Oh Rodeo, Oh Rodeo, How art Thou Rodeo?

Last weekend Cody and I traveled with my mom and my sister Vickie and her daughter Kora to Preston, Idaho for a little family reunion and that famous Preston Night Rodeo.  We left Friday morning early and did some school shopping on the way, arriving in Preston late Friday night.  We stayed with my brother Troy and his family for both Friday and Saturday nights in their 5th wheel travel trailer. The Preston Rodeo has been known to the PRCA circuit as one of the best rodeos in the west for a long time.  It is a good hometown celebration that includes three nights of parades, rodeo, sidewalk sales, chuck wagon breakfasts, and a craft show.  Every year the Preston high school alumni get together and have their reunions this weekend, and this year it was my Dads (1966) and my brothers (1986), neither of which went.  My Dad wasn't able to make it to Preston because of his work, but Mom, Vickie and I happened to walk passed the pavilion the reunion was in and got him a book of his classmates names and addresses.  (Much to Moms embarassment.) 

On Saturday morning I went down to my Aunt Irenes home to visit.  It has been a long time since I have seen her and she seems to get shorter and shorter.  It is fun to talk to her and I was able to scan some of the pictures that she had of our ancestors and years gone by.  I was also able to get a few pictures of her family group sheets and pedigree's so that we had a copy.  It was so good to visit with my dear Aunt Irene.  She is my Dads' older sister, (there are four), and the one I'm closest to. 

This is me, Aunt Irene, Mom, and Vickie at Irenes home.

Later that afternoon we went to the Rodeo parade and had a great time in the hour long parade.  Cody got to ride in the parade with my nephew Bracken, which he loved, and we got to collect as much candy as we could stand.  We even got t-shirts, chocolate milk, Frisbee's, and of course lots of advertisements to add to our candy stash. 

Vickie and I giving Troy a kiss.  There are three kids in my family,
Troy is the oldest, then me, then Vickie. 

The three of us in a non-goofy picture.

Cody and Bracken in the parade.  Bracken works for Greenline
Equipment in Preston and he is driving a John Deere something or other. 

The Rodeo was later that night.  Saturday night is always the sold out night and we were all squished into the small spaces they called seats.  It was a good rodeo with most of the cowboys riding (and scoring) and good clown acts.  After we went to the carnival which is the same one that comes down here to St. George for the fair in a few weeks. 

The clown act, notice the saddle on the back of the plane.  That
is true Air ride.

Clowns watching the bull.

Sunday morning I got a great surprise when Troy asked if I would like to ride into Strawberry canyon on his Harley with him.  I was so excited because I have been wanting to go for a ride on his bike for a long time.  The whole experience was like flying, sitting on the back of the bike, smelling the pine trees (and other smells that the dairy's produce) and winding through the tight curves.  It was a breathtaking experience. 

This is a shot I got from the back of Troys Harley.  Mink Creek is so
beautiful this year!

Vickie going for a ride with Troy.  It is so exhilarating to ride like that! 

I think a good time was held by all last weekend.  It was good to revisit our childhood home and the places that we made our memories as children.  We shared a lot of experiences, feelings, and confessions as we drove around and  visited with family.   I'm so grateful for my family and all that they have been to me and my life.