first time at the rodeo

Thought I'd share some pictures from our trip to the Houston Rodeo this weekend, since many of you guys have probably never been to one! I had so, so much fun -- I wish I'd brought my SLR so I could get some really good photos, but the iPhone plus Instagram combo is so much easier to lug around. And obviously I had to keep my hands free for fried pickles, smoked turkey, and the best food that has ever been invented: Cookie Dough on a Stick. (Yes, seriously.)

I went through a phase a few years ago where I really, really wanted a miniature pig -- they're so cute and they're supposed to be as clean and sweet as dogs if you raise them in a house. The only thing that held me back was I found out that even if you think you're buying a miniature pig, they don't always stop growing... so you might well end up with a pig this size instead. Definitely not fit for a Manhattan apartment (or even a Houston backyard)!

The actual bull riding wasn't really my thing, but the carnival games, heaps of fried food, cowboy hats, boots and baby animals were pretty great. We didn't actually stay for the afternoon's concert, but I'm definitely going back for one before it ends!

{inside the stadium}

{eating cookie dough on a stick}

{chad with a smoked turkey drumstick}

{day-old baby chickens!}

{trying on a cowboy hat}

{the best cotton candy}

{a bull and a calf}

{snuggling goats}

{every style of cowboy boots you could imagine}

{again: Cookie Dough. On a Stick.}