Off to a bang

The Thursday performance got off to a bang, literally, today for Round-Up Princess Lindsee Williams.

Williams, of Helix, Ore., ended up on the ground against the grandstands during the grand entry to kick off today's performance of the Pendleton Round-Up.

Williams was thrown from her horse, but got to her feet and initial reports were that the Round-Up princess didn't suffer any serious injuries.

The Round-Up court kicks off each rodeo performance in Pendleton by riding into the arena at full gallop. It starts off the excitement, but sometimes the excitement is more than expected.

***

Reigning bareback world champion Will Lowe showed why he is also leading the world standings this season by scoring an 88 today on the horse Booger's Pet.

Lowe's score was the best of the day in the bareback riding.

***

Dark clouds are hanging over the Round-Up grounds. It looks like rain could be possible before the afternoon is over, as the clouds are stacking up against the Blue Mountains just east of Pendleton.

Pendleton Round-Up
Rodeo
Agriculture

Are you tough enough for Round-Up?

The Thursday edition of the 2006 Pendleton Round-Up is less than 30 minutes from getting under way. I remembered to bring all my Western apparel but I'm still looking a bit out of place on the rodeo grounds today. I'm still not dressed quite right.

Today is "Tough Enough to Wear Pink" day at the Pendleton Round-Up. Today contestants and fans will be showing their support for the fight against breast cancer by wearing pink. There are pink shirts, bandanas -- even boots -- in evidence all around the grounds today.

It's not that I am not willing, even eager, to support that cause. I lost an aunt to breast cancer and have had several friends who have had to fight that devastating affliction. It's just that I don't have any Western apparrel that is pink. In fact I think the only clothing I have with pink anymore is a tie with pink in it. And that would definitely look out of place here.

Well, fortunately, my press pass the Round-Up media and security folks issued to me is pink. Maybe that will be enough to show my support and keep me from looking like a complete outsider.

Let's get ready to rodeo.

Agriculture

Ready to rodeo (blog-style)

Cowboy hat: Check
Wrangler jeans: Check
Justin boots: Check
Western shirts: Check
Leather belt with rodeo buckle: Of course!

Plus socks, clean underwear, shaving kit, a laptop computer, iPod loaded with enough country music to listen uninterrupted for 3.6 days (that's 1,438 songs in case you are curious).

That must mean I'm packed and ready for Round-Up. The Pendleton Round-Up that is. All that's left to do is throw the gear in the truck and hit the road. Although from the looks of the weather forecast I an my fellow Round-Up revelers will need our jackets and umbrellas (or hat covers) too. Chilly and rainy weather is predicted for Thursday through Saturday. Of course things clear up on Sunday, just in time to return home.

Well, I better get going. I've got miles to go before I reach the Umatilla County line and can bunk down for the night. But look for posts here and hopefully on CapitalPress.com tomorrow afternoon.

If you can't wait til thing for a Round-Up fix, check out the East Oregonian's coverage. They have enough stuff there to keep you busy until the buckin' bulls come home.

OK, I'm off. It's time to Let 'er Buck.

Agriculture
Pendleton Round-Up
Rodeo
Blogging

Do cowboys carry laptops?

OK, so sometimes maybe I overreact.

I found out Tuesday there is a bit of a snafu related to equipment availability this week. We just don't have enough laptop computers to go around. So my grand plan to post blog updates and updates to the Capital Press website from the Pendleton Round-Up later this week was looking pretty iffy.

So, I had an idea. I'd been thinking about getting a laptop computer for a while, and I had read recently about how the price of laptops were way down due to competition between chip manufacturers AMD and Intel. So I was thinking maybe the time was right to take the plunge.

So this is the first post from my new toy. So, it looks like the Round-Up posts have been saved.

I'm sure that's a relief to you all.

Hello? Is anyone out there? Well, if so I'll be making the first 2006 Round-Up post sometime Thursday afternoon Pacific time. Unless, that is I win Wednesday's Powerball drawing. In that case, you're on your own.

Agriculture
Pendleton Round-Up
Blogging

Just Bee-cause

Attempting to beat the showers on the way, it’s easy to find those that are … well, as busy as a bee.

Need we say more.














Agriculture

Five years later: 9/11 at 10 p.m. at Salem

Near silence.

All that was left in Riverfront park in Salem was the humming of generators that powered bright lights on the remaining flags that had been solemn reminders of terrorist actions five years ago; the soft murmur of a few families who walked slowly along the rows of American flags; consolation offered in a few last embraces for mourning family members dressed in black who came for a tribute they found hard to leave.

There was not a single breath of breeze.
Not a single flag moved, not even a flutter.



People carefully lifted the edges of the flags, gazed at the thousands of names in the stripes of the flag, and those larger words about honor and remember and 9/11.

The workers began to remove the flags, the last few people who purchased their flags began to make their way home.



Back to catch the television stations play the day's speeches over and over. Replay images of burning towers in New York, a smoky Pentagon, a still image of a plane wreck in a field that never was allowed to reach its target destination. There were names, one by one, listed by authorities, and by people who lost their loved ones.



And there were images of Afghanistan, Iraq, of terrorists that continue to add each day more victims that will increase these flags on future memorial fields.



At times like this, perhaps all that can be left are the pictures, reminders that each flag represents a person, a life, a terrible tragedy.

We will remember them.











Agriculture