Stampede!
We're a busy lot in the summertime up here, never let a weekend go to waste is the motto as far as we're concerned so after a relaxing trip to the cabin it was time for something a bit more exciting and upbeat. The Calgary Stampede! It was my first visit to Calgary and I'm not too sure I got a real impression of what it's like because Stampede is, well how do I put it?, a little "cowboy" to most other times.
The first drive into the city from Col's aunt and uncle's place (where we were being generously housed with full Canadian Stampede breakfasts) was the real shock to the system. We're driving along the main road, strip mall after strip mall passing us by and all of a sudden there's a huge crowd of people jammed into an outdoor area for a pub that is sandwiched between two car dealerships. And every single person is wearing a cowboy hat. Every one. And most of the hats are a white as pure as the driven snow. This freaks me out the first three or four random little pubs and by the time we get into the downtown area I'm almost used to seeing tons of blue denim, acres of midriffs on display and multitudes of cowboy hats and cowboy boots. It really has to be seen to be believed. Now I'm not saying that they're not all cowboys, just that most of them have as much connection with the land and herding cows as I do, which is none. Although to be fair I have been on a farm this year, so probably less than me then...
We had an awesome night at a pub called the Ship And Anchor with Dave Haasdyk and his lovely femme fatale the Swiss Miss Annabelle. We were also joined with pretty much everyone else from Edmonton who had ever lived in the house that Col and Dave shared and a good night was had by all. There's a little cabal of Edmontonians in every city if you know where to find it I think. Dan was one of those there and he was the inheritor of Ruth & Rhett's firesticks when they were over in this part of the world. He said that he really should get around to practicing more when we told him of the new heights that R&R have reached with synchronised couple twirling so I'm sure we've started a new phase of fire twirling in Calgary.
Anyways, it's a very happening vibe during Stampede in Calgary (Cowtown as the Edmontonians like to sneer) and we had a good time. Included in that good time were tickets to see the rodeo on Sunday which was much much more interesting and enjoyable than I was expecting and I was happy to cheer on my compatriots riding the bulls and broncos, and I think my mere presence there may have been a contributing factor to the Aussie taking home one of the bronco riding trophies that day.
The rodeo stadium...
Ride 'em cowboy!!
Notice all the white cowboy hats in the stadium. Any head not wearing a white hat is probably wearing a black one. I swear to God there are more cowboy hats in Calgary during The Stampede than there are in the entire country.
The first drive into the city from Col's aunt and uncle's place (where we were being generously housed with full Canadian Stampede breakfasts) was the real shock to the system. We're driving along the main road, strip mall after strip mall passing us by and all of a sudden there's a huge crowd of people jammed into an outdoor area for a pub that is sandwiched between two car dealerships. And every single person is wearing a cowboy hat. Every one. And most of the hats are a white as pure as the driven snow. This freaks me out the first three or four random little pubs and by the time we get into the downtown area I'm almost used to seeing tons of blue denim, acres of midriffs on display and multitudes of cowboy hats and cowboy boots. It really has to be seen to be believed. Now I'm not saying that they're not all cowboys, just that most of them have as much connection with the land and herding cows as I do, which is none. Although to be fair I have been on a farm this year, so probably less than me then...
We had an awesome night at a pub called the Ship And Anchor with Dave Haasdyk and his lovely femme fatale the Swiss Miss Annabelle. We were also joined with pretty much everyone else from Edmonton who had ever lived in the house that Col and Dave shared and a good night was had by all. There's a little cabal of Edmontonians in every city if you know where to find it I think. Dan was one of those there and he was the inheritor of Ruth & Rhett's firesticks when they were over in this part of the world. He said that he really should get around to practicing more when we told him of the new heights that R&R have reached with synchronised couple twirling so I'm sure we've started a new phase of fire twirling in Calgary.
Anyways, it's a very happening vibe during Stampede in Calgary (Cowtown as the Edmontonians like to sneer) and we had a good time. Included in that good time were tickets to see the rodeo on Sunday which was much much more interesting and enjoyable than I was expecting and I was happy to cheer on my compatriots riding the bulls and broncos, and I think my mere presence there may have been a contributing factor to the Aussie taking home one of the bronco riding trophies that day.
The rodeo stadium...
Ride 'em cowboy!!
Notice all the white cowboy hats in the stadium. Any head not wearing a white hat is probably wearing a black one. I swear to God there are more cowboy hats in Calgary during The Stampede than there are in the entire country.
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