(It's me! Shoeless Joe Jackson was no where to be seen at the Field of Dreams this day, but I was quick to take his place and check out the corn before I stepped up to the plate to envision my homerun!)
Not even the rain could spoil the great rodeo action in Edgewood, Iowa during the Edgewood Days PRCA Rodeo. Dave and Marla Morehead of Three Hills Rodeo Co. contributed to the action and excitement as Roger Mooney added colorful commentary. Thursday evening was "Tough Enough to Wear Pink" night, and we were definitely ALL tough enough--the crowd included. Though Mother Nature dumped buckets of large, cold raindrops, most of the bleachers remained full of die-hard rodeo fans! It was great to see everyone out to support such a wonderful sport and great cause with the breast cancer awareness campaign.
During my visit to Edgewood I stayed at the very nice home of Jim and Kathy Funke who have the most peaceful screened-in porch I have ever been on! I would have been perfectly content to unroll a sleeping bag and camp on the porch the entire weekend, but I was spoiled with my own room in their beautiful basement. Jim and Kathy took great care of me and welcomed me into their home like I was one of the grandkids. I had a great time visiting with them and getting a tour of their farm and the town of Edgewood. Thank you, Jim and Kathy, for your wonderful Iowa hospitality!
The week of the rodeo was filled with school, nursing home, and daycare visits coordinated by Chamber of Commerce director, Elise Bergan. Thank you, Elise, for allowing me to meet many of the great people in and around Edgewood. I visited children in surrounding towns including Strawberry Point, Colesburg, and Dyersville. Yes, you read correctly: DYERSVILLE--the home of the famous "Field of Dreams." I was lucky enough to visit the field and even get to experience what the "ghosts" did in the movie by walking out of the cornfield! I knew for sure that it was Heaven on Earth to be in Iowa!
After I left Edgewood I made a visit to the Camp Aldersgate Summer Camp near Stanton, Iowa to talk to the campers and their parents about the many opportunities and activities associated with horses; "rodeo queening" was one of the examples! Thank you, Angela Wallick, for the opportunity to visit the exciting camp in the beautiful rolling hills of Southwest Iowa. Being such a small world, I ran into Irene Pauley and her daughter Melissa at the camp. Irene is one of the newest members of the Miss Rodeo Iowa Board.
The next couple of weeks will be full of traveling and great times as we get into the heart of rodeo season. Wednesday, June 27 (the same day as Megan Wiemold's--Miss Rodeo Iowa 2004--Miss Rodeo Iowa Horsemanship Camp) I will be in Waverly, Iowa for a Truck Rodeo Event. I am excited to be a part of the function and get to judge one of the events! This weekend I will be at a rodeo in Exira, Iowa, and then it is on to the Leon Rodeo over the Fourth of July!
I wish you a safe, happy, and fun Fourth of July! If you are in attendance at a rodeo in Iowa, chances are, you will be seeing me! I love this "job" and feel so fortunate to represent Iowa because I am having the time of my life! Thank you for checking in on me and reading the blog--I enjoy sharing my experiences with you and hope you enjoy reading them! Take care, and I will write again soon!
