Sikestonians and the Rodeo

I have reached a point in my life where I live on my own and have to make time to go home. Alex is also in my same situation and we take turns visiting each other’s families. This creates quite the dilemma during holidays when we want to spend Christmas with each other as well as our families that just so happen to live 500 miles apart. But the one holiday that is never debated on where it will be spent is the one that falls in the beginning of August every year- Rodeo.

There are always questions that you never have to ask because you should know the answer. The people that ask these rhetorical questions are typically teachers or sarcastics (yep, made that word up but I like it here). Anyone else that is seriously presenting one of these questions should probably just be answered with one of the most popular rhetorical questions of all: “why are you so stupid.” When it comes to Sikestonians, there is a list of these questions that need not be asked. Here are a few of my favorites (I’ll even include the answers for my non-Sikestonian readers):

1. Are you going to join Red Peppers? The answer is always, yes. Duh. Not only am I joining, but I’ll be a legacy. Potentially a double or triple legacy. And now I’ll just assume that you are from out of town or a transfer student. You’re welcome for filling you in so you can be sure to join now as well. See you at the Tea.
2. Do you want to go eat at Lambert’s? No. Absolutely not- unless I’m hosting out-of-town visitors that have never been or some big celebratory occasion that does not fall during holidays, summer, rodeo, or any other major tourism time. Even then, I’ll probably have to think about it…
3. Should I wear shoes to run an errand? No. Every gas station and liquor store, as well as the donut/ice cream shop and the dry cleaners have a drive-thru. No need to get out of the car and into civilization for anything. Period.
4. Are you going to Rodeo? Simply put, this is my favorite question and I refuse to answer because any true Sikestonian will be talking, preparing, shopping, and pregaming for the annual festivity long before the performance comes to town- leaving no room for questioning or misunderstanding.

Needless to say, my 23^rd year at rodeo was just as fabulous as the previous 22. This year was the 61^st anniversary for the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo and the 20^th anniversary of my dad’s year as chairman of the rodeo. After being raised on the rodeo grounds, it gets in your blood- and you can’t help but smile through the mud on your freshly shined boots, and the push-your-way-through-drunken-debaucheries just to get a hot dog, and fighting back screams when the rope folds perfectly around that left horn. There’s just somethin bout that damned ole rodeo.

Last year was Alex’s first rodeo experience and though he had a good time, I think he was a little shocked. But this year, he was a true sophomore in knowing exactly what he was getting into and being prepared for a great time. As the reunion commenced, he jumped right in like a local. After the first night we agreed that we should save all our vacation days next year to be there the entire week….but after the third night, it was clear that rodeo is a fleeting event once a year for a very good reason. And I think we’re perfectly fine with only staying for a few days instead.

My dad once said that Spence and I were unlucky to have been raised by a father who doesn’t get into sports like baseball and football, instead hauling us into the rodeo lifestyle. I never saw it as unlucky by any measure. It’s a blessing that I’m proud of- and that’s why rodeo will always be my favorite holiday that will never be disputed.

Until next year, LONG LIVE COWBOYS.

Oh and in case you missed the clown being damned for making fun of Obama during the Missouri State Fair rodeo performance, you probably don’t have to ask a Sikestonian how they feel about that either. Take a joke and stop crying “racism” at every little poke. Comedians have used political figures and celebrities for their sketches for years because they are people that we all recognize. Wouldn’t be nearly as funny if the clown had impersonated his uncle because not many people could relate to a stranger. When people make fun of George W. Bush and Lindsay Lohan, it’s not because they’re white; it’s because it’s funny. Get the chip off your shoulder…oh, and welcome to America- we support free speech here…most of the time.

Just because I don’t want to end on a bad note, I’ll leave you with this link to a blog that will surely lift your spirits and restore your faith in humanity…probably not without a few good tears: http://thoughtcatalog.com/2013/19-displays-of-love-affection-inspiration-thatll-make-you-cry/

Love always,

Addie

“Everyone knows the Sikeston rodeo is like a fashion show. And you’d better show up.” -Momma

still not OLD enough to share

Well it’s Thursday. Thursday’s don’t have a typical theme in my established presets for this blog but I haven’t posted in a while and felt the need for an update:

I guess I should start by informing everyone that I did in fact live through my 23^rd birthday. And though it was the most “grown up” birthday I’ve ever had, it was one of the sweetest. I had a beautiful flower arrangement delivered at work by my handsome knight in shining armor  farmer in Carhart bibs and was told that we were going to dinner. After work I went home to start curling my hair and began mentally sifting through possible outfit options to wear- all of which were discarded after Alex showed up in dress pants and a button down. So I crawled to the back of my closet where I keep the “fancy” dresses that are for special occasions and weddings and picked out one that was just right. We went to J. Broussard’s in downtown Columbus, which I always assumed was like the Broussard’s in Cape. Wrong. Obviously the “J.” makes quite a difference in terms of attire and setting. I reveled in pecan encrusted catfish and a glass of expensive wine by candlelight. I had to stop myself on the salad before licking the ranch off the plate…it was that good. Eventually the dessert display made its way to our table and we ended up with some sort of apple and ice cream and croissant combination. I believe the waitress referred to it as an apple “encrue”…but I’m not even sure if that’s a word and I’m not familiar with Cajun or Better Crocker terminology for that matter so I could be completely off track. Either way, it was heaven in my mouth.

Mom assured me that we will celebrate my birthday more officially this weekend at home during the Easter festivities. In short this means we really won’t celebrate my birthday but rather Easter and the “birthday triple header” (me, Matt, and Nanny), an Easter usual for our family. I’ve never liked sharing much, especially my birthday, but I guess that’s part of growing up. Alex even tried to enlighten me with the news that National Agriculture Day fell on my birthday. He was overjoyed….I was not.

I don’t really care today though because first and foremost I’m drinking my first cup of chai tea in a very long time. If I had a kryptonite, it would probably be this. And secondly because this weekend is going to be epic. I am leaving shortly to head to Murray to watch step show. As an alum of the step team, you can only imagine my excitement level which is somewhere between a kid on Christmas morning and a gay man awaiting the outcome from Congress about the current marriage equality rights. Marsha is meeting me in Murray and after the show we will be joined by Mamie, Becca, and the rest of the Murray crew for a novel night at the Apple to celebrate Marsha’s birthday. Where else did you expect me to go, after all? Good Friday will be spent in Nashville preparing pregaming for the color run that Marsha and I are running in on Saturday. After the race Saturday I will head home for the notorious “eve of any holiday throw down” at Jerry’s with S-town’s finest. Sunday will be spent at church and my house for the family Easter festivities and eventually I will hit the road again to return to my sweet ole Mississippi home. Four states in four days. You don’t have to tell me twice to get excited- I’m there.

I promise I’ll write again soon, but I’ve gotta get off this keyboard before my fingers bounce right off from all the adrenaline running through me.

Have a great weekend and Happy early Easter! And don’t forget to cheer on my ladybugs with the Alpha swag tonight at the Step Show to raise money for March of Dimes.

Love always,

Addie

“…Why do you look for the living among the dead?He is not here; he has risen!” –Luke 24:5-6

pick a bale a day…

Happy Farming Thursday, y’all! I could tell you all about peanuts since I worked with over 30,000 tons of them this year, but instead I am gonna take it back to home-sweet-Triple-D-Farm’s-specialty-home: cotton.

Cotton, in my opinion, falls into the category of crops that are more difficult to grow. Even in the rich Delta soils, the “summer snow” requires much upkeep when it comes to weed and insect defense. (I’m probably just biased after multiple summers spent wading through the waves of cotton, chopping out the treacherous pig weeds while being eaten alive by mosquitos and the sun…)

In 1996, Biotech (Bt) cotton was introduced as a way to help farmers combat weeds. It altered the seed so that the plants could withstand shots of Roundup, while the weeds around them burned to the ground. This reduced the need for special equipment like hooded sprayers and gave farmers more freedom in their field applications. In the 16 years since its introduction, Bt cotton has taken command of a whopping 94 percent of the market. This shouldn’t seem surprising, yet, recently I have noticed more attention towards the transition back to conventional cotton.

Some farmers claim to have higher yields with conventional, but do the numbers really outweigh the increased labor and equipment cost? Charles Allen, Extension entomologist with Texas A&M AgriLife, says years of studies have proven both conventional and Bt cotton are profitable. There are also concerns with the Bt cotton infrastructure that is beginning to show some unintended consequences. The weeds in the Roundup Ready Bt fields have been growing more immune to Roundup over the last few years and researchers are afraid that we might have created a “super weed” through the adaptations.

While going back to conventional cotton may be an answer, therein lies another problem. Though this type of farming is not a long forgotten method, it is very rare. Likewise, many in the industry have no knowledge or skill of working with conventional cotton. With the declining market prices of cotton in recent years, the number of consultants, custom applicators, sales reps and entomologists that specialize in cotton have steadily dropped as well, leaving fewer and fewer people to assist in the switch back to conventional or to find new methods to defend against the “super weeds.”

“Every human resource in agriculture is a valuable one, with the world population expected to top 9 billion by 2050. Trying to build the agriculture infrastructure—not just in cotton— is as urgent as it has ever been in the past 30 years,” Allen says.

From a small farmer’s perspective, getting the “most bang for your buck” is the way of life, and thus, Bt may be the only way. But for more large scale farmers who have more access and funding, conventional may produce higher yields.

If Bt cotton continues to dominate the market, it is almost guaranteed that we will have super weeds that will continue to grow and change with whatever biotechnology throws at them, making the combat process nearly impossible in the future. On the other hand, if conventional cotton is encouraged, smaller farmers may be pushed out of the market altogether. Super weeds or super farmers?

This is just one view point on Bt vs. conventional cotton. There are many other things that play into cotton production that I didn’t even touch on, so before you make any assumptions, do your homework! (This is a prime example of why ag policy was one of my favorite classes and why the USDA has a LOT on their plate when putting together plans and laws. There are so many unforeseen and independent factors that affect agriculture and every option must be considered to make the best decision in “making the puzzle fit.”)

Is anyone else singing “jump down, turn around, pick a bale of cotton, gonna jump down, turn around, pick a bale a day!”? That’s been stuck in my head for the entirety this blog for some weird reason…hmm…

(Reference: Ben Potter’s article in Farm Journal for the interview of Mr. Allen.)

Until tomorrow, have a great one!

Thank a farmer. And remember: good things come to those who work their a$$es off.

Love always,

Addie

“I have not taken a serious task upon myself and I fear a greater one that is in the power of any man to perform in the given time- but it is too late to go back.” –Eli Whitney