We are on the road again...I know, it sounds like an overplayed, but much loved Willie Nelson song. None the less, it is the truth. We spend more time on the road and behind the wheel than we do in an arena.

The clown is driving through St. Paul and this a chance for me to do some guilt free blogging. I would love to build a site and get it all decorated and make it my "official blogspot"...the clown at the wheel thinks nothing will come of it, but who knows I could be the next "Pioneer Woman"?! (check out her site, if you aren't already a big fan) Well, I think I just may give it a try despite the negative clown voice to my immediate left!

Meanwhile, I will get back to our travels: We were in Mandan, ND over the 4th of July, my favorite holiday, and that was a great rodeo! My husband, the clown, rocked that crowd! Mandan has some of the best rodeo fans...the type of people you and I would have and enjoy a beer with. They are hard working, conservitive Americans, that probably listen to Sean Hannity on their way to work.

I left a little piece of my heart behind in Mandan. No lie, I was ready to pack my bags and move there (as a summer resident). Talk about beautiful! Fresh green grass all around, right off the Missouri River, clean city of Bismarck nearby, great people, ideal weather, could you ask for more? After waving goodbye to the chipped off piece of my heart, we headed to Buffalo, MN.

These places aren't your normal vacation destinations. Thankfully, rodeo provides us the opportunity to see things that you wouldn't necisarrily set out from home with the intention of seeing.

The rodeo arena in Buffalo, MN is unlocked and this is a well known secret amongst rodeo travelers. We pulled in right behind The Texas Kid Rodney Hays, and just behind our rig, rodeo barrelman Brian Potter pulled in. We camped there for 4 days, letting the kids play together, the animals stretch, and gave us time to catch up on laundry and with friends.

Buffalo is home to some of our best rodeo friends...the Rassats. They were actually friends of my husbands for quite some time and I now have the great fortune of sharing that honor. These are people that are involved with rodeo because of their love for it, and their passion hasn't waned one bit over the years. They are even sharing their love and time with neighboring rodeo committees. They are huge supporters of the Tough Enough to Wear Pink program and haul around a life size iron buffalo wearing a pink bikini! We got caught up with them and they are planning to make the trek to SE OK in Oct for our bull riding!

Ugh it's getting dark and the clown baby needs a sippy handed to her...life calls me away from the laptop.

Take care and can't wait to get to work on my site!

Windws Live Hotmail

The Goat Tagging Incident of 2009

My status updates warn not to leave your goats unattended. It's not that I have a personal vendetta against the smallish 4 legged farm animals. Admitally not my favorite, but far from my least favorite. The choice of animal has really nothing to do with the incident that ensued.

Our neighbor and my husband's childhood friend lives down the road (that's country speak for 8 miles away) and he had it coming. We got the word that he and his wife would be out of town and those of us that needed to get him back and/or just wanted to have fun loaded up in the truck with ropes, spray paint, and boones farm wine. I know, the boones farm wine put us well over the limits of red neck. However, if you know what boones farm wine is, you're our kind of people...a little red neck too. So our neighbors were gone, we had a mission to tag his goats.

This was my first goat roping experience...them buggers are like catching deer! Yet we were able to do it. Laughing at our own jokes was the biggest hurdle in the whole deal. We managed to gather a crowd...a few turned off the road to see what was going on and unknown to us our Preacher had watched the whole thing from across the road!

I love prank retaliation! Maybe next time he will think before he lets a racoon freeze to the top of my wedding cake!

Dear feet,

You've packed me many miles and got going when the rest of my limbs didn't want to. You have made me climb on the treadmill even though I told you not to. And when I've crammed you into an uncomfortable shoe you took your blisters like battle wounds in the name of fashion. You've even let horses step on you and though the brain told you to kick the horse, you remained calm and didn't.

For all this I thank you and promise to be nicer to you. I will try to get off my feet from time to time easing your load through the day. I will take you to the spa everychance I get. I will keep you in comfortable stylish footwear.

I will buy you as many cute cowboy boots as I can afford. This will be my treat to you!