Rodeo and the VLA

We did indeed go to the rodeo in Socorro on Sunday.  Despite twice passing the sports complex where it was being held, it took us a very long time to find the entrance.  But it was definitely worth the trouble.  There wasn’t much of an audience despite it being the New Mexico finals, so we circled the ring and asked if we could join a couple in one of the front row boxes.  They turned out to be the proud grandparents of two of the barrel racing contestants and one of the youngest cowboys imaginable.  Their 5-year-old grandson was the one herding the calves into the chute after they had been roped and released.  He  was so skillful he reminded me of a border collie rounding up sheep.  He would ride his pony right up to the calf and manuever around it until the calf had nowhere to go but where it was supposed to.

Although it was hard watching calves being roped and tied, the skill of the horses was incredible to see. Horse and rider rode hard out of the gate and, once the calf was roped, the horse stopped on a dime and stood stock-still as the rider jumped off and tied the calf’s legs together.  I think the best time was around 12 seconds from start to finish. There was also barrel racing, bull riding and bareback riding.  My first rodeo and, while I don’t think I’ll be back, it was quite an experience.

This little cowboy just turned 5 years old

Flying out of the gate to rope a calf

We returned to Water Canyon CG in the Cibola NF for a second night so we could get an early start the next morning.  Target was to visit the Very Large Array, one of the world’s biggest radio telescopes.  As we parked at the visitors center a man got out of his official vehicle and came over to ask where in New York we were from.  We told him and got to chatting and mentioned Emily’s grad school focus.  He is one of the engineers on the upgrade project that is being undertaken over the next few years and offered to email us pictures from the inside of one of the dishes for her.  We will definitely take him up on the offer; will send his card to Emily asap.

We spent some time at the visitors center, watched a film showing how the information gathered there has contributed to our (not my) understanding of the creation of the universe. A walking tour was available but the 30 degree temperatures and howling winds forced us back into the van.  Curious but not that curious.  As an aside, the weather here in New Mexico has been frightful.  We thought of the southwest as unceasingly sunny and mild but we have experienced winds up to 40 or 50 mph and temperatures below freezing almost every night.  The radio did say temps were 25 to 30 degrees below normal and that it was warmer in the northwestern states than here.  I guess we’ll find out.

We headed west to Dalit Wells CG in the Cibola NF and camped for the night.  $2.50 for the site because it is on Bureau of Land Management lands.  Woke up to another 34 degree morning and headed out to find propane to top off our tank.  But first we had to pass through Pie Town which, it turns out, actually does have a few establishments specializing in pies.  We stopped at the first one called the Gathering Place and had pie and coffee.  Very hard to choose just one – they must have had 20-25 varieties listed and at least a dozen in the case.  We settled on apple to have there with our coffee and blueberry-peach to take with us.  I wish they shipped!

Got our propane and drove through blinding snow, 24 miles in the wrong direction.  Retraced our path – still in heavy snow – and made our way to Grants where we camped in the Bluewater State Park.  Awoke to still more snow and gusty winds but, undeterred, drove on to Gallup to start on our next national park quest.