Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Rodeo: the Town Is Crazy

Don't usually venture into town during rodeo week. Plenty going on. Loads of tourons. Crowds. Hoopla. Crowds. However, I had an errand of mercy to attend to at one of the banks. So I took in the local color yesterday.

Some folks in appropriate costumes. More or less.

Of course, the grand finale of the rodeo lands on the 4th of July; this year, the city is absolutely awash in flags, bunting and other red, white and blue, such as the quilt I saw at the bank (below).

Accompanying the rodeo, an arts, crafts & stuff show on the Square; running time, 5 days. The stuff included everything from soup (mix) to nuts-- and, if you weren't dressed appropriately, you could even buy a buckskin jacket.

While I had coffee at a sidewalk table, the horse carriers
went parading by. Not the plain everyday carriers that you see out in the countryside, but elaborate wagons with quarters for crew plus several horses. Definitely rodeo pros.

Did I mention that the day was H.O.T? That it was hotter today and tomorrow should top today? So I fess up -- I got a ride downtown, I didn't walk there. No way. There was the one hopeful sign: the contrails are becoming fatter and they last longer. Maybe our 4% humidity days are numbered. We might even have a storm or two this weekend. First the rodeo and the fireworks, then the rainy season. If we're lucky.

Note: Gadget took pictures of the rodeo parade; the Courier offers several videos of the parade, the rodeo, the boot race and more. Also: she of little brain and JuliaR have each posted their eight fascinating facts, for a total of 16 fascinating facts so far.

4 comments:

  1. Thanks for the pics, GJ, and the links.

    More or Less! Love it..

    In the sixties they would set up a "jail" on a corner of the plaza where non-western dressers were confined after being "arrested" by sweet young things. Fines had to be paid-donations to some charity or other..

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  2. I recall one year shortly after we moved here that the sheriff deputized a whole raft of cowboys to contend with the bikers who used to show up in their numbers & run riot. That was the year we saw the biker gangs coming up the White Spar turn around before they got to the first Ponderosa Park turnoff. Somehow, they had got the word.

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  3. Anonymous2:46 PM

    Granny J,

    You've always got the best photos! Thanks for the link back too.

    I'm totally agreeing with you....It's hot. Really hot for this New Hampshire transplant. Glad the AC works well in the Airstream. :)

    Stay cool. I'm hoping for rain too!

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  4. Gadget -- At this time I'd call staying cool a full time job!

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