the cody stampede kicks off monday morning with slack. that means my first batch should be at the rodeo grounds by 6 am. i will be providing 1430 "pieces" per day for the entire stampede. thats almost 6000 by the time the rodeo is over. 900+ cookies, 300+ brownies, and 200+ pb bars per day. thats a lot of butter and sugar. but, someone has to feed all of the contestants, so why not give them the best! the cody stampede is one of the top 15 rodeos in the nation. well over 1000 contestants will come through here next week, and virtually every pro rodeo cowboy and cowgirl has competed in cody at least once. the prize money won in cody can make a big difference to a cowboys career, just ask kanin asay. a big win during " cowboy christmas " can take you from the bottom of the rankings all the way to the top. along with cody, there is the greeley stampede and dozens of high profile rodeos all packed into the first weeek of july. in addition, calgary kicks off early this year, meaning no sleep for the weary. calgary has the largest bonus payout, at 50,000 for the event winners, not bad for a weeks work. the cody stampede board is hard at work making sure everything runs as smooth as possible, and with everything that they accomplished over the winter, this should be a great week of rodeo.

after yesterdays heat wave of close to 70 degrees, it has finally cooled off again today. we may even see some snow. its been a week since our last snow fall, so we were all hoping that summer might show up at some point. i guess it will be delayed a few more days. at least we are not complaining about the heat. yet. saturday is park county night at the cody rodeo. tickets are only $2, not a bad way to spend a saturday evening. this years rodeo season is looking great so far. the quality of stock gets better every year, and the rodeo grounds renovations make the arena one of the best in the state. the stands are filling early too. usually the crowds are light at the beginning of the season, but this year it seems as though there are more people. and thats a very good sign.

the blog is back. for better or for worse. you decide. i had bloggers block and decided to take a few weeks off. now that rodeo season has begun, i feel like i might have something to say. cody nite rodeo kicked off another season last night. it was great to be back there, and the stampede board did a phenomonal job for the cowboys. they installed all new bucking chutes and catwalks. the catwalks are huge, and everyone loves them. the new bucking chutes are terrific. the cowboys, horses and bulls all say thank you to the stampede board! the new installations had to be very expensive, but they are well worth the price. it is hard to believe that the stampede (july 1st to 4th) is now less than a month away. i guess that means summer is here. that, and its been almost a week since we have had snow. at last nights rodeo, i was informed by one of the board members that i am the exclusive sugar pusher for the stampede. i am honored and excited. what that means is, for all four days, when the contestants go to the hospitality barn to eat, my treats will be what they get for dessert. not too shabby. the cody stampede is one of the nations largest and most prestigious rodeos. virtually every professional cowboy and cowgirl makes it to cody. its part of the " cowboy christmas." the fourth of july is so packed with top rodeos, that it can make or break a rodeo cowboys season. every year a few rise to the top and earn over $100,000 in that week alone! of course, no sleep, constant driving and competing are the only things done that week. i'm looking forward to tonites rodeo, and i will talk to you soon.  let 'er buck

we had another successful open mic night last night. i counted 107 people, and thats not bad. thats almost 1/3 of the town! a lot of people participated, singing or playing their intraments. the best part was that everyone was really good. i did my part by staying behind the dessert bar and drinking. thats my best talent. of course, i practice as much as possible, thats why i am so talented. for the summer, i think the open mic nights will be held outside on the back deck. we may haveto wait until july though to ensure warmer weather. our derby party was fun too. the mint julep truffles were a big hit. next up is the preakness. i'm not sure if a black eyed susan truffle would taste good, but i think i can come up with something.

i know its been a while. i have been out of town for a week, and between working on the ranch, and re-filling the stores cases, i havent had much free time. but thats good, it keeps me out of trouble, and i got into a lot of trouble last week. thank you cody & val. not that i am not to blame, but its easier to pass it off onto others. i have to say, last weekend was one of the most fun i've had in a long time. my cousins are always up for a good time, and we did our best to make spectacles of ourselves. last saturday i was getting sun burned in 80 degree weather, now we have had snow here in meeteetse two of the last three days. of course, we had a mini blizzard last night, and now its sunny and 50. wyoming. the east enterance to yellowstone is opening next week. i guess that means summer is almost here. i love the winter, but i think i'm ready for warmer weather. next weekend we are hosting a double header here at meeteetse chocolatier. first off will be a dessert happy hour /kentucky derby event. great desserts and great horse racing. then saturday evening is our ever growing (and legendary) open mic night. three great events all in one day. not a bad way to spend a saturday.