Scenes from a Montana Fourth of July!

a parade and a rodeo

When I think of a Fourth of July parade, I picture marching bands. But the soundtrack of this parade was quite different: clip-clop.

I also learned a new phrase: Rodeo Royalty.

Speaking of which, check out the clip below — from the Red Lodge Rodeo on July 3. Notice the piece of fabric dipping across the top left corner of the frame — that’s the edge of my umbrella! It poured off and on the whole time we were there, and our seats were uncovered.

When we arrived we sat in pools of water on our metal seats, there was no way around it. I put up the umbrella but felt bad because I knew it would dump water on the people behind us. I apologized over my shoulder. Some young people assured me: “You’re fine!” Montanans are hardy folk.

A bit later I asked them some questions about the scoring process, and their answers were very helpful. I teased them that if they ever visited Virginia we’d be happy to explain some stuff to them.

For the record — the previous week we attended a rodeo in Cody, Wyoming, but we liked the one in Red Lodge much better, even in the rain.

For one thing, this announcer wasn’t nearly as annoying. The announcer in Cody kept up such a constant barrage of sound that we both got headaches. Plus, the Red Lodge experience felt more authentic and less like a tourist attraction. It also felt more communal, maybe because the bleachers fully encircled the arena.

Also, the rodeo clown had a hilarious shtick with his horse. Here’s a photo — the horse was incredibly well-trained and would lay down next to the clown when he was supposed to do a trick. At the end he reared up on his hind legs, and then bowed deeply. Just a beautiful display.

What did you do for the Fourth of July?