VISITING the HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW and RODEO

I attended the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo over last weekend. Now when I was a kid, this event was called the Houston Fat stock Show and Rodeo. I don't remember when the name changed or why, but for sure this event is just as much fun as it always was.

This is a yearly event is Houston that raises huge sums of money for scholarships for Texas youth. The livestock show and rodeo take place at the Reliant arena complex, and it is a wonderful roomy place for all of the activities and there is plenty of on-site parking.

The livestock show itself includes hundreds of animals that are brought to the Reliant arena to compete with other same breed animals. Most of these animals are raised and cared for by youth involved in 4-H, FFA, or similar organizations. These kids stay at the arena for days and literally sleep by the side of their animals, waiting for their particular event to be judged. The winning animal is auctioned off and the youth receives all or a portion of the auction price.

I visited bulls and heifers, rabbits, chickens, goats, angoras, and sheep to name a few animals on display. I greatly admire the kid's devotion to caring for their animals.

Besides the livestock show, there is a huge hall filled with booth after booth selling just about everything under the sun. Of course, the booths run to country and western items from cowboy hats and belts to cow hide rugs and about everything in between. I purchased a really cool pink leather belt studded with rhinestones. The belt has a big buckle surrounded with rhinestones, and I think it will be the perfect accessory to wear with my jeans with I go to Big Texas, a dance hall in our area.

Some years ago (probably 25) I bought a set of Ginsu knives at the rodeo, and I am still using them. I noticed there was a guy there this year selling the same Ginsu knives. It was a great investment as they have served me well.