Went out to the 11 and under soccer league game.  It was a great game!  The boys didn't quite win this game but they worked very hard!   It was a pretty close match. They have been improving and it was great to watch them.  My little brother, Colton, who is 9, plays on this team.  I love getting out to watch sporting events especially if it is for family!

John Rodriguez with Shelby Gobbo, Miss Teen Nickel Centre World.  We met at the mayor's office for an inetrview with MCTV and then chatted and caught up on things.  Mr. Rodriguez used to be my high school vollyeball coach and also taught my dad in elementary school!  It is always nice to see him. 

City Supports Free The Children

The mayor himself, John Rodriguez is an old friend and mentor of mine and has made a very generous PERSONAL donation to Free The Children.  He has been very supportive and I hope to make both Mr. Rodriguez and my city proud!

Click HERE to see the video of the interview with Mr. Rodriguez and Shelby Gobbo

Sudbury Star article announcing the leave of Michelle Mainville, Desiree Vincent, and Shelby Gobbo.  Article tells about their journey to Miss Teen Canada World and how they are all competing for the title of Miss Teen Canada.

Check out my article in the June edition of the 4-H magazine! Click below to see the whole magazine and scroll to page 7 to see my editorial!

4-H magazine article

 Also check out the 4-h Canada website that features Miss Teen Nickel Centre World!

Make sure to look in the galleries labelled "Warren Fair" and Warren Fair Part 2" for pictures of this day!

The Annual Warren Fair was where the Sudbury 4-H Club showed their lambs.  It was such a fun day!  My lamb still didn't listen to me but it was a great time.  We showed them in the ring and received ribbons for our performance.  Since my sheep didn't listen I finished in last place.  But it was all in good fun and a great experience.  I also presented awards at the horse show and raised money for Free the Children and got to sit in the announcers booth up top and we held an auction style fundraiser!

History of the Warren Fair:

Delegates from Sudbury participated in the walk for ALS supporting Miss North Ontario, Keatha Walsh's dad. Every year the family puts on a walk and this year it was even more special because title holders from around the city joined in and supported the cause.  About 400 people showed up to walk at Delki Dozzi park.  There was a BBQ, prizes, and silent auctions.  It was definitely a successful day and it was nice to see my dear friend Keatha again!  The walk keeps growing and growing.  I bet next year will be even bigger and better and I will undoubtedly be there to support not only my friend and her family, but everyone who has been affected by this terrible disease.A letter from the ALS walk co-ordinator.  She is the mother of Miss North Ontario 2010, Keatha Walsh, whose father is suffering from ALS.

"Hello Everyone
    My name is Mary-Anne Walsh and I'm here to share my experience about ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. ALS stands for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or Motor Neuron disease.
    Als is a neuromuscular disease which attacks the motor neurons in the spinal cord and brain, evenually casing complete paralysis. The afflicted person loses the ability to move, talk, swallow, and eventually breathe on his own.
    ALS is not contagious,but is always fatal. For the most part, the battle is short with the majority losing their lives within 2-5 years of diagnosis. As of today, there is no known cause or cure. Approximately 3000 Canadians currently live with ALS. Approx. 1000 here in Ontario. Every day two or three Canadians die of ALS. ALS affects the whole family, as 90% of care is shouldered by family care givers. ALS is a costly disease emotionally, physically and financially.
    My husband Garret was diagnosed with ALS, August 2003 at the young age of 34. From being known as the "World's Youngest Competitive Bodybuider" , to the movie "Body by Garret" with Arnold Schwarzneger, and "Mr Canada", to barely being able to open a bottle of water. Diagnoses came and so did a whole different future then I had imagined. 2-5 years and Garret losing the use of his hands within 6 months I was told. We decided from that point on that life is very precious and that you should never take it for granted. Do things you want to do, make even more memories. We were going to live LIFE not ALS. Garret was able to work for about a year and a half before having to retire ("Freedom 36"-he called it) from a job and employer he loved. Big changes,you bet...but you have to make the most and best of it. We realized that ALS was not well known and that we had to raise awareness of this devastating disease. Hence, my involvement began with the Walk For ALS. I've learned to take one day at a time and never give up. As long as there is breathe there is HOPE! I not 100% sure what the future holds but I do know WHO holds the future. This is on a picture in our kitchen and not a day goes by that I don't read it and put my trust in the only one that knows what tomorrow holds. I ask those of you reading my story to pass this along, as you never know when someone close to you may be affected. We need to continue with research and find a cure. So, on Sat,June 7th, 2008 lets get out there and "walk for those who can't". 
    Thank you for reading and I look forward to talking with anyone at any time.
           Mary-Anne Walsh"

Check out the ALS website here

The Sudbury 4-H Club travelled to Massey to participate in an agricultural safety day.  Senior members and myself volunteered for the day to help the members and leaders out while they were teaching activities.  There was also a horse show going on that day right next to the building where the safety activities were being held.  This was a great day for the junior members as they learned many things about household safety and outdoor safety.  I think every youth should be exposed to this type of workshop as it really makes the children aware of what they should be cautious about and looking for.  The day was long but very fun.  The kids learned a lot and went home feeling refreshed after they were served delicious ice cream!  There were children there from all around the district.  Some had to travel 3 hours just to make it to this day.  Our group only had about an hour drive to this location.  I'm sure next year's day will be even better and the children will have just as much fun, if not more! Safety First!

 *Check flckr and the galleries for more photos of the lambs and the pictures of the steps taken up to the Warren Fair!

The Sudbury District 4-H Club senior members participated in a sheep club this summer.  Let me tell you it was a blast!  Each member had to pick a sheep after birth and was then assigned to train, yes train that sheep in a few weeks in order to show it at the Warren Fair.  The first week we started working with the lambs they didn't listen at all!  They rolled on the ground, stopped dead, and "bahed" very loudly.  It was hilarious to watch everyone else and then you realized your sheep was doing the same thing.  My sheep's name was arweina and she was a great breeding sheep (so she doesn't get sent on the truck).  My sheep was the most disobedient of them all!  She was just a stubborn little lamb.  Over the time that we visited them which was every Sunday morning from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., we would walk them in the pen, out in the field, and occasionally wash them.  I washed my lamb twice and it was quite the chore!  The sheep were such a blast I would definitely do it again! I hope to go back and visit my sheep very soon!  Keep looking for the blog about the Warren Fair where we showed our sheep!

Since most people aren't familiar with showing sheep, here is some information on sheep showing that may give you some insight: (click here to see what all the highlighted text means)

Showing a sheep is the practice of displaying your animal in a competition. There are competitions for various classes of sheep, among them are market lamb, breeding ewe, breeding ram, dairy ewe, and wool producing ewe. The objective is to display your animal in the most flattering light. When preparing to show a sheep, one must be aware of the guidelines for displaying a sheep, the method of displaying a sheep, and finally, the sheep must be prepared for the show. The guidelines for displaying a sheep in a competition are very similar for the different classes.

The main difference between displaying a wool or dairy ewe and the other classes, is that the condition and size of the musculature on the animal is irrelevant for a wool or dairy ewe. Wool or dairy ewes are judged based upon the physical characteristics that enable a sheep to be an excellent producer. For a wool ewe, this would be the quality of the wool and overall robustness. For a dairy ewe, the skeletal structure, udder size and capacity, and milk quality are judged. Market lambs, breeding ewes, and rams are judged based upon the development of their musculature, general appearance, docility, gate, and loin and leg width.

The process of showing a sheep is not complicated. However, because the shower must kneel the majority of the time, the act of showing sheep is physically taxing. The shower must always be aware of her position in relation to the animal as well as the judge. It is crucial to keep the animal between the shower and the judge, in order to maximize visibility of the animal. When the judge walks to the other side of the animal, the shower must rotate around the head of the animal and kneel behind the animal's shoulder. The feet of the animal must be placed squarely beneath the shoulders, with the back legs set a towards the rear in order to emphasize the length of the leg. When the judge comes to feel the loin, leg, and muscles of a market or breeding animal, the shower must stand facing the judge with the sheep's head in the shower's stomach. When the judge is feeling the loin and the legs, it is a general practice to take the sheep's head in two hands around the ears, and place a knee in the animal's chest and pull the head towards the shower. This causes the animal to tense up, which improves the judge's evaluation of the loin and the leg. Improving the quality of the leg and loin is one area in which preparation for the show pays off.

Preparing an animal for show is a 3 step process. The first step is to properly feed and exercise the animal in order to create the desired qualities. A market lamb must be fed a high protein diet and it must be run daily on a track with hurdles. This facilitates the development of high quality meat. A breeding ram or ewe must be feed a balanced diet in order to accentuate overall robustness and to provide the animal with the nutrients it needs to do its job. It is not important to exercise a breeding animal. A dairy animal must be feed a diet that is relatively high in carbohydrates in order to facilitate milk production. The second step in preparing a sheep is to train it to tolerate the actual act of showing. This is a basic taming process where the sheep is gradually and repetitively introduced to the different elements of a sheep show. The elements include head holding, leading, standing, leg positioning, flipping, teeth inspection, and head pulling. The final step is to wash and groom the animal. This takes place in a sheep stand. The animal is generally trimmed with electric shears first, then hand clippers are used to smooth out the fleece. Depending on the breed, black spray paint is applied to the legs to accentuate height and/or a whitewash substance is applied to the fleece to make it brighter and whiter.

Generally speaking, sheep are very docile and take to being shown with a minimum of trauma, some even enjoy it. They are domesticated animals and are used to working in partnership with humans. None of the actions involved in showing create suffering in the animal. Showing sheep is a common practice in farm communities in the USA, and is popular among 4-H and FFA clubs. Raising and preparing sheep for show is a great way for an adolescent to learn the lessons of responsibility, finishing what is started, discipline, the value of a job done well, and making a commitment to the wellbeing of another creature.