A Rainy Day at the Rodeo, Moving West and More

Some years it rains for all three days of the Flint Hills Rodeo.

The longest continuously-operating rodeo event in Kansas carries on, rain or shine. This year was mostly rainy, but organizers weren't deterred by the forecast of scattered thunderstorms. That's to be expected on the first weekend of June in the Flint Hills. Plenty of humidity and heat help fuel the creation of pop-up storms, none severe thankfully.


This little cell was the first of three that blew up and swept alongside Strong City while people were lining up along Cottonwood Avenue to watch the annual Rodeo parade.

I made it to town well in time for the parade -- that meant I could do some storm watching while I waited. I drove in from Garden City, out in southwest Kansas, my hometown. I've moved back west, in a lovely plot twist, with the love of my life. It's an amazing start to a fantastic life together. My change in situation explains the lack of posting on this blog. Now that I'm also free from a regular work schedule, I can devote more time to things like following around pretty clouds.

In another life change, I've gone freelance. I'll contribute from time to time to The Mercury in Manhattan and the Kansas Reflector, but mostly I'll be focused on writing pieces for the Kansas Leadership Center's magazine, The Journal. The Journal's editor asked if I would like to write about the Flint Hills Rodeo to accompany a photo essay, and of course I agreed. 

That'll be my role for The Journal, to cover topics and people of interest in the western half of the state. My flexible schedule also allows me to work on some personal projects, including my Greensburg tornado book and my adventure novel series. All in all, I'm happy, and I'm especially happy to be able to roam and write.

The last time I'd covered the Rodeo was for KVOE Radio in Emporia. I love spending the day in the Flint Hills for writing-related work. I get to use all my senses, all my observational skills, and be a sponge for a day in a really neat place.

The Flint Hills are a rich green right now, thanks to spring rains. Parade-goers brought umbrellas and lawn chairs, posting up on sidewalks and opening cans of beer concealed in koozies. The storms skirted town, which allowed the parade to proceed, but organizers had to wait about 45 minutes to start.


Some of the parade watchers got a bit rowdy with a supply of water balloons and decided to aqua-grenade a few of the parade entrants, including a couple of Chase County Fire vehicles. It was all in good fun, though, as they respected most parade participants. There were a few drivers who didn't mean to get into the parade route, and they were playfully chastised with balloons splashed against their cars.

After the parade was over, another storm was brewing. I took a little break and then headed over to the rodeo arena to meet with an organizer for an interview. We chatted for a few minutes before another downpour came.

Cowboys preparing for the children's goat and calf roping events before the rain comes. The arena is already a muddy mess from the prior days' storms.


In my audio file of the interview, rain on the metal roof of the arena enclosure nearly drowns out the chatter. The actual conversation can still be heard, thankfully, and I was able to write up a fun piece about the event.

Back home in western Kansas, grasses are growing back and plants are blooming, thanks to drought-busting rainfall. It's great, except that it aggravates my allergies from extra pollen in the air. I'll have to get stronger medicine for it, I guess.

Hopefully I can get back on the road in pursuit of severe weather. Until then, I'm happy to sit and write from my home, with my family near.

Write on; right on.

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