Rodeo 4th of July..... For the past 4 years, I have gone to the rodeos in Leon and Bloomfield with Jayden. They are rodeos over the 4th of July, part of Cowboy Christmas. These two rodeos are our favorites and we go and stay for both nights. This year Jayden entered Leon on the 4th and Bloomfield on the 5th. It has been a tradition we have kept to a similar routine each time. Meet up with the Nelson family and hit Leon first then Bloomfied, see my college roommate Heidi, eat at her Cafe in the morning, and see relatives in Bloomfield. Each year is similar yet different. This year Jayden drove the entire trip hauling the big Bloomer trailer. She handles the trailer better than I do. We left home at 1:30 and had set up camp by 4. Ace had his own pen and we got the A/C up and running. Just this week, Jayden helped Tony change the oil and fuel filter in the generator after it quit running at the Lake City rodeo. Jayden ended up having to haul the trailer by herself to Des Moines at 7am one morning for repairs, the carburetor needed replaced. She is learning all the ins and out of how to maintain the trailer. Thankfully we had everything up and running for our weekend. I say this every time we take the Bloomer, it is my dream trailer, the trailer I always wished to own my whole life. It has the most amazing living quarters with awesome woodwork and all the bells and whistles. It is almost 15 years old and has minor problems, but all in all it is a great trailer. I just wish it wasn't so long. It has to be in order to have living quarters and a 3 horse, it is a bear to haul.The first night up in Leon it was just Jayden and I, we sat together and watched the rodeo together in an overcrowded bleachers until she was up. I stayed in the bleachers. I have to see it is nice when I get to stay in the bleachers while she gets her horse ready and warmed up. I stay calmer if I dont go talk to her before her run, but I still get very nervous. My friend Heidi, who lives in Leon, came and sat with me during the barrel racing. I was so nervous while Jayden was running Ace. I was worried about the gate issues, how he would run, and her keeping the barrels up. He did great, everything went fine. He ran a great run, the announcer was talking her up the whole time. He started out by saying'"Jayden is one of those girls who is very very nice."It was pretty awesome. With over 150 contestants, you have to be smoking fast, and Ace didn't have enough speed to place at a 15.15. Jayden and I were just super happy he ran good and he felt good. I got to visit with my friend Heidi and catch up on happenings with our families. She has always been a sweet friend. Jayden saw her friend Erica for awhile and after the rodeo during slack I went and sat with the locals from our area. The Nelson's, Lacina's, Jacob's, and Knutsen's that all have girls that run barrels that we see at all the rodeos and live nearby. It was fun to sit and talk with all of them. It was different not having Jayden and Morgan together. There has been a different dynamic this year, an old friend that came between them, made me sad. After watching slack through all the barrel racing, it was around 1 when we got to the camper. That was the first 4th of July in many years that I missed the Williams 4th celebrations.
Friday the 5th, we headed into town for breakfast at Heidi's little cafe, "The Ground". It is a happening little place with all the locals and those in for the weekend. Heidi strolls around greeting and visiting everyone while taking orders, cooking, and managing the waitresses. She is a whirlwind and still manages to visit briefly. She will close up shop the end of the month after 9 years. It is sad that it will no longer be our stopping place over the 4th. I was so glad we made time to go.
Once we got back to the trailer it was time to tear down, pack up and head east to Bloomfield. We set up there and got Ace situated in his pen. He was more unsettled raring in his pen and acting up. Once another trailer parked nearby and he had a companion horse, he was much better. It makes for along day of waiting around for the evening rodeo, so we decided to make the most of it and go to the swimming pool in town. It was the perfect day for it. We sat half in the water half out bathing and staying cool. It would have been fun to get a group to go and hang out, but we were happy just the two of us.
Verna Mae and Lavern came to see Jayden along with Melanie. It was terrible hot and we felt so bad for them coming to watch even when we knew Jayden would be up in slack. Melanie had never seen a rodeo, not even on television. Explaining events and watching her face, I think she was in shock and awe. We are pretty sure she thinks we are insane. She saw a guy get hurt on a bucking horse and walked off likely with a broken arm. Verna Mae told us she wasn't going to miss it. It was long and hot for them sitting on hard bleacher seats. I gave them my back stadium seats to help. When the main rodeo was over I convinced Verna Mae it was ok to go on home and Lavern stayed to watch (they had two vehicles). Jayden also had a "fan" show up to watch her. She didnt know the guy, but he had bought a Rocking J hat and t short from her line. He wore both to the rodeo! It was both funny and awkward. I was laughing that this guy was such a fan he wore her brand and came to watch, yet it was awkward for her because it was obvious he was not her type.
Finally in slack, Jayden ran Ace and had a good run, 13.546. Happy he did his job and kept all barrels up. It was late, we were hot, took quick showers and went to bed in the trailer. The next morning we headed home. For many others they travel on to the next town and keep going for a 10 day rodeo run. This was enough for us and Ace can't handle running more than two days in a row. Another year, another memory.
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