It’s the most wonderful time of year here in Santa Fe, Texas. The flowers are blooming, the temperatures are pleasant during the day and we’re still enjoying crisp and cool evenings. When I walk outside and get a whiff of the roses during the day or the night-blooming Jasmine and Angel’s Trumpet, I am reminded once again that it’s spring. Everything is new again. And I rediscovered that I love flowers! Their fragrances and beauty warm my heart.
Every spring my kitchen smells like a wonderland as I whip up many batches of Texas Bluebonnet, Honeysuckle Jasmine, and Sweet Dream soaps, lotions, and body butters.
I only make these three fragrances one a year though. Sweet Dream is reminiscent of sweet almonds and cherries with a drop of honey – I can almost feel the breeze blowing as I ease into the aroma. Honeysuckle Jasmine is a blend of Jasmine flowers and anise essential oils. So rich and exotic! (I’ll make these two fragrances until I run out of the essential oil blends). And Texas Bluebonnet transports you to the Hill Country where our spectacular bluebonnet fields guide your route.
While the bluebonnets are native to the Hill Country area, their signature oil has become difficult for me to find. My supplier here in Texas has closed their business so I may not be able to find comparable quality fragrances elsewhere, but I will continue to search for them.
Jason made the sale at Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo with his pen of market broiler pullets. This was his first time to show at a major show. He got 77th place and had a great time raising the bid higher and higher at the auction. He was a natural!
Sadly, his birds did not place at the Austin Rodeo. I know he’ll want to try again next year. He is already talking about showing a goat at HSLR next year and he doesn’t even have the goat yet.
Closer to home, Jason will be showing market broilers and a market goat at the Galveston Country Fair, April 8 – 16. The broilers are in their fifth week of growing right now and have two more weeks before show to be the biggest they can be.
The market goat did not place at Houston, but Jason did learn how different it is to show at a major show compared to a county fair show.
For example:
-county shows are much smaller than a major show and a major show includes the entire state.
-the better and best animals can be found at a major show.
animal identification is ear tags for both county and major; difference is county takes a nose print, while majors add ear tattoos and pull hair and save it on file for identification of winners. (Who knew?)
-Major shows cost about twice as much as county shows at the end of the project.
Clue, is about ready for show at the Galveston County Fair. He has exceeded our expectations and now weighs over 100 pounds. He is beautiful! Jason loves how he looks. We think he’s so pretty!
Happy Easter!
