4th of July in Taylor, AZ!

After 13 years of being away from my the place I grew up, it was time to go back for the 4th of July celebration. This celebration is what Taylor is known for. It started bright and early in the morning (5:00 am) with the firing of the anvil and the Jennings Band. I didn't play in the band because it's been over 10 years since I've played my flute. But my brother Greg played. The firing of the anvil consisted of an anvil, lots of gunpowder, and another anvil. It was lit by a long torch and made a very loud noise as the top anvil went flying in the air. The whole town followed behind the band and anvil truck and made stops in order to fire the anvil off. The band played, the cars honked, and water balloons went flying. Oh the fun of a small town. Greg's kids were a little afraid of the boom of the anvil. By the end, they finally got close enough to actually see it go flying.

After the anvil, there was a patriotic program we all went to. It helped us remember the real reason for the celebration. It was a great program. The speaker was very enlightening.

Then it was time to move on to the rodeo ground for the BBQ and Navajo Tacos. We ate the Navajo Tacos for lunch and the BBQ for dinner. In the evening was the Taylor 4th of July Rodeo and Fireworks show. This year was not disappointing. The horses and bulls bucked, the barrel racers raced, and the clowns were as corny as ever. The fireworks show was awesome (much better than the show in ShowLow we had seen the previous night).

The 2 friends I took seemed to like the celebration of my hometown. It was fun to share this with them. It was a quick trip up to Taylor, but well worth the drive. Hopefully I can go back again and continue the traditions that started in my childhood. It was good to go back and see people I hadn't seen in years. How things have changed in that area, yet how things have stayed the same.

What a cowgirl I am. I'm ready for the rodeo now!

Me with Stevens' horses.

Andrew and Jordan eagerly awaiting the rodeo to start.