Rodeo Recap

2006-08-29 - 11:39 a.m.

So, the rodeo. Apparently every week until the end of September there's a big ol' rodeo in South Jersey. Yeah, well, it surprised me too.

I had to stop at a roadside produce stand along the way. Fresh Jersey peaches were calling. And sweet vidalia onions, tiny red potatoes, grapes and garlic. Ok, not all of it was local, but it's all been great so far and the prices were right. They had farm-fresh brown eggs, too, but I squicked at the idea of leaving eggs in the car all evening, so had to skip those.

A group of friends met up for a big tailgate picnic before the festivities. Great food and plenty of laughter were had. Only small portions of it caused by the giant walking moustache in a cowboy hat I saw. I swear it was the biggest moustache ever...couldn't really even see the guy's mouth.

The events were pretty interesting to watch. I'd never been to the rodeo before. From what I gather, the atmosphere's not exactly representative of rodeos elsewhere. Instead of the crowd drinking til they just wanted to pound everyone else into the dirt, the audience here politely sipped canned sodas on the stands and chuckled at the corny jokes the announcers made.

Some girls sitting in front of us filled us in on all the important scoop...what barrel racing's all about, how events are scored, differences between heifers and cows--everything you never knew about rodeo. Well, at least we didn't.

I wish I could have seen a rodeo with my Grandpa. He actually grew up "breakin' broncs." By the time I knew him, he was a trucker. He still wore wranglers, boots, a cowboy hat and checked cowboy shirts with the snaps up the front. That was just his regular everyday style. When he'd come to visit, we'd take him to the racetrack in West Virginia with us. He'd sit by the campfire, playing his harmonica until his teeth got to rattling around in his mouth. He'd pause just long enough to fish out his teeth, drop them in his shirt pocket, and just keep on playing without them.

In a couple of weeks, the same gang of folks will be heading to the roller derby. Hang on tight.

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