Lost In the Prairies.....Found by God

For those that don't know, I live in a small town near Calgary, Alberta.  Calgary is the oil and cowboy capital of Canada.  I'm not joking.  We have the largest outdoor show on earth every year here called "The Calgary Stampede."  Have you heard of it?  It's pretty international.  In fact, this year is the centennial.  We get inundated by tourists from around the world to check out our cowboy festival.  The funny thing is the only time Calgary really is the Cowboy capital of Canada is during Stampede.  

During this time everyone dresses up like a cowboy.   People take off their office clothes and put on their blue jeans and plaid shirts.  They line up to get free pancakes and sausages (otherwise known as the Stampede Breakfast).  Everyone goes and cheers the bull riders, barrel riders and chuck races (NASCAR with horses).  My personal favourite is the mutton bustin'.  Think small children on bucking lambs.  Literally.  It's so cute.

 Last year their Royal Hignesses, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge even took part in our festival.  

The part that I always think is funny is that everyone all of the sudden becomes a country music fan.  Where most of people listen to hip hop or rock, they all of the sudden become an instant Keith Urban fan.  The country bars become packed and the place to go, where otherwise they would be pretty quiet.  Today while trying to avoid the Stampede (crowds and my family do not go together) I read Jon Acuff's blog - Stuff Christians Like.  One of the posts was "The easiest way to write a country song".  It made me laugh.  I watched the video by his friend, Andy Gullahorn, of which I will share with you.

It's sooooo true.  If you listen to country music, especially 90s country, this is exactly how they are written.  I've been listening to country on and off since I was kid and know that I don't need to dress up like a cowboy to do so.  In fact, most people I know who like country don't look like a John Wayne wannabe either, unless it's Stampede time.

Do you listen to Country music?  Is their a country festival in your "neck of the woods?"  Come and join in the Country randomness this week.