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One for the $, Two for the Show, Three to Get Ready, Four – Let’s RODEO!

First and foremost, I feel the need to apologize for not getting this blog posted sooner, but unfortunately that’s what happens during these hectic rodeo months! Bare with me as I combine two action packed rodeo weekends into one blog!

 

From one end of my “home turf” to the other with Checotah’s rodeo two weekends back and Okmulgee’s rodeo the following, I enjoyed the familiar faces and places of my recent travels. With the Duvall’s home located in the small town of Hitchita, Oklahoma, we are approximately 15 minutes west of Checotah and 15 east of Okmulgee but in the center of some great rodeo action! The annual Muscogee Creek Nation Festival Rodeo is a recent addition to the International Professional Rodeo Association and I was thrilled to help in the promotion as well as the two performances. Wendell Ratchford of Wild Horse Rodeo Productions put on a fantastic show for the spectators enjoying our traditional sport.

 

Friday nights performance got underway just as the heat of the day began to slowly decrease and the crowds built up. Proudly carrying the IPRA flag in grand entry around the beautiful girls of the Rodeo Sweetheart’s drill team was a great way to kick off the show. I was thrilled to be asked to drive out steers and calves during the performance, therefore I remained horseback most of the evening and loving the extra involvement in the rodeo! A BIG thanks for Calvin Ivey of Wild Horse Rodeo Productions for the use of his amazing horses throughout the past two weekends. It makes for a laid-back smooth-going rodeo when you have a capable and easy-tempered horse under you! The rodeo came to a close with the sounds of R&B singer, Brandi singing at the local fair and carnival. Saturday evening was slightly warmer but the attendance was fantastic as Monty Stueve, our rodeo announcer’s voice filled the air to signal the start of the show. As always, I was truly impressed by the incredible talent that lies within the stock provided by Wendell as well as the IPRA competitors. It was a tough pen of athletes that made for a world class performance! The show wrapped up and we all enjoyed the sounds of Joe Diffie on one of the most beautiful Oklahoma nights I’ve seen yet. Thank you to the Okmulgee Rodeo committee for allowing me the privilege to participate in your event and making wonderful memories to boot!

 

Less the 24 hours later, I was on the road to Pauls Valley, Oklahoma for the annual Pauls Valley Round-Up Club IPRA Rodeo. With my beautiful red Ford from Seth Wadley Ford loaded to the max we made our way south to begin a week long stay in Garvin County. Immediately, I was greeted by Jerry and Lily Norton who handle much of the rodeo responsibilities as well as the queen contest. We hit the ground running full speed on Monday morning with radio interviews and sponsor visits that lasted much of the first three days. I enjoyed driving around with Jerry and the queen contestants as we made our way through an incredible list of rodeo contributors. We may have burned through quite a bit of diesel but we were laughing with every mile traveled! Thursday brought the first of three days I would be spending with the crew from KIX 106, the local radio station, for remotes and various appearances. Sherry, Lisa, Teddy, Martha, Ken and I had a blast ‘cutting up’ with one another, teaching me Oklahoma slang, doing our best not to laugh while on the air, and meeting the crowds of people who followed us to our locations.

 

As always, rodeo time arrives before I know it and Thursday night brought the first performance as well as the crowning of the Pauls Valley Rodeo Queen! All dolled up and ready to go, we kicked off the show with a beautiful opening ceremony. Shortly after setting down my flag, I was dismounting Calvin’s horse and saddling up in my Seth Wadley Ford pickup to drive in the awards for the queen candidates. Congratulations to Challen Bailey on becoming the 2009 Queen! I’m so proud of you and I know you will represent them well! The rest of the evening was filled with autographs, concession stand runs, and frequent trips to the Kayak stand for their promotional fans they pass out during the hot rodeos! Those girls are a lifesaver when I’m melting in the heat! Soon the line of cars inching down the drive signaled the rodeo had ended and it was time to turn in for an early start tomorrow.

 

Friday brought many more radio remotes around Pauls Valley and beyond with the KIXO gang that led up to the second performance of the rodeo. With just enough time to run home and throw on my most breathable arena outfit, considering the 104 degree weather, I went flying down the road to the rodeo grounds. With grand entry and the national anthem behind us, it was time to walk the stands and meet new fans! It was an incredible experience to visit with nearly 250 people from across the US who were in town for a conference with the Academy for the Deaf. From Connecticut to California, New Jersey to Pennsylvania, the students taught me new signs while I shared my rodeo knowledge to these first time spectators. With a couple hundred autographs signed and dozens of photos taken in one evening, our night came to a close and I enjoyed as much of the 5 hour night sleep I was provided before Saturday arrived!

 

The final day in Pauls Valley brought the final remotes scheduled by KIXO, the downtown parade, and our final rodeo performance. Thank you again to the crew of KIX 106 for the entertainment and support you provided throughout our time together. After lunch with the radio gang, it was a quick change and off we go through the streets of Pauls Valley to invite the smiling faces of the parade-goers out to the rodeo! No time was wasted from dismounting Calvin’s horse, Blue to another record breaking clothing change and back in the arena for our final and best yet, performance. Thank you to Lisa Lance for not only her hospitality as my host family but for taking amazing pictures that are posted in the June Cont. album. It was a gorgeous night filled with excited fans and great rodeo action. As it all came to a close, I said my goodbyes to new friends that I hope I will see again down the road. I met some amazing people from the community of Pauls Valley that I won’t soon forget. Thank you to everyone involved with the Pauls Valley Rodeo, especially Jerry and Lily Norton for your kindness and welcoming attitudes. My memories of my visit will last me a lifetime!

 

I may be back at the Duvall’s for a short while but Thursday puts be back on the wide open road as I head east to Caraway, Arkansas for the 4^th of July! I can’t wait to see what awaits me on my next adventure! Stay tuned and God bless!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU TONS! :)

A New Settler Joins the Old Settler's Day Festivities!

Lately it seems like I’m jet-setting or long-haulin’ great distances to reach my destinations but this past weekend was a change of pace. Old Settler’s Day Rodeo of Checotah, Oklahoma is a mere 15 minutes from my front step to the arena entrance and I welcomed the quick trip!

 

This weekend has had quite the build-up because Tom and Amy Duvall’s daughter, Hayden was competing in the Checotah Round-Up Club Sweetheart pageant. While we’ve been preparing for our weekend for two weeks, our events didn’t begin until Thursday afternoon with horsemanship practice for the girls and a relaxing pizza party at Pizza Hut. The girls had the chance to meet with other competitors and enjoy some judge-free fun before Friday hit and the pageant truly began.

 

Friday morning brought rain, thunder, lightening and wind to our area of McIntosh County as we hurried to get ready for the Queen’s Luncheon held that afternoon. It was quite a change to share the bathroom while hot rolling my hair with Hayden busily getting dolled-up herself! (Maybe that’s where all our fight pictures began – see June photo album!) Amy, Hayden, Nathan, myself, and Amy’s mom, Rosetta all piled into the car and headed to town before the storm hit too hard. We may have outrun the rain but there is no beating the humidity! I’m learning quickly what that can do to queen hair! We all enjoyed a delicious meal and the presentation of the outgoing queen, Lacey Glover as well as a quick hello from myself and awards and door prizes throughout the function.

 

It wasn’t long before it was time to rush home and change for the first performance of the Old Settler’s Day Rodeo. Doing my best to salvage my wilting hair and redoing my melted make-up was quite the task but we were loaded up and headed out looking as fresh as daisies! Pulling into the Checotah Round-Up Club Arena was a welcoming sight of trailers and spectators awaiting the big show. Saddled up on Peanut Butter, Tom’s hazing horse (and no, he didn’t name him!), the queen contestants and I warmed up and geared up for the grand entry. A big thanks to Tom for the use of his horses as well as Kevin and Gina Hampton for allowing me to use Dunny to carry the American flag during the opening ceremonies. The contestants and I didn’t slow down after dismounting our horses. From throwing out t-shirts and signing autographs to helping the clown act and enjoying a sno-cone or two, I kept myself moving (mainly to get a little breeze going to cool down!). As the rodeo came to a close for the night, the Duvall’s and I headed home to wind down from the day and begin a new hectic schedule for Saturday.

 

Old Settler’s Day festivities includes fun activities for the family that are set up during a downtown street fair that began Saturday morning. Kids can enjoy turtle races, street dancing, face painting, tractor pulls and they even have some games for the adults, like tobacco spitting and cow patty toss! Upon arriving, I was quickly thrown in the make-shift jail and was forced to wait it out until someone would pay my dollar bail. After bustin’ out, around the fair I went! From the tractor display and the antique car show to shopping at various venders and dancing with the visiting clog group, I had a great time! The event was a first of its kind for me this year and I truly enjoyed the people as well as the exciting activities. With parade time just around the corner, Tom saddled up Hayden’s horse, Ranger and we were off and going. The route was a short but featured very enthusiastic spectators that made sweating in the heat all worth while!

 

Once again, we ran home (a HUGE benefit of a near-by rodeo!) and changed for the final performance of the Old Settler’s Day Rodeo. This time saddled up on Tom’s bulldogging horse, Doc we were warmed up and ready as announcers Danny Newland and Garrett Yerigan began the show. Everything went smoothly through the various run-ins and flag laps – who knew a bulldogging horse could make such a great queen horse! Watch out Tom, I’m going to convert him over before you know it! With the announcement of the royalty for the Checotah Round-Up Club, I was thrilled to hear Hayden won 1^st Runner-up and a very special volunteerism award for her terrific attitude throughout the pageant! Way to go cowgirl, I’m so proud of you!

 

The rodeo came to a close on the final night with great attendance and a pleased crowd. I was excited to be apart of this years Old Settler’s Day Rodeo and to meet all the fantastic people who bring it all together. Thank you to Frankie, Trish and Sweetie for their commitment to the queen pageant and their tremendous kindness toward this newcomer! It was great to meet you all and thank you for allowing me to make fun memories of my time in Checotah! Congratulations to all the royalty and contestants, awesome job girls!

 

As another quick side note – Before my weekend in Checotah, I headed south to Pauls Valley, Oklahoma to pick up a beautiful new Ford F250 Super Duty from Seth Wadley Ford. A mere thank-you is not enough to balance their incredible generosity for sponsoring me through the remainder of my year as Miss Rodeo USA. I will have pictures of my beautiful red truck on the internet shortly as well as additional information on their much appreciated sponsorship.

The following day, I was on the road in my new ride headed to Duncan, Oklahoma for the Miss Oklahoma High School Rodeo pageant. Morgan Roberts, a good friend I met in Owasso a few weeks back was competing for the title. I’m thrilled to say that she won the crown and will be headed to nationals in July! Yay Morgan! Go get ‘em girl! Congrats!

 

NOTE: My photos of my weekend in Checotah are posted but I’m having some difficulties getting them to stay in order of events! Hang tight and I’ll keep trying! Thanks!

"Where the heck is Altenburg?"

One t-shirt sported on a young lady at the Perry County Community Rodeo summed up my thoughts as I began my trip up to central eastern Missouri to the small town of Altenburg. Who would have guessed a small town of approximately 300 people could produce a wonderful rodeo for the county to enjoy and visitors to remember.

 

My trip began Wednesday morning with a spell of bad luck. Running joyfully on time, I flew down the dirt drive of the Duvall’s only to realize my dash was lit up with a symbol I, of course didn’t recognize. My Jeep, lovingly named Freddy by Katie and Allie Lance, had a flat! Driving as carefully as possible, I headed back up the drive to have Amy rush me to the airport in Tulsa, making it to my gate as is began boarding. Upon landing in Saint Louis, I was escorted by Dave Erzfeld, rodeo committeeman, to the beautiful town of Perryville. I was thrilled to meet my host family, the Huber’s who made me welcome from the moment I walked through their front door. Joe, Cindy, MaKayla and Grant Huber generously host the queen each year and I was thankful I was granted the opportunity to meet this family. They went above and beyond throughout the weekend and I can’t stress enough how appreciated it was!

 

Thursday was sponsor day! Dave and I tooled around in a zippy little red car donated by Jay’s Automotives to various stops in and around the town of Perryville and Altenburg. I had a great time meeting many of the sponsors who are helping to keep this rodeo alive and well in the county. After making the rounds and arriving back at the Huber residence, it was time for a tour of the area! It truly amazes me to visit new places and I believe in taking in every moment of the adventure and I was not disappointed. We toured the stunning

Missouri countryside and headed east into Illinois for a quick visit to Popeye and my first glimpse of the mighty Mississippi River! While I would get the chance later in the weekend to splash my hands in the water, I was excited to see such a distant piece of nature for this Washingtonian!

As it seems to always do, morning came too quickly on Friday but the gorgeous views of rolling fields outside the window of the Huber’s country home were a pleasant sight to begin my day. And what a day it was! Dave and I wrapped up our sponsor visits and then it was rodeo time in Altenburg. Before long the arena was full of muttin busters and calf scramble hopefuls to kick off the show. When it came time to saddle up, a BIG thanks goes out to Erin Watts and Tonya Crites for the use of their wonderful horses for both evenings. I was honored to carry sponsor flags for the events and a night on horseback flew by quickly. After signing autographs, inhaling a cheeseburger and listening to a local band perform, I was home in bed ready to refresh for the following day.

 

How many people can say they’ve visited the smallest national park? I HAVE! Dave and his wife, Trish along with their daughter, Kaycee took me to Tower Rock. The limestone island cut away by the  Mississippi River was a fun and unique addition to our tour stops! After our island expedition, we were once again at the rodeo grounds for the final performance and a good time for all who joined us. We were blessed with fantastic weather all weekend and we counted our blessing frequently! Saturday night wrapped up with another local band and socializing with new friends.

On only my fifth day in Perryville, I felt at home enough to be saddened to leave. Luckily, Dave made my final tour stop request at the great Gateway to the West. I was thrilled to witness the Arch of Saint Louis and even take the if-y ride to the top! I cannot thank the Huber family, the Erzfeld family and the committee of the Perry County Community Rodeo enough for their hospitality and kindness. What a weekend to remember, THANK YOU ALL!!

 

Before I sign off, I have to send out a GOOD LUCK to Morgan Roberts of Collinsville, OK who will be competing for Miss Oklahoma High School Rodeo this week in Duncan, OK. Best of luck girl! Until next time, God Bless!

Sweet, Sweet Summertime!

Summer is here and the sun is shining in Oklahoma. So, what do I do? I head north to make sure Washington is getting its share of the rays! May 20^th brought me a day of travel to the great Northwest to visit family and friends. While I seem to always have some adventure when flying, my trip was mildly uneventful (minus the 2 hour delay straight out of Tulsa – I could’ve slept in longer!). By the way, I’d say I’m getting pretty good at packing when my suitcases weigh in at 48 and 51 pounds! J

 

I arrived at home with ten days to relax, kick back and catch up with those I’ve been missing! My stay was truly enjoyable with Washington State High School Rodeo Finals events, trail rides in the hills, meals with good friends, and catching up on my Z’s. Tough life, huh? Don’t worry, I managed to fit work in there somehow! The day before I left, I headed West over the Cascade Mountains to Federal Way, Wash. where my older sister, Jessica teaches kindergarten at a local elementary school. I was thrilled to be her special guest for a presentation in front of 50 kindergarteners. We had too much fun identifying props (rope, bit, spurs, etc.), roping my beautiful assistant (my sis!), and answering fun questions. Thank you to Lake Grove Elementary for allowing me to visit and enjoy your students!

 

With a close-knit family like mine, it is difficult to be so far away but unexpected trips home like this one helps tremendously! I seem to be filling my open weekends with jet-setting to the Northwest but now my open weekends are nearly a thing of the past. We are kickin’ it in high gear for rodeo season!

 

For now, I’m back in Oklahoma enjoying the sunshine, heat and spending time with the Duvall family. The past few days have been wonderful! From the rodeo in Fort Smith, Arkansas to swimming in the pool, I’ve had a great time with the family and can only imagine what our summer holds! Currently, it’s time to relax and regroup before I fly northeast to Altenburg, Missouri on Wednesday. I’ve heard such wonderful comments about their rodeo and committee, I can’t hardly wait! Until next time, take care!

Can I Interest You in a Pryor Mud Pie, Anyone?

Just call me the rain maker! It truly seems as if wherever I end up, the rain follows but as one wise first-grader told me, “We need it pretty bad.” Oklahoma is getting its share of rain thanks to this girl and the town of Pryor, Oklahoma was no different this past weekend! My trip up north began in the early morning hours to get me to Tulsa for an 8am interview with Fox 23 Tulsa news station. After doing battle with morning traffic, I arrived at the station to meet Jami Daniels (Pryor Queen Director), her daughter and princess contestant, Chenoah, along with Hannah Ayers (Queen Contestant), and Raegen Theys (Queen Contestant). Raegen joined me in our quick interview and helped give away free tickets to those calling in. It was over before we knew it and we were loaded up and headed to our first of three school visits in Pryor.

 

I enjoyed having the queen contestants with me as we greeted the school kids and went through my rodeo/platform presentation. While it may have been three different school, we did multiple presentations in each as well as gave free tickets to all the kids! They got out of class AND got free rodeo tickets, that would have been a good day at school in my book! Friday afternoon brought us making the rounds to meet many of the generous rodeo sponsors around the town of Pryor. I would like to express a big thank you to Roberts Auto Center for providing me a beautiful new Chevrolet for the weekend. It was a pleasure to cruise around in as well as tow the queens in! We were ridin’ in style!

Friday night rodeo came upon us quickly and we were all frantic to get ready for the performance and the big crowning moment for the Sweetheart, Princess, and Queen contestants for the Pryor 4-Way Rodeo. I quickly saddled up on a beautiful dun horse, appropriately named Dunny, owned by the Hampton Rodeo Company. Thank you to them for not only loaning him for Friday night but allowing me to steal another one of their horses for Saturday night. Once I was well mounted and flag in hand, it was time to roll! Grand entry, then the National Anthem, then it was time for the butterflies as the girls filed into the arena to hear the announcements. I quickly hopped off my horse and was on the ground ready to crown. Congratulations to Kylee (Sweetheart), Chenoah (Princess), and Raegen (Queen)! You will all do wonderful this year!

 

As the rodeo continued on smoothly, Jami Daniels and I kicked back a minute to complain about the muggy heat. As quickly as we could spit out a comment, the wind picked up and brought in a biting cold breeze along with sprinkles of rain. I’ve never seen a storm come on so quickly! Less than five minutes later, the rain was coming down in sheets and the bull riders were still waiting their turns. The stands cleared out quickly and I made a mad dash for the concessions stand (I know where to go when there is danger!).  I’m so thankful for a helpful rodeo volunteer grabbing the keys to my pick up and bringing it as close as he could to the front door, unfortunately 10 seconds outside left you drenched! Soon I was back at my hotel room and crashing to prepare for the next full day!

 

We woke up to Saturday slack in a VERY muddy soupy arena. There to serve biscuits and gravy to the early morning contestants, we all enjoyed getting away to watch the steer wrestling in the foot-deep mud mess as well as tie-down roping. Now is the time they might be wishing they had been team ropers! J The afternoon was very laid back and brought us time to rest up for the big night and we needed it! We had a full evening of trekking through a thick arena and praying for no more rain. Grand entry went smoothly and I couldn’t resist splashing in the mud puddles on my already-covered-in-mud horse! Sorry Hamptons, I think I owe you a horse wash next time around! As much as I tried to stay clean during the opening ceremonies of the rodeo, all was lost by calf scramble time. We all made our way out to the middle of the arena and when the announcer said, “Ready, set, GO!” He may as well said, “FREEZE!” because no one moved an inch because they were all stuck! Needless to say, we had winners but no one came out clean and not all came out with both shoes on! The sacrifices kids make for five bucks! The rodeo wrapped up and we all enjoyed coming down from a busy weekend to the live music of Colt 45. I even got roped into dancing before I left but he found out quick that this girl has two left feet!

 

THANK YOU to the Pryor 4-Way Rodeo committee! I had an amazing time in your town and felt truly welcomed into your community. I appreciate your hospitality and kindness. A BIG thanks to Jami Daniels for all the laughs and some fun memories! Congratulations to all the royalty contestants and we may be seeing you on the rodeo trail! Not long after arriving back in Henryetta was I on the move once again…this time up to the Northwest. I had a bit of down time and I decided I would go see family and friends at home as well as get my fill of my Washington mountains! I’ll be back in the Sooner State shortly but until then, time to kick back and relax! Until next time, God bless!

Mud and Moisture Can't Stop a Herd of Zebras!

Rain, Rain, Go Away! It seems to be following me wherever I go these days! This past weekend I spent my time in Owasso, Oklahoma for the Owasso Round-Up Club (ORUC) IPRA Rodeo and queen pageant. My weekend began at 4am on Friday morning to get me ready and on the road to make breakfast with the princess, teen and queen contestants as well as a morning radio interview via cell phone on my way into town. A dozen young ladies competed for the three titles and they were all beautiful and well qualified! I had a great time getting to know each one of them and participating in many of their activities. After we all had our fill of IHOP, we loaded into a caravan of vehicles to hit the trail to visit numerous generous sponsors of the ORUC. Before long, we were sitting down to yet another filling meal and then released to get ready for the evening rodeo.

 

The weather had been warm, muggy and full of hair-do-killing-moisture but I was thankful that by the time performance time rolled around, we were all looking our best and the storm broke. We were blessed with a beautiful evening, although a very goopy, soupy arena. I was honored to set grand entry pivots, lead grand entry, carry the American flag as well as granted a queen run to boot! Thank you to the ORUC for recognizing me so thoroughly, I appreciate your support! On top of the constant spotlight, I was given a wonderful horse provided by Marilyn Hardacre’s, ORUC Queen Coordinator, granddaughter, Lexy.  Thank you to them for loaning me Mama for the weekend, she did well in the arena and was the perfect queen horse!

 

The night was a late one with the performance wrapping up around 10:30pm and slack to follow. Luckily, I was able to get to bed early enough to catch some sleep before my alarm brought me out of a deep slumber for the Saturday morning parade. Throughout the weekend, Kent’s Custom Cars and Trucks of Owasso generously loaned a truck to the club to haul around the beautiful horse trailer given to the queen for the year and I was thrilled to hop on the bed of the truck for the parade. My chauffer, Porky kept the morning entertaining with his jokes, choice of tunes, and slamming on the brakes right when I let go of my handles!

 

The contestants are not only judged on standard categories such as personality, interview and horsemanship but they take into account their performance in Friday night’s grand entry as well as the parade. Once they had finished the route, the pressure was off and they were free to enjoy our upcoming sponsor visits and a BBQ lunch. Our next pit stop was at the stockyards in Owasso where I was surprised to learn that I was a volunteer auctioneer who would sell off the first goat of that day’s sale! The poor auctioneer thought I wasn’t serious about following through with the dare but I was ready to steal that mic as soon as we began the sale. He let me watch a few examples but a whole lot of good that did! I couldn’t see any of the hands going up, nor could I understand a single word coming out of his mouth! Soon it was my turn and they brought in the CUTEST brown baby goat that was no bigger than a small puppy. I started the sale by saying “SOLD – To me because I’m taking it home instead!” We had a ton of fun and they slowed it WAY down and raised their hands extra high for this beginner but I think everyone enjoyed the unique change in their routine.

 

Lunch flew by and the rest of the afternoon was dedicated to tallying scores for the final results of the princess, teen and queen contests. The girls all did so well and I was truly impressed with their maturity and poise. I hope some of them consider coming to Miss Rodeo USA in a few years! After a few hours of paperwork, we had our results and were off once again to prepare for the final performance of the rodeo and the crowning moment.

The day had been a cool one and lacking moisture so thankfully the arena had dried out just a bit but we were still in need of our wonderful gifted zebra-print mud boots provided by the ORUC pageant staff. How cute they were, plus very useful! You haven't seen rodeo queens at their best until you've see a herd of them in bright colors and matching mud boots treking through the rodeo grounds! The opening went as the previous night’s had but after steer wrestling, I loaded onto the John Deere Gator to enter the arena and help with the crowning. Congratulations to Princess Emma, Teen Hailey, and Queen Jennifer for their accomplishments! After the new title holders received their awards, we were all coming down fast. It had been a hectic two days and we were all pretty wore out! I barely made it to my bed before I was out like a light and attempting to reenergize from our weekend.

 

Thank you to Marilyn Hardacre for sponsoring my visit to Owasso as well as opening your home to me for a couple days. I enjoyed getting to know you, Larry and the rest of your family. Lexy, thank you for the great horse to ride and Morgan, thank you for being such a good ‘chaperone’! Thank you also to Porky (aka: Piglet) Dana, Maddy, Austin, and Walker for all your help this past week! I look forward to my next visit to Owasso and seeing all the new friends I’ve made. Thank you all for a wonderful weekend and now it is two days of R&R before hitting the road to Pryor for their 70^th Annual IPRA Rodeo! Weather, PLEASE cooperate this weekend for a change! Keep your fingers crossed and think positive thoughts! Until next time, God bless!

Sadly, One Point For Mother Nature

What a week it’s been in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma where I was promoting a local bull riding competition, Thunder in the Valley! From eighty degrees with humidity and lightening storms to cool temperatures and buckets of rain, we experienced it all. I drove in on Monday afternoon and began immediately by picking up a beautiful sponsored Ford F250 Super Duty graciously handed over by Seth Wadley Ford of Pauls Valley. Loaded up and looking good in this gorgeous vehicle, I headed out to meet former Miss Rodeo USA, Lisa Watson-Lance and her family. A BIG thank you to her and her family, David, Katie and Allie for letting me barge into their home for over a week and above all, making me feel like part of the family!

Tuesday brought morning radio interviews, school visits and an evening fundraiser of Chance to Dance with Miss Rodeo USA. The day was exciting, fast-paced and I truly enjoyed getting to know my guide, Lora Scoggins of Seth Wadley Ford and the Pauls Valley Rotary Club President. We even managed to fit in some great BBQ and a bit of shopping, I’d say we got along well! While we were able to visit a few schools while I was in Augusta, Georgia last week because of conflict with state testing, we managed to hit nearly every school in and around PaulsValley. We visited nine schools in just four days! I had a wonderful time meeting the kids and getting them excited about the upcoming bull riding! The kids are so fun and their questions never fail to surprise me. Some of my personal favorites:

“Is your crown real diamonds?”

“Do you always have to wear a cowboy hat?...Even to bed?”

“Do you ride bulls?”

After talking about sports I participated in as a kid, “Have you ever been hit in the face with a soccer ball?

And the one that takes the cake – A kindergartener asked, “Have you ever roped a camel?”

 

On a rainy Wednesday, my guide, Bonnie Vorhies and I set out to complete my schedule of school presentations and sponsor visits. We didn’t count on the pouring rain, thunder and lightning that made our day slightly difficult! You try keeping your hair looking good in a 24-hour downpour! :) Regardless, Bonnie and I had fun dodging the rain and cruising around town! Thursday brought more sunshine and less precipitation, thankfully! Josh Kraft was my guide for the day and we had a wonderful time visiting some of the tourist attractions in Pauls Valley. We toured the Toy & Action Figure Museum as well as a local chocolate factory that made treats to die for! That’s my kind of day! Friday was the wrap up of school presentations with Windy Lattin and Lisa Lance as my guides. I also was able to attend the local Rotary Club meeting where I was honored with a chance to speak to a friendly group of Rotarians who participate in holding Thunder in the Valley each year.

 

I had four days of hard work promoting a great event that seemed truly promising in its attendance, but now it was time to play! David and Lisa’s daughters, Katie and Allie invited many of their friends to join them at the re-opening of their hometown movie theatre where they were playing Hannah Montana the Movie.  Thirty or so elementary school kids filed into this theatre and were filled with energy on a Friday night! We all had a fantastic time during the movie and the girl’s weren’t shy about hopping up and dancing and singing along to the many songs throughout the movie. I even joined in a time or two! However, I still need to work on my Hoedown Throw-Down!

 

I woke up a few hours before my alarm Saturday morning, the day of the event, to booming thunder and pounding rain. It was only a few hours later that Thunder in the Valley was rescheduled for two weeks from now, to May 16th. With the rodeo grounds nearly underwater, the rain had made the event impossible to hold. While I was disappointed in the cancellation, I still enjoyed every minute of my busy week here in PaulsValley. I hope to return for their rescheduled event but I’ll have to play that one by ear! I’ll be here for the next few days promoting a bull riding in Ada, Oklahoma for next weekend then its up north once again for the 25^th Annual Owasso Round-up Club IPRA Championship Rodeo! I’m off to hit the hay! Good night all and God Bless!

Peaches, Grits & Red Clay...I've Got Georgia On My Mind

Tonight I may be getting ready to hit the hay in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma but I have yet to share my adventures of my trip south to Evans, Georgia with you all. Less than 48 hours ago I returned home from a truly incredible trip to the beautiful state of Georgia to attend a spectacular rodeo. All rodeos are enjoyable but the cause was unique and memorable. The rodeo benefited the Southeastern Firefighters Burn Foundation which provides living accommodations for families of patients in the Burn Unit at Doctors Hospital in Augusta, Georgia. It was an honor to meet all the wonderful people involved in the foundation as well as those who step up and join the rodeo committee to put on such a great show!

Thankfully my flights went smoothly coming into Augusta (minus the fact that we were delayed an hour in Atlantabecause they over-fueled the plane…can anyone explain that one to me?), but the committee came to greet me as well as bring along a local TV station to record my arrival. I had a wonderful time getting to know the small, but very efficient committee of the 5^th Annual Rodeo Nights, David & Wendy, Jamie, Sherry, Larry, Angel, Dawn and the many volunteers that work so hard.

Monday morning came early and brought many exciting events from sponsor visits to school presentations, they kept me on my feet but smiling none the less! I was privileged to visit the Burn Unit a multitude of times to meet some of the patients and staff. It gives you a wonderful feeling to brighten someone’s day with a visit as well as to see first hand the type of situations some families find themselves in if a loved one gets injured in a burn related accident. I enjoyed tooling around the city of Augusta and Evans with my lovely chaperone, Jamie (people were calling us Jamie Squared all week!). I truly appreciate her taking time to cart me around from place to place as well as opening up her home for the week. Also, a big thank you to David, Wendy, and Matt for allowing me to spend a few nights at their place in the beginning of the week (especially to Wendy for my first taste of southern grits for breakfast!).

 

Our week building up to the rodeo weekend was hectic but some key events I want to share were exciting first’s for me! Jamie and I visited the Martinez-Columbia Fire Station where they cooked us a fine lunch, let me slide down the fire pole AND took us 100 ft above ground in the bucket of the fire truck! David and Wendy also took me to enjoy my first breakfast at a Huddle House restaurant as well as Jamie treated me to a meal at a Waffle House. While I know many of my family back in Washington won’t recognize those two establishments, I have to tell you that there is one on every corner and in every little town in the mid-west and the south! I also visited my first Cracker Barrel restaurant and if David, the committee chairman, hadn’t backed out, I may have tried alligator tail! Next time David! I even got to fly in a helicopter over the city courtesy of AirMed! How fun that was, you just didn’t want to see my headphone-hair afterward!

We spend the week building up the rodeo and it was far from a let down! They put on quite a show for Friday and Saturday night! Everything went smoothly and the attendance was fantastic! We even had standing room only for the second night! It felt wonderful to see much of our advertising throughout the week pay off in a BIG way! Thank you to Cross Creek Rodeo Company, Ed and Vana Doolittle for all their help this week as well as their hospitality! I also truly appreciate Jamie and Valen Cook for the use of their spirited horse! He was fun and loved to put on a show but I enjoyed every minute of him!

My time in Georgia was a unique and unforgettable experience and I can’t say enough good comments about the committee and the Burn Foundation for their kindness. I hope I will make it back soon to come visit, a week seemed too short! Thank you to David and Wendy, Jamie, and all of those who made my trip and experience what it was. I’ve visited new places, learned true southern lingo, developed a bit of a accent (according to my mom!) and walked away with some special friends.

 

As I mentioned before, I’m now in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma for the Thunder in the Valley Bull Riding competition and I’m looking forward to my next adventures! Also, just a side note – my camera died in Georgia and pictures will be coming soon! Thank you all for being patient! Signing off for now!

April Showers & Muskogee Flowers

It was spring time in Muskogee, Oklahoma this past weekend where visitors and residents celebrated their annual Azalea Festival. My weekend started a bit early with guest speaking at Dr. David Jones’ rotary group on Thursday afternoon. I did my best to entertain the group and as always, I enjoyed a round of fun unique questions after my presentation. Thank you to Dr. Jones as well as Kathy Roth, videographer for providing me a short clip from the pageant as a visual aid. It was my second trip to the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame where the rotary group is located but thankfully this trip was accompanied by sunshine instead of pouring rain like a few weeks ago! Thank you to the Rotarians of Muskogee for allowing me to speak and a wonderful meal to boot!

Friday brought dark heavy rain clouds that seemed to hover over our area but regardless, I ventured Northeast back to the town of Muskogee to officially begin my festival celebration. I was thrilled to be able to tour the Honor Heights city park with a very knowledgeable tour guide, Dr. Jones! While I was told the azaleas had reached their peak the previous weekend, it seemed as if the rain was bringing out the brightest and boldest colors of the season. It was truly beautiful and put me in spring fever!

That evening, I attended the Jones’ annual azalea party along with many of their closest friends. It was a pleasure to meet everyone and mingle with their friends but I must say the highlight was the dynamic food of Dr. Jones’ wife, Debra. I migrated to the food table more than a few times to sample the fruit and chocolate dip, chips and salsa, carrot cake, deviled eggs and more. Great food and good people made for a delightful evening at the Jones’. A big thank you to them for opening their home to me for the night and treating me so extremely well…Especially Debra for her heavenly vanilla lattes early in the morning!

 

It wasn’t long before I was out the door Saturday morning and heading to downtown Muskogee for the big parade. Many of the parades I’ve participated in the past have been full of rodeo royalty, whereas this parade featured only one cowboy hat…and it happened to be white with a tiara on top. The crowd seemed to truly enjoy the event and I was delighted to see them in return! My experience wouldn’t have been complete without the help of John Griffin of Griffin Food Company as my very capable chauffer in his green convertible. There were a few moments I thought I might fly out the back during some stops and starts but what else to you expect when you have the mile long entries of Shriners ahead of you riding anything from go-carts to horses!

After the parade I spent some time signing autographs and taste-testing chili at the Griffin Food Company booth at the chili cook-off. There many have been dozens of types of chili but by far the best was that of Griffin’s, which I smelled while signing tear sheets for a couple hours and resisted the urge to chow down! My theory - You start spelling your name wrong and you are due in for some delicious food! I was thrilled to be apart of the festivities and meet many of the people who call Muskogee home as well as the great people of Griffin Foods.

Thank you to the Jones’ and John Griffin for their hospitality and generosity. I had a wonderful weekend in Muskogee and you can see for yourself in the April photo album. Thank you Dr. Jones for the great photos you caught throughout the day! I should be hiring you to just follow me around this year! I better wrap this up and get to work on packing my suitcase. Tomorrow brings a 10am flight to Evans, Georgia and the beginning of a week of hard work and great fun! I can’t wait and I’ll be sharing it with you all as soon as I can! Until next time, take care and God Bless!

Easter in Ellensburg!

What wonderful story do I have to tell you all today? Unfortunately my queenly duties were rather slow this week and with too much time on my hands, I tend to get homesick! As my director, Amy Duvall wisely told me, “It’s the hardest during down time and holidays.” Just my luck, I had both coming up with Easter Sunday just around the corner. After returning from Missouri and spending a bit of time doing miscellaneous errands and running around Oklahoma City for a day, I was relatively out of things to do! Amazing, right?

 

This past Monday I became curious and bounced around on various airfare websites only to find ridiculously priced tickets to return home for the holiday weekend. I had the tough realization that the high prices were my sign I shouldn’t go home for the short spell. However, as Amy and I scanned the various tickets to get me home on Monday evening, her husband Tom noticed a very reasonable ticket that we had overlooked. Drive three hours north to Wichita, Kansas and save a few hundred dollars? You bet! Needless to say, I booked Monday night and left Tuesday morning for my trek home.

 

As usual, my flights give me wonderful stories to share on my blog! I may have saved a few bucks by booking the way I did but not without paying for it in extra stops and travels. Let me briefly sum up my trip home to Ellensburg. Tuesday morning I drove 240 miles from Henryetta, Oklahoma to the Wichita, Kansas airport, hopped a plane that took me to Denver, Colorado, switched planes to get me to Portland, Oregon and barely made my puddle-jumper connector plane that brought me into Seattle, Washington. Five states in approximately 12 hours! I’d say I’m getting the hang of this traveling deal!

 

While I was rather exhausted from whirlwind traveling, it felt wonderful to come home. I may have only been away for six weeks or so, it was nice to return once before the bulk of my traveling gets underway. I sure picked a great weekend to come home as well! Not only did I make it home for Easter, our local high school rodeo was in town over the weekend. What a wonderful time I had surprising friends that I knew would be enjoying the Saturday performance of the rodeo!

 

Today is Easter and I’m just waiting for the whole family to come through our front door for the holiday celebration. How happy I am to be apart of these activities that a few days ago I wasn’t planning on partaking in! Well folks, I’ve got a serious craving for some deviled eggs and I’m about to raid the kitchen for them! Happy Easter to everyone and I’ll be returning to Oklahoma shortly – so tune in to hear my adventures traveling home, I’m sure I’ll have some good stories!