“This is bad,” Wayne said.
Diggy squinted at him. “Hard. Not bad.” He hesitated, then added quietly, “Everything dies.”
“You think I don’t know that?” Wayne burst out. “I know that!” he sobbed.
Diggy wasn’t sure what to do, but after a while he couldn’t stand how alone and lonely Wayne looked, sitting hunched up right beside him, shoulders shaking. Diggy rested an arm across his back.
Wayne calmed some and wiped his face on his knees. “Just because everything dies doesn’t mean it’s right or good.”
Diggy squeezed his shoulder. “It doesn’t mean it’s wrong or bad, either.”
He felt like they were talking about more than the steers, probably because they were talking about more than the steers. But he didn’t know what else to say.
Wayne stared over at the packer’s truck, where other kids hugged their steers, crying but letting them go. No steer balked at crossing the ramp into the trailer.
“Is there a difference?” Wayne choked up again. “Fang and Joker think they’re going home, don’t they?”
Diggy hated that part, too, the feeling that he had tricked his best friend. “You remember that science report you did on the feed lots?”
Wayne glanced at him but otherwise didn’t respond.
Of course Wayne remembered the feed lots. The crowded, filthy, manure-laden pens were the kind of thing a person couldn’t forget once he had any kind of experience with them.
“I think about Joker in a place like that.” Diggy had to pause to swallow. He could hardly bear to think of it. Joker, the perfect straight man, part of that soulless mass of meat on the hoof? “We gave them a better life.”
“For what?” Wayne didn’t bother to brush at the tears. “They’ll still be steak.”
“But we had a year to love them. And they had a year of being loved.”
Wayne put his head on his knees, not caring about the noises he made. Diggy found he had more tears in him, too. He leaned back and let them roll down his face.
At these moments, at the end, a year never felt long enough. For Wayne, a hundred years with his mom wouldn’t have been enough. Only fourteen was just unfair. But that didn’t change anything. Mrs. Graf was gone. And it was time for the steers to go, too.
After a while, Diggy noticed the sounds of the barn again. The periodic but steady drum of hooves on the aluminum ramp. The unsteady shuffle of boots passing by, always accompanied by sniffles and suppressed sobs. An older boy he knew held his sister’s hand. She was too young to have competed herself, but she cried like the steer was her own. Loading day was a low day for everyone involved.
Wayne wiped his face again and pulled in deep breaths. He watched the muted activity for a while. “You’re going to do it again.”
Diggy nodded. “They’re steers. It’s part of the cycle.”
“I don’t know if I can,” Wayne admitted.
Diggy thought for a bit. “Some kids buy their next calves here.”
“You don’t.”
Diggy shook his head. “But it’s usually only a couple of weeks before it feels too weird not having to wake up early and do the morning routine.”
“I used to think it was weird that you liked the work.”
“I want to feel like I’ve put something good out there.” Two girls from Goodhue County walked by, holding on to each other. They tried to smile at him, and he nodded back. “And I like to come here.”
Diggy and Wayne sat quietly for a few minutes; then Diggy gave his face a good, final wipe with his shirtsleeve. He sniffed deeply to clear his nose and figured he looked almost normal again, even if he wouldn’t feel it for a long while yet. He opened his mouth to suggest they go find everyone, when Wayne murmured, “Dad wants me to move back in with him.”
Diggy felt like his heart stopped. He cleared his throat. Had to do it a second time. “Are you going to?”
Wayne shrugged. He dribbled wood chips between his fingers, then sighed. “I think so. With school starting again, it’s like …” He trailed off.
“Yeah. That makes sense,” Diggy agreed, though he wasn’t sure he really did.
Wayne looked at him. “But Pop said I could keep my next calf with you guys. If I get one.”
Diggy’s heart restarted. He grinned, pushed himself to his feet, and reached down to help Wayne up. Diggy chuckled and shook his head.
“What?” Wayne frowned at him.
“You’ll be getting up even earlier than me,” Diggy pointed out.
Wayne winced but didn’t hold it long. He halfheartedly grinned, too.
They stood there, and though Diggy felt weird, he felt he had to do something. He would never have picked Wayne if given a choice, but the guy was his brother.
He hugged Wayne. A couple of quick pats on the back and it was over, both of them pushing away and examining the wood chips at their feet.
“So,” Diggy said.
“Yeah,” Wayne replied.
Diggy snorted and thumped Wayne on the shoulder. “Don’t get all mushy.”
“Me?” Wayne protested. “You’re the one getting all huggy.”
Diggy laughed. “You’ll never prove it.”
They headed back to the stalls, where everyone was cleaning and packing up. Diggy spotted July giving orders, Pop running his hand down his face, and Graf huffing as he did what July said. Diggy almost could have laughed, but the scene choked him up. Joker’s stall was empty.
Wayne grabbed Diggy’s arm. “I’m sorry about what I said. At the tractor.”
Diggy blinked, then caught up to Wayne’s thought process. “Me, too.”
Wayne stared ahead at the group waiting for them. “My mom would have loved this.” He wiped his eyes quickly. “She would have cried her eyes out, but she’d have loved it.”
Diggy thought so, too.
“I was lucky to have my mom for as long as I did. To get to love her.” Wayne swiped at his eyes again but gave a shaky smile. “But you’re lucky, too.”
Diggy looked over at him.
“You’ve had Pop all this time. You’ve still got Pop.”
Diggy smiled at Wayne. “We both do.”
Already at four hundred pounds, this Hereford calf is only six and a half months old and has not been weaned. But he’ll be ready for the show ring in no time!
4-H
Officially, 4-H was founded in 1902, though its roots stretch back to the late 1800s. Today, the organization has six and a half million members and more than sixty million alumni. In other words, there are a lot of 4-H’ers out there doing lots of interesting stuff. Among the categories are environmentalism, filmmaking, robotics, veterinary science, photography, sewing, video game design, theater, butterfly research, animal care ranging from dogs and bunnies to larger livestock and horses … and much more.
The four hs are Head, Heart, Hands, and Health, which is reflected in the four-leafed logo and the 4-H pledge:
I PLEDGE MY HEAD TO CLEARER THINKING,
MY HEART TO GREATER LOYALTY,
MY HANDS TO LARGER SERVICE,
AND MY HEALTH TO BETTER LIVING,
FOR MY CLUB, MY COMMUNITY,
MY COUNTRY, AND MY WORLD.
You can visit 4-h.org for tons of helpful information about 4-H and how to find (or form!) a chapter in your area.
RIBBONS
Ribbons are awarded by class, division, and show.
A class is simple categorization by breed—such as Maine-Anjou, Charolais, and Hereford.
A division is when a class is too big to be judged all at once and is subdivided by weight: lightweight, middleweight, and heavyweight. (Usually, this is needed only for the crossbred class.) In each class and division, a Champion and Reserve Champion are selected.
Show is awarded by competing all the class and division Champion and Reserve Champion winners together to choose a Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion. So, the Grand and Reserve Grand Champions will win two purple ribbons by the end of
the fair—one for winning their class or division, and another bigger and flashier ribbon for winning the entire show.
Purple—Champion and Grand Champion
Light purple—Reserve and Reserve Grand Champion
Blue—“Meets most standards” of the category*
Red—“Meets some standards” of the category*
White—“Meets few standards and lacks the quality of other exhibits”*
(By the time competitors get to State, they have all earned at least a blue and usually a purple at a county fair, so you can see why receiving a white at State would be extremely disappointing!)
*Definition per the Minnesota State Fair’s 4-H Rules & Premiums book
LIVESTOCK TERMS AND TOOLS
There is so much to know about livestock and related items, I could write a dictionary! Instead, I’ve listed only some of the terms from Steering Toward Normal, those that are part of Diggy and Wayne’s regular routines.
bedding: Straw, sawdust, or sand where a steer may lie down. Clean bedding keeps the temperature down (because urine and manure generate heat) and prevents stains on the hair coat. Good hair care is key to raising a competitive show steer!
bull: A male that may sire calves.
bunks: Feed boxes.
clipping and blocking: The trimming of a steer’s hair to minimize flaws and enhance strong points.
cow: Mature female; has birthed at least one calf.
crossbred: An animal with parents of different breeds.
halter breaking: A lot like training a puppy how to behave when you take it on a walk. A student uses the halter to manage a steer’s movements in the show ring, so it’s important to break an animal to halter quickly. Steers grow faster than you do, and are a lot heavier, so teaching a steer important signals like “stop” and “go” as soon as possible will make the steer much easier to manage.
A 4-H competitor with his steer at the Goodhue County Fair. He will use the show stick to pull forward the left front leg for a nicely staggered setup in this head-to-tail lineup.
heifer: Immature female; has yet to birth her first calf.
rate of gain: In competition, rate of gain is judged from an initial weigh-in to show day. But heaviest is not necessarily best! Good rate of gain demonstrates a well-managed steer and feed schedule likely to produce a high-quality meat with efficient use of feed.
rice root brush: One of the most important grooming tools for training the hair of a competitive steer. The densely packed bristles help to clear out dust and dead hair as well as train the hair to stand up straight.
roughages: Hays or grasses that round out a steer’s rations and help keep the digestive tract healthy.
saddle soap: A glycerin soap used to make a steer’s hair stand up when grooming to show.
Scotch comb: A long, narrow comb with sharp points used to groom a steer’s hair.
setup: The proper positioning of a steer’s feet.
show stick: A four-and-a-half-foot stick with a pointed hook on the end, sharp enough to get a response but not cut. Used to position a steer’s feet for the show ring.
steer: Castrated male; not able to sire calves.
There are many great handbooks produced by university extension offices across America. Much more comprehensive material is available online via these schools, 4-H, or state fair websites.
A 4-H competitor walks his steer out of the show ring at the Goodhue County Fair, blue ribbon in hand!
PRANK-STEER GUIDE
Most of the pranks described in Steering Toward Normal have a long history of success.
Do not play these pranks on people you don’t know well or who don’t have a good sense of humor. Do not attempt a prank that will make a mess without an adult’s permission. Prank at your own risk!
The Egg Carton Prank
This prank is easier to set up with a Styrofoam or recycled-paper egg carton. Open the carton and cut out a hole in the center, so you have a space in which to place the mousetrap.
Set the mousetrap, then wrap a rubber band around the platform and hammer so you can disengage the hold-down bar without springing the trap. Thread a length of fine string or fishing line through the catch, and secure the end with a knot. Replace the hold-down bar and remove the rubber band.
Carefully place the mousetrap in the egg carton, and thread the other end of the string through one of the holes in the carton’s cover. Set your projectile on the trap—a bite of fruit, a bottle cap filled with flour, a miniature action figure. (You may need a tiny bit of adhesive to hold it in place.) Then close the cover more than halfway; pull the thread taut, being careful not to spring the trap; and tie off the end of the thread around the cover. When someone opens the egg carton, the trap will spring and launch your surprise!
The Orange Juice Water Bomb Prank
Using a large juice carton, the kind with a screw cap, cut a large hole in the bottom of the carton. Insert a balloon through the top hole of the carton and fill the balloon with water. Fold the end of the balloon over the side of the top hole and twist the cap back on. Use a utility knife to trim the exposed balloon end under the cap, so that it is not visible—the cap will hold the water balloon in place. When someone twists the cap off to take a drink, the water balloon will fall out!
Variation: Cut the hole in the carton as above, but this time stretch the empty balloon end around the top hole of the carton. Then, once the balloon is filled with water, twist it from underneath to prevent water from shooting out as you replace the cap. When the cap is secure, untwist the balloon. If the balloon end shows under the cap, trim. When someone opens the container of “juice,” the water will shoot out of the spout!
The Leaky Bottle Prank
Select a full, plastic bottle of soda, juice, or water. Use a pushpin to make six or seven holes in a ring around the bottle an inch or two down from the top. It will squirt as you make the holes but won’t leak when you pull the pin out. When someone tries to twist open the cap, liquid will squirt out of the holes!
Variation: Use a plastic ketchup bottle, or another plastic, squeezable condiment with a flip-top dispenser. Unscrew the cap and block the hole on the cap from underneath with something like hot glue. Use a lot of glue to make sure the hole is entirely blocked, but not so much that the glue squeezes through the opening or you can’t screw the cap back on the bottle. Once the glue is firmly dried, put the cap back on the bottle. Use a utility knife to slice a short slit into the neck of the bottle about an inch from the top. When your friends try to squeeze ketchup on their fries, it won’t come out! When they squeeze harder, it will ooze out of the hole you cut in the side!
I HAVE BEEN CHARMED AND GREATLY INSPIRED BY THE MANY AMAZING student competitors and 4-H members I interviewed and trailed at shows over the years.
Ryan Claycomb was fourteen when we met, competing Blister at the Pennsylvania Farm Show with such calm authority and skill, he taught me something I hadn’t understood about Diggy’s character. To top off the experience, Ryan took Grand Champion! It’s entirely possible I cheered louder than his family.
Drew and Mark Bray, Daniel Brown, Abi Earle, Casie and Mikaela Ingram, and Jeremy Wyche graciously let me poke around and ask questions at the North Carolina State Fair. Several were even brave enough to read early pages of the manuscript, and helped me take the story to the next level in honoring the full experience of what competitors do each year.
Trevor Holm and Kendrah and Maddie Schafer, competitors at the Minnesota State Fair, were brave and generous in answering personal questions about the emotional side of raising and selling steers. Maddie and Bryce Seljan were also very helpful in answering questions about their involvement with 4-H and their chapters.
Thank you all. Though I have left out many elements for the sake of fiction, this novel would not have been written without your help. You are all Grand Champions in my book!
4-H parents and fair staff are just as committed as the students. Thanks go to Bill Henning, Dorinda B
ray, Carol Turner, Monica Schafer, and Kelly Wilkins for their help with introductions and answering questions, as well as all the family and staff who make these shows happen with such positive energy year after year. A particular thank-you must go to Steve Pooch, former deputy general manager of the Minnesota State Fair, who has been an invaluable resource since we first met in 2009. And Laura Seljan, who saved the day with her wonderful photographs.
Thank you to Shawn Fayle, who, among other things, introduced me to Jimmy Holliday. Jimmy showed me around his farm, introduced me to several weaning calves, and encouraged me to put my fingers in their mouths! He also gave me one of the book’s pivotal scenes when he mentioned having to watch out for dog attacks.
Steering Toward Normal was supported by a travel and research grant from UNC Wilmington. Thank you also to SCBWI Carolinas for creating opportunities to meet so many wonderful people. And to the ladies at Alpha, who have supported me in more ways than they know.
I have been incredibly lucky in my friendships with other writers, and thank everyone who has read pages, or listened to me ramble about steers, 4-H, revision, titles, and more revision. I would be nowhere without my reading buddies and critique partners.
Renée Dixon has been my longest friend and champion, and at just the right time reminded me that it was okay for Diggy to be mad at Pop. Maria Nolletti Ross read at least four drafts, and each time her sharp eyes spotted those inconsistencies and details that can make or break a story’s realism and accuracy. Kathleen Fox and Debra Rook have added true middle school spirit and experience to these pages. And Sara Beitia and Carrie Harris came through with speedy and insightful reads as I was panicking over deadlines.
I was also fortunate to have middle school students Anna Sattler and Julia Ross read drafts, giving me both their time and insight. Thank you!
Special thanks to my agent, Kate Testerman, and editor, Howard Reeves, for believing in Steering Toward Normal, and to everyone at Amulet Books for their enthusiasm and talent.
Steering Toward Normal Page 22
