You'll find marching bands, old motorized vehicles, and a miniature Union Pacific train (because, after all, Cheyenne owes its existence to the UP railroad) as part of the parade, but my favorite entries are the horse-drawn vehicles and floats.
Doesn't this covered wagon shout "Old West" to you?
There are so many contestants that preliminary rounds are done during what's called "Slack." That's why many days starting at 7 AM you'll find cowboys in the arena, waiting for their chance to score well enough to make it to the finals.
The arena may not be filled with crowds, but it's still an exciting time for both cowboys and spectators.
As you can imagine, the aromas are mouth-watering!
There are a gazillion - okay, that might be an exaggeration, but there are a lot of things to do at CFD, starting with the cattle drive.
Other rodeos might bring their cattle in by truck, but it's a CFD tradition to drive them in the old-fashioned way ... at least for the last few miles. You can see them here on the city street next to Interstate 25.
I found it amusing that there were far more cattle on the street than there were cars on the highway.
It's cover reveal time! For me, this is one of the most exciting parts of the book publishing process, second only to the actual release date. I love being able to share the cover with you because, even though we're told we shouldn't judge a book by its cover, we do.
What do you think? I'm delighted with
it and am thrilled with the picture of the spring at the
bottom, because it looks almost identical to the photo of a Hill Country spring
that helped inspire the whole town of Mesquite Springs.
Now that you know the title and the cover, perhaps you're wondering what the
story's about. Here's the official description.
When a
spurned suitor threatens her, heiress Alexandra Tarkington flees New York for
Mesquite Springs in the Texas Hill Country, where her father is building a
hotel. But the happy reunion she envisions is not to be as her father insists
she return to New York. Instead, Alexandra attempts to carve out a niche for
herself in town, teaching schoolchildren to paint and enjoying the company of
Gabe Seymour, a delightful man she met on the stagecoach.
But all is not as it seems. Two men,
each with his own agenda, have followed her to Mesquite Springs. And Gabe is an
investigator, searching for proof that her father is a swindler. When a series
of apparent accidents threaten her life, Alexandra and Gabe will have to work
together to discover the truth. And perhaps along the way they will discover
that the sparks of attraction they’ve felt from the beginning are more than
sparks—they’re love.
Bestselling author Amanda Cabot invites
you back to 1850s Texas for this exciting and heartwarming tale of
treachery, love, and learning to trust.