Kennewick, Bremerton, Seattle, and Coeur D'Alene

Tuesday afternoon Ace and Cody went to play golf while I stayed at the trailer and got ready for the Champions Challenge. Their game took a little longer and they missed calf roping, so we decided to go grab dinner.  When they got back our rig was blocked in and couldn't leave for dinner so we figured we would have fair food.  This was our first time all summer eating at a fair, even though we are at one most days of most weeks. 

Doesn't quite look delicious, but the BBQ Beef sandwich was pretty good for fair food and the fried zucchini wasn't too shabby either! 

After dinner we drove a few miles down the road and stayed at the Urbach Ranch.  We got plugged in, filled with water, and got the horses situated.  Wednesday morning we woke up pretty early and fed our two horses, as well as all the other horses on the ranch.  We had breakfast at an awesome local cafe, Magill's, and then played some basketball before the afternoon slack.

Calf roping was up near the beginning, so we were only able to watch about half the runs.  After the slack, Roger Nonella and Dane Kissack joined us and played two-on-two with Ace and Cody.  After the game we went to have a late lunch at Azteca.  

We dropped Dane and Roger back at the fairgrounds and came back to the Urbach's for the night.  Ace was teaching Connor some tips and then I had a lesson in goat tying in preparation for a Birthday Bash we were invited to (sorry Raz!!).  Thanks again, Slone and Kendreth for teaching me!

Click HERE to see my newly acquired rodeo skills

On Thursday morning we had breakfast at Magill's and then went back to the Urbach's.  We loaded the trailer and headed to Bremerton, WA. We got to the fairgrounds around 7:30pm and the guys went to watch the perf while I got ready for dinner.  It was about 9:30pm by the time we took off, so not too many places were still open for dinner.  We found a small bar and grill and had dinner and played a few games of pool.

On Friday morning, the guys went to watch the slack.  Afterwards, we got ready for an afternoon in Seattle.  We stopped along the roadside and checked out Dyes Inlet. The water was a gorgeous turquoise blue/green.  I love Texas and love being a native Texan, but the ocean along the west coast is gorgeous!

Anyone who knows Ace knows that he is always pondering something.  This picture just reaffirms that for me! 

We parked Whitey Ford around the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and walked onto the ferry heading to Seattle.

In south Texas, the only ferry I'd been on was to Port Aransas.  The ferry we boarded was the largest one I'd ever seen.  There were two decks on the bottom for vehicles and a top deck for passengers.  The top deck was equipped with tables, lounge chairs, bathrooms, and even a cafeteria!  It took about an hour in travel time to Seattle and we were amazed at all the beautiful houses on islands and the shoreline!  The Seattle horizon view from the ferry was gorgeous! 

When we made it to Seattle our first goal was to walk towards Pike Place Market to witness all the hype about throwing fish. 

We walked past another fish market and the guy asked where we were from. When I said "Texas" he grabbed a fish and told me to walk towards him. This resulted in a sushi kiss and lots of laughter! 

Our next goal was to see the Seattle Space Needle.  Along the way, we passed the original Starbucks and were floored at how long the line was!  One of Ace's favorite brews from Starbucks is Pike's Place and now we know how it got the name: from originating on Pike street (at least that's our hypothesis)!

Another goal we had for our day trip was to eat some amazingly fresh seafood.  We had a fancy lunch at Etta's.  We had Salmon, steamed Dungess crab, clam chowder, crab cakes, and fried fish.

After our lunch, we continued our hike towards the Space Needle. We explored the grounds but didn't have time to check out the observation deck.

As we were about to head back we noticed a street magician performing a magic show so we caught his show for a few minutes.

We had walked quite a few blocks down from where we started our excursion and needed to hustle back to the ferry, so we caught the monorail.  

We had an awesome few hours exploring Seattle and can't wait to go back one day! 

When we got back to Bremerton, the boys quickly got ready for the perf.  Ace had a great run but antipcated the calf to run out of the chute a lot harder than she did.  He tied her in 8.6 seconds, however his anticipation resulted in a broken barrier.

Click HERE to watch Ace's run in Bremerton

After the perf we headed back towards Kennewick.  We pulled into the Urbach ranch about 3am and got settled for the night.  The boys had to tie calves at 10am and then were up in the slack at 1pm.  After the slack we just hung around the arena until the perf that night.

After the perf we headed towards Coeur D'Alene, Idaho. We had a singing bee contest the whole drive, consisting of shuffling music on Pandora with a mix of all sorts of stations to make it fair. 

On Sunday morning the guys were up in the slack.  Ace ran the same calf as he did in Moses Lake.  There, she stuck her head in his shirt and popped off all his buttons.  Yesterday he had her down fast and started his tie when she sucked her legs out from under him.  Needless to say, I hope we don't draw her anymore this summer.

Click HERE to watch Ace's run in Coeur d'Alene

After the slack, Chase Tryan and Ryan Thibodeaux joined us for lunch at Cafe Rio.  After lunch we ran to the mall to get Cody some new basketball shoes and then we went to the fun center to play a few games of bowling.

When we got back to the arena, we all wanted to play some basketball and located a court nearby.  KC Miller joined us and we got in quite a few games of 21, playing three-on-three.  After our games, we went back to the arena and watched the demolition derby.  I'd never seen one and Ace hasn't has since he was little, so it was pretty neat to watch.

We all got showered up and went to dinner at Capone's Pub, a local restaurant that was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.  Pictured next to the menu as garlic Parmesan fries, an item featured on the particular episode aired. 

On Monday morning, we woke up and went to another restaurant featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives:  Jimmy's Down the Street.  The picture below doesn't quite do the pancakes justice - they were MUCH bigger than they appear.  The cinnamon rolls were huge, also! 

After breakfast we ran into Costco to get a few items to cook for dinner the next few days and then went back to the arena to get the trailer loaded up to hit the road.  We are on our way to Walla Walla, WA, where the guys are up on Tuesday morning.

In Washington, In Idaho, In Oregon and Away We Go....

Our next destination was Washington, the farthest state I've ever been away from home.  Each time we approach a new state or area, Ace always asks me what I envision the landscape to look like.  When we first entered the state, it was pretty barren and looked like a desert.  On the other side of the mountains, we entered into a very green area.  There were times that we were at a very high altitude, that we were driving in the clouds.

A few years ago, Ace's truck broke down while in Lynden, WA.  A local family lended him a truck to borrow for a nearby rodeo.  He has stayed connected with them and I got to meet Ace's friend, Lance Witman, on Wednesday when we made it to Lynden. We set up pens by the trailer and hung out for a little while before the perf.  Lance and I sat down by the fence and watched the rodeo and Ace and Cody joined us after their runs.  Ace made a good run despite the muddy conditions and was able to place last hole.

Click HERE to watch Ace's run in Lynden 

On Thursday morning, Lance met us at the arena and we walked to breakfast at a local cafe.  Lance insisted on buying us some handpicked berries for the road, so he bought us a crate of fresh blueberries and strawberries.  

After breakfast we hit the road towards Moses Lake, WA. While we were in Caldwell, Idaho I met Shea Fisher (Calf Roper, Tyson Durfey's, wife) and had a spectating companion for the rodeo. 

Ace had the calf roped to be pretty quick.  However, the calf's little horn got stuck in between the buttons on his shirt.  So, it took him a little longer to get her tied and ripped every button off his shirt in the process!! Thank goodness dry cleaners sew buttons back on shirts, because we have had many "Tough Enough To Wear Pink" nights this summer!

Click HERE to watch Ace's run in Moses Lake

After the perf we drove about an hour and set up camp at a nearby arena.  We spent most of the next day driving towards Gooding, Idaho for the evening perf. Thank goodness Ace had another pink shirt, because we had another "Tough Enough To Wear Pink Night."

Mexico didn't work his best on this run and Ace lost his footing when he approached the calf's head.  

Click HERE to watch Ace's run at Gooding

After the perf at Gooding, the guys were up in the slack in Burley, Idaho.  Burley was about 45 minutes away and we were rushing to make it there in time.  Ace and Mexico had a good run and placed third in the rodeo. 

Click HERE to watch Ace's run at Burley

After the slack we had dinner at Denny's at about 12am and made it to Jerome, ID at about 2:30am.  On Saturday morning, the guys were up in roping. Shea and I sat together and chatted and filmed our guys. 

Saturday afternoon after the roping Roger Nonella and his horse, Tucker, hopped into our rig for the short go at Caldwell, Idaho.  Cody and Roger joined us for the Reno short round, so we had our fingers crossed for another successful round.  Roger won the short go round and placed third in the average, Cody finished fifth in the average, and Ace finished eighth.  Whether it was thousands or hundreds, each of them had a payday.

Click HERE to watch Ace's run at Caldwell

We headed back to Jerome after the perf.  We hadn't gotten much sleep the past two days, so we slept in a little on Sunday.  Ace, Cody, and I had a quick lunch at a nearby restaurant before another roping on Sunday afternoon.  After the roping, I ran to Walmart and got some steaks and veggies to grill for dinner.  We grilled and played a friendly game of 'Catch Phrase'. 

On Monday, Dane Kissack and his horse joined our rig for the drive back to Washington.  Along the way, we stopped in Nampa, ID to get some new tires for the trailer.  Dane was way too excited about changing tires! 

We grabbed some Panda Express and got back on the road.  Along the way, we entertained ourselves with a few card games and of course the guys had to listen to Monday Night Football.

We stopped along the way at a small basketball court and played around the world and 21.  We stayed the night at another roper's place, where Dane's rig was parked.  We grilled burgers and called it an early night. 

On Tuesday morning, we got an early start to the day.  As usual, Ace is always the first to rise.  He decided to be silly and wake Cody up in a not-so-nice manner by throwing ice on him.  When that didn't work, he put a frozen package of meat on his back. Boys will be boys, at any age!  We grabbed a quick breakfast and hit the road towards Kennewick, WA.  

When we arrived, the first stop was a laundromat to catch up on laundry.  I stayed and took care of the washing and drying while the guys took the trailer to the fairgrounds and got the horses situated.  They cleaned the trailer out and then played some basketball, while I was at the laundromat.  Ace came to pick me up and we got back to the fairgrounds.  It's so nice having a clean trailer! 

Many people have been asking for pictures of our humble abode, so here it is! 

We have a bed and a couch that folds down into a bed for our guests along the rodeo road. There are two stove tops and a microwave that doubles as a convection oven.  Our small bathroom space is equipt with a shower, toilet, and sink. The trailer has tons of storage space, which is super handy.  In the back, we have four stalls for horse travel. 

When we got back to the trailer, we put up all of our laundry and the guys started to play a video game that they've been battling at for a few days now...it's really quite silly and amusing!

The guys have the week off, so we are going to have a few days to pretend like tourists in Washington before they're up on Friday night!  

*******BREAKING NEWS*******

Stratton Cole Leske is officially here!! Born on 8/19, weighing in at 7lbs 11oz and measuring 19in.  Congrats to Kailey, Martin, and ALL family members!! We wish we were home, but are sending our love from Washington.  We can't wait to come home and meet you!!!! 

The Northwest Is On Our Minds

After the short go at Dodge City we had a few days off before needing to be in Lawton, OK.  We hung out in Dodge City for a few days with some other rodeo guys.  We played poker at the trailer, made fajitas, and went to the casino.  Ace even talked me into going to get a pedicure with him (I swear it was his idea)!

On Wednesday we drove toward Lawton, OK and made it there about 10 pm.  Thursday morning Ace was up in the slack.  Mexico reared up in the box, which didn't give the guys a great start to the run. 

Click HERE to watch Ace's run in Lawton

After the slack we headed towards Lovington, NM.  Ace wasn't up until Saturday, so we made a pitstop in Lubbock, TX and stayed at some of Ace's friends house on Thursday night.  

Friday morning they went to rope while I stayed behind to tend to some Rodan + Fields items. When they got back, Ace and I ran into town and got a satellite for the trailer.  Since he had a good week in Kansas he wanted to treat himself since we've been without TV all summer and felt out of touch with current events.  But it must've been super convenient for Ace since football season is starting up...

We had a few hours to burn, so I met up with a girlfriend I hadn't seen in a few years for a quick catch-up session before we hit the road again.  While we had our girl time, Ace stayed behind and babysat.... (Kailey, Uncle Ace will be well prepared for Stratton by the time we get home!)

Ace ran his first calf in Lovington in the afternoon slack on Saturday.  Ace and Mexico didn't get the start they needed to place in the first round.  Ace ran his second calf in the perf that evening.  Mexico scored good and Ace got her roped quick.  When he went to string her, she kicked a little and didn't take the tie very well.  

Click HERE to watch Ace's runs in Lovington

The past few days we haven't been in much of a rush to get anywhere, so we've had some time to actually cook meals in the trailer.  

Turns out that you can actually make some tasty meals in our small living area....even a cookie cake! ;)

On Saturday night we drove towards Castle Rock, CO.  We stopped in Amarillo, TX and Cody Quaney and his horse, Spook, moved into our rig for the Northwest run. Since we passed through Texas we figured we had to eat at Whataburger, since we haven't been around one all summer and won't have a chance to for the rest of our travels.  I took a nap while the guys drove, and we were going to switch off drivers and try to make it all the way to Castle Rock.  But at about 3am and 3 hours out from Castle Rock, Ace decided we should stay at an arena for a few hours to get in some sleep and let the horses out of the trailer.  We got up at 8:30am to hit the road and thank goodness we stocked up on Whataburger taquitos, because it made breakfast easy on the road that morning!

Colorado has seen an outbreak of an equine virus this summer, so when we got to Castle Rock the vet had to check the horses.  Our rig was cleared and we got ready for the afternoon perf.  Ace's calf gave him a run for his money and Mexico wasn't quite sure what to think.  Luckily, Ace won some day money for his effort in finishing his run with no penalties. 

Click HERE to watch Ace's run from Castle Rock

Ace, Cody, and I split driving time and made it to Evanston, WY at about 12am on Monday morning. The guys were up in Caldwell, ID on Monday afternoon but we decided to call it a night rather than drive any further on Sunday.

Monday morning, the guys woke up and went to breakfast while I stayed behind to shower and catch up with one of my sisters.  When they got back we loaded up and headed towards Caldwell.  We got to Nampa about 7pm and reserved a plug-in and stalls for the night.  We let the horses out for a bit and then headed to Caldwell.  The slack started at 5pm but calf roping was last, so we knew we had some time to burn.  Tie down started at about 11pm and wasn't quite over when we headed back to Nampa  at about 2am. 

On Tuesday morning, we slept in a little and went to our favorite breakfast spot in Nampa, The Egg Factory.  We had intentions of going to a waterpark to pass the time during the day but a little storm blew in and crushed our plans.  So, the guys played video games for a few hours.  Once the storm passed, we just hung out at the fairgrounds and then made a late lunch before heading to Caldwell for the perf. 

Click HERE to watch Ace's runs in Caldwell

After the perf we headed towards Lynden, WA.  At about 2am we decided to call it a night at a sale barn just outside of Pendleton, OR.  This morning we woke up and got on the road at about 9am.  We stopped in Benton City, WA for a quick breakfast at the Tumbleweed Cafe. The guys are up in Lynden tonight, so here's to good runs and good times in the Northwest! 

July In Cheyenne

We hit the road to Cheyenne, WY on Tuesday afternoon.  I drove quite a bit and my rig hauling must be getting better because Ace was actually able to sleep this trip! We drove until about 2am and decided to stop in Laramie, WY and hike the rest of the way early Wednesday morning.

We woke up at about 6am on Wednesday and hit the road. There was nothing but rain up ahead and it had already rained a bit in Cheyenne, so we knew we were in for a muddy ride at the "Daddy of 'em All".  All I could think about was Aaron Watson's tribute song about Lane Frost, "In the rain in the mud in July in Cheyenne..." and knew we were in for a messy time.

We parked the rig and had to hurry a little to get ready for the slack.  Ace was taking a quick shower when we both heard a loud thump on the trailer.  I rushed to the door to find the lead rope wrapped around the saddle horn and Mexico stooped down.  Ace yelled at me from the shower to grab a knife and cut him loose.  I was pretty nervous and was really worried about the situation.  By the time I had him freed, Ace had hopped out of the shower and was ready to help catch him in case he went wild.   I've never been around horses too much, so it really had my adrenaline pumping.

Ace knew he was going to have a challenge when he saw his first calf in the pen.  He did a good job getting her flanked but she was a little too large to make her cross her legs if she didn't feel like it....and she didn't feel like it.

Click HERE to watch Ace's first run in Cheyenne

After the slack we got Mexico situated in the barn and headed to the RV park across the road to check availability.  We went back to the fairgrounds to hook up the trailer and came back to the RV park and had access to electricity and running water, which felt like a resort to us!   Since we didn't get much sleep the night before we both took a nap. The rain picked up again, so we decided on ordering a pizza and catching up on the three redbox movie rentals we had gotten a few days before. 

On Thursday morning, Ace loaded his saddle, rope, and Mexico's feed onto the back of the truck and we headed to the fairgrounds.  Ace was relieved to see that his second calf didn't break the 300 pound barrier and knew he had a decent chance at taking her one-on-one.  He made a good run, which is currently placing in the second round.  However, the disadvantage of roping in the mud as opposed to having dry conditions may keep him from winning as much as we had hoped.

Click HERE to watch Ace's second run in Cheyenne

After Ace's run, we went to see the Justin Sports Medicine Team.  They examined his baby toe and it appears that the infection is healing well!  We headed back to the trailer and decided that operation 'clean up the trailer' was in full effect.  We took Ace's muddy rodeo attire and some of our dirty laundry and rugs to a nearby laundromat.  We caught up on a few episodes of House while our clothes were washing and drying.  After our laundry excursion, we ran to Walmart to grab some steaks to cook for dinner.

(Here's a little background story...)
After Ace had left for the summer, I had arranged to fly out a few days later to meet him.  He insisted that his mom arrange for me to bring his small, portable grill (as he had forgotten to pack it in the trailer) in one of my checked bags.  I met up with some friends of the Slone Family the night before I flew out, to get Ace's new Ipad (after finding his old one after months of thinking I left in the stands in Bulverde, he left it on the tailgate and it was ran over by an 18-wheeler).  They brought the grill with them, however, they had already decided there was NO way they'd let me fly with it.  Instead, they gave me $21 for Ace to buy a new one.  While we were in Casper, WY we bought a new grill when we were at a Dollar General.

While at this Dollar General, I found a full length mirror that I thought would be perfect for the trailer.  There is one installed in the bathroom, but it is at an angle and pretty hard to access when Ace hangs his worn clothes in front of it.  He thought I was silly and was questioning where I'd store this mirror.  To his surprise, I found a little nook in between the shower and his closet that houses our new mirror perfectly!

(End of background story...)

When we got back from running our errands, we swept out the trailer and cleaned out all the dirt (...and blonde hairs).  I put up the food and all of our laundry while Ace was outside assembling our new grill. We made friends with our neighbors, who were also in Cheyenne for the rodeo.  While we were cooking, we visited with them for a little while and had a great time swapping stories.  

We grilled steaks and made corn and it turned out pretty delicious!  We brought the steaks inside and Ace was contemplating on putting together the table for us to dine on.  It is stored in my closet and a little hard to get to without taking all my clothes out.  He then had a brilliant idea:  use the full length mirror as a table and set it on both of our laps!  Turns out my mirror is multipurpose (and now he thinks buying it wasn't so silly) and we used both of our Dollar General purchases in one evening.

While we were at Walmart we bought some fishing gear.  After dinner, I cleaned up while Ace got our rods rigged and ready for our sunrise fishing tourney on Friday morning.  However, when Friday morning arrived, we slept later than anticipated.  We got up, had breakfast and went to feed Mexico.  We relaxed around the trailer a bit (and watched a few more episodes of House) before going to play 18 holes of golf.  After golf, we decided it was time to try out our fishing equipment.  

(NOTE:  the RV park is in between a small body of water and a golf course... Ace was like a kid in a candy store!)

When we got to the water we both cast our lines.  To our surprise I got a bite in less than two minutes and I reeled in to find a small trout.

On my next cast I caught a small perch.  Both fish were too small to keep for dinner.  Ace moved to another spot to try his luck, while I went back to the trailer and got the grill fired up and ready for dinner. He swears he caught a handful of fish in my absence, but I think he just doesn't want to believe I out fished him.  

We heated up some leftover steak and made some fajita meat and beans.  We didn't have any tortillas, so we decided to make some fire pit nachos to use up the rest of a bag of chips we had lying around. 

As we were grilling the meat our neighbors arrived back at their horse trailer.  We struck a conversation and they told us they bought Ace a surprise.  They bought him an E-Z Flip, which is the perfect contraption for grilling and flipping meat.  We utilized the tool to take the meat off the grill and I foresee us using it for quite sometime!  We are very thankful to meet such kind people and will never forget our visit with Stickley Family. 

We have a few days off before Ace is up in Ogden, UT on 7/23/14, so we are slowly headed in that direction. 

Idaho and an Infected Toe....

On Sunday morning Chase Tryan hopped into our rig in Evanston, Wyoming and we headed towards Nampa, Idaho.  A few hours down the road, we stopped for a bathroom break.  Unfortunately, the bathroom at the convenient store was out of order, but they did have a ton of potato products (we must've made it to Idaho)....

Fortunately, our house on wheels has a fully operating bathroom!  Along the way, we introduced Chase into our Yahtzee competition and Chase introduced us to mixing Cracked Pepper and Dill Pickle sunflower seeds.  We made it to Nampa about 7pm.  While the guys got the horses situated in their stalls I checked our rig in at the office.  We had dinner at Texas Roadhouse and played a few more games of Yatzhee during dinner.

On Monday morning, Ace woke up to a red, throbbing pinky toe.  We threw it on the back burner and went to breakfast at The Egg Factory.  I had my first taste of "real" Idaho potatoes! 

After breakfast we went back to the arena to watch the team roping slack for a little bit.  Since we had quite a bit of time to burn before Ace would be up, he treated me to a girl day (much needed haircut and pedicure) while he stayed at the arena.  The pampering was nice after the approx. 9,600 miles and 9 states we've traveled in the last few weeks.  I picked up lunch and brought it back to Ace for a quick meal before he roped.

Ace's first calf at Nampa didn't have a very good track record.  She was strong and ran hard, especially for that set of calves.  Although he made a good run in the field, he was slightly disappointed that he didn't get out of the barrier sooner, which caused him to run the calf further down the arena.

Click HERE to watch Ace's first run in Nampa

After the slack, Ace wanted to play golf so we headed to the course.  Ace, Chase, and I played a scramble. During the game, Ace's pinky toe became a true nuisance, but yet again we shook it off.  I lasted a few holes and then decided that my beginner golf game wasn't quite "up to par" so I switched my role to just driving the cart and watching the sun set. 

After our 9 holes, we went to grab a quick dinner to take back to the arena.  Ace and I sat on the tailgate while Chase and Buddy Hawkins were having a trick contest on the roping dummy.  I'd never seen some of those moves before, so it was pretty neat to watch!

Ace woke up on Tuesday morning with an extremely red and swollen toe.  He told me he hardly slept at all and kept applying Neosporin throughout the night (guess that shows how hard of a sleeper I am...... ).  Based on the color and swelling, we knew it was infected but Ace had to get ready for the day.  I ran to get the guys breakfast while they got prepared for the morning slack.  While Ace was saddling Mexico, I decided to check the status of some of my Rodan & Fields customers.  I noticed an order input all the way from Washington!  I am beyond thrilled that our blog is spreading across the US and I am so thankful for the opportunity to work from anywhere we are!

Ace went to the Justin Sports Medicine Team before he roped and they confirmed that his toe was indeed infected.  We have a bottle of Doxycycline for Mexico and Ace was contemplating taking some, while waiting on professional opinions.

Ace made a pretty good run on his second calf, tying her in 8.5 seconds.  Under most circumstances being 18.1 seconds on two-head would get a call back to the short round.  But Nampa's short barrier, paired with good calves made for a really quick setup.  He's still hopeful to get another, but it's looking unlikely. 

Click HERE to watch Ace's second run in Nampa

I watched the end of the slack and filmed runs for a few more guys while Ace was getting the trailer ready to hit the road to Cheyenne, Wyoming.  While we were loading up, Ace got a call from a Justin Sports Medicine team member and she provided us with a bag of Iodine to soak his foot it.

She was extremely helpful and even scheduled Ace a doctor visit for when we arrive in Cheyenne!
Hoping this little piggy gets better quick, so we can go "wee wee wee all the way home" and by home I mean to Cheyenne for a few days!

Kool Time in Kansas

Monday night we drove until about 2am and stayed at the arena in Laramie, WY.  Tuesday morning, we woke up and had breakfast at the Chuckwagon.  So far, the Chuckwagon is home to my favorite breakfast that I've had on the rodeo road (besides when Ace cooks breakfast, since he has perfected it).  This breakfast melt it so simple...croissant, eggs, cheese, sausage, and tomato.... I'm hooked!!

While we were eating, we noticed the Oscar Meyer Wiener-mobile parked at a gas station across the road.  When I was little, the vehicle was in Halletsville, TX and I was able to take a quick tour and pictures with this hot-dog looking apparatus.  They got my info and sent me pictures of the vehicle and its transformation throughout the years, along with a Oscar Meyer Wiener whistle.  Seeing this brought back a pretty cool memory from my childhood!

On Tuesday we spent most of the day driving in the rain to our next destination:  Kansas.  This is our tenth state to visit this summer, logging approximately 12,000 miles.  We stopped at IHOP at about 10pm for breakfast-for-dinner.  We got to the fairgrounds in Abilene and made Mexico a pen before we went to sleep.

On Wednesday morning, we awoke to rain.  It's never fun to compete in the rain and muddy conditions, but it let up just enough during the slack to let Ace and Mexico make a really good run!  Ace tied his calf in 8.5 seconds and won second in the rodeo.

Click HERE to watch Ace in Abilene

After the morning slack, we went to lunch at Mr. K's Farmhouse, before heading to Hill City, KS for the perf that evening.

Since it was raining in the morning,  I didn't wash my hair before the slack.   I decided that since we had a few hours to drive that I should hop in the shower (in the horse trailer) while Ace drives.  Luckily, he was driving on the interstate so it was too rough in the trailer.  Definitely a first time experience, but why waste time?

Ace had mentioned that Kansas was not the most beautiful state and that the heat would remind me so much of home.  We followed a small storm all the way to Kansas and were in and out of showers the entire drive.  So far we have had rain and cool weather and Ace told me that Kansas is spoiling me.... I'll take it!

After the perf in Hill City, we headed to Dodge City to stay the night.  We made it to the muddy arena and Ace got Mexico situated for the night while I made our couch into a bed for Chase Tryan. 

They woke up on Thursday morning to watch the slack, while I stayed behind and did some work. In the afternoon we joined a few guys and went to the golf course.  Ace said he needed to get a game in before the tournament he played in on Friday. 

On Friday morning we headed to the golf tournament.  I dropped Ace off and ran some errands and made in back in time for the back nine.  After the tourney we took a quick nap before heading to Phillipsburg, KS for the evening perf. 

Ace wasn't able to handle his slack quite like he wanted, but was able to make a pretty good run and split 5th in the rodeo.

Click HERE to watch Ace's run in Phillipsburg

After the perf we headed back to Dodge City, since Ace was up on Saturday morning.  The calves at Dodge City came straight from Cheyenne and still didn't get tied, so any run under 14 seconds was pretty good.  He did good on his first calf and came back to the perf that night.  After the slack, we had a quick lunch and Ace went to play golf with some rodeo guys while I got my eyebrows waxed and got conned into a little shopping...

A little jewelry for me and mostly groceries for my cowboy! Ace placed in the perf Saturday night and made it back for the short round on Sunday. 

On Sunday we went to the Cowboy Church service held at the arena.  After church we went to the Dodge City Country Club.  Ace met a very nice man on Friday in the golf tournament who happened to offer for us to use his guest number at the club to have a relaxing time before the short round. 

I couldn't help but giggle as we started walking to the pool and I noticed that our towels matched his outfit and he looked like the Fourth of July! 

Mexico gave Ace a little trouble in the short round, but he was able to overcome it.  Ace won fifth in both rounds and ended up second in the average behind Cody Ohl.

Click HERE to watch Ace's runs at Dodge City

I'd have to say that Kansas has treated us very well!  And I'm still not quite sure what all the hype about the heat was....  ;)