Yieehaww!!

After living out west for 5 years and missing the Calgary Stampeed 2 summers in a row...I finally made it to the Canadian Finals Rodeo in Edmonton!! :D Pam and I went on our "anual date" to the rodeo early in November...but unfortunately last year when we tried to go, there were no seats available so we ended up wandering around outside the Agricom and Rexall place buildings looking at all the animals. We still had fun mind you...it's hard to be anywhere with Pam and not end up laughing and enjoying yourself! But...I must say that it was really nice to be indoors and out of the cold this year, have seats and actaully SEE the Rodeo :)
It felt really neat to be sitting in the Oilers arena (let me tell ya...this ain't no Halifax Metro Center...it's BIG), surrounded by cowboy hats (from purple to white to black and leopard print), with dirt and not ice in the center, and some good ol' Country music ("Alberta Bound" by Paul Brant of course) blaring through the speakers...I have to be honnest and tell you I was feelin' mighty proud to be an adopted Westerner ;)
It was the opening night so we saw a bit of everything...perfect! :D Now, I don't know all the "technical Rodeo terms" for all the events...so I've made up myown :P We saw the calf wrestlers, the single calf lasooers and the pairs calf lasooers (what is your first hind that I'm a retired figure skater...?), we saw the barrell racers, the rodeo clowns, the "child cowboy perotegies" perform their tricks during intermission, and -get this...- the Rodeo Cowgirl Beauty Pagent!! ha! Then we saw the buckin' horse riders and then my personal favorite...the Bull Riders! :D I seriously remember watching Bull Riding competitions on the TV with Dad when I was growing up...I dunno but I really like it...it's totoally exciting!! Pam (who took this fabulous, centered, picture of us...) also reminded me of how they get these horses and Bulls to get so angry and buck like that...poor little fellas ;)
After all that I can assure you that my desire for a horse of myown was re-established...but I can wait until I get to Africa and ride from village to village on mine ;)
So...Final conclusions? "Ya wouldn't see any a' this in Nova Scotia!!" :D