Pleasant Valley Days 2014 Version

Time for our annual trip to Pleasant Valley Days in Scofield where this quiet little view turns into hundreds and thousands of people who move into this area for a weekend of fun and celebration.

Before the rednecks moved in for the weekend, we had a few days of peace and quiet.

Cole and Sierra took advantage of this time to get some gun handling instruction.

They are both pretty good shots.

And they both shoot Left Handed.

Which is not a result of being taught to shoot by a Lefty…

they are both left eye dominant.  Weird.  But, makes it easier for Rick.

More gun instruction.

Pie Making

On Tuesday afternoon Sierra and I found ourselves home alone without any internet/cell phone coverage and we needed a project.

We decided to go out in the yard and pick some rhubarb and make a pie.  

Much less work space than I am used to…

Here are the pies.  Being served for breakfast the next morning.  We made one rhubarb and one strawberry rhubarb.  So, obviously we had to have a taste test to see which one was the favorite.

Strawberry rhubarb won by a slim simply because a pink cake is more appetizing than a green one.

Also, traditional Kropsa in the background being served for breakfast.

Pie making and pie eating is hard work.

The entire thing was quite overwhelming for Hooee.  (I want to be a dog in my next life.)

Sadly, the mud swallows were building nests all over the neighbors house.  They are gross and dirty.
There was mud and dirt everywhere.  And even a few dead birds hanging from the second story nests.  It was awful.  Rick and Waino sprayed them all down with a super powerful hose.  Again.  Messy.
But, Summer discovered that they made beautiful little speckled eggs.  So, she and Sierra found unbroken eggs that did not have little unborn birds in them and blew them out.  (gross)  But, kinda pretty.


Cole was thrilled when the weekend rolled around and cousins started showing up for the celebration.

On Friday afternoon we headed over to the pavilion to begin preparations for the annual spaghetti fundraiser dinner.  We love our role in the whole thing:  we show up on the day of the event, we help set up, we serve, we clean up, we go home.  Easy.  No other responsibilities.

I did have to bribe cole to behave by sneaking him a few extra cookies.  There are the infamous "cookie tree" cookies that my dad used to order from Nicholas and he would eat one or two every morning for breakfast.

After the dinner was the Little Miss Pleasant Valley Days competition that Sierra decided to participate in.  There were 6 girls in her age division.  Sierra is so funny, when the girl ahead of her was up on stage singing, Sierra turned to me asked me which song I thought she should play.  She didn't decide on the song to play until she got on stage.  Who does that?  After she played her fiddle song it was question time.  Her question:  "If you were stranded on a desert island which 2 things would you wish to have with you?"  Sierra answered without hesitation:  "I would wish for a book about how to build a raft and a carpenter."  What?? 

*Drumroll*  The winner is…Sierra.  I don't know if it was because of her fiddle song or her answer to the question.  Either way, WAY TO GO, Sierra!!!

And time for bed.

As per tradition, we also get up at 5:30 am to be back over to the pavilion by 6 am to start preparations for the breakfast.  Again, no involvement for us besides showing up to set up, serve, and clean up.

Getting ready to serve scrambled eggs, ham, bacon, and pancakes.  (I was serving hash brown, not pictured)

This guy grills the hash browns.  Every.  Year.  I think he's about 95 years old.

They have 3 grills going the entire boring with hash browns and eggs.  Then they pass them into the kitchen through the open window on the right.

Stan is the pancake man.  Don't mess with him.

After the breakfast was the parade.  We quickly cleaned up the breakfast mess and jumped in the Rhino to get to the redneck parade.  

Look who we found, ready for a parade!!

On Saturday afternoon Summer and Sierra were asked to fill in for a musical number that cancelled at the last minute.  They put together a 45 minute show.  It was a lot of fun.  Don't let the empty chairs on the front row fool you.

Enjoying food.  again.  Check out the beautiful peony bouquet on the table.  Just in time for the 4th of July.  Only in Scofield!

Teresa wanted to show Kent some fun times so they went on a Razor ride.  It was a little dirty.

Kinda weird wedding announcement posing brought plenty of laughs!!  Time to show.

We had to fit in a few rounds of Newts.  

We took about 300 pictures up on the hill waiting for the fireworks to start.  no exaggeration. 

Super fun, relaxing, busy, sleep deprived, unplugged, food-filled, family-filled, redneck-filled  celebration!   Love these crazy goofballs.  (missed Rick for the 2nd half of the week)