Rodeo Time

Starting Monday morning of this week everyone at Western Frontiers has been helping at the Cody Stampede Rodeo. It is a really well known rodeo with some of the top competitors form the world in it. M job so far has generally been to chase steers and calves into the roping shoot and then push them through each little section. The steers are obnoxious because they bareley fit into the shoots and you have to grab their tail and twist it to get them to move forward the whole way in. This is especially grose when they are crapping because you get it all over your hands. NASTY!! The calves are better except that they are small enough they can turn around in the shoots and then you have to climb in with them and fight to get them turned around. Getting kicked is pretty much a given.

The weather this week has been really hot but it cooled off quite nicely last night, and then it stormed. Lighting was all around us and thunder was rumbling and the rain was so hard it felt like sleet and it got cold. The cowboys all had their carhartt jackets and those who weren't competing at the moment could go inside, but those of us working, yeah. We were a bunch of shivering drowned rats. Thankfully it eventually stopped raining and was warmish for a little while before it cooled down for the night. By the time I barrel racing came around and I had to run out and rake the one barrel every time a contestant cleared it I had stopped shaking enough to be able to move relatively quickly.

The last event of the day was bull riding which was nowhere near as entertaining as bronc riding because only two people managed to stay on for the eight seconds. After the rodeo we threw 32 hay bails in a truck and drove around the ground chucking them off into the different areas. We had to break apart the bails too and spread them around which was fine but when it came to the bull pen I stayed in the truck. I was also rather tired form chasing after the truck when it left me behind. Everyone else had no problem jumping on a moving vehicle piled high with hay but here was no way I was gonna be able to and I did not relish the thought of injuring myself.

We got home around midnight and I was in bed by 12:45. I have this morning off so when everyone else got up and left by 7:00 I laid in bed like a lazy bum. Now it is a little after ten and I am bored. I am washing my poop covered clothing that reeks worse than a wet dog and waiting for my boots to dry out. I left them outside last night and one of them (don’t ask me why only one) got filled with water. The good thing about the rain is that my hat now fits me better and I can get my boots off. I have had to take naps with the one on because I could not get it off.

Anyhow, I am doing well, working on a nice sunburn and maybe getting into shape somewhat. I am making new friends and adjusting to life out here in hickville. It is really not that bad. I actaully rather much like it out here.



An intermission at the rodeo



Bronc Riding



Me, Laura, and Sarah going to the rodeo


Josiah, Rebekah, and Andrew at their birthdays party













MA staff treck in Niko Land


















Chris (MA Staff), Me (MA Staff), Rebekah (MA Staff),
Molly (MA Director), Daniel (DTS Director), Josiah (MA Staff)