IT'S RODEO

Today is our last work day here at the 87th annual Tucson Rodeo, and tomorrow, we're moving just down the street to the Lazy Days RV park for one night. Before heading to Yuma, we need a day to clean the accumulation of dust that's gathered just about everywhere inside the motor home. We've been parked with several RV's on the north end of the rodeo grounds, and all of the activity in the dirt parking lot in front of us has created that fine layer of material that seems to find its way into every nook and cranny.

This will be the first time back at the old Beaudry RV since they went bankrupt, and the property was sold to Lazy Days RV out of Florida. We ordered this motor home from the old Beaudry, and it was one of those cases where I would take a "do over" if I had the chance. It wasn't a surprise when they went bankrupt.

These photos are ones that I took a few days ago, of the competitors during one of the slack days. Rodeo is truly an all American sport, and these cowboys are athletes in the truest since of the word. If you're at the very top of the sport, the world champions gross around 200-300 thousand a year. For the other several thousand professionals, their annual earnings are much less, and their days on the road would make a full time RVer's schedule look like a walk in the park!

This calf is about to get 3 of its legs tied up.

The chase is on to catch the steer, and for the cowboy to wrestle it to the ground.

This steer just got "bulldogged", and is about to be out muscled.

Oops, score a win for the steer who got away.

I just responded to an email from my oldest son Michael, who is deployed to Afghanistan as part of his government job with the National Security Agency. The good news is the current upheaval and rioting hasn't affected him, and he's OK. He did pose the question that the recent blog picture of Laila feeding our Beagle some Ben & Jerry's ice cream, was cruel and unusual punishment, since there's no such luxury over there. Stay safe kiddo, we'll all be glad when you get back home!