Almost a week before the Cave Creek Rodeo the Cave Creek Rodeo parade kicks off rodeo season in the area.  

I like to set up early in front of Big Earl's.   If you come early, you get the best seats.   Plus, I always have a breakfast burrito at Earl's.   It's my tradition.

As usual, a big crowd filled the south side of Cave Creek road as the entries went from west to east.   

The parade concluded around Harold's and the Buffalo Chip.

Next for me is photographing the Friday night Cave Creek Rodeo!   

Until My Next Adventure,

See you on down the road,

Jim Patterson

For images from the Cave Creek Rodeo Parade, click HERE

Cave Creek Stagecoach Village Christmas 9 Dec 2023

Stagecoach Village in Cave Creek, Arizona hosted a Christmas celebration.   You could do some Christmas shopping, get something to eat (I had those delicious candy apples), and even a softdrink or adult beverage (Sapporo beer from Japan went down nicely).  

Well well well, here's Santa and Mrs. Claus!  

And here is a close up of a glass statue of a deer.  

And then they had a few hot air balloons some in for lighting.

Until My Next Adventure,

See you on down the road,

Jim Patterson

For images from my visit, click HERE

Cave Creek Rodeo: 27 March 2022 and 26 March 2023

Certainly my favorite rodeo is the one closest to where I live:  The Cave Creek Rodeo.   Another "must see" around the Phoenix area is the Cave Creek Rodeo parade.  I'll post more on that with photos in another blog entry.

One of the crowd favorite events is bull riding.   Riders have to ride for at least 8 seconds or it's a no ride.   Scores come 50% from the cowboy and 50% from the bull.  

Cave Creek is an hour or so east of Wickenburg, the self proclaimed "team roping capital of the world."   Certainly some team ropers come from Wickenburg, but really from all over the USA and Canada.

My second favorite event is barrel racing.  Here, ladies of rodeo take center stage.   Knock over a barrel, and add a five second penalty to the final score.  The idea is to get around three barrels and then race to the finish line.   It's electronic timing.  Passing through the beam starts the clock; passing through the exit stops the clock.

Until My Next Adventure,

See you on down the road,

Jim Patterson

All images from 27 March 2022 HERE

All images from 26 March 2023 HERE

Balloons in Cave Creek January 2022

A sunrise visit to the Cave Creek Arizona area north of Phoenix hunting for hot air balloons. 

Early on I was disappointed.  I could see a few balloons, but they were way off in the distance.   I was thinking... well, at least I'll get a great breakfast at Local Jonny's in Cave Creek.  

Then I got excited heading east on Carefree Highway and pulled over on 24th Street because there were TONS of balloons in the air!   

I found them!!!!!

I used a Canon EOS R6 and two lenses: the Canon RF 24-240mm and the Canon RF 800mm.

After capturing images for about an hour, down the road I go and had a great breakfast.

Until My Next Adventure,

See you on down the road,

Jim Patterson

Click the photo below for all of my images of the hot air balloons over Cave Creek Arizona!

Arizona Gunfighters in Cave Creek December 2021

The Arizona Gunfighters returned to Cave Creek to re-enact famous gunfights of the old west. 

Check out their webpage to see when they'll come to your area!

Until My Next Adventure,

See you on down the road,

Jim Patterson

Click on the image below to see all of my images from the Arizona Gunfighters visit to Cave Creek!

Saturday 23 October 2021 was the date for the Wicked Bar Crawl in Cave Creek, Arizona.

As a participant, I can tell you it was loads of fun.  A huge turnout and nobody seemed to get out of hand.

Seven bars participated and there was bus service all evening so it was easy to get from bar to bar.  Plus, it prevented many of us who had a few adult beverages along the way from driving.

The evening started at Brugo's in Stagecoach Village.   I figured a good belly full of pasta would be a good way to start the evening.   This is quality Italian/Sicilian food!   I promise the next time I visit it will be for pizza! 

The fun included Mountain View Pub, Local Jonny's, Big Earl's Greasy Eats, The Hideaway, Buffalo Chip and Saloon, Harold's Corral, and The Roadhouse.   

I'm already thinking about next years costume. 

Until My Next Adventure,

See you on down the road,

Jim Patterson

Click the photo below for all of my images from Brugo's and the Wicked Bar Crawl!

 

Cave Creek Rodeo Finals 30 May 2021

Finally!  After over a year without fans, the Cave Creek Rodeo in Arizona opened to fans.  The stands were FULL and not a mask or muzzle in sight. 

I was in the Stockman's Club and took my perch high up in the last row.   I captured images with a Canon EOS R6 and a Tamron 100-400.   I rarely needed anything beyond 200mm so I could have used the Tamron 70-200mm.

The Servi Brothers of Colorado again supplied the stock.   They were very lively rodeo stock, too.   

The Cave Creek Rodeo featured seven events.  Steer wrestling, bareback riding, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie down roping, the ladies of barrel racing, and the popular bull riding.   

One of the interesting contestants came in the saddle bronc riding event.  Nathan Urie of Ferron, Utah was born with only a right arm!   He didn't make the eight second mark, but stayed on for a good six seconds.

Final standings for the Cave Creek Rodeo are HERE.

Post processing in Lightroom.  Sometimes in Luminar ai.   My new pre-processing takes my raw files into Adobe Camera Raw and then use the new "enhance" feature.   This cleans up any noise and also dramatically increases the size of the image so I can crop with confidence.   Then I take those new enhanced raw dng files into DxO's new PureRaw for final clean up.  

My settings for a night rodeo were shutter speed of 1/800, wide open aperture, auto white balance, and auto ISO.  I was impressed with the auto white balance.  I did not need to change white balance in Lightroom.   

Until My Next Adventure,

See you on down the road,

Jim Patterson

Click the photo below for all of my Cave Creek Rodeo images!

AND, my narrated video on YouTube!  

*** Have you tried Luminar ai yet?   It's what I use.  Click HERE to find out more!

*** I have consistently saved money through Greentoe.  For me, I always check prices for camera lenses and equipment.  Shipping is free and often they pay the tax!  Click HERE to get started.

Friday Night at the Buffalo Chip in Cave Creek

Friday night and Cave Creek, especially the Buffalo Chip, is OPEN!   

It's time to enjoy some bull riding with hundreds of my closest unmasked friends.

Sadly, the "Chip" sold out of VIP tickets, but I hear that is common.   So a bunch of us sat in the bleachers.   Still saw some find action.   

The photo on the right:  a little cowboy pulling up his britches like the big cowboys.  

Until My Next Adventure,

See you on down the road,

Jim Patterson

Click the photo below to see all the images from the bull riding at the Buffalo Chip in Cave Creek, Arizona…

Arizona Gunfighters Visit Cave Creek Arizona

The Arizona Gunfighters came back to Cave Creek with their real show (not a rehearsal like a few weeks earlier).

They re-enacted famous gunfights from Dodge City and of course Tombstone and the OK Corral.

I captured all images with the Canon EOS R6 and the Tamron 70-200mm lens.   If I had to do it over again, I would have used the Tamron 24-70 since I was able to get closer than I thought. 

Post processing in Lightroom and Photoshop and a few also with Luminar ai.   

Until My Next Adventure,

See you on down the road,

Jim Patterson

Click the photo below to see all the images from the Arizona Gunfighters in Cave Creek, Arizona…

Bull Riding at the Buffalo Chip 10 March 2021

The Buffalo Chip in Cave Creek Arizona has opened up bull riding again but just on Wednesday nights.   It was a lovely night 10 March to enjoy bull riding and the company of others wanting a good time, too.   And I've found the best perch for me is the VIP section.

Of course, the sport of bull riding and all the participants and fans are patriotic, so it did not begin until the flag and national anthem were played, as it should be.

Although there were quite a number of riders, not one went the mandatory eight seconds.  

To the left is my favorite image of the night.  That will tell you how close we were to the action in the VIP section.  

Bull riding is a dangerous sport.  Although I think the cowboy hat looks nice, the helmet helps protect a rider's head better.

Until My Next Adventure,

See you on down the road,

Jim Patterson

Click the photo below to see all the images from the Buffalo Chip's Bull riding....

Bull Riding at the Buffalo Chip 6 June 2020

Cave Creek is a neat western town minutes north of Phoenix and Scottsdale.   I've always considered it an escape from the city.   But this #$%$ virus has shut so much down.   People were cooped up and wanted out.   

So the Buffalo Chip opened up their little arena on the 6th of June to feature bull riding.  We sat in the VIP section and it was perfect for photography.   I used a Canon EOS R and a Canon 24-240mm lens.   I think the longest reach I used was around 100mm, that's how close I was to the action.

They had four sessions of about eight cowboys a session.  

There were some amatuer riders and some darn good professional riders.  You could tell the difference.  And it made for great action to capture!

And between one of the sessions, they brought out the little cowboys and cowgirls in something called "mutton busting."

Until My Next Adventure,

See you on down the road,

Jim Patterson

Watch the entire slideshow below!