The Wild West - part 2

As you may remember, we left off after a full day of mud and broncs at the Bucking Horse Sale. The next morning we joined the locals for a pancake breakfast at the Memorial Hall of the Range Riders Museum. 

And yes, we had pancakes.

Biscuits and gravy. 

And of course, Tang. I’m moving to Miles City to relive my childhood.

This napkin is loaded with local brands. SuzAnne and the Longs added their brands. East meets West.

We heard a little local history. 800 pioneer plaques and biographies are displayed on these walls. About 788 of those plaques are men—sheriffs, wranglers, ranch hands, homesteaders. 

For example here's a close up of Louie Pelissier, Cowboy-Rancher. If you ever find yourself at the museum, you can open any of the black tubes below the plaque and read about a particular life in the scroll inside. 

Off to the parade. It rained on the Miles City’s parade. 

One truck,  

two truck, 

red truck, 

blue truck.  

Old truck, 

new truck.

Shower caps for your cowboy hats is a great idea for the rain.

It hadn't rained at the Bucking Horse Sale since 1977.

But everyone came prepared.

 

We dropped into a coffee house and had a brief respite from the storm.

Coffee, like beer, bridges all cultural divides.

We dropped in Murdoch's Ranch & Home Supply...

thinking they would likely have muck boots. 

Juliette got new muck boots and cut the label off with her new buck knife. 

Time for a little lunch at the Hole in the Wall Cafe.

In Miles City you don’t need a cast or a jr. high graduation to get people to write on your body.

The 7th Calgary Drum & Bugle Corps from Sheridan, Wyoming, went from bar to bar... 

and played for their Bud. 

In Miles City Budweiser is considered the finest brewery in America. "For all you do, this Bud's for you." This would not be a suitable place for my designer beer husband.

Back to the fairgrounds for more mud and broncs.

The rain and mud didn’t make it easy on the horses...

 

or the riders. 

A few managed to stay on for the 8 seconds.

Amazing as that was at times. 

Here are a few rides that were photo worthy.

 

It was hard watching the horses snort mud like this.

But this rider still scored big points for... 

keeping his toes pointed out and...

for his smooth...

and controlled ride.

And there were some equally impressive falls.

The horses weren't the only ones eating mud.

Belly flop!!

Even she is probably wondering why anyone would want to do this.

For the few riders that managed to stay on, the pickup riders...

 pulled up and gave them a hand.

We thought that the pickup riders were the most impressive of all!

Check out the boot in the stirrup.

This rider didn’t fare so well. This is the real “true grit”!

I'd hate to have his chiropractic bills. 

 Chris DeLoux can tell you why the The Cowboy's Hat is important.

The cowboy's hat won't stay on the ground for long.

Everything is OK in the world if a rider walks off with his hat on.

In the immortal words of Dr. Seuss, "From there to here, from here to there, funny things are everywhere."