Texas Trip - The Rodeo

While visiting in Texas........as it happened.........we were watching television at my daughter Noodle's house. It just so happened that my son-in-law Number Cruncher tuned into a channel with some bull riding competition going on. I remember him saying something about me getting interested........hmmmmm......well, yes....it was interesting. I did not quite understand why, who, or what the point of riding bulls was but I was watching the screen. Now I fully understand that this kind of stuff is a Texas staple........BUT..........this particular bull riding competition was being broadcast "live" from the First Mariner Arena in........BALTIMORE!!???.......huh? I travel hundreds of miles from Baltimore and I end up having to be subjected to Baltimore on television..........that alone has to be some sort of sign of the end of the world......hehehe.

Actually, Number Cruncher was warming me up for what was soon to come. He had plans to take us to Rodeo Austin that Sunday.

There I was.........looking at the Austin city skyline from the grounds of the rodeo.

And looking back..........beyond the sea of cars.........the Rodeo Austin.

These two were the reason for our visit. That's my Noodle Girl holding Signtopia Expansion Pack 2.1.........hehehe.

They really love their animals here...........I remember thinking "yeah....the only reason he kisses that longhorn is because it can't lick its.........well...........you know what I am getting at......hehehe. Yep.....that there animal is a bonafide Texas Longhorn.

It did not take very long before Princess Fartknocker found her way onto a horse. I stood there remembering a time when I was just a kid.........on a horse.............hmmm....maybe I will write about that one day soon.

In the animal world of things, there are stars of their own. This is one of the biggest stars standing right next to Princess Fartknocker and Supernurse.............of course.......it is none other than Elsie, the Borden Cow.

Princess Fartknocker enjoyed feeding the assorted animals in the petting "zoo".

Hmmmmm.......the significance of this picture......hmmmmmm. Well.......aside from just a nice simple picture of the two of them..............Supernurse just so happened to be wearing a Gilley's t-shirt that she got for riding the bull at Gilley's in Las Vegas.........and the sign above her head.........well............there ya go.

As for bull riding........one is supposed to ride the bull for eight full seconds without falling off. I could not resist taking this picture of a sign in one of the small shops inside the large arena.

And then I saw this sign..........

.........hehehe.......gotta love it.

Inside the large building was where the bull riding competition would be held. I was actually surprised to see how it looked inside. The last time I was surprised in that fashion, was when I saw the outside of the old Painters Mill Music Fair in Owings Mills, MD and thinking "uh oh" and then going inside and being awestruck by what I saw. Oh well.......never judge a book by it's cover.

This was a very decent facility.....I was impressed.

The competition was about to begin and the opening ceremonies fired up. The bull riders get introduced..........laser light show........and the ground is set on fire.......music is cranked up several decibels..........it is practically a rock and roll show!............wow! I didn't see THIS on tv the other day.

Yes...........cowboys do exist.

Nobody should ever question the patriotism of the folks in Texas. I felt good seeing this.........after all that has been going on in our lives recently in this country. Furthermore, they had no problem offending all of those non-religious, atheistic morons of the world, when they lead everyone in moments of silence for the fallen soldiers and begin the festivities with a very long prayer. Just maybe there is hope for this world........

...........and I really, truly, do hope that we all get through the mess we are in.....because Signtopia Expansion Pack 2.1 needs us to do better........the future is his and we have no right to ruin it for him. Here is where I gotta get political on you............on Election day, remember to vote every one of those bastards out of office.......every one of them. Overturn the entire operation.........after all.........if you have a glass of water of which half is a pollutant.......you cannot solve the problem by pouring out only a small portion of the solution in the glass. The water still ends up tainted.

It's a no-brainer, folks! (Note........I realize that there may well be some who read this and think "hmmm is he saying to vote for Obama?". Oh Please!..........Is he not a Senator now?..........yes he is........and that mean he needs to go away. So there.

Aside from bull riding, they also brought out the contestants for
"Best In Show". Prize cows and prize bulls. Exciting!.........hehehe.

Now THIS was far more interesting to me.......my very own cowgirl, Supernurse.

After the competitions, it was time for the musical entertainment. The Rodeo Austin is held something like two weeks or so and there is a major act booked for each night. Willie Nelson, Styx........a whole slew of acts.........and on this particular night we were to be entertained by one Rodney Atkins. I had no idea who he was, but I found out that he has had several number one records in the Country Music industry. It became quickly obvious that he is a fast rising country music star. The fans in the stands got all excited when the crews rolled out the portable stage. Everything was fully set up within the time span of one half hour. Wow!......a rotating stage at that!

I didn't take too many pictures during the show......and most of the ones I took were either too far away, or blurry. This is Rodney Atkins and his band........and I must say that they were top notch. Very, Very, Good.

The only way I could get a close enough picture of Rodney Atkins was to aim at his image up on the jumbo screens.

All in all..........the entire day at the Rodeo Austin was great. I really enjoyed myself there. I enjoyed myself the entire time we spent in Texas. I look forward to visiting again in the near future.

Someone once asked me........."What does it look like when you are up in a plane?"

This is how it looked on the way home.

Texas Trip - Side Show At The Rodeo

We were at the Austin Rodeo................it was my first rodeo ever. Sure, I have seen stuff on television.........and this is the real deal. I have other stuff to tell you about, but first and foremost, I must tell you about the side show. For the most part, the rodeo itself pretty much takes place indoors in huge buildings and an indoor arena much like the First Mariner Arena in Baltimore, except a bit smaller........okay then, maybe it is not so huge.....hehehe. Outside of those "facilities" it is basically the equivalent of a State Fair............in other words, rides....amusements.....displays.....sales pitches......food.....food.....and more food..........oh......and animals galore. As these kinds of things go, there is always a side show of some sort. I had always bypassed these side show freak shows. I figured that they were a scam...........but Supernurse, this time, gathered us up and we all entered this side show tent before we left to head back to Noodle's house.

Somehow, I had the impression that the signage would be better than what would be found inside the tent.............but I really did not know what to expect.

There were only about three or four live animals in the tent. The cow with extra legs.........the two nosed cow.........and some other freaks of nature. Okay........the signs didn't lie.......but the animals had birth defects. I would have been more interested in seeing a woman with six breasts or a four-legged basketball player with six ears. So we continued inside the tent and looked at the non-living displays. Taxidermy anyone? Multiple legs........one eyed cyclops........yep.....just like the signs said.

And then there were the jars. If you cannot read the labels in the picture, just click on the image and it will go full screen for you. To return back, just press your "back" arrow icon that is at the top left of your browser window. More birth defects preserved in formaldehyde.

I couldn't help but think back to the late 1970s when I managed a convenience store. There was always a couple of huge jars on the counter.............pickled pigs feet and pickled eggs..........hmmmmm...........hey,......come to think of it.......I was a sideshow barker.....hehehe.

I couldn't get this thought out of my head................I was thinking that there was probably somebody attending this rodeo, wondering while looking at these jars, and thinking "I wonder what that tastes like!"

And then there was the two-headed baby in a jar. Apparently, this one had been around. I cannot say for sure if it was real and I would think that there would be some sort of law discouraging the pickling of humans for display..............no ........wait........I guess it IS legal after all.............I forgot about funeral parlors. Then again, this was not a funeral parlor........but some funeral parlors ARE similar to a side show........hehehe. Hmmmmmmm.......sometimes you see things that make you go "hmmmmmm".

Now this was interesting. Imagine having an aquarium in your living room with this dude in it. I could not actually tell what this was supposed to be..........but THIS was the icing on the cake for me.

This was "Twilight Zone" stuff! Get a good look at it..........no.......it isn't Michael Jackson.

Maybe this "dude" is actually a female something or other. It has a flipper.........maybe its a mermaid. I have been all over the Caribbean and did not see one mermaid.........not even a merman............not even Ethel Merman...........and I come to Texas and see one? No way.......it can't be............or can it?

That's it for the side show.............now you know what is inside the tent.

I still would have rather seen a six breasted woman eating pickled pigs feet and shooting baskets with a four-legged dude named Johnson.

Maybe one day...............