Garth Brooks' song "Rodeo" (quoted in this entry's title) has always perfectly defined the
event. I think I have been to the Oakley Rodeo at least a dozen times and I will keep going whenever I get the chance (last year I had a 6 week old baby so I didn't quite hit the stadium with the rest of the fam). Here are the staples (for good and bad :) which make the Oakley event a yearly classic:1) driving down windy Weber Canyon in the cool mountain air 2) walking through horse manuer on the way to the stadium (or trying to avoid it :) 3) noticing the rodeo
queens' amazingly bright and sparkly clothes and perfectly coiffed hair (does it even move as they ride around on their horses?) 4) Stetsons, Wranglers and Justins everywhere you look (not to be called by their generic names i.e cowboy hats, skin-tight jeans,
and __kickers) 5) watching with a rush of adrenaline when a cowboy tries to hang on to a buckin' bronco or beastly bull 6) the clapping hands and wild smile of little kids as they watch and cheer in earnest 7) listening to, and even laughing at, the rodeo clown's jokes--they are just too classic (and usually crude--a dynamite duo!) 8) watching the fireworks boom overhead and feeling silly but patriotic for tearing up during the accompaniment (especially if they play "Proud to be an American")
We slept up at the cabin after the rodeo last night and Joe and I taught mom, dad, Cec and Marsh how to play a new game called "hot dice." (I thought it was way fun but maybe that has something to do with me winning??) This morning we fixed ourselves some delicious peach french toast and then spent a few more hours at the cabin cleaning up, packing up, reading, wrangling our own little cowboy Beans and cowgirl Maddie on the buckin' horse upstairs, napping (mostly Dad amidst the chaos of 5 grandkids playing right
by him!), Ski-balling, and ATVing (it could be a word...). We had one minor incident when Cares climbed onto the kids' picnic table last night, popped a goldfish in her mouth and then tumbled over and landed right on her back. She was a little banged up but the fall made her choke on the cracker and then she decidedly threw-up to dislodge the thing. Hmmm, she has now thrown up 3 times in about 2 weeks. I am not a fan but I am getting good at cleaning her up!
6 comments:
Right on, cowgirl! You captured it all perfectly. What fun it is to watch the little ones. It is a favorite tradition, and so All-American--perfect for a (near) 4th of July celebration.
You did capture it perfectly! It was such a fun evening and I can't wait to play "hot dice" again!
What is that shirt? Looks cute but I can't see it very well.
Anyway, that sounds like such a perfect night. Luckily I have experienced it many times before so I can imagine all the sights and sounds and smells and feelings you described. I hope we will be able to go next year and continue in the tradition!!
My shirt is a button-up one from H&M. It's long-sleeved but I roll up the cuffs to my elbows to make it less stuffy when I wear it!
looks like tons of fun. i'm glad you got to go this year to the rodeo now that cares is a little older. Sometimes you feel trapped when you are nursing or they are so tiny.
Dad said, "Carrie put 'Dust and Mud, Spurs and a Latigo' on her blog!" is that a problem? "It's supposed to be 'let it go'. there's no such thing as a 'latigo'" neile, neile, neile. that's why we love you.
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