A Fairy Tale Season

I have been a Washington Redskins/Commanders football fan for a very long time. My first memory is from when I was 10 years old. My elementary school held a pep rally for the Redskins who were headed to their first Super Bowl. They lost to the undefeated Miami Dolphins, but got revenge ten years later when John Riggins lead them to victory in Super Bowl XVII. The Redskins have played in five Super Bowls, winning three of them with Joe Gibbs as coach. But it's been a long drought for the team and its long-suffering fans.

Tonight, the Redskins played in their first NFC Championship game since 1992. They were defeated by a more powerful Philadelphia Eagles team, and their fairy tale season came to an abrupt end. But, what a ride it was. Before today's game the Redskins had won two road playoff games, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and heavily favored Detroit Lions. After going 4-13 last year, they won 12 games in 2024. It was an amazing turn-around and an unforgettable season.

While it takes the whole team to win games, the 2024 season belonged to sensational rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels (QB1). Daniels was the second pick in the 2024 NFL draft.  He exceeded all expectations in his rookie year and was named the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year. Most pundits rank his rookie season as the best ever and consider Daniels a generational player.

Daniels beats you with his arm or legs. His poise is unmatched as a rookie QB. Nothing seemed to fluster him. He made so many great plays during the season and in the playoffs. Clutch plays. He threw for over 3,500 yards and ran for almost 900 yards (the most ever by a rookie QB; he broke RGIII's record). Jayden played well in the playoffs and had many people believing the Redskins would go to (even win) the Super Bowl. Sadly, they came up short.

Jayden Daniels   #5    QB1

The team's other star player was/is wide out Terry McLaurin, aka "Scary Terry" (#17). Before Daniels, McLaurin was arguably the team's best player and face of the franchise. He and Daniels made a formidable combination. McLaurin had 13 TD passes, second in the league. He scored a breakaway touchdown in the NFC title game against the Eagles. He had a 59-yard TD, off a screen pass, in the divisional playoff game against the Lions. McLaurin had over 1000 receiving yards for the 5th consecutive season. He is considered one of the best catch-and-run receivers in the league. He earned his first Pro Bowl nod.

Scary Terry's 36-yard touchdown against the Eagles

It goes without saying that the 2024 season and post season had many memorable moments. The biggest play of the year was undoubtedly the 52-yard Hail Mary pass from Jayden Daniels to Noah Brown. Many Hail Mary passes are thrown in the NFL, but few result in touchdowns and wins. I have a sweatshirt commemorating the play. Robin got it for me for Christmas. Ironically, the play occurred on my nephew Kevin's birthday. He is a huge Redskins fan. We often exchange text messages about the games.

The Redskins defeated the Chicago Bears 18-15. The loss seemed to derail the Bear's season, while the Redskins, with Daniels at the helm, continued to pull off amazing victories. They hit a 3-game slump in the middle of the season, but went on to win 12 games, including an amazing come-from-behind victory against the Eagles (despite five turnovers by the Redskins). Many of the Redskin wins were come-from-behind and last minute victories.

The Hail Mary

The Redskins played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card game. They were 3-point underdogs. They won the game in dramatic fashion. Of course. In the game's last six seconds, Zane Gonzalez bounced the ball off the uprights. Doink! His 37-yard field goal attempt was good. The Redskins won 23-20. They were on their way to the divisional round of the playoffs. The win was the Redskins first playoff win since 2006. Gonzalez was the team's 4th kicker; others having been hurt.

The Doink!

No one expected the Commanders to beat the first seeded Detroit Lions. The Lions had their own magical season, going 15-2. They were solid favorites, expected to win by more than a touchdown (an +8.5 point spread). Instead they lost by two touchdowns, 45-31. The Redskins defense intercepted the Lions four times, once for a touchdown, and recovered a fumble. Meanwhile, Jayden and the offense played flawlessly.

Four interceptions against top-seeded Detroit

Obviously Dan Quinn deserves a lot of credit for this year's miraculous season. He created a winning atmosphere. He's a finalist for NFL Coach of the Year. I think he should win. He won FOX NFL's coach of the year award. Throughout the season and into the playoffs, Quinn was known for being aggressive and taking a lot of chances, going for it frequently on 4th downs. Quinn and the team had so much confidence in Daniels. The team converted 87 percent of their 4th downs, tops in the league. Daniel's QB rating was out of this world on 4th downs. Sometimes he threw perfect passes; sometimes, he got the needed yardage with gutsy runs.

Poor Tress Way, who gave up his #5 jersey for Jayden.  He hardly ever got to punt. The team put together many long drives and frequently played all four downs. The team's most daring play might have been the fake punt in the NFC Championship Game. 4th and 6 from their own 34-yard line Tress Way lofted a perfect 23-yard pass to the 3rd string tight end. It was a first down. Instead of giving the ball back to the Eagles, they were able to put 3 points on the board. Unfortunately, they needed a TD.

Tress Way throws a completion for a 1st down.

It's fun to be a Washington Redskins/Commanders fan again. It's been a long time since we've been able to say that. We suffered for years under Dan Snyder's ownership. We've gone through several name changes, losing our beloved Redskins moniker. But this year, the team almost got to the Super Bowl. We have a franchise quarterback, finally (we just need to keep him healthy -- remember RGIII?). Hopefully, 2024/25 is just the beginning of many years of competitive football in the DMV. I will wear my Jayden Daniels jersey and other Redskins/Commanders gear with pride.

To all the players and coaches -- thanks for the memories. 2024/2025 is a season I will never forget.

2024: The Year in Review

January
I took an overnight trip to Delaware. Spoke at Delaware Ag Week. Kwame was my host. Darlene and I went to the Pennsylvania Farm Show. I hadn't been in many years. Parking was difficult. Before we found any, we ended up at an insane asylum, a.k.a. the Harrisburg Mental Hospital (ca. 1851), on the National Registry of Historic Places. We drove around. It was interesting. The Farm Show was very crowded. I enjoyed it though. They had "goat cuddling."  Seemed like the best way to make money with goats! Lots of food to choose from. I had my 6th MOHS surgery. On my forehead. No big deal.

February
I took a quick trip to Mississippi State University to speak at their annual sheep/goat conference. After the conference I was given a tour of the university farm by Leyla. I was surprised to learn that the university had a rabbitry. I met the graduate student doing research with the rabbits.  Alex and Gabby celebrated birthdays, 17 and 10, respectively. We celebrated on the 18th between their two days.

March
Mom and I went to the cat show in Timonium (before lambing started). We met my friend Renee there. I saw Cash's half brother Pepperoni. Cash is more handsome. I took Ty, then Mom, to Cunningham Falls. Lambing dominated the rest of the month. The first lamb was born March 9. A second group of younger ewes (housed in the carport barn) began lambing March 28. A total of 82 lambs. A few problems, but mostly a good lambing season. My first Nigerian was born on March 20. Thelma had two, but one was in the bedding dead. "Ramen" (named by Gabby) quickly became a favorite. I turned 62 this month. Mom celebrated her 94th birthday. Lara is 42. 

April
Ty and I hiked to Annapolis Rock, along the Appalachian Trail. It was a moderately challenging hike, 5 miles in total. Probably our most strenuous hike so far. Ty and I visited Trough Creek State Park in Pennsylvania.  Attractions included a balancing rock, swinging bridge, picturesque waterfall, ice cave, and old furnace. Ty and I weren't brave enough to walk up along the waterfall to reach the summit where the balancing rock was. The drive was picturesque, but there were no places to stop and get snacks or use the comfort facilities. April 14th marked the 5 year anniversary of Dad's death. ☹️ The last lambs of the season were born on April 19. I owed a lot of taxes since none had been deducted from my annuities, and I had made extra money.

May
The other Nigerian Louise had triplets on May 3. Her kids weren't nearly as engaging as Ramen. I organized two wool judging workshops for the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival and helped with the Junior Sheep & Goat Skillathon. Ashley is now in charge of the skillathon. Later in the year, I resigned from MSBA and the festival committee. Mom and I visited Fort Ritchie. They had just reopened the church. We met an interesting lady (a local) who told us fascinating stories about the area. We went searching for where a Civil War cannonball had hit a house in Smithsburg, but all proof was gone.

June
My friend Renee and I kayaked in Mallow's Bay. Mallow's Bay is home to the Ghost Fleet:  a bunch of WWI vintage ships that were sunk in the bay. Parts of them rise above the waters. The protected site is now a wildlife refuge. Oliver (age 4) was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. Highly unusual for a cat his age. He started receiving medication. His next visit showed his T4 levels too low, so his medication was halved. I celebrated one year with Cash. He turned 1 in March.

July
I spent a little over two weeks in England, Scotland, and Paris. The first week was a "sheep safari" of the Yorkshire Dales. It was my second visit to the region, but different and I enjoyed it very much.  We spent two days at the Great Yorkshire Show. Instead of Kiplin Hall, we stayed at a big (private) house in Reeth, a picturesque village near Yorkshire Dales National Park. The goal was to spend the second week in Scotland and travel through Paris on the way home. I spent my first day touring Edinburgh, then I came down with Covid. It hit me fast. I had to opt out of my 5-day tour of the Highlands. Instead I stayed at a hotel in Falkirk. After a couple of days, I started venturing out. I visited Callendar House, Stirling Castle, the Kelpies, and the Falkirk Wheel. I took a 5+ mile walk along the Forth & Clyde Canal. I was still able to go on my Outlander tour. I loved it. We had a great tour guide, ironically named Jamie. My layover in Paris seemed like a good idea when I arranged it, but turned out not to be so good. It was a week before the Olympics and I was still recovering from Covid. Well, at least I knocked Paris off my bucket list. I saw the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triumph, even found a magnet with the only two things I saw in Paris. I got stranded in the city when all the trains shut down. I had to take an expensive taxi ride with a grumpy non-English-speaking driver to get to my hotel near the airport.

August
During the last few days of July and beginning of August, my great niece Gabby stayed with me for a few days. She's a hoot. We had fun. She loves Ramen the goat. I took my Mom to Trough Creek State Park. From there, we visited Raystown Lake. This time we saw the dam. We got twisted around driving home. I volunteered to help with the 4-H Rabbit Judging Contest (and skillathon) at the Maryland State Fair. I always enjoy the state fair.

September
Ty and I took an epic trip to Maine. The primary destination was Acadia National Park. It's been on my bucket list for many years. It was worth the wait. On the way back we stopped to visit friends Jim and Carol. We stayed overnight. I began fostering a kitten. There was a stray kitten (orange tabby) hovering around the road a few houses down from me. I was worried that it might get hit by a car. A neighbor trapped and brought the kitten to me. I made a pen in the basement. It didn't take long to gentle him. I named him KC -- short for "kitty cat." I found a home for him with my good friend Dahlia and her son Eric. My friend Steffanie and I bought two new stud rams via an online auction at North Carolina State University. We named them Thunder and Lightening. Lightening turned out to be on the small side (didn't know if he could breed some of my big ewes), so I renamed him Munchkin. We'll see what he bred and how he grows out. The best ram I used was one I bred (Falkirk). He's sired by the USDA ram and out of a Weeks ewe. He's a big boy. Was nice, now he's getting pushy. Typical ram.

October 
I took a three day trip to Virginia State University for a hair sheep field day. I stayed with Dahlia. I had not seen her since before Covid. I brought KC with me. Her son Eric loved him. He decided to keep the name I had given the kitten. They had all sorts of stuff for the cat already. Dahlia and Eric continue to send me pictures of KC. October is a splendid month to travel. I took Mom to Berkeley Springs Park. I dipped my feet in the "magical" waters of the hot springs. On Halloween, I took Ty to the Catoctin Aqueduct on the C&O Canal. Ty and I made several other trips to the canal during the month. Robin and Kevin celebrated birthdays on the 27th. We celebrated Kevin's 40th at a "Brazilian Steakhouse."  Forgot the name of it. Rams went in October 15. 

November
Ty and I visited Lock 56 and Lockhouse 56. It was in a very remote area. Later, I took Mom on the same scenic drive. Mom and I took an overnight trip to Delaware. We had lunch with Wayne. I hadn't seen my "old" boss since I left Wicomico County in 2001. It was great to see him. He's in his early 80's and is doing well. Next we visited with Kevin, Briana, Isabella, and Jack. Jack seemed to have made progress since we last saw him. He's developing some football and basketball skills. He beat me one game in "horse." We enjoyed our visit very much. Our last stop was Lewes to visit cousin Karen and her husband Ira. They have a very nice place. It was a good visit. We hadn't seen Karen since Dad's memorial. Too bad Karen and Robin aren't on speaking terms anymore.

December
Oliver went back to the vet. It seemed as if he'd lost weight (he had), and his vomiting had become too frequent. The vet did more blood work. Some of Oliver's numbers were high, so he was dewormed and underwent a 10-day treatment with an antibiotic and medicine for gut inflammation. I also started giving him extra food to try to put weight back on him. He's doing better. Ty and I spent a brisk day walking around historic Harper's Ferry. I learned a lot. Mom and I attended the annual Rowe Christmas party on the 14th. The WMREC office party was on the 16th. I brought Mom along. Christmas was me, Robin, Mom, and Robin's friend Sally. I made roulodan. Robin made the best fried noodles ever.  Robin had celebrated Christmas with her kids and grandkids the weekend before Christmas. The Redskins/Commanders had a great December and clinched a playoff birth. Our QB1 (Jaylen Daniels) is amazing. Hope he's not a repeat of RGIII. Fingers crossed!  After 12 years, I stopped doing the web site (and other stuff) for the American Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control.

Chilly day in historic Harper's Ferry

December 12, 2024 --  Last weekend, Mom and I took a scenic drive along the Potomac River, before stopping in to see Robin.  Along the way, we passed Lock 34 of the C&O Canal. There was a parking lot there. I aimed to return with Ty, so we could take a scenic stroll along the Potomac River, but when we got to the parking lot a few days later, it was closed off. So instead, we drove into the town of Harper's Ferry. I found parking near the visitor's center, and we set off exploring and learning. We probably walked about 3-4 miles. While brisk, the weather was perfect for hiking.

Ty looking out at the river

Near the midpoint of the Appalachian Trail

Appalachian Trail Bridge

John Brown's Fort

John Brown monument

Farm Update

November 16, 2024 -- Thirty-nine ewes have been exposed. Lambing should commence around March 12 and continue into April. The ten yearlings and ewe lambs were bred 3 weeks later, to lamb in April. 

Along with a friend of mine, I invested in two new rams. I bought them from North Carolina State University's online sale. They had a copious amount of data. My emphasis was strong maternal EBVs.: number born and number weaned. The rams had been hauled from North Carolina to Virginia for the ram test sale. A PA consigner had offered to haul rams to PA for $100 a piece.  We took him up on the offer. I picked up the rams in Shippensburg.

Two new rams from North Carolina State University

We named the rams Thunder and Lightening. I was disappointed in the size of the one ram. He was a "dwarf" compared to some of my big ewes. I reluctantly left him in with the twenty ewes at my mom's place. I took him out a few days early (after 18 days) and put a bigger ram lamb in with the ewes. I renamed the little ram Munchkin. He'll get a chance to grow out, but he better get bigger. I fear I was blinded by too much by data. The other ram we bought was decent enough size, though the rams I raised were bigger (and younger). My friend used him first. He's currently in with my group of ten younger ewes.

A homegrown ram out of a Weeks ewe and the USDA ram is the other ram I am using. I call him Falkirk, after my trip to Scotland this year. He was in with a group of nine at my house, before being transferred to my mom's house. Another ram lamb is cleaning up for  him. Munchkin is in a pen by himself, no more breeding duties. He may be little, but he can get out of any pen. I had to cover his pen with wire panels.  I'd like to pare the flock back some. I going to try to sell some bred ewes, maybe 5 or 6.

Yearlings and ewe lambs

I leased a buck to breed my two Nigerian Dwarf does. He's not the biggest either. After two heat cycles, I'll take him to the sale barn, along with the two wethers. I'm hoping they'll be big enough to bring a good price at Christmas time. I sold the doe kid. The other wether is Ramen. I'm letting him stay for now.

Ramen's in the middle of the two does

I might have to get rid of the rabbits. I currently  have six litters of different ages (two of each breed), and I can't find a market for them. The guy I met at Hoffman's butcher shop is hard to get up with. I'm not sure he is going to be a reliable buyer. He wants bigger (mature) rabbits that I can provide. Soon, I'm going to have a real cage crunch. I might have to put the first 10 in the freezer, before the others approach market size, too. Too bad. I like raising rabbits. I've put a lot of money into my set-up. 

Pearre/Sideling Lock

November 11, 2024 -- The first time Ty and I set out to visit Lockhouse and Lock 56, Google maps directed me to Lockhouse 56 Road in Falling Waters, West Virginia. That was about 50 minutes away from Lock 56. It was late in the day, so we went to Cushwa Basin instead. Ty didn't mind. It's one of his favorite places to walk . . . and play in the water (Potomac River).

Ty in front of the lockhouse

A few days later, I made sure that Google maps was pointed towards the right place. Many of the locks and lockhouses on the C&O Canal are in the middle of nowhere, since most of the canal towns disappeared after the canal closed (in 1924). Lock 56 at mile marker 136.2 is no exception. The turn-off to get to the lock is just past Hancock (heading west). When you get off Interstate 68, the final 10 miles are very scenic and mountainous, albeit lonely. 

Lock and Lockhouse 56

Where the lock and lockhouse were, there was a house and canoe/kayak rental place. No people. In fact, we didn't pass any other cars once we got onto Pearre Road. I had wanted to visit the nearby Sideling Hill Aqueduct, but there weren't any signs indicating where it was, and I didn't want to venture too far from my car. Ty agreed. Might be some crazy MAGA followers lurking nearby.

Made from wood

Lock 56 lock is known as the Pearre/Sideling lock. They started building it in 1837 but didn't finish until 1849 due to lack of funds and abandoned contracts. The lock has a 7.7 foot lift and is accompanied by a bypass flume that allowed water to bypass the lock to water the level below. On the other side of the towpath is a two-and-a-half story frame lockhouse. Like the other lockhouses at the far western end of the C&O Canal, Lockhouse 56 is made of wood. The two-story building is not open to the public. It just sits there as a reminder to the past. 

Ty near the Potomac

Calm waters