Spring Break 2016: Day 5

HUMP DAYYYYYYY!
Wednesday my family experienced the junction of all that is weird about Austin and all that is western about Texas at Rodeo Austin.
I've attended The Big Fresno Fair many times and been to the Clovis Rodeo and some Fresno State barrel racing and equestrian events, and this seemed to jam a little bit of each into on neat event.

Our morning started with a trip over to Hannah's to share some mango guac, a stop into Best Buy for a smaller tripod I wanted to experiment with, and finally a run into Starbucks for a Cherry Blossom Frappuccino before we made the jaunt to the fairgrounds.
The Frappuccino was a fun mix of sweet and mellow. Also note how I've basically mastered the art of a solid camera selfie (with a DSLR no less!). I can't regular selfie to save my life though. Go figure.

The rodeo was well attended, but it never felt crowded, which was nice.

We started out day in the livestock barn, looking at the Hall of Breeds, which, as the name implies, showcases many different breeds. The barn was also full of FFA and 4H kids and their families waiting to show their poultry.

This mini horse was just waking up from a nap and then looked straight at me.

Guys! It's a fluffy cow!

And a pretty, but scary, cow!

The Hall of Breeds featured a hatchery with eggs, hours of chickies, and fluffier, couple day old chickens. You could even see a chicken pecking its way through its shell.

Mama and baby!

These kids are washing their goats. It was quite the sight. Some goats avoided their bath, and other goats just flopped over as soon as they were bathed in an act of protest.

If you look real closely you can see the Austin skyline out the barn door.

After looking at and talking to all the animals it was time for a fresh funnel cake. It was perfectly warm and sugary and a little sticky.

We then enjoyed the pig races while drinking a huge glass of mango sweet tea. These pigs trundled around the track for an Oreo cookie. They know that the only thing worth running for is food.

Have you ever seen a monkey dressed as a cowboy riding a sheepdog while herding sheep? Yeah, it's as fun as it sounds. These little capuchin monkeys hold on tight to their saddles and pet their dogs while they dart around the pack of sheep.
What I want to know is where one buys a cowboy outfit for a monkey? Like, is this a niche market?

At the end of the presentation the man running the show paused to tell us about how we should never give up on our dreams, because as a kid he dreamed of owning a monkey, and he now tours with 2 monkeys, 2 dogs, and a pack of sheep. It was a sweet moment.

We then walked through the carnival area, where I enjoyed shooting all the colors and movement and texture. I've never really been one for fair rides, but I loved the opportunity to photograph it all. The lights, the cheesy stuffed animal prizes, the beaten up rides and games. There's just so much to take in and enjoy.

Can we talk about my shirt real quick? I've been waiting to wear this top since I found it last year at the thrift store. Do you see this thing? It's from 7-11, and has Lady Liberty holding a slushy. It makes me so happy. And my favorite shorts in the world almost match it. I am obviously the pinnacle of fashion. 

Now, as you may know, I literally just said that I'd like a fish to photograph. While I was photographing by one of the game stands a boy won a fish. He didn't want it, though, so he offered it to a young girl, who also declined, but when it was then offered to me I took it. I mean, a free fish, how could I say no? I was really pumped because I'd just had fish on the brain, but I was cautiously optimistic, because my last carnival fish didn't even survive the drive home. 

By the time I got him home he was already looking a little limp, so I put him in some new water (Fatal Mistake #1) and then I fed him super finely crushed dog food (Fatal Mistake #2) because we didn't have fish food but dad said it would work. We then took an adventure to the park because I figured he didn't have much time left, and we should make his last hours of life count.

We even took cute portraits in the wildflowers.

By the time I got home he looked like he was going down, and then before I knew it he was dead. It was quite traumatic. Here's a sampling of my texts to Hannah before and after his death. I'm thankful for her support.

AH! HE JUST IS SO DEAD AND SAD. I still feel kinda guilty. This boy trusted me and gave me his fish and then I couldn't keep it alive for more than 4 hours. This fish was entirely dependant on me to sustain its life and I failed. PETA, I'm begging your people to not attack my blog or anything, because I swear I was never trying to kill him, and I feel pretty terrible about it. 

Anyway, that's the story of my 4 hours of love and loss and heartbreak, as well as an amazing day at Austin Rodeo.