We’re Done Walking In Circles (and not because we had Listeria)!

Random thoughts that percolated while driving home last night from the Empire Extravaganza…

1. Many thanks to all the amazing folks who made this past weekend possible. Empire Board members, volunteer gate keepers and ring stewards, and of course one super efficient (and yes, justifiably testy) show super: Melissa Young-Crozet. We worship the ground she walks on. No, really. Not only is she most worthy but if we didn’t she might stop doing the North American and we would be completely screwed. We hope to never see her “angry camp face!”

2. Obviously Scott Young is just simply the man. Not only does he run a show as well as it can be run but he does so with good humor and cheer. Imagine if he had been made AOBA’s president a few years ago? Oh, well. Brings to mind a T shirt my older sister gave me when I was about 18 that said “Don’t let the little head do the thinking for the big head.”

3. That was some Herdsire Showcase. You didn’t really think I could leave that one untouched, did you? If you were there you know exactly what I am talking about and if you weren’t you’ll hear about it soon enough.

4. Lee Reed from Magical Farms is my hero.

5. The Judges’ Choice animals were both won again by smaller breeding programs at this year’s Extravaganza. That can only be a good thing.

6. As we were coming through a rainy Chester, VT last night the truck’s Ipod randomly selected the B-52’s Love Shack. Is Fred Schneider even capable of singing a sad song? Needless to say that though I can only take that music in doses, it’s campy uplifting energy fit the bill perfectly at that moment: “we’re almost home and our 2010 show season is over!”

Bang, bang, bang on the door baby…