Living the Dream...: Friday and Saturday, June 29 and 30, 2012 (Rodeo Grounds, Merritt, BC)

Steve called the local Yamaha dealer first thing Friday morning to see if they could fix the boot on my quad. I guess the fellow hummed and hawed a bit but then told Steve to bring it in and he would try to get it done this morning. So after loading my quad into the back of Don’s pickup truck and our dirty laundry into the back seat, we were off.

Steve dropped me off at the Laundromat before heading to the Yamaha dealer. So I had a lovely couple of hours doing laundry while Steve dropped my quad off and then went home and did dishes. It was nice to come home to the trailer all cleaned up...I just had the laundry to put away once I got home.

It must have been about noon when Steve got a phone call saying that my quad was all ready to be picked up. Yay...I’m all set for the weekend! Here is Steve topping off the fuel in preparation for our next ride...

We didn’t really do too much the rest of the afternoon. I went with Linda and Carol to pick up a few things in Merritt...it was Don’s birthday and Linda planned on cake for everyone after dinner. I picked up some ink cartridges for our printer so Steve could print off some maps.

There was quite a gathering after dinner...Linda dished up lots of cake...

Unfortuntely there is a glare on the bottle Don is holding...it says "Hot Sex"...sounds like an interesting liqueur...

Saturday morning was a little drizzly but although there were some major clouds in the early afternoon, they seemed to skirt around us and it ended up being a great afternoon for the first planned ATV/BC event...an ATV rodeo!

There were 5 events that you could enter...I can’t remember the proper names of each but they were intended to test your ATV skills (among other things!).

The first event was Polo were you had to hit a ball with a mallet around 3 barrels...driving your quad in a figure-8...this is Sue...

The next challenge was a ring toss where you had 4 rings that you had to toss on the cones that are on top of the barrels...again, in a figure-8 pattern...and without stopping. Here is Diane (we called her Diane #1 and me Dianne #2...she has one 'n' in her name; I have two)...

...and here is Sue giving it a try (that is Bob, her husband MC'ing the rodeo)...

Here is Linda with Diane and Don on their quads...looks like they are discussing strategy for their next event...

The third event was a backwards race where you had to drive your quad backwards around the barrels using only your mirrors. Don had to borrow a mirror because he doesn't have any on his quad...

The fourth challenge was a "Blind Faith" ride where the driver was blindfolded and the passenger had to direct them around the barrels...Steve and I entered this race...it was too funny!

Here are Don and Linda waiting for their turn...

Wes and Diane Pigeau on the course...

Don and Linda...they ended up winning first place...

Finally, it was our turn...Steve just got the bag put over his helmet...

...and we're done...Steve took directions very well and we ended up winning third place and a bug zapper...

The final event was an obstacle course...it was quite the course with log jumping, ring toss, balance board...just to mention of few of the obstacles...then finishing up having to take a bite out of a mustard covered weiner...too funny! Steve tried to enter this event but it was full by the time he got there. As it turned out, they added some more contestants so he could have gone after all...but he didn't know. First of all, Jeff Mohr did a demonstration of the course...

On this one, you have to drive up onto the trailer, get off and walk all the way around your quad, get back on and back off and continue...

Diane Pigeau on the balance boards...that was really tricky. You are given 10 seconds to balance before continuing (only one person managed to do it)...

Sue Stewart doing the ring toss part of the obstacle course...

Don managed to get some air on the log jump...

Steve snapped this picture at the perfect time...Don really didn't managed to balance...

Here you had to drive between the barriers, stop your quad and reach over and toss out the water in the glass...

...and finally, at the finish line...Don taking a bite out of the mustard covered weiner (yuck)!!

Once the rodeo was over, all contestants lined up for prizes...

Here we are picking up our prize...

It was so much fun to watch...and even more fun to participate. Now that we have seen it, next time we'll have to enter more events!

Now it was time to sit down and socialize with this great group of people...

(Don, Sue, Doug, John and Mario)