LOL Kirk. I ain't your usual female. I've helped Willie change out more motors/transmissions than I can count. Break my own horses. If I kill it...I skin it. Have little patience with "prissy females", "women drivers" or females that play head games. (really ANYONE who plays head games.)
I am trying to teach my girls that a REAL woman is one who can do what needs to be done and ain't afraid to get dirty doing it...and then clean up real nice. My 14 yr old is becoming my new mechanic. For her 13th birthday we got her own set of tools and toolbox, a 20 gauge shotgun and a very pretty ring.
Her Poppa (what the kids call Dad) gave her a '71 Mustang which she is in the process of tuning/fixing up. She and the boys have now been hired by one of Willie's customers to peel pine poles for his new barn. 100 poles at $1 each; 3 kids peeling = $33.33 ea. De says she's gonna buy spark plugs, plug wires with hers. Maston is putting his into his "16 gauge savings fund". Boogie is gonna put his in his wallet.
Boogie is Down Syndrome but not to a severe degree. He works with Willie at the mill and is becoming quite proficient at knowing a which dimension of lumber goes in which stack. And that extra strength that seems to come with Down Syndrome is quite helpful out there! The two little ones have been dubbed "Doodle Bugs" by a friend whose Dad used to have a mill: they sack up sawdust and sell for .50/bag to relatives. Although Gracie has just figured out that I might be able to take some sacks to the small, community grocery store where I work and sell them. lol I love my kids!
