EDGE PHOTO: Livermore Rodeo

On Saturday I was longing for a good old fashioned country experience, I we headed out to the Livermore Rodeo. This is the first rodeo I've been to since my college days in San Luis Obispo. It made me miss being around the the cowboy hats, the boots, the wranglers, the smell of livestock, and that good ol' country boy mentality. You definitely don't get a whole lot of that working at a corporate job in the silicon valley. It was great to see such a unified group of people that had so much love and respect for this country. The highlight of the day was at the opening of the Rodeo. They flew a plane high above the arena and this guy jumped out with this massive American flag. It was incredible watching him grow from this tiny spec and maneuver his way down to the center of the arena. A bunch of military personnel and cowboys were even there to catch the flag before it touched the ground. It was one of the coolest things I've seen in a while.

Another reason I decided to head to the rodeo was because I wanted to try out my new 70-200 2.8IS lens. I tried to weasel may way into the "press pass" area, but unfortunately the security guard gave me the boot....DARN IT! Next time I may have to resort to bribery. Even though I was confined to the bleachers I still managed to get off some pretty decent shots. I think this lens is a keeper. Too bad I had to put that new car purchase on hold as a result of it. New cars are overrated anyways. Tell that to the guy who has an hour long commute each way with no A/C, no power steering, no power windows, and no power locks. She ain't pretty but at least she's paid off!

Bareback Riding