Rodeo!

I spent all of today swimming, reading and lounging around the hot tubs, while James and Davie went on a manly hike up the Thunderhead trail, which is the main ski mountain in Steamboat. I had a lovely time and so did they. We all met up at the pool in the afternoon.

In the evening we went to the local rodeo which was brilliant. We went to the Calgary Stampede years ago but I think I preferred this one because it was smaller and the setting was amazing, in the valley with the mountains all around and a spectacular sunset in the west. Barbecue food and beer was served and everyone was very friendly. Again this was a very patriotic experience, we all sang The Star Spangled Banner as a cowgirl rode around with a large American flag. The commentator also asked us to listen to a song called "God Bless America Again", a very patriotic country music song asking for God to bless and guide America, which was half sung and half spoken. The commentator and the rodeo clown engaged in some banter in between the contests which was good-natured and quite amusing, for example when the coal train went by and tooted very loudly, they joked about it and then played the start of Folsom Prison Blues "I hear the train a comin' / It's rolling round the bend / And I ain't seen the sunshine since I don't know when, / I'm stuck in Folsom prison, and time keeps draggin' on / But that train keeps a rollin' on down to San Antone.." which made the crowd laugh. The contests included bull riding, team roping, steer wrestling and tie-down roping. I was impressed by how carefully the animals were treated, and there was a great atmosphere; the children were very much involved and the under sixes got the chance to chase Rambo the Ram and pull a ribbon from him to win a prize. Rambo the Ram was not at all perturbed by the experience and the rodeo clown was very funny with them, inciting them to lie down and make "dirt angels" in the earthen floor of the rodeo ground, much to the groans of their watching parents. Although it was dark when we headed back to the hotel it was still a very warm, balmy evening.