LTCS

Well after a very long 5 days I am back home and ready to sleep in my own bed. 

The first day of camp was the norm of just getting to know everyone and going through the rules and procedures. We also were getting introduced to our small groups. In order for us to find our small group we had to work together to find each others characters that matched to each movie. I was in the Sheriff from the movie Cars. It was so cool! I had an awesome small group. We also practiced a little of our acting skills, which by the way I am a terrible actor.

The second day of camp consisted of  a very funny first aid basic course. We were taught how to wrap a sprain and make a sling. The instructors added some great humour which made it very fun to learn. We were also introduced to the different types of sessions that were going to be taught to the kids. Such as outdoors ( making Banana Boats.... So delicious..) Crafts (making soap figures and pom poms out of string) Canoeing, Archery, Low Ropes,  and Dance. That was a busy day of learning.

The third day was probably the longest but went by the fastest. It was also Canada Day!!We did some more skill sessions and went to the lake and played some beachfront games. Games like tug of war in the water and water balloon catch and passing of water in cups.  After supper we played the game Minute to Win it, it was definitely harder than it looked. Practicing our mini olympics and watched a talent show. Some kids are very talented. Lots of singers and people who can play the guitar. Ending the day off with singing lots of old campfire songs and definitely some new ones. Since it was Canada Day we got to watch some amazing fire works!!!
The last full day of camp was the Journey and Behaviour Management.  The journey is when each group of counsellors got together and worked on communication, teamwork, and trusting skills. Since I am too young to counsell I still participated anyways. The Behaviour class was about what to expect with troubled kids. After all the work we got to go and play some games and before the banquet we got to go on a huge slip n' slide. It was so much fun but at the end I was covered in mud from head to toe. The Banquet theme was Blast from the Past so everyone dressed up in their moms or dads old tuxedos or gowns from weddings or grads. There were some pretty interesting outfits. After supper there was a wonderful dance.

The last day of camp was just packing and finishing clean up and doing debriefs of the whole week.

LTCS was a great experience. Met alot of new friends and reunited with the old ones. It was a memory I will never forget. The food, the facility, the program, everything was amazing.

It is not good-bye forever it is just good-bye for now.

All packed and ready to go to my camp. I leave early Wednesday morning to catch the bus in lethbridge to head up to Battle Lake for LTCS. I know lots of people going and from the looks of the schedule there is going to be a ton of fun games. I will re post after the camp with all the fun and exciting details. 4-H = HEAD, HEART, HEALTH AND HANDS!!!! Cant wait to start some fun and see some old friends and make some new friends.

School is out for summer. Wheuuu!!!!!!!!!!! How awesome is that? But the crazy thing is that I just finished my first year of high school. 3 exams later and it is all over. Now for a very busy summer. I leave for LTCS on June 29th to July 3rd. I am so excited!! It will be so much fun, i get to see lots of my friends from PDP last year. After LTCS I am home for about a week and then I leave to go to Summer Synergy. That will be so much fun as well. Get to participate in the Alberta Junior Hereford Show and the actual synergy component. Right after synergy my sister and I are going to take her steer to the UFA steer classic during the calgary stampede.  After all the crazyness we head home for awhile and then off to another cattle show. This time we go east, over to Saskatoon Saskatchewan where the National Hereford Show is being held. That is going to be the best ever. I am planning on taking quite a few head to Bonanza. Entered so far are 2 steers, 3 pair, 2 commercial heifers and a bull. Quite the handful but it stuff I enjoy so it don't matter.

The weather has been treating us very good lately. The sun has been just a shining with the grass growing taller and taller by the minute. And the birds chirping a beautiful tune. Summer 2011!!!! Here I come!!! :)

Finally school is almost over. Wrote my social final on friday the 17th and I have math on the 21st and biology on the 22nd. That means I am done grade 10. That is so scary. Soon enough I will be moving out and going to university or college. Ahhhh that means paying bills, living on my own, getting a job. That is scary business. Can't I just stay a little girl forever and make mom and dad do all that sort of stuff. Guess not, time to get out into the real world and become a "BIG GIRL".

Well this weekend was quite the eventful one..........NOT! It all started with me writing my test on Friday then coming home to dad all flustered about how this cow died to lightening and that we had to move bulls around. Next was to finish packing the trailer and head into town for my softball tournament. Well we won that game and then dad and I went to Buffalo and slept over night. Waking up the next morning to pouring rain and a cancelled rodeo. We packed up and headed back home to go play some more ball but in the rain. Man was that cold, losing both games and kicking us out of the tourney. It was a great season, lots of laughs and "road burn".  Finally saturday we came home and repacked to head down to a friends branding corrals to camp for the night with my uncle and cousin. We roasted marshmallows and had amazing burgers. Having a great sleep and being woken up by dad saying that the branding was also cancelled. This rain this weekend made my family accomplish absolutely nothing. Oh well, it was a great family filled holiday.

Yesterday was our 4-H Achievement Day. Wrangler weighed in at 1459 lbs off the trailer and 1415 lbs with a 3% shrink. He gained an average of 3.66 lbs a day. He was Grand Champion Steer out of the Irvine 4-H Beef Club and rate of gain winner. He sold to Balog Auction Services for $2.05/lb. It was a very successful day. I had spent many hours working on my steer. He was in my barn for 2 weeks everyday, getting rinsed twice a day, had 2 fans on him and then getting exercised. I was very surprised to see how much hair he actually grew and how well he really turned out. This 4-H year has finally came to a close. It was a very busy year with trying out new ideas and participating in different club activities. Soon enough I will be headed off to LTCS (leadership through training seminar) though. My 7th year is over, time for a new year to begin.

Today was a very exciting day for everyone around the Brost house. It also helped that the sun was a shinin' and the birds were a chirpin'. Our last bunch of cows went out to pasture today!!!! Our yearling bulls that will go in our fall sale FINALLY went out to grass today. We have only been feeding them since October. Tomorrow the bulls go out with the commercial heifers. Just about all the bulls are out, all except for the commercial cows bull which will go out at the end of June. So that means all 450 cows are out on greener pastures, it has limited our chores a ton. Now it is time for show season and team roping.

ok yes everyone that was my puppy Zoey. She was born on April 17,2010 at the Hanson Ranch in Airdrie. Oh and by the way she is a BORDER COLLIE. I got her on June 13th and was the cutest little thing arrival to the Brost Ranch besides the little baby calves. Zoey left for Bar Pipe on March 15 and is still there to this day. I hope she comes home soon so i can start working cows with her. So far what I have been told is that she is and honours student and is very smart and intelligent. I know my whole family has missed her. She is usually helping us feed the bulls and moving cows around. It always made our job easier. Read my earlier blog to have a little heart to heart with Zoey.

Hello Everyone,
My name is Zoey. I am a current follower of my owner's blog. Ya that Nicona ranchgirl2? Havent seen her for awhile but heard from the sheep that she created a blog for some Synergy show?? Don't really know what that is all about. Anyways here at the Bar Pipe Ranch I am going to "school". I have been training with a very nice lady named Judy. Can't wait to get back to the Brost Ranch and teach them my new tricks.
Roof Roof (Bye bye for now)
Zoey.

Well in Southern Alberta these days I am almost 100% positive that all we get for precipitation is rain, rain and more flipping.  It is almost gettting ridiculous. So many brandings are being cancelled due to this crazy weather. Cows are not getting out to there summer pastures any time soon. But i guess it is better than a drought which we have had too. This rain could come in special doses instead of pour for 2 weeks straight and then get nothing all summer. Oh well that's mother nature for you. Busy weekend up ahead. Saturday will be a morning of washing and clipping 4H steers and in the afternoon shall be a branding at Pahl Livestock. Always a good time and a great way to spend a saturday. Sunday will be a very stressful, swearing environment since dad is deciding to get these purebred cows outta here whether it is muddy or dry. Awesome weekend of doing some ranch work. Hope we get all that is planned done. All for now! Have a great weekend everyone.

Regional Beef Show

Well a great day at the Regional and District Beef Heifer show in Oyen on the 23rd of May. My sister was very successful with her red baldie heifer and purebred two year old. I was also successful with my black baldie.. Congrats goes out to everyone who participated and to all the organizers.

The black baldie was mine. Her name was Misty and was reserve commercial yearling.

The red baldie is Ericas. Her name is Mandy and was champion commercial yearling.

The pair is also Ericas. They were champion purebred 2 yr old and reserve purebred female.

4-H- Head, Heart, Hands, Health

4-H. I have personally been in a beef 4-H club for the past 7 years. 4-H has taught me many things. I have learnt how to feed and keep updated records on expenses and other business related topics. I have been a President, Secretary and Reporter and have been actively involved in District and Regional events. Whether it is judging, public speaking, or a beef show.  I have attended junior and intermediate summer camps as well as PDP 2. In my future years in 4H i plan on attending LTCS ( Leadership Through Counselling Seminar), SMC ( Senior Members Conference), Provincial Judging, PDP Plus, Club Week, and many many more. There are many clubs in and around my area. The majority is beef. There is many other projects which include sewing, cooking, archery, crafts, canine, horse,dairy,goat, sheep, swine, poultry, photography and pretty much anything you can think of. 4H provides many people all over Alberta and worldwide to receive scholarships. 4-H is a great way to meet friends, create responsibilty, create leadership, and a great way to have fun.
This is a picture of my 2010-2011 4-H steer. His name is Wrangler and he weighs roughly around 1425lbs. My achievement day is held on June 11,2011 at the Medicine Hat Fieldhouse. Show at 9:00 am and Sale 2:30pm. I really enjoyed my 7th year of 4-H with Wrangler.

Well one blog i forgot to put in right away was things about myself. Thank you all for coming to visit my blog. Took me awhile to get this whole blog thing figured out. It is more complilcated than I thought. But I did get it figured out. Anyways back to the point of this.
Hello Everyone,
My name is Nicona Brost. I am 15 years old and live on a ranch just north of Irvine, Alberta. I have been helping with the family ranch all my life. We run 400 purebred and commercial hereford cows. I am also very active and successful in the local Irvine Beef Club. During the winter months I am driving all over Alberta to play ringette and during the summer I am travelling around Alberta and Saskatchewan to team rope. I enjoy showing cattle, team roping, ringette, softball and cross country. Also very active in the Alberta Junior Hereford Association and the Canadian Junior Hereford Association. A busy ranch girl and thats how its gonna stay.

Branding

When we branded on Saturday the 21 of May there was awesome looking calves. There is lots out of my Wrangler bull that i raised and that we sold to Crittendans and Jay Holmes 2 years ago in our fall sale. Also there are some wicked looking Coalition heifer calves. Got another 70 purebred calves to brand yet. Could do that when ever the rain quits.

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