A lazy day...

My dad, brother and I spent the day doing not much of anything. That is SOOO nice to do once in a while! We did do our chores of course and watched a Dr. Davis message about the kingdom of our influence, and then we watched some movies and took it easy and listened to the sound of rain on the rooftop. It is still raining and there is lightning lighting up the sky...

When we talked to Mother and Jacob tonight, they were so very happy sounding. They're unfortunately having computer/Internet problems there, so haven't been able to share pictures with us and you all as they'd hoped. Andrew gave Jacob some technological advice so maybe they'll get it to work now?

I don't have much else to say, so I guess I won't say anymore. :)

They made it, safe and sound...

Jacob was thrilled with the airplane ride and Mother endured it pretty well. :) God even gave them a Christian gentleman to sit by and visit with on the flight from Minneapolis to Georgia! I'm sure they are going to have a WONDERFUL time down there.... They already went to see one of the waterfalls that is nearby the cabin they're staying in.

As for us here at home....

Dad and Andrew worked outside all day and then had to go to town for parts for one of the trucks. Meanwhile, I cleaned the house thoroughly and made enough food to last us for a couple days. I had to run out and milk the goats before finishing with the supper, as I needed some milk for the cheese potatoes. :) We enjoyed our supper and then watched a movie. We talked to the travelers a couple times somewhere in there and wished them a goodnight. We just finished with family prayer time, which did not last as long as usual.... It's strange to just have 3 of us here, but I'm sure the other 2 will have a marvelous time and will take pictures to, later, broaden our horizons.

While sweeping the floor this afternoon, I heard this song on the radio and wanted to share it with you all here, as it's so beautiful. May it be a blessing to you too:

Off they'll go...

I just got home from work in town again and am so sleepy, but thought I'd write here first, announcing that Mother and Jacob are all packed and ready for their big flight tomorrow morning.

I set my alarm clock to 5:30, hoping that that's when they'll be getting ready to leave so I can say goodbye... Everyone was in bed just now when I got home, so I didn't get to say farewell and would really like to, as it will be 6 days until they return to us, Lord willing...

I'm glad I was able to get Jacob's haircut done this morning so he'll look nice in all the pictures I'm sure Mother will be taking. :)

How many clothes-pins...

...can you hold in YOUR hand at once??? This is the game Jacob and I were playing this evening while taking the wash off the line... I could only make 16, but he made 20! :)

Thank you all so much for your suggestions, memories, and recipe for that little green vegetable that puzzles me in my garden... I continually feel so blessed to find I have friends out there to share ideas with and joys and sorrows and, well, a little of everything. Thank you for being there! May God bless you!

Please be praying for my mom and brother, Jacob, tomorrow as they prepare for their flight for Georgia the following day, that all would come together smoothly and that they will truly be able to enjoy their vacation to the fullest!

As for us left here at home, I'm sure we could use some prayer too... :)

Have any suggestions?

I need to get to bed early tonight, as I'm doing the "Dining Room Host" shift tomorrow morning at 6:30...

But before I go, I wanted to ask if any of you have any favorite recipes or ways of using Kohlrabi? I grew some in my garden this year and they are now ready for eating, but as we've never had them before, I don't know what is the best way to use them? I peeled and sliced one of them as a topping for our lettuce/cucumber salad tonight, but there was quite a bit left over at the end of the meal, as the Kohlrabi tasted mostly like radishes, which none of us (except Mother) relish....

A few of my favorite things...

My family:

My friend Hannah Dagley:

Newlyweds: :) (We met up with Ben and Hannah in Bismarck last Saturday, after attending the church service with our new friends--which was very nice, by the way!)

Newly tuned pianos: (Andrew found he could buy the equipment for tuning for less than it would cost us to get in a guy to tune one of our pianos!!! And now, he is able to learn a new skill. *See video at the bottom of this post if you wish to hear how out of tune my new-to-me piano really was!)

Frogs:

Corn cobs growing more and more full with each day that passes:

My round garden, which is gradually becoming a little jungle:

Cosmos blooming in the corners of my round garden: :)

Squash growing:

Sunflowers, reaching for the sky:

Zucchini, zucchini, zucchini...

Romaine lettuce:

Beets and dill:

Pumpkin patches and Wapsie Valley corn:

My Lady--comin' on the run to greet me in the morning:

And finally, my brother's funny faces! ... :)

Another hard night...

This evening, while working at the nursing home, another of the residents passed away... (It was the man who told me I reminded him of his mother because she always hummed/sang while working too.)

I had planned to do a picture post of our garden and other things tonight, but I just don't feel like doing that anymore.... Maybe tomorrow night?

So instead of pictures, I'll leave you with a quote from my daily flip-calendar, one that seems fitting for this day:

"Be glad you had the moment." ~Steve Shagen

I AM glad for the time I had to get to know Thor (even if he did eat pickled pigs feet and head cheese--uggg!) and value even more the time I have with the other living residents!

We had a lovely day!

But, now it's nearly over with and I still wish to play on my newly tuned (thanks to Andrew!) piano before hopping into bed, so I'll wait to tell you of our day--another day.

My Wurlitzer~

After polishing my piano while cleaning house today, I decided to take a picture and share it with you all... My brothers helped me hang the musical wall-decorations this afternoon and were laughing about how the one instrument has 4 strings, but has 11 tuning pegs! Hmmm... I still like how it looks and so will leave it on my wall. :)

We are headed for bed a little earlier than usual tonight, as we are going to Bismarck in the morning to visit a Sabbath-keeping church group we recently learned of. We actually met a couple of the members at Prairie Days this year, and they seemed really nice and I know they love the Lord too, so we'll see how it goes...

May God be with you,

Cora~

What is a farmer?

I said last night that my mother qualified as a good farmer's wife, and guess what? She's married to a great example of a farmer...

But to give you an idea of what a farmer is, if you are not one yourself, that is, I'll share the following article, (edited slightly) also found amongst Grandma's keepsakes, the article being written in 1975.


"What is a farmer?

In all this business, there are no other men just like farmers. Farmers are a diminishing class of specialists who do many things well. They come in all sizes, shapes, colors and ages.

Farmers are eternal optimists who expect that the next year will bring better conditions than the floods or droughts or freezes or insect infestations they may have endured every year in the past.

A farmer can keep a $5,000 machine working with a piece of baling wire, an off-size bolt, and the lid from an old tin can.

Farmers don't have 40-hour work weeks, don't need sleeping pills and don't like neckties or fast talkers.

Farmers witness the miracle of birth and the certainty of death and sense an order behind it all.

Farmers are men who teach their sons and daughters responsibility and workmanship while they are still quite young.

Farmers see the sunrise and walk alone under the stars, and they are strengthened by faith in God.

Farmers are patience in overalls waiting for the rain to stop, for seeds to sprout, or for a calf to be born.

Farmers are practical family men who are sincere and natural and don't try to appear as something they are not.

Farmers risk all the hazards of other businesses and, in addition, endure the uncertainties of weather, insects, disease and----politicians.

Farmers are persistence with a sun-bronzed face, starting again after a hail storm has wiped out a year's work.

Farmers are exhaustion with 326 bales that must be lifted and hauled to the barn after dark before lying down to rest.

Farmers are the kind of courageous, hard working, persistent, practical, fair minded men that other men imagine themselves to be.

Finally, farmers are the brunt of jokes, the whipping boy of editors, and the sacrificial lamb of (most) politicians.

In spite of all the criticism farmers get, an indication of what people really think is revealed in the fact that almost every man considers himself a farmer at heart."

Job description lists farm wives' qualifications...

by Mrs. J. P. (another set of articles from my grandma's things...)

This is a long and daunting list, but I hope to continue to learn new skills and make some farmer a good wife someday--unless God has another kind of feller in mind?

I think my mother qualifies as a good farmer's wife--just in case you were wondering. :)

Now, onto the mock wanted ads.....

"Wanted:
One farm wife to watch gates. It's helpful if she can recognize a steer from a heifer. Also to her credit is a sixth sense that can tell which animal the husband wants in and which one he wants out. This qualification alone should land her a wonderful job as wife!

Wanted:
One farm wife to pull stalled tractors or pickups. She should be able to tell if the husband wants a fast start or slow pull, while she's hoping the chain doesn't break.

Wanted:
One farm wife to be on call 24 hours every day. This allows the husband to come in with that famous line, "Hon, have you got a minute?" and gives the wife a chance to ponder her theories about time as she walks back to the house four or five hours later. If she can do this with a smile and an offer of a hot cup of coffee (or, I'll add, a fresh glass of milk), her popularity rating as a wife increases about 20%.

Wanted:
One farm wife who is willing to bottle-feed baby calves and lambs, and chase a fresh cow through a slow rain while the husband carries the calf to the warm barn. It is of no consequence that the wife may have just washed and set her hair in anticipation of company coming for supper..

Wanted:
One farm wife with above average intelligence-- one who knows a Crescent wrench from a locking pliers or socket set. It's an added plus for the wife if she remembers where the husband left his hammer the last time he used it.

Wanted:
One farm wife who knows exactly which field the husband is working in, especially at lunch time or when a salesman stops in to chat.

Wanted:
One farm wife who will recognize the effect of depressed farm prices, uncooperative weather and seasonal work load pressures on the husband's moods. A wife who is able to make the husband smile and then can tell him she is happy to be sharing his chosen profession, rates high.

Wanted:
One farm wife who is soft enough to cuddle in her farmer's arms, but is strong enough to drive a steel fencepost into the ground. She should be pretty enough to sit across from the husband at the breakfast table for as long as the good Lord lets them be together."


How's that for a list?

Tomorrow evening, I'll post about "The Farmer" and what he all does. :)

Hmmmm...

I just recently got home from working in town again and have been trying to think of something interesting to post, but am not coming up with anything much.

I could tell you about how one of the lady residents said she liked my skirt so much today that she is going to steal it sometime; or I suppose I could tell you how I was able to cheer up one of the residents by telling her of my mishap with the garden tiller--that being that I burnt the belt off because I let it idle while holding the neighbors' new baby (our neighbor had stopped in for just a few minutes...); or I could tell you about how hard it was to put a special lotion on a residents' feet, as she kept thinking I was going to tickle her toes, and tried pulling her feet back, but none of that may be of interest to you, so I think I'll just wish you all a good night once again; read some in my Bible; and get some sleep.

"Good night!"

Just a quick, "Good night"...

...and I'm off to bed. I worked in town this afternoon/evening and then played piano when I got home, so now it's very much my bedtime!

Sweet dreams and may God be with you all~

Farmer's Prayer~

I found the following amongst Grandma's things while we were going through pictures this afternoon... Prices the farmer gets for his product has gone up a bit since this was written obviously, but things cost more too, so this prayer still rings true.

"As farmers and ranchers, Dear God, give us wisdom and patience to understand why a pound of T-bone steak at $1.80 is high, but a 30 ounce cocktail at $2.20 is not.

And a 50 cent Coke at a ballgame is cheap, but the 20 cent glass of milk for breakfast is inflationary.

And lord, help me to understand why $5 for a ticket to the picture show is a bargain, but $3 for a bushel of wheat is unthinkable.

Cotton is too high at 65 cents a pound, but a $20 shirt is on sale for $18.95.

And corn is too steep at 3 cents worth in a box of flakes, but the flakes are just right at 50 cents a serving.

And also, Lord, help me understand why I have to give an easement to the gas company so they can cross my property with their gas lines, and then double my price on gas.

And Also, Dear God, help me to understand the consumer, who drives by my field and scoffs at me for driving a $30,000 tractor that he built, so he could make money and drive down that right-of-way they took from me to build a road on.

Thank you, God for your past guidance and help.

And please help me make sense of it all!"

It's in my room!!!

My piano made it safe and sound to it's own little corner in my bedroom. :) I just got done playing for the first time (since it's my own, that is) and like it so very much--outside of a few sour notes that need some adjusting after the long bumpy ride the instrument had today...

Mother got some pictures of us moving the piano in and me playing it, but they're still on her camera, so those will need to wait for another time to get posted. I just had to share some of my joy here tonight.~

We're DONE--partially...

While Mother stayed at home and prepared the weekly feast and cleaned the house (including the basement!), the rest of us headed for the hay-field, again. Dad finished baling and the boys and I bunched, loaded, hauled, and stacked the bales up into a huge stack. We're now done with the first cut of alfalfa. Hooray!

Now to start on the second cutting....

I'm getting really excited as I think we're going to SD tomorrow to get my piano (and the other larger items that are still down there from the sale--the book case; a pretty wooden bench; the grist mill--or as we call it, the popcorn grinder, as that's what Grandpa used all those years to make popcorn cereal.) It should be a fun day, and hopefully not too back-breaking.

I'd best get some rest.~

Our cousin's visit...

This post is way overdue, but better late than never, right?


On the evening of July 5th, my mom drove up to Steele and met her uncle and aunt there and picked up her cousin, Kristi and her son Hristiyan. We were so glad that Kristi got to come and have a bit of a vacation, as she's a very busy wife and home schooling mother.



But back to the 5th... I had to work that day, so I missed out on some of the campfire, but was able to visit a few minutes there when I got home, while our boys and Hristiyan shot off the fireworks they'd bought. Mother took a lot of the following pictures, but said she didn't mind if I posted them. :)



My brothers making music around the campfire...


The following day found me needing to go to work again; Dad and Andrew needing to work on hay; and the rest went down to Eureka to work on getting ready for Grandpa's auction sale. They got much accomplished and we didn't have to go down again until the day of the sale!



That was a hard day for me as, while working at the nursing home, one of the residents suddenly passed away during supper. Rosa was 98 years old and was one of the residents I enjoyed visiting with in my spare time. She used to sing with her sister (she said they were privileged to have been able to have voice lessons, as there weren't many music teachers back then.) As I said, that was a hard day...



July 7th dawned bright and beautiful. Jacob and Hristiyan washed the car quick before they and our mothers headed for Bismarck for a full day of appointments, thrift-shopping, Sams' clubbing, and spending time at the library.

Also, while in town, they decided to all pitch in and buy me a very thoughtful present to cheer me up! Can you guess what it was?

Yes, they bought me 5 more fish for my aquarium! :) Wasn't that thoughtful of them?

Kristi, cheerfully washing dishes... :)

She helped in other ways too... Here Mom and Kristi are heading down to milk the goats.

By the time she left us, cousin Kristi had milking pretty much figured out...

We had plenty of kids for her to play with too...

Success!

The following day, Thursday, found all of us in the hayfield at one time or another. We ladies packed a picnic lunch and then enjoyed a quick meal in the shade of the van.

Left to right in the van are: Jacob (14), Hristiyan (11), and Andrew (19)

Kristi and I are on the blanket visiting...

The two youngest of our group had to go check out the bales for jumpability... :)

My dad and Andrew moved onto the next field, and Mother and Kristi had things to do at home, but Hristiyan wanted to stay with Jacob and I and help stack and move bales. He is in the truck here with Jacob, although for most of the day, I was the one in the truck, so he was with me. We played some guessing games and just visited. He wanted to learn how to drive the truck, so I taught him. He'd never driven a vehicle, let alone a stick-shift, so it was a lot to learn, but he did really well and kept asking through the day to drive for a while. What better place to learn than in the great outdoors--in the middle of a field, right? :) Hristiyan did ride with Jacob some of the time also, but the tractor cab isn't designed for 2 people to be in there and it wasn't very comfortable.

One of those evenings found Mother and Kristi on the swings... (It was getting dark already, so this picture didn't turn out the best, Kristi, but I know you'd want to see this anyway. :) )

Then, Kristi and I went for a wild merry-go-round ride. Weeeee.... Neither of us could walk straight by the time we were done!

Friday morning was sad, as it was time to say goodbye... My dad drove our cousins back up to Steele to meet Kristi's parents there again for the long trip back to WI.

It was great having you here, friends! Please come see us again sometime!

I didn't even realize it...

This evening, while tending to an elderly gentleman at the nursing home, he surprised me by saying I reminded him of his mother. When I asked in what way, he replied:
"She was always singing or humming while she went about her work too." I didn't even realize that I had been humming. :)

It was another busy morning here (and I'm sure the rest of the day was busy as well on the farm, although I don't know what all transpired, yet.) Andrew and I put up some electric wire and let the goats out on some grass/weeds. Up to this point, we'd been feeding them alfalfa hay, but now their hay bale is all used up and the loader tractors aren't around, so we'll have to put up with strange tasting milk for a while... ..."Would you like some Wormwood flavored milk with your granola this morning?"

I'm still in the process of getting my room resituated in my spare moments. I really like how it's turning out and will be sure to take a picture once I have it done.

Well, it's nearing midnight once again here on the prairie, so I'd best wish you all a good night and get some rest.

"Good night, sleep tight and pleasant dreams to you,
Here's a wish and prayer that every dream comes true,
And though it's always sweet sorrow to part
I know you'll always remain in my heart.

Good night, sleep tight and pleasant dreams to you,
Here's a wish and a prayer that every dream comes true,
And now 'til we meet again---
Adios, au revior, auf weidersehen.....Good Night! "

The storm~

This is an excerpt from the poem,

"The Storm" by Sharon Wunderle & Larry Flesner

"Something was brewing; it was sensed in the air

And it fueled our emotions to the level of fear.

The day had been windy and really quite warm

The ingredients needed in birthing a storm.

We should have suspected, in hindsight I guess

That nature gets ugly when showing her fist

The lightning and thunder of the midnight before

Brought hailstones like cannonballs knocking on doors

It was not until morning, in the light of the sun

Could we realize that damage and destruction was done

How could we know as we talked with our neighbor

That the hope brought by sunshine would be doused by more weather

Life plans can change in the blink of an eye

As the sunshine gave way to a darkening sky

The storm clouds grew darker and the rain came with fury

Sending people to shelter with panic and worry......"

Last night was such a night. We had high winds that bent the corn stalks over and there was thunder and lightning all over the sky. The rain gauge was holding over 2 inches of rain by morning. We were glad to have escaped the worst part of the storm however. When I went to work in town this afternoon, I learned of the destruction that was caused there by the baseball sized hail that came down on the town and surrounding areas! (I saw one of the balls that someone had put in the freezer to show to everyone...) Vehicles were dented and windshields broken. Gardens were shredded and trees were delimbed. I imagine the farmers fields aren't looking so well either..... But thankfully, it all happened in the night, when most everyone was tucked safely into bed.

Please join me in saying a prayer for those who now have new, unexpected burdens to deal with.

Grandpa's auction sale...

On my drive home tonight, after working in town, I was dreading the pile of books, clothes, dresser drawers, dolls, etc... that I knew were waiting on my bed--waiting to be cleared off before I could crawl in for the night. (I'm in the process of moving dressers and my bookcase around currently to fit the piano in.)

When I got home and walked in my room however, what should I find but the drawers put away; the dolls set on my dresser, alongside the books and other things; and my bed pulled back invitingly! :) What a sweet family I am a part of!

I was planning to do a picture-post of my grandpa's auction sale, but Mother spent a good while putting such a post together last night, so I'll just point you in that direction and let you read and see about our time HERE.

I am working on a picture-post of our cousins' time here though, so be looking for that in the near future. I feel so behind on blogging....

Here's a quick quote before I jump into bed.

"Sometimes the Lord calms the storm, and other times He lets the storm rage and focuses on calming His child."

How true that is~

Well, "Good night, sleep tight!"

Yes, indeed!

Thanks so much to those of you who commented! Several of you know me pretty well to guess that I bought Grandma's Wurlitzer piano. :)

...And yes indeed, I did buy it (for $410-- + tax.) :)

Now, I just need to figure out where to put it... I'm hoping to fit it in my room (yes, in my already over-filled room--attic, here comes some more, um, stuff!), so I spent part of my afternoon moving furniture around and trying to see where a piano could be set??? I think I have a plan that will work now, and am really excited at the thought of being able to sit down and play whenever I have a moment--early in the morning even and I'll know I won't be waking people up, or interrupting their phone conversations, or interfering with their schoolwork, or..........

When we told Grandpa I'd bought the piano, he nearly cried and said that he's sure Grandma would have been very pleased to know it went to her oldest grandchild (and only granddaughter.) The piano is still down in Eureka, so I'll have a few days to get everything ready.

For the journal part of my blog:

Mom and I worked in the garden again today and we're getting close to being caught up. We also put some of our treasures from the sale away (baskets, napkins, pressure canner, set of glasses and pitcher, pickle bowl....)

The guys made hay and stacked it until 10:00PM. If it does not rain tonight, Dad will finish with baling the first cutting of alfalfa tomorrow. And now the second cutting is nearly ready to go!

Grandpa's sale has come and gone,

but the memory lingers on.....



Click HERE to view the sale flyer. Listed on the flyer are 3 pictures of household items, 1 of which I decided today to spend some of my hard-earned money on!!! Can you guess which it is?
Your options are:

1. My Grandma's piano (that they bought brand new for over $2,000 the year my parents got married.)
2. My grandparent's Grandfather clock (whose chimes have been a part of my childhood for as long as I can remember)
3. The dining room table and chair set (the one that we've shared many a big feast around with family members.)
   

I'd love to hear your guesses!

We have praised the Lord over and over for lovely weather this day! Several people came to the sale and nearly everything got sold. Of course, we came home with another pickup-load full, but when else will we have the chance to have such things as Grandma's best silverware; Grandpa's '22 rifle; a wheelchair; and other such memorable things?



Look for pictures to come in posts ahead, both here and on my mom's blog. :) Here are a couple for starters...

And that's not all either! There was more in the back yard...................

How wonderful it is to have this day behind us--no more anticipation or dread or anything. PTL!

My garden~

Working in town takes up a lot of the time I usually have to devote to the garden, so this years greenery consist of a lot of weeds amongst the vegetables. However, on days when Mom and I have the whole afternoon to work out there, much gets accomplished!

The Indian corn surrounding my round garden is growing nicely and is waist high on me...
The middle of my garden consists of pretty rocks I picked up while picking rocks in the field this spring; a frog from my grandma; and several varieties of flowers which are not yet blooming...

My bird-bath (and another frog)...

My garden is turning into a nice place to sit and rest a while.~

Want to come join me?

The annual Mandan Rodeo...

...is noisy, but fun, for the most part.

As you already know, my family and I went to view the rodeo the evening of July 4th, starting at 7:30PM. I thought I'd share about our time there in pictures.......

First of all, several cowgirls rode through, bearing the flags of the sponsors of the event. Then there was a prayer for safety for all.

The first event was the bare-back riding of wild horses.... They put a couple of tight ropes around the horses' belly to make it jump and buck when it gets out of the gate, and the cowboy needs to stay on, using one hand to hold onto a rope, for as long as he can or until the buzzer sounds, whichever comes first. His performance is judged upon how high he kept his feet in the air and how much he encouraged the horse to keep up it's antics. YIKES!

The following event was calf-tying, where the cowboy has to throw his lasso around the calve's neck; jump off his horse (which is trained to pull back on the rope to keep the tension on the calf); and tie the calves legs together as quickly as possible. When the cowboy jumps back (as seen in the picture below), the calf needs to stay put for, I think, 9 seconds, or else if the rope comes undone and the calf gets up, the cowboy is disqualified...

Next was a Chuck-wagon race! Three teams of horses got raced around the large track, one lap, and that was the extent of the race. :) It was fun to watch though.

Following was the Saddle-Bronc riding...

How would you like to be this cowboy?

The clown, with his firetruck that smoked and sparked when he pushed a button.... He had a warped sense of humor and was my least favorite part of the rodeo!

Back to bronc riding...

"Hold on tight, cowboy!"

Next on the schedule was the steer-wrestling event... The steer is in the black chute and the cowboy is in the alley way beside the chute. When the calf exits, the cowboy breaks through the rope barrier with his horse and rides full-speed alongside of the calf. Then, when the moment seems right, he jumps off his steed and grabs the steers' neck and twists it's head sideways, resulting, if done properly, in the steer tipping over on its side. Then, everyone cheers for the cowboy...
Up next was Team-Roping. Two cowboys work together and, when the calf is let out of the chute, one cowboy ropes the calves' head and the other its back legs. It takes a lot of skill to get this accomplished!

They had a 4 year old girl sing the National Anthem this year, while the Rodeo Queen held the flag...

After that came the barrel-racing--a woman's sport. Basically, the cowgirl steers her horse around three barrels, trying to cut the corner as closely as possible without touching the barrel (they get a time penalty if they do touch it.) Each entrant is timed, so speed is very important...

Then came another Chuck-Wagon race...



My brothers thought this race would be fun to do! The man below was sitting precisely behind me at the rodeo, and he won the mini-bike race, so we got to hear all about it after he returned to the bleachers...

And THEN, it was time for the bull riding! I don't see how anyone could get up the courage to do such a thing as ride a bucking bull...

Mother informed us that the cowboy below (the guy in the chaps) is a distant relative of ours, my third cousin, to be exact.

The bulls won that night. Not one of the 10 or so cowboys was able to stay on his bull for the full duration of the time needed to qualify.

I've included below a couple of videos of the bull riding, for those of you who've never seen such a thing.

"Look out!"

After the main rodeo was over, they had what was called a Ranch Rodeo which was really fun to watch. It consisted of several cowboys from local ranches, roping calves; tying calves; and a special pass-the-baton and get your horse loaded in the trailer race.

AND THEN, came the huge fireworks display!!! It probably lasted half an hour and put smiles on everyones faces.

So was it at the rodeo.

We arrived home at 1:00 that night, happy but very tired.

*More posts to come*