We caught the metro train down and I was surprised how quiet it was. I guess everyone arrives by horse. Once inside, however, it was obvious that weekends are a whole different cattle drive from weekdays. The fair was open, the place was heaving, and we fitted right in.
We started at the Great American Petting Zoo. The approach was pleasingly regulation-free, which is the way we like it in Texas. Fifty varied animals and one-hundred-plus people were left in a penned area. Animal feed was $3 a pop. It was chaos. We moved onto the tractors, then outside to a fabulous kids' farm where you grew stuff, milked stuff, then sold it all to market at the end for two (fake) dollars, one to get you a treat and the other to pay into an agricultural bank. Grandpa would approve of that.
We stopped by the rabbits but they were mostly packing up. An enthusiastic farmer introduced us to a Flemish Giant (and it was a giant) and then we caught the end of some horse bucking in the arena. Today we had tickets to the rodeo proper, in the big stadium, so made our way over via a deep-fried Twinkie, a funnel cake, and spending a fortune on a fairground log flume.
As it was now five hours after we'd got there, we were fairly shattered by the time the rodeo started, but watched the parade of rodeo organisers (on horseback and in carriages, naturally), then the national anthem (the finale of which involved a lady on horseback carrying a flagpole with fireworks shooting out of the top!) and then some calf roping and a bit more bucking.
Pete was virtually asleep on Hannah's shoulder by then. We trotted home, tired, contented, and 200% more Texan than we had been that morning. Why can't it be rodeo all year round? I think I'm off to live on a ranch (as long as, you know, no actual work is involved).
You've got to know your way around a steer.
Which Texas animal are you? Definitely a skunk.
What could go wrong?
Close encounter.
Goat selfie.
Today's trip is sponsored by...
Top tractor.
Small lunch.
And...another tractor.
Fake cow, fake cowboys.
Real cowboys.
A proud rabbit farmer. He's digging an actual warren on his farm, which he hopes will make his rabbits larger!
Carnival fun, only $$$s.
How have you got to 5-yrs-old without trying a deep fried Twinkie? Because you have responsible parents, that's how.
Or one responsible parent, anyway.
Some of the organising committee. I may volunteer next year, unless I need to supply my own horse.
Rodeo finals! $50k for the winner. How hard can it be?
Friendly livestock.
See y'all next year! (Why is Ned Kelly wanted in Texas...?)
