Placemats & Meetings!

At our first meeting of the year "M" runs her first meeting. NICE JOB!
Then we moved on to sewing place mats and napkins. Mrs. Morton let us use her serger for really quick napkins. We'll use these at our 4 cooking events and meals together this year.

Here are all of our 2010 Fair items that were chosen to go to the 2011 NYS Fair. Congrats everyone!

And - we now have THREE 5th Graders. They are all psyched for the year ahead!

Dyken CampOut & Kick-Off Event

We had a really great time at Dyken for our 2010-11 Kick-Off Event. We made some kool picture frames out of things we found in the woods, got to cook our dessert over the campfire, and stay in a YURT. The adults slept under the stars (some for the first time despite years of camping) and it was just a gorgeous night for all of this. We also held elections down at the Amphitheater using flashlights! It was quite the elections. Congratulations to all the new officers!

A new member - WELCOME E!

AND - here is the yummy GOULASH recipe that everyone seemed to enjoy!

1 T olive Oil

2 lbs London Broil

1 large onion - diced FINELY - actually almost minced.

2 cloves of garlic - minced

1-1/2 cups frozen corn

1 c fresh mushrooms - MINCED beyond recognition!

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

Any fresh tomatoes that need a home - dice and toss in!

2 c water

1 T paprika

2 t salt

12 oz pasta (elbow macaroni)

Grated Cheddar - as needed

Cut meat into 1" cubes, flour and brown in olive oil. When brown, remove from pot and then saute onions, garlic and mushrooms until soft. Return meat to the pot and add tomatoes, water & spices and simmer until the meat is tender. Several hours... Add water as needed, or more canned tomatoes. Remember, the pasta will soak up quite a bit of water. Then (we did this at camp) add corn and pasta and heat until pasta is tender. Enjoy with Cheese - and FIRE BISCUITS!

Kids Working Snack Bar at the Fair

Here are a few shots of the kids working the 4H Snack Bar. We had a number of first-timers.I'm not sure which shift is which - but I know we covered a lot of time and had almost everyone there. THANKS TO ALL who participated. See ya next year!

Thrills & Skills at the County Fair

Look at this - FRIENDS building Bridges! This IS what Thrills & Skills is all about! This is the Outdoor Display depicting our Bog Bridge Repair project put together for the Schagitoke Fair. We won a blue ribbon for this KIDS!
The last minute touches for the outside Fair Plot. Dad's get in on the action to help put this all together. Barb - bringing all the materials and know-how to get this put together!

And - on the inside. We made another Blue Ribbon winning display of all the community service done this year. Everything from UMCOR Health Kits for Haiti, cookies for the homeless, Christmas gifts for 5 girls living at Unity House, Bean Soup Jars to give to community 'acquaintences' for Christmas, to installing 4 blue-bird houses at Dyken Pond Environmental Center and Bog Bridge Repair project on the Taconic Crest Trail. Well Done EVERYONE!

Look at this. Hannah meets the Judge!!!! Wonder what he had to say about her Flower Press!

This is Janice Fox. The 4H Youth Coordinator for Rensselaer County Cooperative Extension of Cornell University. She thinks Bri's anorak is PRETTY SPECIAL! We think JANICE is pretty SPECIAL too. Thanks for all your help - always given with a smile - to our club!

We did BUNCHES of sewing projects. I see Eliza's apron, Grace's Anorak, Mel's skirt, Hannah's apron, and more! I think there is a quilt in there somewhere. Nicely Done! We also had 11 projects recognized as really well done that will be on display at the 2011 NYState Fair. GREAT JOB!

Here are some more sewing proejects. I see Kathleens musical pants, Eliza's cross-stitched pillow, and a BUNCH of 9-patch pillows.

Let us not forget the flowers! This display included our Dried Flower Mirrors and documentation of our forced hyacinth bulbs!

You know we aren't all about sewing and food! We also made lamps, created hiking journals (and documented 12 hikes to qualify for judging) and did woodworking - like flower presses and CD racks. Nice stuff!

5th Annual Camping Trip

I must have been relaxing and having a lot of fun, because there aren't a lot of pictures on MY camera from the Fathers Day weekend trip. Here is CINDY - on their boat, helping us all to go tubing this year. We are thinking to change the venue for 6/2011. Perhaps heading to a private camp-ground near by and going tubing down the Battenkill. THOUGHS?
Dinner time at camp. Never a shortage of food. Nice tarp too - just in case of the annual sprinkles! NONE this year - nice job Mother Nature!

And - after every meal - DISHES! Great job girls.

Best of all - simple down time. This shot in the meadow adjacent to our favorite camping spot. What a gorgeous weekend it was.

Clothing Evals and Fashion Review

This was the second year we did sewing projects for the 4H CLothing Evaluations. The HARDEST part is writing up the commentary. We have to work hard on it because this is what they read while we walk down the aisle at Jo-Ann Fabrics.. It has to sound GOOD!
Here is Miss A posing for a picture to use with her commentary. NICE JOB on the Apron!

And here is another Miss A modelling her dog themed apron. Nice job blending two of your favorite things. Well - three, cooking, sewing and dogs!

Here is Grace in her Dog Anorak. I'm sensing a theme here myself!! She is excited for Fall becuase she can FINALLY wear it now that it is almost done being JUDGED. One more step - our Fair! Then colder weather and a new anorak!What a nice group of you represented Thrills & Skills at Jo-Ann Mother's Day weekend. Great job on the pants, aprons, and anoraks - and M's skirt. Love it and can't wait to know what you want to sew next year!

Trail Maintenance

This year we took on a DIFFERENT kind of volunteer project. We decided to FIX the BOG BRIDGES on the Taconic Crest trail leading to the Snow Hole. Here is Drew Jones from Williams College helping the leaders scope out this muddy muddy project in mid-April. There were a lot of broken brides and sinking or rotted support timbers. This area also needed just a TAD bit of drainage!
Mrs. Donlon looks pretty excited about this - ehh? Good thing she wore her MUD boots. Or - maybe these are her NEW mud boots? oopsie - sorry!

Um - and this is the beginning of work day. Williams students carried in all the materials for us. We are 10-12 years old after all!! Now, WHERE ARE THE KIDS. All I see here is the leaders getting muddy. Note - I am BEHIND the camerA! HA!

Ahh - there is the whole group. What a nice look all this mud is!

Ingrid, Mel and Bry learning about the BRACE and BIT! This was Mr. Morton's grandfathers tool. It works WITHOUT electricity - and is a great thing for this project. Nice job girls! WOW - all that softball practice really paid off on this outing. GO BRI - get that bridge off the muddy base! Get-um SLUGGER!

Even the 4th Graders got in on the drilling act. This is FUN! Some of our group had to depart early - but most stuck it out until the end. This was a lot of work. In the end - most of the kids agreed it was worth the trip and acknowledged that everyone who uses this trail during wet weather will surely appreciate our work - even if they don't know we did it! NICE JOB EVERYONE!