Cowboy Day

The start of the Western Stock Show always begins with a parade in downtown Denver. This year three friends and I decided to ride the Light Rail to Union Station and watch the parade. I arrived to the Station in Westminster, found a place to park and walked to the platform. The area was crowded with people in boots and cowboy hats. The kiosks to get tickets for the train ride had people helping people because most of us were not sure how to follow the instructions on how to get our tickets. I had trouble because the machine would not accept my money!

Waiting for my friends I took pictures of the area. Riding the Light Rail is an easy was to get downtown without any hassles. Park free, buy ticket, get on train and fifteen minutes you are at Union Station.

Ten minutes before the train was to leave I frantically texted my friends, who had not arrived, and I had a feeling they would not make the train. I thought about getting on the train, especially when I was told it would be another hour before the next train would arrive. I decided to wait and paced back and forth to keep warm. Reminded me of a bear in Greeley, Colorado who was kept caged in a small cage. The bear would go from one side to the other side of that small cage, every day, over and over again. At that time it was fascinating to watch the bear but now I would consider it cruelty to animals.

From my vantage point I could see my friends driving around looking for parking, seeing them standing around a machine trying to decide whether they needed to pay for parking, (even though I had texted them they did not) and finally, my friends arrived at the platform. My comment was, "I am going to stop hanging around with pokey old ladies!" While waiting for the train to arrive, we saw another YAH friend and her daughter. Small world is right!

It did not take long for us to arrive at Union Station and a mad rush to where the parade was beginning. The long horned Texas steers are the first and exciting beginning and we barely made it to see their rears!

 It was crowded and the majority of the people at the parade had cell phones above their heads taking photos or videos.  I struggled through the many bodies until I found a somewhat good spot. It is so much fun to be around happy and cheering people and seeing the many cowboys on the beautiful horses. Floats with colorful Mexican dancers,  Native Americans, wagons pulled by large horses, radio stations announcing parade schedule, llamas prancing by with their proud heads, dogs, and many other fun things to see marched passed where I was standing. When the Pooper Scoopers came by I knew the parade was over and it was time to find my friends.

They were huddled behind the large news truck and said they watched through the window of the van. I noticed they had a rapport with the professional photographers and were happy to have seen the parade through the truck's window. After having our picture taken in front of Union Station we went to HopDoddy Burger Bar for lunch.

Great burgers and the mini-margarita one friend drank made her remark, "This is potent!" As we sat eating lunch the parade people were making their way back. We could have watched without the crowds as horses, cowboys, floats, etc. returned to wherever they had started.

A visit to Union Station and a picture taken to send to a friend in Hawaii. We wanted her to see that we are surrounded by flowers also! We found a painted library and thought since we are all readers we needed to have another picture taken. People are so nice to offer or to say yes when asked if they will take our picture!

A perfect day. The weather was warmish, the cowboys looked great, the horses looked even better, food was delicious, and we had fun! Our ride home was fast and it prompted someone to say, "Are we here already?"

"Better three hours

too soon than a

minute late."

William Shakespeare