Oopsy-Daisy!

We spent a long time over this past weekend doing an assortment of things. And wouldn't you know, I didn't get my camera OUT of the van. "Oopsy-daisy!" Thursday night, we drove to Bend. Friday morning we got up and drove to Pendleton. Saturday Pops and Blossom went to the Oregon State vs. Cincinnati football game in Corvallis, while Bud, Branch and I went to "Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs" at the theatre.

I think I missed too many photo opportunities to believe. However, the one that is burned in my retinas is a picture of Pops walking in his black jacket, holding Blossom's right hand while she's wearing an orange hooded jacket and taking about 6 tiny steps for each of his "normal" monster strides. They are headed toward a bunch of OSU fans at the stadium. Pops is 6' 3" tall. Blossom is a mere 3' 4" - how cute is that!?! She turns her head up adoringly at her daddy as they head off for some fun time together - just the two of them! Then I turned the van on and drove off in hunt of a movie theatre before I drowned in a sea of tears.

On not such a sappy note...

We spent last Friday at the Pendleton Round-Up in Pendleton, Oregon. We planned to attend the Westward Ho! Parade in the morning, but ran behind and missed that. However, we did get there in plenty of time to go to the rodeo. I didn't bring the camera out of the van for a few reasons. First, my back has been bothering me and adding even just a couple pounds to carry around means a fair amount of discomfort. We had to park several blocks away from the main area and walking with extra weight... yea, no, thanks! Second, we were headed to a bunch of bleachers and I figured that we would be up higher in the stands since we had not pre-purchased our tickets... So, I didn't want to be on constant high alert for some treekid knocking my camera bag off the bleacher so that it could careen to the ground. Third, and finally, we were going to a rodeo. I have a lot of rodeo pictures. I figured this rodeo would be similar to every other rodeo we've attended. So, why go through the other two issues to get pictures of something I've "been there and done that" over? Right?!?!

WRONG!

The Pendleton Round-Up is WAY different then any other rodeo I've ever been to. First, the arena was a combination of both turf and dirt. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to be thrown from a wild beast EVER, let alone onto some hard turf! Give 'em the fluffed up dirt to break the fall!

I kept thinking that the arena looked more like a high school football/track field than a rodeo arena! It wasn't long before the rodeo announcer confirmed my suspicions! (Good luck Pendleton Buckaroos vs. Crook County on Friday Oct. 2... hope the horse and cattle poopie is all gone by then!! OH, AND I hope that you have a different practice field!!)

I would like to share pictures of all the "different" things that go on at the Pendleton Round-Up as opposed to any other rodeo, but I don't have them, so I'll just have to go again next year and YOU will have to keep reading for another year just to see Pendleton through my eyes!

Only one picture that I took in Pendleton... after we were loaded up in the van and driving away from all the fun - on the side of one of the walls of the stadium!!