Thijs, Barbara, Famke en Floortje in Texas: March 2012

'Suck the head, pinch the tail!'

Apparently that is what they say in Louisiana. It is crawfish season so last Sunday we headed to 'The Good Ole Boys' at Interstate 10 and FM-1463. You can't really called this a restaurant as it is kind of a shack with some plastic tables outside. No plates (just some cardboard baskets), napkins are a roll of kitchen towel and I don't think they even own any knives or forks!

Bu the crawfish were great! They boil them by the bag then put them in a cooler box with a spicy marinade.

(note the 'Fried Swamp Gator Bites on the menu. Unfortunately they were out, would have given it a try!)

After lunch I spoke to the owner and asked him what 'The Good Ole Boys' do outside crawfish season. He told me they do everything from smoking their own sausage and bacon to deer and hog processing (in hunting season) to 1800 fried (!) turkeys and 800 glazed hams at Christmas time!

Some crawfish facts from Wikipedia:

Louisiana supplies 98% of the crayfish (referred to locally as crawfish or crawdad) harvested in the United States. In 1987, Louisiana produced 90% of the crayfish in the world, 70% of which were consumed locally. In 2007, the Louisiana crawfish harvest was about 54,800 ton, almost all of it from aquaculture.

Louisiana crawfish are usually boiled live in a large pot with heavy seasoning (salt, cayenne pepper, lemon, garlic, bay leaves, etc.) and other items such as potatoes, corn on the cob, onions, garlic, mushrooms, turkey necks, and sausage. There are many differing methods used to season a crawfish boil, and an equal number of opinions on which one is correct.^[27] They are generally served at a gathering known as a crawfish boil. Other popular dishes in the Cajun and Creole cuisines of Louisiana include crawfish étouffée, fried crawfish, crawfish pie, crawfish dressing, crawfish bread and crawfish beignets.

The Houston Rodeo is in town! Of course we had to go and see it.

So we put on our boots and hats, saddled our horses and off we went (okay, just the boots then)!

What a show! They take their cowboy stuff seriously here.

The line-up of events was as follows:

Grand entry - Grand Entry is the exciting opening to each and every RODEOHOUSTON performance. When the gate opens and Show officials appear on horseback, the performance has officially begun. The winding trail of horses, buggies, carriages, hay wagons and fire trucks, brings a colorful exhibition of Show officials, dignitaries, sponsors, volunteers and special guests to RODEOHOUSTON fans nightly.

National Anthem - Reliant Stadium bursts with patriotic pride at each and every performance as the bombs burst through the air during the breathtaking presentation of the “Star Spangled Banner.” This spectacular lighting and indoor fireworks display highlights the Show’s salute to the United States Flag.

Tie-down roping - Each roper begins behind a barrier that allows the calf a running head start. Once out of the box, the roper’s horse begins a quick pursuit to give the cowboy an optimal position to rope the calf. After catching the calf, the roper will quickly dismount his horse while the horse maintains tension on the rope. Following the rope to the calf, the cowboy tosses the calf to the ground and ties any three of its legs, usually two hind feet and one front foot. When the tie is secure, the roper throws his hands in the air as a signal to the flag judge. He then remounts his horse and rides toward the calf to remove the tension in the rope. The calf must remain tied for six seconds after the rope is slack or the cowboy receives a “no time.”

Bareback riding - With only one hand, the rider grips the “rigging,” a leather handhold tied behind the horse’s front legs, and uses his skill and agility to ride the bronc for eight seconds. Coming out of the chute, the rider must have his feet above the break of the horse’s shoulder until the horse’s front feet hit the arena ground for the first time. The rider is disqualified and receives no score if he fails to do this or if his free hand comes into contact with the horse, himself or rigging at any time during the ride. Once out of the chute, the rider should move in time with the bronc’s jumps by continuing the spurring motion with his dull rowel spurs. As the bronc bucks, the rider pulls his knees up, pulling the spurs to the point of the horse’s shoulders. As the horse descends, the rider straightens his legs, placing his feet back over the horse’s shoulder in anticipation of the next jump. The judges score both the horse and rider, looking at the horse’s bucking action and the cowboy’s spurring technique.

Team roping - The first roper, called the header, waits behind a barrier while the steer is given a head start. The header pursues the steer and must rope it with one of three legal catches — around both horns, around one horn and the head, or around the neck. Any other catch by the header is considered illegal and the team is disqualified. After the header makes his catch and dallies his rope, he must change the direction of the steer to position its legs for his partner, the heeler. The heeler must rope both of the steer’s hind legs while being careful not to catch the front feet. The clock is stopped after the steer is caught, there is no slack left in the ropes and the horses are facing one another.

Saddle bronc riding - One of the most difficult events to learn and one of the most rhythmic events to watch, saddle bronc riding is considered rodeo’s “classic event”– evolving from the ranch work of breaking and training horses. Many cowboys say that bronc riding is the most difficult roughstock event to master because of its stringent technical requirements. The rider holds onto a soft, woven riding rein attached to the horse’s halter and sits in a specially-made saddle with a sheepskin lining. With the first jump out of the chute, the rider must “mark out” – his feet must touch the horse’s shoulders on the first jump. The rider is disqualified and receives a “no score” if he misses the mark out.

Steer wrestling - Using only leverage and strength, the “bulldogger” (steer wrestler) stops a 450-750 lb. steer and wrestles it to the ground. The steer wrestler begins this event atop his horse behind a barrier. A second cowboy, called a hazer, sits ready on horseback on the opposite side of the steer and will prevent the steer from veering away from the contestant during the run. After the steer is given a head start, the steer wrestler and hazer chase the steer on their horses, one on each side, until the steer wrestler is in position to dismount onto the racing steer. Once in position, the steer wrestler slides from his saddle and reaches for the steer’s horns. Proper leverage is a key as the contestant hooks his arms around the steer’s horns and digs his heels into the arena dirt to stop the steer and bring it to the ground. The contestant’s time is declared when the steer is on its side with all four legs pointing in the same direction.

Bull riding - The bull rider uses a flat-braided rope with a single hand-hold that is pulled tight behind the bull’s shoulders and held fast by the cowboy’s riding hand. The cowboy must stay on the bull using only one hand on the rope. A weighted bell attached to this rope hangs underneath the bull and falls free from the animal at the end of the ride. With the bull spinning, turning and kicking, the cowboy isn’t required to spur but will often move his dull rowel spurs along the bull to maintain contact and balance. Spurring to accommodate the bull’s bucking style and to increase control will add points to the contestant’s score. The rider is disqualified if his free hand touches the bull or himself during the ride or the rider hits the ground before the eight-second buzzer. As in all roughstock events, the bull’s bucking efforts account for half the rider’s score.

Chuck wagon races - Today, these chuck wagons race for entertainment. Unwritten rules require the lead driver to move his team to the outside portion of the track, giving up the inside lane so other teams can catch up. Pulled by specially bred teams of ponies, these lightweight chuck wagons perform in ways the ranch wagon never could. Now one of the most popular events at the Rodeo, the miniature chuck wagon races feature teams racing up to 30 miles an hour, sometimes on two wheels

Calf scramble - With the drop of a hat, 14 calves race away from 30 youngsters armed with only a rope halter and a dream. With kids and calves scattered about and darting in every direction across the Reliant Stadium floor, the Calf Scramble becomes one of the most chaotic, unscripted events of RODEOHOUSTON.

Barrel racing - Barrel racing is an event of pure precision and teamwork between horse and rider and a display of horsemanship skills in which timing is everything. Over the years, barrel racing has evolved into a multimillion dollar sport supported by the Professional Women’s Barrel Racing. Entering the arena at full speed, the horse and rider must complete a cloverleaf pattern around the barrels to either the left or right. Any deviation from the pattern results in disqualification. Precision turns at a high rate of speed are essential for success in this timed event. Because of the speed in this event, times are measured in hundredths of a second by electronic timers.

Mutton bustin' - All mutton bustin' participants must be between the ages of five and six years old and not weigh more than 60 pounds. Participants will attempt to ride a "mutton" or sheep the longest.

Every day the rodeo ends with a concert. A pretty impressive line-up over the three weeks. Some of the names are: Lady Antebellum, Train, ZZ Top, Blake Shelton (huge in country music!!!), Kid Rock and Enrique Iglesias. We were treated to a concert by Luke Bryan, who performed his smash hits 'I don't want this night to end' and 'Country Girls Shake it for Me' from his latest album 'Tailgates & Tanlines' (gotta love that title)

Loved our trip to the rodeo, we will definitely be back!