Friday Evening Fun

Friday evening we walked over from our cabin to await our pig roast before the rodeo.On the front corner of the icecream shop were a couple of very confortable wooden chairs I began eyeing.One had an older gentleman sitting in it so I patiently waited for him to get up so that Chuck and I could sit down.I struck up a conversation about our upcoming pig roast and rodeo.We talked for alittle while and he said he was waiting for his party to show up.At one point he got up and walked into the icecream shop,so I got Chuck to sit down with me.Out he came and we smiled about the confortable chairs.I got up and offered him the one I was sitting in out of respect for him being a senior citizin and the fact we had grabbed the chairs after he had gotten up.After alittle coaxing him to go ahead and take the seat we began talking again.He began to introduce himself and say he was waiting for his family that were supposed to be there a short time ago.It turned out that He was the father of the owner of the Double JJ Ranch Resort.He asked if we had met his son on one of our visits and I told him no we hadn't.He was surprised we hadn't but I did tell him of our meeting Wally,the part owner last summer when we had come up.I told him that Chuck had taken a couple of falls off his horse and Wally just happened to be there with their trailride so he had come to Chuck's help.After talking alittle more he went into the icecream shop and I saw Wally pull up on his big wheeled dirt runner.I went in quickly to let him know and found he had actually went in to help dish ice cream out because they had gotten busy.He said he often helps out behind the counter.Anyway by now they had opened up the pigroast food line so Chuck and I walked up to first shake Wally's hand and then to get in line for the scrumptous looking food.

Once we got done eating we walked over to where a tractor was waiting with three hay wagons hooked up to it.These were to take anyone who wanted a ride over to the rodeo.Chuck and I had first dibs on what seat we wanted.We got on the first wagon behind the driver and once again struck up a conversation.He was doing the wagon rides and shuttleing people back and forth on their shuttles between the Back Forty,The Ranch and The Fronter Land.He is normally one of the wranglers that rides a beautiful horse and works his horse in the rodeo but was having to be used differently for awhile.He had gotten bucked off his horse while out on a trailride and had hurt his back real bad.Unfortunately he was not to thrilled driving shuttle and the haywagons.Soon the wagons filled to compacity and off we went over past The Ranch to the rodeo grounds across the street.
The Klein Rodeo began at 8:00pm with the wranglers racing out into the arena with their beautiful horses and flags flying in the wind.As we all stood our patriotic song was sung beautifully with great pride for our country.I loved the wranglers flag shirts they all wore and decided after the rodeo I was going to go back to the General Store and check into buying one.The stands on the other side look sparce with people but that was only because noone wanted to be facing into the hot sun.Our side was filled to capacity.We had very hot weather the four days and three nights we were there.I felt bad for the wranglers that were having to wear the long sleeve shirts all the time.Its too bad they couldn't have come up with short sleeve western shirts.

This wicked looking bull looks like he wants to butt heads with one of the clowns.Actually its the clowns job to distract the bulls from time to time.I don't think I would want that kind of a job and if I did,I would definately want some awfully good insurance and jumbo bottles of nonstop ibuprofin.
The rodeo was lots of fun for even the spectators in the stands.Here they let kids out to chase down calves who had colorful ribbons tied to their tails.There were about five calves let loose in the arena that were trying desperately to get away from the mighty on slaught of kids chasing them down.I think the calves must have had trauma in their eyes if you peered into them.It was fun to watch but I felt sorry for the calves during the game.The winners were given a trophy for whomever tagged the right ribbon.They should have teaseinly said ,and now for your prize you may capture your calve and take him home for a pet.If RuthAnn had been there she could have actually participated during her age range group.This was a game where they had two sets of three spectators out of the stands to compete.They gave one person in each set a mexican hat and blanket to put on and then released two donkeys.The contestants were to race down capture a donkey,hop on and ride him down to the finish line without falling off as the donkey was being pulled by the other two in their group.These were not easy donkeys to grab and hop onto.It was hilarious to watch and there was lots of laughing.

The broncs had quite a time hanging on to their bumpy rides.Talk about courage of all these contestants.

Here they had the wedding party that was there for the night and a wedding the next day all come out into the arena for a tug a war.To help them,they had all of the wranglers come out for the pull.It was so much fun watching them get lots of people from the stands out there to kick up their heels for the different games.
Here the cowboy wranglers are doing a baton pass with each other against the cowgirl wranglers.I believe the cowgirl wranglers won but might need to check with Chuck later when he gets home from work.
The clowns had their fun for a little performance.The little girl was supposedly hypmotized and places stretched out on three brooms.It was asked between them and the people in the booth up above who believed they could take out one broom at a time and end up with her only laying on one broom.
Here as you can see they succeeded.It was quite a performance.I am not quite sure how they succeeded in doing it.At the end they all happily began walking out and left the little girl hanging there.Of course it was all part of the act.Everyone enjoyed watching it and were left with their mouths hanging open
Of course whats a rodeo without seeing the cowgirls do the barrel race.
We were supposed to be able to get on the haywagon to return to The Back Forty but it had filled to compacity before the rodeo was done so he had taken the people back. The wagon never showed back up so we waited along with quite a crowd of people for shuttles to show up.Little by little the people dwindled down and by the time we got on the last shuttle it was quite late.There were alot of people who went over to The Back Forty Ranch to do some dj dancing and Mechanical bull riding. We ended up going back to our cabin to turn in for the night.Stay tuned in for further pics.