nightshade
Ridin' The Range
okay so I did not get on and let you all know last week so here goes. Last week was our local yearly rodeo. It was the 25th anniversary this year. My mom and dad have worked the rodeo security since the rodeo first began. Last year my dad was unable due to being sick and this year he could not obviously because he was passed away. My mom still does it though and I was not sure how she would take it do to daddy not being there. I know it made me rather uncomfortable the first few hours I was there and the end of the very last night as well. Any way she took a lot of comfort in being there with her friends she sees ever year and the ones she has around here too.
Every year they raffle off a donated horse and the money goes to the children's hospital or the local handicap riding center. Every year every night of the entire week my dad, mom and I all buy tickets. Any where from $20 to $100 a year depending on the horse they have there. And every year we never win.
This year the horse was a gorgeous Appaloosa, blond quarter horse x mare. 2 1/2 years old and just stunning. So mom and I both bought tickets. Me about $20, mom I have no idea, figuring that the same thing is gonna happen as always we talk to some friends and make arrangements to see them in the fall or spring to possibly see if they have any the want to part with.
The draw the winner of the horse the last night just before intermission and it is a huge deal. They walk the horse out in the middle of the arena draw the ticket and mom wins!
They call her out and she doesn't come she thought some one was playing a trick on her. I have to go back get her and take over her gate to get her to go claim it. So she goes out, she is balling the announcer we have known for litterly years gives her a great big hug hands her the rope and wraps and arm over her shoulders. Then he proceeds to give this long speech about how my mom and dad have worked the rodeo security for the main gates to the shoots ever since the rodeo up here began. That my father passed away in November but mom still thought enough of her long time friends at the rodeo that she still came up to help out this year and work her gate even after dad's passing. That every year she has bought tickets on the horse and never one. He gave her a big hug again and proclaimed "Happy Anniversary Carol it is about time" My mom cried and cried.
I was amazed at the amount of people ones we knew for years and ones we had never even met before that stopped by her gate the rest of the night and gave her a huge hug and told her congratulations.
But what amazed me more was the amount of people that we have known for years that they had worked along side up there year after year or riders and their families that stopped and confided in us that they had bough x amount of tickets in hopes that they would win the horse so that they could give it to her. That she deserved it after so long and losing daddy over winter and still thinking enough of them to come back to help and see them. That she had cared about their families, watched their kids grow up and took care of them over the years. That they were like her second family.
After all the problems we have had with my father's children from his first marriage. The lies that they had told and how they have gone out of their ways to make our lives miserable it means so much to know that so many people care so much. And wish her the best.
Every year they raffle off a donated horse and the money goes to the children's hospital or the local handicap riding center. Every year every night of the entire week my dad, mom and I all buy tickets. Any where from $20 to $100 a year depending on the horse they have there. And every year we never win.
This year the horse was a gorgeous Appaloosa, blond quarter horse x mare. 2 1/2 years old and just stunning. So mom and I both bought tickets. Me about $20, mom I have no idea, figuring that the same thing is gonna happen as always we talk to some friends and make arrangements to see them in the fall or spring to possibly see if they have any the want to part with.
The draw the winner of the horse the last night just before intermission and it is a huge deal. They walk the horse out in the middle of the arena draw the ticket and mom wins!
They call her out and she doesn't come she thought some one was playing a trick on her. I have to go back get her and take over her gate to get her to go claim it. So she goes out, she is balling the announcer we have known for litterly years gives her a great big hug hands her the rope and wraps and arm over her shoulders. Then he proceeds to give this long speech about how my mom and dad have worked the rodeo security for the main gates to the shoots ever since the rodeo up here began. That my father passed away in November but mom still thought enough of her long time friends at the rodeo that she still came up to help out this year and work her gate even after dad's passing. That every year she has bought tickets on the horse and never one. He gave her a big hug again and proclaimed "Happy Anniversary Carol it is about time" My mom cried and cried.
I was amazed at the amount of people ones we knew for years and ones we had never even met before that stopped by her gate the rest of the night and gave her a huge hug and told her congratulations.
But what amazed me more was the amount of people that we have known for years that they had worked along side up there year after year or riders and their families that stopped and confided in us that they had bough x amount of tickets in hopes that they would win the horse so that they could give it to her. That she deserved it after so long and losing daddy over winter and still thinking enough of them to come back to help and see them. That she had cared about their families, watched their kids grow up and took care of them over the years. That they were like her second family.
After all the problems we have had with my father's children from his first marriage. The lies that they had told and how they have gone out of their ways to make our lives miserable it means so much to know that so many people care so much. And wish her the best.
