My Blue Ribbon?

I'm just a simple boy from New York City.

I never attended 4-H or the Future Farmers of America meetings as a boy.

So, when my daughter, Kitty, received a pair of chickens, Arrowhead and Pancho, last spring from school, I knew that I'd eventually have to build a coop when they were full grown. Pancho never was healthy and he perished only a few days later, but Arrowhead, now renamed Churkey is doing just fine and laying 4-5 eggs per week!

So after 6 months of internet research and careful planning, I designed the coop that I wanted. Tay was highly skeptical of my design plans and referred to my throw together hoopie coop that I made out Aussie's old wooden bedframe. The one that I threw together on the fly to keep Arrowhead safe from the dog, cat and other predators when she was a chick. Tay and her family were less than kind regarding the merits of that structure.

Whenever I would show Tay, my new design ideas, she would roll her eyes and ask me why I just didn't bring her dad's old coop up to her house or buy one from a farm outlet. That made me even more determined.

So, $250 in supplies later, architectual plans in hand, I retreated to the garage to begin my project. And two months later, everyone is impressed...even Tay's Dad. I'm actually a little shocked as it came together better than even I ever thought it would. It has a perching pole inside the 2nd floor, nesting boxes for egg laying and a shingled roof. Now, we'll probably add another chick or two this spring to fully utilize it.

So, now that the hard part is over I got to thinking. Just because I grew up in NYC doesn't mean I can't live every boy's rural dream of winning a blue ribbon. I've won plenty of trophys in my life but no blue ribbons. I asked Tay to contact the local fairs to see if there is an entry division for farm structures or coop design. She laughed at me and told me there wasn't.

"Are you kidding me? They have people's baked goods, crappy needlepoint and so many other lame ass bullshit there. It's a farm fair, people show off their tractors for god's sake, why wouldn't they have a division for miscellaneous farm structures?"

"You're being ridiculous. I can't call the fair people. They'll laugh at me."

"I want a blue ribbon and yes, you will call them."

Stay tuned for the conclusion as the fairs are scheduled for the late summer. Will Bluey get his precious Blue Ribbon? Or will the Man kill his dreams?