Ninilchik Rodeo

We spent all yesterday at the campsite enjoying the most perfect day with warm 70 degree temperatures, in shorts soaking up the sun listening to the waves crash upon the beach below the cliffs. We planned well and had scrumptious Alaskan king crab dipped in butter, and fresh salad and red potatoes. We had a glass of the Rhubarb wine we got in Homer. Nature provided the perfect finale with the most beautiful sunset ever. (camera battery died just as it set) The colors brightened to crimson reds and purples and the clouds were artfully styled in sharp and crisp angles at one end of the sky to what looked like an "eagle" shape reaching down to catch a fish in the water.

Too bad there are no shots to share but they are etched into our mind's eye. We slept in (keep staying up so late to watch the sunsets!) and had a late breakfast then headed back 15 miles up the road to Ninilchik for the best little rodeo in Alaska. We arrived early enough to get great seats up high in the bleachers to rest our backs against the chain/fence, and remembered our bleacher cushions. What a wonderful little rodeo. All ages participated. There was Bull Riding, Barrel Racing, Roping events, and a Calf Scramble.

They even had 3-legged potato sack races with 3 age groups inviting audience participation. (we declined) What was interesting was the fact that everything the adults did on Bucking broncs and Bulls the kids also did.

On the Bronc the high school kids used saddles. Instead of huge bulls the smaller kids used calves.

IT all made for a nice day sitting in the sun. There was a good breeze so it did feel cool all day. My favorite expression of the day is this very young cowboy watching the Bronc Riding and dreaming of the day he rides like that!

The last Bull rider was a serviceman stationed in Alaska. He drew the short straw. This Bull was rearing up several times in the stall and tried to climb out of the shoot. When they finally opened the gate and on perhaps the second buck, the rider went airborne. As the bull swung his rear end around he hip checked the poor rider back into the gate they had just come out of. The rider stood up for a moment holding onto the gate, then he just crumpled to the ground. He was attended to and shortly walked out. Back at the campground I made a very nice home made vegetable soup to warm our bones. Our purchases at the Homer Farmers Market were being put to good use.