Yeehawin'

I went up to the Houston Rodeo yesterday with Paul, Matt, Ray, and Stephanie. It was a great time. We got there in time for the sheep herding competition, which was pretty impressive. These dogs had to chase 3 sheep around a set path and then get them into a pen, guided by either voice or whistle commands from their handler.

From Houston Rodeo

After that, it was time for lunch- big baked potatoes covered in sour cream, butter, cheese, pulled pork, and bar-b-que sauce. Fantastic and filling!
We thought we made it in time for an alpaca and llama costume contest, but they had changed the schedule around, so unfortunately we missed it. We still wandered around a bit looking at the animals, petting the soft-looking ones.

From Houston Rodeo

From Houston Rodeo

From Houston Rodeo

The main rodeo event was pretty fun too. They breezed through 9 different competitions, including bull riding, calf roping, and mutton busting. In case you've never seen the last one, check out some youtube videos. It's little kids riding sheep as long as possible. Most fell off right away, but one boy held on at least five seconds. When he did that, he got louder cheers than any of the pros had all afternoon.
Now that I've had this quintessential Texan experience, I think I'm ready to head back to Michigan. Only 6 weeks left; I'm halfway done.