the end of the week I was relieved to say that from our cabin of 18 new campers and 5 returners, that we survived all cases of homesickness and they all really seemed to appreciate the time we had spent at camp. As much I enjoyed my 6^th round of camp this summer, it was the most exhausting of them all. By the time Friday rolled around I was ready to head home. The only thing that stood in the way of my getting home was a camper with a bloody nose on the bus ride home in which we had to improvise to resolve. All in all it was a good week with the total winnings as follows:

Excitement VS Exhaustion ---> Exhaustion

My pillow case VS Camper's bloody nose ---> Bloody nose

Intern Tree ID class VS Other classes ---> Tree ID (At least I’d like to think so)

Though it was a hot week the kids really enjoyed their time and experiences at camp. I look forward to hopefully having the opportunity to serve here again. As we returned home from a long week of camp we wrapped up at the county fair with 4-H entry pick-ups and the Beef Cattle show on Saturday.

Having a short week with my first paid holiday on the 4^th of July made this past week seem like a breeze. When we rolled into the office Monday we cleared out and put away the remaining camp and fair items. Tuesday I attended my second United Way Advisory Committee meeting to discuss the ‘Day of Action’ turnout in the community. Thursday morning I had a special opportunity to work with the students at Heartland Montessori in Elizabethtown. I planned activities to do with the 3-6 year old kids relating the environment to our freedom and the 4^th of July. We made edible aquifers, leaf prints, and recycled paper flags. Rounding out my work week I spent the remainder of the day at the LaRue County Farmer’s Market as they have extended dates to continue throughout the month of July based on the success of our new location this summer. It was a great opportunity for me to talk with some of the members of our community and get to meet some new faces that I may not have had the opportunity to otherwise.

As the last half of my internship rolls around I am already dreading when I will have to leave. I have become comfortable with the rest of the agents and office staff and really enjoy the work we are doing here, no matter how taxing it may be.