So, the day before yesterday (Wednesday) the kids and I went on a trail ride. Great fun, knackered old horses that only walk along the same old paths, but it's fabulous scenery and the trail guide was a very cute cowboy called Trey. We rode for four hours altogether and I stupidly forgot to apply sunblock so I now have a very fetching t-shirt tan....We went off to see the Rodeo in the evening - mainly because the lovely Trey was going to be there - the kids thought he was great and I thought he was very nice and very, very young - I jokingly said I'd buy him a drink if we saw him later (as you do...) and he asked where I was planning to be....Oops, he's keen...Sort of made me feel a little like a dirty old man....only a little though...mostly I felt flattered! And then I remembered - he's a College student - offer any student a free drink and they'll be there no matter what...
The Rodeo was fun and just like watching a film - in fact most of this holiday has been like so many US films which I suppose proves that either their films correctly capture life here or else life really does imitate art....

Yesterday we had a really great day - we got a guide (Jed) and went off into Grand Teton National Park and climbed in the shadow of the Cathedral Peaks. The photo here is one I took.
It was really good climbing - all granite and really easy compared to Southern Sandstone which is all I've climbed on outside so far. However, it was in the high 90s all day, very low humidity and it's over 7,000 feet above sea level, so when I did a couple of harder routes I felt like I was going to die! One particular climb was a really interesting little route - a nice flake to start with and then into a wide crack-like chimney which had a fairly big overhang. I had three goes at completing it but the heat just got to me (climber's excuse #23) it's a real shame that I'll probably never go back there and nail that one....

On the way back we passed loads of people standing taking photos on a bridge and a park ranger standing guard - wildlife! So we pulled over and got out to take a look and were rewarded with the sight of a huge moose sitting in the middle of a shady stream ignoring the stupid overheated humans taking pictures.
Later that evening I could be found attempting to sleep with my eyes open while drinking Purple People Eaters (I'd never tried or heard of them before, but they come in a pint glass....)

Today we slept in until after 9am - all that fresh air and activity finally slowed the kids up (thank god!). After a little light shopping we went back to the ranch where we had taken our trail ride the other day, but this time we went for a shorter ride and had a Cowboy Cook-Out....Sadly Trey didn't join us (well, actually he did show up just as we were about to leave - looking all puppy dog eyed and asking if we were going to the Rodeo tomorrow night as he's doing Bull Riding....and we might go....but only because the kids want to see it!). And this time the ride was a little more eventful - first of all Ashley our cowgirl guide almost got thrown from her horse as it got spooked by something, and then one of my delightful sons lost his (new) cowboy hat to the wind which in turn spooked my horse who spectacularly threw me off....Fortunately I fell with tremendous grace (ha!) and didn't get hurt at all - well, perhaps my pride, but only slightly - I got hold of my horse, calmed him down and climbed back on....then I felt very pleased with myself, particularly as this was only the third time in my life that I've ridden a horse! But don't forget that these very docile horses are very similar to the tired out beach donkeys....so my fall and return to the saddle isn't quite as impressive as I'd like.....

Tomorrow we're planning to go to the local Farmers' Market, the town shoot out (happens daily Monday to Saturday) and then onto the Rodeo. Dear god, I feel like I'm trapped in either a Country and Western song or else a 1950s cowboy film....But hey, next week I'll be in Vegas and I can pretend I'm in either Ocean's Eleven or Casino!