Ro-day-o!

Once again it was Round Up time in our county. In the morning is a parade, and in the evening, the county Round Up queen is announced and then the rodeo. I think more than the rodeo I enjoy walking around and seeing the sites and experiencing the energy of the rodeo. Our park is a lovely park with tall pecan trees. At this time it is full of horse trailers, cowboys and cowgirls, lots of interesting people. It is a true Texas event. I told this young cowboy that I wanted to get a picture of him on his Appy, and then I showed him his picture on my camera after I took it. I've found that my photo subjects enjoy the instant gratification of seeing their picture immediately.

OK, these are the guys I always look for first. They are my heroes. They are the pickup men. Pickup men ride to pickup the bronc riders that have managed to ride the full 8 seconds. This means riding up next to a bucking horse and pulling the rider off. They also help get the stock back their exit gate. This pickup man is putting on his leg guards that will hopefully protect his legs from the bucking and kicking of the bronc stock. On top of these they will wear long, gray chaps. Awesome outfits. Even more awesome are their horses. I wanted so much to get pictures of the bronc rides, but the light was too low.

Howard has been a clown with this rodeo company for a number of years. I asked him to pose. I love this picture. I think it is one of my favorite pictures that I have taken. To me it says a lot. Howard makes people laugh, but I have a feeling that he has had more than his share of sorrows in his life though. I appreciate Howard. I wish I could see what he really looks like under that make up.

Stock riders getting ready and waiting. I love in gates. There is a lot of energy around the in gates.

I like the wee folk on their wee horses.

I have watched the young cowgirl in the front ride barrels since she was about 4 years old. She is an awesome rider. Now I am watching her little brother, mounted on the Shetland behind her, grow up.

Two little cowgirls. The horse on the left is Snickers, and the horse on the right is Peanut. The little cowgirl on the left thought it was really funny that you had a Peanut with Snickers.

Stock rider with his proverbial, faithful Blue Heeler dog.

Pink cow girls.

A clown getting ready. These clowns are called American bull fighters because it is up to them to distract the bulls from the bull riders after the bull riders come off. They are always introduced and applauded at the beginning of the rodeo.

This is cowboy church before the rodeo. That's my husband standing next to the lady in the chair. My husband said the bull riders are the ones who really needed the prayer. The bronc riders too, for that matter.

Preaching the Word of encouragement. That's a pickup man on a horse behind the preacher.

Even the clown is listening intently. I had a feeling he's had a hard life.

Praying together at the end.

The pick up man on his horse. He doesn't yet have on his chaps but does have on his leg guards. I told this rider I would publish his picture on my blog, and he would be famous. I showed him his picture on my camera after I took it. He was really enjoying the attention. I kissed his horse on the nose. Pick up horses are awesome.

This gal, Kathy, is an awesome barrel racer and a wonderful person also. Her dog (now deceased), Cowgirl, was the mother of our dog, Gyp. Kathy is a Texas true.

Kathy and my husband, Max.

A teeny cowboy. He would ride later on in the grand entry with his daddy on a horse. His flag is to carry during the grand entry.

The light was leaving, and my digital camera doesn't do well in low light levels. This is was during the grand entry, and this young rider rode later in the barrel race and was some kind of rider.

The county drill squad displaying the colors. Later on, these riders would perform as a drill team. I know these people personally, and I was so proud of them. I was offered a spot on this squad, but I don't think my horse had the brain for it. Well, I suspect Khanalee would have done ok with encouragement on my part, and these guys didn't perform at a lot of speed either, as some drill teams do. I've seen some wrecks in drill teams. I'd rather perform in a dressage quadrille. As you can see, things are getting blurrier because of low light levels. My digital camera looses it a low light levels. This is where I was missing my 35 mm camera, but it wouldn't have the instant gratification of the digital.

Waiting whilst the prayer is being said. At our rodeo, a prayer is always said, asking protection for the participants. In the event that something happens, the announcer reminds the crowd that we prayed at the beginning. If something really serious happens, the announcer asks people to pray for the injured person right there. This is really a God and country event.

This was the last usable photo, barely so, and it is of the pick up men waiting respectively whilst the national anthem is being sung. Their horses are big and fast and brave. These horses are quick to the leg and come up beside bucking horses to help the riders dismount. Usually a horse's sense about a kicking horse is the same as ours--get out of the way! But they go into harm's way because their riders ask them to. See the pick up men's chaps? I really like their chaps. Awesome dudes, but even more so, awesome horses.

The night before the rodeo, I had gone to the barrel race, although I only stuck around for the exhibition rides. Exhibition rides are non competitive rides before the main race that riders use to school their horses. They are usually slow rides. This rider's horse had a breast collar that had matching colors to her saddle pad. She also had pretty copper conchos on her bridle. I told her that the outfit is half the journey.

Here is another lovely can chaser.

One of the things I love about going to barrel races is all the bling you see on the girls and their horses now. It's hard to tell in this photo, but the conchos on her saddle are stars, Texas stars.

Lastly, this is Dawn with her nephew, Cole. I have known Dawn since she was about 14. She is an awesome rider, now an RN. and her horse is one those hot Qt. Horse/Thoroughbred crosses that she is good at riding. The pony is their's for their daughter.

A big fat daddy

I found this guy literally on my door step when I went to feed the horses. My first thought was, "What a magnificent specimen." My second thought was, "Do I have the nerve to pick him up?" My third thought was "E-e-ew!" However, my scientific curiousity won out, and I ran and got my camera. When I first touched him with the door when I was trying to gently close it, he rolled over, and I was horrified that I had killed him. I soon realized he was playing dead, so I picked him up and took some pictures. These are all macros, and my son knows I'm not good at macros because I get too close, so the first is a little blury, but I wanted to show it's face or lack there of. Also, the whole time I was holding him in my fingers, he was squirming. E-e-ew

This is his other end with the identifying markings on it. We've found these large guys before over the years. Anybody want to take a guess as to what kinds of caterpillar he is? I can imagine my son, Joel doing a quick wikepedia to find out. The caterpillar was really squirming by now.

Joel, you don't have to do a search. I already did, although I think I already knew. This is the larva of a hawk moth, which we have also called hummingbird moths, but I think the other is more appropriate. I put him down in front of the ivy vine trellis, and when I came out 5 minutes later, he was gone. After I put him down, I had a vague burning e-e-ew feeling on my finger tips. I washed them off, put lotion on them, but the sensation continued for a while. It could have been purely mental on my part, or he could have had some kind of protective substance on him. I hope he makes into a lovely, big moth.

Back side of Gypdog

Here is Gyp keeping watch on her domain. I like back sides, and this was a perfect shot this morning. I had to take it through the glass of the back door so I wouldn't disturb her. I love to see her ears perked forward, observing.