We had a nice weekend. We attended the South Dakota State B Wrestling Tournament. Our son Troy and 2 teammates from their High School wrestling team were inducted into the SD High School Hall of Fame. They were individual wrestling champions in 1989, and their team won the team trophy that year. They each went on to wrestle in different colleges, and won various honors there as well.
Our entire family was present, except for two grandchildren who were too far away to get to the festivities. Being with family made the event extra special. Support also came from my mother and father, 95 years old, as they watched the induction on TV. We had a great time, visited with the other families, reminisced about the 1989 year. Bob Johnson, the 1989 Kimball High School coach presented the plaques to Justin, Lee and Troy.
Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling.
Spring?? Yesterday my friend saw a robin on her lawn. Robins are our first sign of spring. However, considering today is the middle of February, spring seems unlikely. We are still walking thru snowbanks. Then I came home and went out to fill the bird feeders, which were completely empty. Some of the snow next to the house, east side, is gone, and lo and behold, little sprigs of tiger lilies are pushing up green. Go back, robins, it is too early!! And lilies, you may lose your tips. Most of the bed is under snow yet.
These two notifications made me curious enough to go look at the lilacs. They have buds, but they don't look like they are anxious. Alas, I can see the rabbits have been tasting lilacs this winter. The fence protects the lilacs from the deer, but not rabbits. The weather man is promising us snow and low temps over this weekend, so Mother Nature better put the skids on!!
We spent 4 days last week at Stock Show and went to 5 PRCA rodeos. The rodeos, produced by Sutton Rodeos, were great, good entertainment. One of the rodeo's in between acts was Tomas, a charro, who showed his skill with a rope on a beautiful palamino, with a mane that came nearly to the ground. After demonstrating his skill with the rope, standing on the horse, jumping up to let the rope under him, he continues twirling, letting the extra rope out into his hand, until the loop gets very large and is big enough to encompass him and the horse. Then he gallops the horse around the arena, all the while swinging the rope, exactly right, so the horse stays inside the loop, and does not step on it while he is running. They played beautiful Mexican music all during this impressive act.
We also visited the very many booths, with all things related to agriculture, ranching and rodeo life. Equipment, clothes, jewelry, machinery and anything else you can think of. The Stock Show part was housed under the same roof, with different breeds of cattle shown each day, and Supreme Row, for the top bull and heifer was awarded on Saturday night before the final rodeo began.
South Dakota is proud to the home of 2011 Miss Rodeo America, McKenzie Haley, a beautiful representative of SD and Rodeo. Her sister, Mallory Haley sang the Star Spangled Banner before one of the impressive openings of a Sutton Rodeo. The rockets and stars are boomed into the sky, the horse carrying Miss SD and the American flag stands at attention in the middle of the arena as this noise and flashes go on above his head. The opening ends with Miss SD riding the horse in one lap around the arena, and it sets off a spangle of fireworks at fixed places along the arena fence. I have watched this many times, and it is always breath taking and impressive, what a tribute to our flag and our country.
Hats off to Sutton Rodeo!
