Let me back up a little.
Mary moved in in August, from the faraway, almost mythical land of Idaho. Idaho, which is filled with nature and the wild and livestock and cowboys and indians. Most notably for Mary, were the cowboys and their horses and bulls.
You see, Mary wants to become a bull rider, or at the very, very least, a barrel racer. Her heart is set on it.
Almost daily, as regularly as the cock crows, Mary can be heard from another room, “Hey, Tessa… do you think I could be a barrel racer? Hey, Tessa… do you think I could be a bull rider?”
If you happen to have the pleasure of being within eyesight, you’d see her face split absolutely in half by an excited smile – one which tells you her question wasn’t a question at all, but a challenge to herself. “Hey, me… do I think I can bee a barrel racer? Do I think I can be a bull rider?” She does. And if she really wants to… yes, she can.
That’s what I tell her every time. “If you really want to be, then yeah, I think you’ve got it in you. Do I think it’s safe is a whole other question… but I think you can.”
We live in an area close enough to “nowhere” that you can drive out just a mile or two and see ranches boasting 30 head of cattle or more, or homes with horses set to trim the grass in the front yard. Sometimes instead of coming home from work Mary drives around the countryside visiting the animals and stalking the owners. When she comes home and anyone asks where she’s been, it’s “nowhere,” and that’s pretty much accurate.
This weekend in Fort Myers Florida, of all places, is a Pro Rodeo event. It spans both Friday and Saturday, but because we aren’t rich, we’re only going on Friday night after work. We saw an event listing on Facebook, and as soon as Mary knew about it, it was all over. She and I have never been to a real rodeo, and Jefferson hasn’t been to one since he was a kid.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Mary look so excited as she does whenever it’s mentioned and whenever she realizes its getting closer. We bought tickets online last weekend and just just about had a heart attack from all the excitement. That would be a pity, since she’d miss it… She’s even had her outfit picked out in her head for at least a week!
I’m excited too. Like I said, I’ve never been, but it all sounds very raucous and invigorating. Can’t wait to watch some poor fella get thrown off a bull and nearly die. Or some girl cry cause she didn’t ride her horse close enough to the barrel this time. What a delight!
We’re even gonna knock something off of my 30 to 30 – there’s supposed to be a mechanical bull. I’m sure it’s going to kill me. At least I’ll have accomplished one goal this month.
Maybe afterwards Mary will play Rodeo with me in the back yard… YEEEEHAWWWWWWW!
Nothing Was Said 