Canning Run Wednesday

Wednesday, I went to help can beer again.

I only helped for a couple of hours last time. This time, I wanted to go the distance. I wanted to see how long a full run took at least once.

I picked a FULL day. Instead of a normal canning run of ~160 cases. Today, they were canning ~340 cases. 

It took hours. The tank had 54 barrels in it when we started. We had to take it down to 18 barrels at a rate of about 9 barrels an hour. The last 18 barrels would be put into kegs (That was a one person job).

When the canning run was done, the guys rolled out several cases from last week's canning running run where the label maker had gone sour. It wasn't the usual canning crew, and after 3 hours of attempting to fix the machine Mark said, "We'll do it next week." This was that week.

I was asked to hand label some cans with labels that weren't on the roll. I got to do one less by drinking it.

I enjoyed the experience. I'd do it again for free just to hang out. I could see where it was work, though. Canning is kind of like jogging. It ain't bad when you start, but you have to keep going...and going....and going. There's no stopping until the end. The machine keeps rolling. 

By volunteering, I only help when I'm in the mood. They have to keep it up regardless and that's why it's part of the job.

To help motivation, Mark and the brewery guys show up early and play games while the canning crew sets up all their equipment. I think it's brilliant. It pumps up morale and gives them something to discuss and strategize about while they work. I would've joined in if they didn't start at 7:30 AM (There were horse chores!).

The goal is to make one more case than you can sell. However, buying habits fluctuate. Sometimes something is hot, you ramp up production and it meets demand and sometimes demand falls and there's an excess. After a few months, the excess has to be destroyed. "It's not like it becomes poison," Mark said. But the taste does change over long periods of time and you can only distribute and sell the best of the best. 

And Carrie wanted some.

Carrie's had the idea that she could open up a bread business and donate money to Sarah's horse rescue. She asked me to pick up some excess beer going out of stock. 

"How much do you want?" I asked.

"How much can you get?" she replied.

I asked Mark. He laughed and pointed at a pallet. 

I hung around a little after the canning run to watch the guys try to finish their Gloomhaven game. I was curious about the game, but I also felt a little awkward carrying a bunch of beer out of the brewery. I'd hoped someone would transfer the cases with me. I didn't want to take too much, screw up somehow, or do something to offend anyone after Mark's generosity. 

But they were in their game and Stefan said there was a handtruck. I started carrying cases out by hand and enlisted Scott to carry a couple. Each case weighed close to 25 lbs and after a few trips, I decided I'd try the hand truck.

It didn't go well.

The handle came out as I went down the stairs. Someone came over to help and more fell. I thought about giving them beer to thank them, but I wasn't sure if that was somehow against the rules.

I did get everything in the back of the car. I went back in and mentioned, "You know that hand truck.."

I think it was Stefan that realized it first. "Oh, there's no pin."

"Yep. The handle came right off on me and I spilled a ton."

They asked, "Any cans break? No. Then you're good! Just don't open anything soon."

I took 16 cases home and a couple quads. 

That's 394 cans. I drink an average of 2 cans a week. Maybe that's go up to 4 now that I have so many. That still leaves me with more beer than I can drink in a year. I've gone months without when I don't have any on hand.....so the hope is that Carrie makes a lot of bread. 

Then the hope is she sells or gives away a lot of that bread. I really don't need that many calories.

At least, I burned a few calories unloading. It was a minor work out to store everything in the work out room.

Mark said I could gift them out or whatever, so I plan on surprising family with some. I've been trying to figure out when to meet up with Patrick to give him back his slow-cooker from the beach, and Kim and Ryan are going to stop by this weekend.

Notes to Camp

Triple R Ranch emailed that there was a way to write emails to campers. They'd take whatever was emailed, print it, and give it to the camper intended at lunch. 

Carrie and I decided to write daily. There was a 12:45 PM cutoff to make sure there was time for it to be printed.

I wrote the first email on Monday.

Hey Buddy! We're thinking of you!

While you are having a great time, Mom and I drove to pick up Eowyn. We are on the road home now and near Culpeper. We will still have to do chores when we get home. Mom wanted to get on the road before it got too hot, so it's a late breakfast for the horses (more like lunch). I asked for ChicFilA but your Mom said no horse trailers in drive-throughs.

Loki was confused why you didnt come back last night. He was more antsy in the back of the car without a friend. We got home a little after 10 PM.

We love you so much! Make sure you remember some stories to tell us when we pick you up Friday.

Love,
Mom and Dad

Carrie wrote the Tuesday email

Hey Kiddo! It's Mom :) I saw some pictures of you on Triple R's web page yesterday. You look like you're having a great time. I especially loved the picture of you and the chestnut paint horse. You'll have to tell me all about it when we see you on Friday. In the meantime, I want you and your new friends to enjoy a movie night on us! Eat some popcorn and make some awesome memories!

Wednesday was me again

Howdy, howdy!

I can't believe Mom bought you a movie night! Camp is a time for faith, people, activities, and playing all sorts of games! Not electronics!

She had a big smile on her face when she told me, though. I hope you enjoyed it!

Things are less exciting here than they probably are at camp. Mom was exhausted and fell asleep a little after 8 PM last night. I went down and did barn chores alone. She woke up still exhausted and I did morning chores by myself, too. Do you see a pattern? I'll be happy to have you back home to help! I don't mind chores, but they're easier and more fun with company. I started my exercise routine and I plan to work on my Spanish this summer. I logged in to Rosetta Stone last night and listened to some lessons while I scooped poop.

Tuesday was Loki's 2nd birthday. We didn't do anything to celebrate unless you count me using the fur-minator. I brushed out enough loose fluff to make a small pillow. I hope it will keep him cooler. He's been running back up to the house during barn chores and asking to go back into the air conditioning.

That's the quick update for now. I hope you're loving camp. I think God made you of the right stuff for it. You're full of energy and life. You're brave and willing to try new things. You love being around people and are kind to who you meet. Just make sure you have a good memory, so you can practice your story-telling when you see us again!

Love,
Dad

Nana wrote her own email Wednesday to join in the fun.

Hi Shane!

Pop and I had so much fun with you and your cousins at the beach! We are so proud of you for going to camp! I read a lot of reviews on the camp and they were all good. While you are there, ask God to make you more aware of all the ways that He blesses you each and every day. And please be a blessing to all the adults and kids that you are around. Show appreciation to the cooks, workers, counselors, etc... And be on the lookout for anyone who is lonely and needs a friend. Be quick to listen and slow to talk (that is in the Bible). People need a chance to tell their stories so it's so important to be a listener. I hope you enjoy riding horses while you are at camp. Some of the friends that you make at camp may become lifelong friends that you can see each summer at camp. When you get older, you may be a camp counselor there. Your dad loved going to ACE Computer camp for several years, first as a camper, then as as junior counselor and then as a regular counselor. We thought his love was for computers, but later he realized that what he loved was when "the light bulb went off and a kid understood what he was teaching them:" So he got his first college degree in computer science, but then went back to college to get his masters degree in special education. Who knows what you will decide to study when you are in college! But going to camp may help you begin to figure that out. We love you so much! Be friendly and helpful and ask God to help you know and love Him more while you are at camp. We miss you!

Love,
Nana and Pop

Thursday was Carrie's turn again.

[Email goes here]

I know Shane read the emails, because he mentioned Loki's 2nd birthday when I picked him up. Score one for reading!

There was no Friday email for "reasons." You'll have to keep reading to figure that out.

Eowyn: Future Mother?

Carrie roped me into a horse excursion our first day with Shane at camp.

So why did we ditch our kid to come look at horse kids?

Yes, I know they're called foals.

And they are cute when they're sleeping....but why?

Eowyn was why. 

Eowyn was diagnosed with some early onset arthritis. Carrie bought her to be a hunt horse, but suddenly it looked like she couldn't be a hunt horse. The arthritis was a major blow to her resell value, so we couldn't 'swap' her out for another horse easily even if Carrie wanted to.

Eowyn is a mare, though. That gave her an extra option over a gelding: Motherhood.

I never thought Carrie would go the baby route again after Nibs. However, she found a stallion she liked, it was a $500 stud fee for live cover, and she hoped Eowyn would throw a pretty foal for Carrie to train and to establish Eowyn as a potential broodmare. 

I think Carrie should put "Tidy pooper" in whatever future ad she writes for Eowyn. She picks a spot and sticks with it!

Eowyn was happy to see us. I could tell, because she stopped eating to greet Carrie.

Carrie took me over to met the stallion afterward.

He was a little guy! His name was Picturesque Formal Attire or Ty for short. Carrie was hoping to have a horse just like Eowyn, but smaller. 

There were some obvious issues. Eowyn's a big girl. How was Ty supposed to reach!? Compare the picture of Eowyn next to Carrie and the one of Ty. That's a noticeable height difference. Carrie told me it wasn't a problem: There was a ramp to assist. 

What I envisioned was so much more than the reality. There was a section of dirt dug out for the mare to stand in to give Ty an extra foot up.

Highly successful barns don't always look like other highly successful businesses. Dirt is dirt and poop is poop. Carrie went on and on about Ty's awards and achievements on the way up. He'd thrown babies that sold well out of our price range.

And the foals I saw were cute. 

We weren't at the main barn, either. We were at a satellite farm that was 200 acres devoted solely to the breeding program.

That's highly successful.

Ty's attempts to cover Eowyn were not. 

Carrie got a text from the owner that whenever the guy teased her she was happy to play. She didn't seem to understand the step right after.

We had to have Eowyn go to a vet for artificial insemination. It was an extra $300. Hopefully, she took, or it may not be the last time she has an appointment.

It was time for her to come home regardless. We had headed out early to avoid the worst heat of the day. 

Eowyn was a little thrown off by the change in scenery. She had to hang out in her stall at first.

That allowed Carrie time to set up a temporary dry lot while I did horse chores.

Carrie had a quick change of heart and let Eowyn into the dry lot with Abby and Lilly before I finished. She didn't tell me either. I looked up and had a moment when I saw.

Eowyn and Abby were best friends, but Eowyn had never been in a field with Lilly. In Carrie's words, "They'll work it out."

We'll have to wait several weeks before we know if Eowyn is pregnant or not. If she did catch, there will be another appointment to check for heartbeats before Eowyn can be ridden. 

It would've been easier if Eowyn didn't have arthritis, but this is the route we've chosen to make the best of the situation. I'll post more updates when we know more, but it will be a slow process. Foals gestate for 11 months.

On the Road to Camp

Sunday morning we were in the car a little before 10 AM. It was drop-off day for camp!

Shane was bound for Triple R Ranch near Virginia Beach. It was his first time at a sleepover camp. We'd thought about doing it the year before, but COVID hit and put those plans on hold. Shane's been somewhat apprehensive and grumbly about camp, but we think he'll love it. Carrie went there as a kid, so he's a legacy.

Loki was more nervous about the trip. Or maybe it was the heat. He shed a ton on the drive to Grandma and Grandpa's!

Grandma and Grandpa are about halfway between us and camp. They agreed to let Loki hang out with them while we dropped off Shane. It's roughly a 3.5 hour drive one way in no traffic (and this is VA Beach we're talking about). We decided it was too far to leave Loki on his own.

Loki was happy to water Grandma's lawn as a thank-you. He's not used to car trips, much less long ones.

We arrived around noon.

Grandpa greeted us at the door.

Grandma was in the kitchen. She set Shane to snacking on some veggies before lunch.

Meanwhile, Loki looked for Bucket. Bucket wasn't about to come out and meet him, though!

We brought Loki's pen and made him a place to hang out for when we were gone. Carrie used it to show off Loki's new trick (more on that later).

He got to come out and hang with us until we left. Loki's not the type to run off exploring when there are people around.

He was very focused on Grandpa's potato chips.

Shane spent most of lunch focused on the bird feeder instead of his food! A red-headed woodpecker kept coming by.

Shane went to find Bucket at one point. She peed and ran. Bucket wasn't a fan of bringing other cats and dogs into the house, but she also felt like she'd had enough high-energy children in her life, too.

We finished up Ant-Man after lunch. It was a good way to keep Shane in a chair and not causing trouble!

Our scheduled drop off time for camp was 5 PM.

We left with plenty of time to spare even with tunnel traffic ("Ooooh! Tunnel!" Shane said).

Our arrival was nostalgic for Carrie.

"I haven't been here in nearly 30 years!" Carrie said.

There were updates from Carrie's time.

 We drove around back to the dorms and Carrie said, "You've got it cush!" There was AC!

Check-in was simple and then it was time to unload.

Shane was a Trail Blazer.

We arrived early enough there were bunks to select from. Shane immediately claimed a top bunk.

His bunkmate turned out to be a counselor. I approved of the guy's reading list.

They said that normally the boys wouldn't heave bunked where they were, but numbers were down this year. It was supposed to be a girl's cabin.

Shane stowed his stuff under the bed.

Then we took some pictures.

The first sleep away camp is a big deal! We're hoping Shane can build some friendships he can revisit each summer.

Kids were piling in and they seemed a friendly lot.

Carrie gave Shane some final exhortations to behave before we left.

It was starting to get crowded and there wasn't much reason to hang around after that. Shane stopped being hyper wild for a moment to be clingy when he realized we were going.

Then we were down the hall and off. It felt weird leaving Shane behind. 

We saw the swimming pool on the way out, though. He'd go bonkers for the water slide!

It was actually Carrie and I's anniversary, so we stopped for a sushi dinner on the way home. Dropping Shane off at camp was like hiring a long-term babysitter for the occasion!

We still had a long drive home to go. We stopped by Grandma and Grandpa's to pick up Loki. Grandma gave us some banana bread to take with us. I didn't see any reason to wait to eat.

Carrie laughed and took a bite, too....., but she changed her tune when I told her I was going to text Grandma my picture and say, "Look what Carrie did!"

Loki took Shane's seat. I don't know if it's because he missed Shane or if it was to get a better view of me. He's probably decided he'd like to avoid any car trips in the near future.

Shane will finish camp on Friday. In the meantime, Carrie and I had a few days to relax and take care of things.