Florida Airboating

This morning we went air boating on Cypress Lake with our tour guide Dale. It was a lot of fun. We saw a couple alligators on the trip. This alligator in the picture above was 11 feet long. Once again with the cold weather they have had in Florida, the wildlife is not acting normal. Usually the alligators won't let you get too close but right now they are lethargic in the cold weather and really just want to find a place in the sun. Our boat was basically right on top of the back half of this alligator and he didn't even move while Miss Rodeo America, Kelly Jackson reached down and touched him.

Florida Hog Hunting

Tonight we went hog hunting on swamp buggies at Deseret Ranch, a 365,000 acre cattle ranch owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It is one of the largest cattle operations in the world with 44,000 cows and 1300 bulls. The ranch has had to remove a lot of wild hogs from the land because they ruin the farm and grazing ground. There were around 1500 hogs removed over the last year, but do you think a group of rodeo queens could find one? You guessed it, we couldn't. The weather is colder than normal in Florida this winter and as a result a lot of the wild hogs are staying sheltered. I was kind of sad that I couldn't see a hog but Regina, my host mother still took me over to her neighbor's house so that I could get a picture of their pot-belly pig.

Florida School Visits

This morning we made school visits to three different elementary schools in the Kissimmee area. In Kissimmee instead of getting out of school for President's Day, the schools are out for "Rodeo Day" on the Friday of the Silver Spurs Rodeo. Now that is lucky. Our lesson at the schools involved teaching the kids about different tack and equipment used in rodeo as well as information on each of the seven rodeo events.

Florida, Here I Come!

I left for some warmer weather today. I am going to Kissimmee, Florida for the Silver Spurs Rodeo and it sounds like we have an awesome agenda for the week. While traveling today I had a layover in Denver, Colorado and the pilot called me to the cockpit and let me sit in his chair for a picture. He taught me some things about flying a plane and I couldn't believe all of the buttons and gadgets. It was interesting.

1st Annual Ogden City Winterfest

The Ogden Pioneer Days Foundation sponsored and organized the Skijoring Event where a single tow rope is looped around the horn of a western saddle and the horse and rider pull a skier at a fast pace over a course of snow as the skier navigates through jumps and obstacles. The skier is timed during the course and I made an excellent flag girl for the timers.

Its A Princess Party!!!

National Western Stock Show- Denver, Colorado

My final night at the rodeo was the most exciting. I was able to carry the National Western Stock Show Flag at the beginning of the rodeo and have my biography read from the president's box again. I was also able to carry flags during the sponsor presentation where four queens carry 14 flags into the arena in about 90 seconds. Its pretty quick and exciting.

All week while we were not participating in different events during the rodeo, the queens were able to sit in premium seating. We were placed about 10 feet behind the announcer Boyd Polhamus on leather sofas. Now you can't beat that.