DAY 152 SUNDAY 10th FEBRUARY 2008

San Antonio, Texas (Miles to Date: 16000)

We have moved across from Louisiana to the Lone Star State. As we passed by Houston we stopped in Camping World store to look at some accessories for the motor home. To kill some time we decided to look at some motor homes and fell in love with one that would give us a lot more space and provide Jack and Emily move privacy in terms of sleeping accommodation. After a lot of hesitation (taking several hours) we decided just to carry on our journey to San Antonio, in South East Texas.

We arrived late Friday at our campsite for the next few days, a Kampground of America site in the centre of San Antonio. As we pulled in we noticed a big temporary sign saying “WELCOME RODEORS” – as it was late we did not take too much notice. In the morning we went to check in and found at that these weeks are the big rodeo and stock show in San Antonio – well we just had to have some of this. Checking out the schedule we found out that every night they had a rodeo followed by concert on in the main arena at the AT&T centre, and that Saturday night Lynard Skynard were playing. Well for us oldies this was a must. So Karen set-off to get some tickets and do some other chores. She returned a short time later as the Jeep was not sounding too good – so off she went to the garage. After 30 minutes there was quick telephone conversation to say the transmission and exhaust were dead so we were stuck here for a few more days.

Well we didn’t want to let this dampen our spirits (just dent our bank account) so we just carried on regardless. So on Saturday afternoon we walked down to the rodeo and livestock show grounds some two miles away from our campsite. This event is vast and goes on for nearly 3 weeks. Today it was the pig show day and we had the pleasure of walking amongst the dozens of pens displaying prize porkers – as we walked around pigs were being herded from their pens to the judging ring. Some were a bit stubborn and required considerable coaxing to head in the right general direction. Leaving the pigs behind we went to see some horses on display and into a pavilion where some of the local suppliers were showing their wares – including some wonderful hot sauces. Also in here was a display of venomous snakes of the US Southern States – and there are a scarily high number. Fortunately these were behind bars!!

After looking around the live stock show we mosey on down to main arena and take our seats high in the lap of the gods to watch the rodeo and concert. Not being experts on the rodeo we don’t have much idea of what is going on but the Bull Riding, Saddle Bronco Riding and Bare Back Riding are obviously about staying on the bull or horse and rest of the scoring is about technique or how difficult a ride you get from the animal. When you watch this in real life you can really appreciate the skills of these cowboys. The second type of event is about tackling steers – either by roping them or wrestling them to the ground. The scoring on these is simply all about how much time it takes and penalties if things go wrong so it really easy to understand what is happening with these competitions. As well as these events there are couple of other events involving younger people. In Calf Scramble a whole of calves are set loose in the rodeo ring and a group of teenagers run around madly trying to put a lariat around the neck of the calf and getting it under some sort of control. Possibly the most fun event is Mutton Bustin’ a form of bare back sheep riding for young children. Children as young as 5 years old are put on the back of a woolly sheep in a small pen them released into the area – from here they try and cling on for grim death. Looked great fun but Karen was a little concerned with this and was left feeling this was a case of child abuse! The great thing about all this that each event was short and the whole rodeo was over in about 1 ½ hours.

After the rodeo everything is cleared away and a stage is bought out into the middle of the arena and rapidly the event hall is turned into a concert arena. The tension builds and we don’t have to wait too long until Lynard Skynard come on stage. Only us oldies remember this band and their hit songs “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Freebird” – fortunately we have educated our children well and they also join in with us singing and dancing along to these wonderful songs. Completely happy and exhausted we head home.

Karen having reached the grand age of 50 suffered the next day having tweaked her hamstring with all the jiggling and prancing the night before. She was in extreme pain so a trip to the chiropractor was in order.