Here By the Owl

     As I scrolled through my Facebook feed, I smiled as I looked through the pictures of FFA members and their advisors in celebration of National Teach Ag Day. Other than spreading the word about the importance and great need for agricultural education teachers around the nation, we are also expressing our deep appreciation for the advisors who have had an impact on our lives. So what a better way to celebrate my advisors then a blog post!
    Although I didn't have a traditional Ag teacher-loving-experience, I don't discredit it, I just give the credit where it is due. The thing you have to know about ag teachers is that.... They are HUMAN. They make mistakes and personalities clash, and I get that, so I won't dwell on the angst from the past. Rather I would love to express the good.
    And then there is Ms. Mosman... ha just kidding people. This lady is the freaking bomb! Despite the fact that she was not my advisor while I was in high school, she made up for lost time while I was a state officer. There are only a few people who know what it is like to be a state officer and know what we go on a day to day basis. As I struggled to cope during my first FFA event at State CDEs, she simply said to me, " Mind over matter kid. If you tell yourself you are not tired, you aren't tired. If you tell yourself you are energetic, then you will be energetic. You have to tell yourself to do things you don't want to do because the next year will be filled of coming out of your comfort zone and doing things that you don't want to do." She constantly gave me comments and advice when I was giving workshops or even just helping her out. Mosman is a leader and expects excellence out of all those who are around her. I admire that. She pushes and encourages so that her students are the best they can be. I have watched how her presence in my home chapter has dramatically shifted the expectations and the progress towards how a chapter of our caliper should resemble. Although she decided to take the time off to better herself and continue her education, her example to the kids in the chapter continues and I can attest to the fact that I  myself and those in the chapter cannot wait until her return.
    Mr. Shirts. Shirts-y. The Silver Fox. Man of a Thousand Faces. Shirts. This man, words cannot describe to you what he means to me. Unfortunately, he has taught me to develop an unhealthy need for Tootsie-Pops and Mountain Dew (okay maybe that last need was already there). He mentored me in the ways of the many faces making my current Snap Chat game quite strong. He also created monster when he introduced me to the Dairy Foods CDE and still refers to me as the "Cheese Whiz" and the "Dairy Queen". Although he has an occasional habit of losing papers and stealing tomatoes out of our garden, I love him to death. This man has stood by me in my good and bad days. I can still remember the gleam in his eyes as I hugged him after I was announced as the State Treasurer. The pride and joy that he had for me radiated and washed over me and he told me he knew that I could do it. His complete and utter belief in me continues to stun me. He is always there to listen and to heckle me about one thing or another to make sure that I always have a cheery disposition. His heart is bigger than what he lets on, but he never ceases to amaze when it comes to the welfare of his kids. Once you get through the rough exterior, there is a man who loves the FFA organization, this FFA kids, and all those he has touched along the way. Don't let him fool you. Believe me, he will try. And as many times as he says he doesn't love Dairy Foods, don't believe him. We all know he loves that CDE more than he loves Forrestry. Lets be honest. Mr. Shirts, you have made an immense impact on me and for that I am eternally grateful, and I hope that one day I will be able to influence those around me just as much as you do to your students each and every day. Thank you, thank you so much for all you have done and continue to do for me each and every day.
    Our advisors put in  more hours than most will know. They teach by day, grade papers, and then are there at chapter meetings or events by night. They train teams and they lose sleep over things that are happening in the chapter. They have put in their heart and sole into everything that they do. And I can attest to the fact that they would not be who they are or ag teachers period if they didn't love the National FFA Organization and agriculture. These men and women sit in the background and prepare the next chapter, district, state, and national officers. They deserve a little recognition. So thank you. Thank you to all the FFA advisors out there and all the work that you do, noticed and unnoticed. What you do day in and day out is what inspires these young people to be the people they want to be.

Shirts texted me this picture the first week of school. Needless to say it is his contact photo now. This is why he is so great. 

Peace, Love, and FFA
McKenzie

Be-YOU-tiful

     Hey y'all! I hope that you all have survived your first weeks of schools, countless county fairs and various opening socials. I have enjoyed seeing the highlight reel on social media. Keep them coming!
     Speaking of social media, something that has crossed my news feed several times are pictures of women with half their face made up and half of it left natural. I have always found the art of make up quite fascinating and have enjoyed for the past few years to figure out how to use it in a way to highlight my features and even make me look like one of those girls on "Toddlers and Tiaras". What I have discovered is that make up can do amazing things to one's appearance. It is honestly amazing me how much various mixtures, colors, glitters, powders, and liquids can have such a big impact.
     So I decided to do my own half and half experience.

      I did just what I normally would do if I were going to go out dancing. Note: I don't do ALL of it when I go to class. Let's be honest, I am in college. I am looking a lot more dressed for the day if I have eyeliner and mascara on and my hair is straightened. 

      My "done" side of my face was primed, liquid contoured, powdered, powdered contoured. I primed my eyes and applied at least four different layers and colors of eye shadows that I then blended and highlighted with a fifth color. Carefully, liquid eye liner was applied then more smudily (yep, totally made up a word) black and white pencil liner was added to add dimension. And to top it all off, several coats of a couple different kinds of mascara were painted on with a little red lipstick to be the cherry on top of all the icing. 

     As it turns out, I quite like just doing half of my face because I don't have to worry about making the other side of my face even. No matter how even I think I get my eyeliner, my signature "cat-eye" liner is never completely even. Trust me I try very very hard. 

     Lets look at my handy work shall we?

     Now I won't lie to you, I do like my eyes with at least some mascara. It hasn't been until recently that I would even allow myself to walk around the house without at least a little bit of eye make up on. And for years I was jealous of those girls who wore no make up and still looked super gorgeous. Don't take that as I don't like myself and I think that I am ugly without it, I just prefer myself with it. 

     Society these days play make up off to be as a necessary evil. You are no longer  fully dressed with just a smile, but must have three layers of make up and a full-lipped pout in order to be "fully dressed" in the eyes of society. When you scroll through social media there is always a picture of a Kardashian sister with their full, Botox injected lips, contoured facial structure, and painted on eye make up. New make up tips from various magazines pop up in various articles with hacks for new products to obtain to make your look flawless. 

     Not gonna lie, I don't mind looking at new articles and ways to do things different and better. I also have quite the make up case with more products than my mother and sisters combined. I have an arsenal of eye shadow pallets and foundation and matching powders for all the different skin tones my face will turn during the different seasons. I am a consumer. 

      But what I want to say to those girls who read this is, don't let make up define who you are. Yes it can accent your features and make you look "more beautiful", but don't let it consume your life. I'm not saying throw all your beauty product into the trash, I mean honestly lets not make any rash decisions. What I am challenging you to do is not be dependent on artificial products to value your physical beauty and self worth, but rather look within. Work on accepting yourself for the way God made you. I could quote a lot of songs about empowering the real you and how you are amazing just the way you are (ha I did it anyway haha), but I won't go that far. Just think. Be aware. Pay attention. Don't be afraid to be you. You don't have to try (ha! there I go again). 

     So there is my #halfmakeup challenge. I am not one to follow trends and usually back down and refuse to do anything when called out to do a challenge because I don't think that they always get their true purpose across rather they attract attention elsewhere. However, I truly believe that this is a challenge that shows the true beauty inside and out. So go on, show me your #halfmakeup face. 

     But more importantly, don't be afraid to take it all off. 

Until next time!

Peace, Love, and FFA!

McKenzie

When the World Stopped Turning

     "Where were you when the world stopped turning, that September day."
     Today is a day that as a culture, we will never forget. It was a day that was darkened by the smoke, ash, and rubble. Blood ran cold as many watched in denial and awe as the planes struck those beacons of architectural grandeur.
     So where were you when the world stopped turning? Although Alan Jackson may have said it best and the song still rings true to the feelings that were felt on that day, it is a reminder to never forget what had happened that day 14 years ago.
     Where was I? I can distinctly remember the sound of the vacuum in my parents room as I continued to turn up the tv so that I could hear the daily episode of "Arthur" better. My little 6 year old self was angry when some being of greater power switched from my show to a live news broadcast. I remember my mom stopping in her tracks as she stared teary-eyed into the television as the second plane hit. Little did I know, life was changing.
     For the weeks that followed, I can vaguely recall news broadcasts about raids with black and white footage from soldiers that were on the ground in a place far far away. I didn't know what any of that meant then, but the present customs, political views, and racial awareness is a constant reminder of that day.
     Years later as I sat in my sixth grade classroom, Mr. Sasaki sat misty-eyed on his wooden stool behind his sticker laden podium as he recalled that September day. His daughter at the time was a flight attendant for Delta airlines and was based out of New York City. She had left Boise airport on September 10th with a flight that would arrive in New York City the next morning at 9:30 EST. He recalls watching the news with his wife when the breaking news banner ran across the top of the screen. Before him he saw a nightmare he wished never came true. A plane, flying into a building. Frantically he tried to make contact with his daughter. Tears choked his throat as he stared at his tennis shoes.
     With a sigh, he looked up and glanced over the class and recalled receiving a reliving call hours after the second tower was struck. Overcome with emotion his daughter told him about how she couldn't stop staring at the Twin Towers as the morning sun gleamed from their shiny rooftops. How she couldn't believe that she lived in a place filled with such beauty and glorious structures. 10 minutes after gazing upon their gleaming spires and after landing and escorting travelers off the plane, she looked behind her to get one last look at those towers. What she saw was no longer the two beacons of industrial beauty, it was plumes of smoke.
    They both will always remember where they were when the world stopped turning.
   We now stand as the generation that were young and clueless but are now the adults. But we are also the adults who are rioting in the streets, taking the lives of men and women who have sworn to protect other's lives, turning on each other with malice and no regard for human life. It makes me wonder that if we as a people have forgotten how it felt to be attacked by those who had no regard for the lives on those planes and in those towers. I sit and ponder about how on earth we have forgotten about the brotherhood that the American people felt towards one another after the buildings collapsed. Men, women, and children of all different walks of life, races, and religions held hands and comforted those around them. Complete strangers gathered together to pray for those who had passed, who were trapped, who rescued, who lived.
      Today we live in a country where there are those who are disrespecting the flag that we clung to 14 years ago. Today we are surrounded by so much turmoil within our nation we forget that we are indeed a nation, united under the grace of God. Today we attempt to never forget the men and women who lost their lives in the rubble or in the attempt to rescue those in the rubble. But it is today that we need to stand as a nation to become the great nation that those firemen, policemen, and citizens who perished remember and love.
       I remember where I was when the world stopped turning, and I will continue to remember what it is to be an American with pride and gratitude. I will always remember where I was when the world stopped turning on that September day.

Welcome Back Y'all!

      Welcome back. Whether it is you have been on a killer summer vacation and have been unplugged or are returning to school, a good welcome back is always in order.

My summer often meant long mornings watching the Today Show with my cuddly not-so-lap dog Maize. And usually if my overly active 2 year old Border Collie wasn't cuddling with me (it usually wasn't long lasting) she was bringing me a ball. I am beginning to believe that she believes that if she cuddles or a short period, I will be more inclined to throw her ball. She is a little too smart for her own good I would say.

     Once again, I find myself searching for a reason why I haven't posted in a forever. It isn't like I am a busy person anymore, matter of fact I am not very busy at all. All it is is pure laziness. So this little post is going to be a hell of a packed post. I'll give a not so quick thanks for all those who worked on the Soda Fire and quick recap of my life during those firey five days, a quick recap of all the not very exciting things that consumed my summer months, and my top song picks of the summer. Hang on folks, its going to be a wild ride.
       So I want to start off this very important post with a huge thank you to all the firefighters, both BLM and local crews. It was amazing to see crews from Rhode Island, New Jersey, New Mexico, Alaska, Washington, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and more come and help with a fire that has affected my community so greatly. I also want to send my thoughts and prayers to all those ranchers who summer range on the Owyhee Mountains, your loss of cattle and prime grazing land will never have a monetary compensation large enough to cover the emotional detriment of this tragedy. Burning around 300,000 acres, the Soda Fire was the largest fire in the nation and the second largest that the nation has ever seen.

Every day, my middle sister, Natalie, and I would keep track of the progress of the Soda Fire through binoculars. We attempted to take some pictures through the lenses. We had just mild success with this picture. 

The community will suffer from this loss for years to come. But what gives me hope is the fact that the community itself is strong and does not back down to help those in greater need then themselves. On the second day of the fire, there was a group of 10+ people, my parents and myself included, who drove trucks and trailers to help evacuate those who needed to. We picked up cattle and horses and important belongings and lodged them at our home. Please don't take that as a way to toot my own horn, we were doing it to help those who didn't have the means to do so. For the next days following, we rushed to help our rancher friends to fight the fire that approached their homes and barns. When the flame receded enough that we could ride onto the range, we spent days looking for surviving cattle and horses. Chills still run down my body as I think of the animals who expired because of the flames and the tears that ran down the cheeks of leathery men and women who look at their livestock that they were unable to rescue. The scene was grim, but it is the reality that became our lives. But we will rebuild, because we are strong as individuals and even stronger with our community, we will survive this. We don't have a choice. And for those who are wondering if my home or animals were ever in danger, the answer is no. Luckily we were on the east side of the Snake River, so no matter if the fire had moved its way through Homedale and Marsing, there was never a chance that our property was in danger. That fact alone made our location a great place to house evacuated animals.
      Again, thank you for the men and women who worked around the clock to stop a fire that had no intentions of stopping. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
       So lets move on to less heavy stuff.
       Over the summer, when I wasn't teaching swimming lessons, I worked for a guy who has a hobby wool farm moving pipe. It was a humbling experience to say the least. It made me realize that not all people who have a farm (no matter how big or small, industrial or hobby) think like a farmer. The job also taught me patience and understanding that no matter how great my way works, there is always other ways to get the job done. And as my summer was coming to a close, I got the opportunity to go with my dad on a work trip from Caldwell, through Vale, OR, to Burns, OR, to Bend, OR, then up to The Dalles, OR, across to Hermiston, OR, to Pasco, WA, and then back to Caldwell. Rarely do I get a lot of one-on-one time with my father now that I am in college so it was cool to not only see some countryside that I hadn't seen before but hang out with me and see what he does for a job.

This was one of my meals when I went on my trip with my dad. Honestly the best steak I have ever had. And that asparagus! GAH! It was just so good I couldn't resist to take a picture. Yep I am a Foodie. 

Washington and Oregon have some pretty sweet bridges that cross the Columbia River, this being one that connects Pasco, WA with Kennewick, WA.

      And there you have it people, literally my summer with the exception of a few fairs and rodeos here and there and minor details, but that is the gist. I am honestly envious of those of you who got to go and do amazing things. I was also super sad when my Facebook and Instagram was littered with pictures of FFA members going to their different officer trainings, WLC, and other FFA events. I miss going to all those things. But I am glad to see that y'all had a fun and eventful summer.
      Although it didn't take up a lot of time, there was always music playing in the background. Needless to say I found a few more songs that I thought that y'all would like to enjoy.

Keep on Lovin' You- Steele Magnolia

Lose My Mind- Brett Eldredge

John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16- Keith Urban

I Feel a Sin Comin' On- Pistol Annies

Sugar- Maroon 5

Picture- Kid Rock ft. Sheryl Crow

Over My Head- Jon Pardi

Heart of Dixie- Danielle Bradbery

Crazy in Love- Sofia Karlberg

Crash and Burn- Thomas Rhett

Tennessee Whiskey- Chris Stapleton

Life- The Cadillac Three

Want to Want Me- Jason Derulo

Stupid- Kacey Musgraves

Biscuits- Kacey Musgraves 

Dime Store Cowgirl- Kacey Musgraves

     As you can see, I was (and still am) on a Kacey Musgraves kick.If you haven't heard of that chick, go check her out, she never disappoints. 

     Now I know that some of those are not new, but they just fit my summer and became my constant playlist. Literally if you look at my iTunes account you will see that those songs are my top played. It wasn't an uncommon thing to see me flailing around in the yard or using my pitch fork handle as my microphone while I was feeding because I was jamming out all the time. Matter of fact, I was washing dishes after cooking dinner for my boyfriend and myself and without knowing it, I began to dance uncontrollably int he most fish out of water way. After a short time I saw him leaning against the wall laughing. In between his bouts of laughter he sputtered about how silly I looks dancing around and how I had managed to get dish soap all the way down the front of my shirt. What can I say, I go all in. 

     Anywhoo, I leave y'all with this whirlwind of a blog post. I cannot wait to continue this blogging experience on a more regular basis. Off to one of my genetics classes I go. Have a good school year everyone, learn lots and remember that there is growth in a comfort zone and no comfort in a growth zone. 

Until next time!

Peace, Love, and FFA!

McKenzie 

Spud and myself on the anniversary of him coming to live with me.