We have been quite busy for the past week flying up the coast of California into Oregon. My sister and brother-in-law (who is a small plane pilot) flew in a Cessna 182 from their home in Pittsburgh, PA out to Long Beach. we joined them there for the next leg of their trip around the U.S. First we flew to Watsonville to visit my aunt, then on to Chico via San Francisco (where we did a very cool flyover). we spent two days in Chico, visiting old haunts of my sister and brother-in-law (they lived in that neck of the woods for a few years inn the early 1970’s). Then it was up the coast to Prospect, Oregon, a dinky town near Crater Lake where we stayed at a great old b&b called the Prospect Hotel. We stayed two days seeing the sights there (all very impressive), then it was off again to Pendleton, Oregon for the Pendleton Roundup, a huge annual rodeo. Before we hi the rodeo we spent some time checking out Pendleton, starting with the woolen mill (where we spent more money than we should have on blankets and throw pillows), then moving on to the underground tour.

Now I am not much of a cowgirl (except for that Halloween costume last year), so didn’t know what to expect. It was a lot more fun than I thought it would be, and quite exciting. Chuck decided that riding bucking broncos and Brahma bulls should probably join the list of Things He Shouldn’t Do Now That He Only Has Three Working Vertebrae in His Neck, but to be sure is going to check with the doctor. No horses or steers were injured in today’s events, but I bet there are some mighty sore cowboys out there!! The rodeo had the usual events: bucking broncos, steer and calf roping, Brahma bull riding, barrel racing, and for the big finale, wild cow milking which involved pairs of cowboys racing wild cows down, roping and milking them then putting the milk in a container before any of their fellows could succeed at the same task. Instant milk, you might say.

After the rodeo we checked out the Indian arts & crafts fair next door then hit the big outdoor BBQ which was not the bext place for a non-beef eater to go. Asking for anything other than beef was a laughing matter at the rodeo, it turns out. So it goes. The watermelon at least was quite tasty.

In the evening, they held the Happy Canyon Night Show. Advertised as “a unique Indian pageant” it was a hilariously poignant look at the history of the west/local talent show. The Indians didn’t fair any better in the pageant than they did in real life, being quickly replaced by the more thrilling saga of the coming of the settlers and most importantly the coming of the rodeo. Much wonderfully campy goings-on ensued including a really neat appearance by the Budweiser Clydesdales (just because, I guess) and a double amputation using a cardboard axe (you had to be there to understand how funny THAT was – right up there with the enema that appeared to proceed it. It was about then that I really started to regret not buying the program for the pageant. Basically we had no real clue what was going on so just used our imaginations. Wait, maybe that wasn’t so bad after all…).

Here are some photos of the week. We head home late tomorrow on big jet planes, leaving from Pendleton for Portland, then on to LAX. Our plan is to spend the day tomorrow exploring the wineries around Walla Walla, WA, where we are staying (as the rodeo was SO HUGE that there wasn’t a room to be had within an hour of Pendleton.