Monster servings of Texan fun

Texas takes its patriotism VERY seriously.

At the Forth Worth Championship Rodeo we stood for the US Anthem, then another moment in honour of servicemen and women, and then for the song Proud to be an American which blasted over the speakers while a lone rider urged his horse faster and faster around the arena until the US flag he carried streamed behind him in a glorious tribute to freedom.... (hey, it's hard not to get caught up in the moment!)

The Americans sang (in words; not mumbles) with their hands steadfastly held over their hearts.

We Aussies dislike our national anthem so much that we'd prefer the announcer played nothing at all and just said: "Yair, let's get on with it, eh?"

I know I've said it before, but my frustration is growing the more I see Americans being genuinely moved by their national song.

And Waltzing Matilda? A song about a sheep-stealing ghost? It's very hard to feel moved by that.

Perhaps we should change the anthem to Men At Work's Land Down Under. Maybe then it would get the hands-over-hearts treatment.

After all, every Aussie can relate to vegemite sandwiches and men who chunder.

The anthem and tributes at the Monster Truck Championships at the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track confirmed it - these Texans are raised proud.

Every kid in the crowd knew what to do - except ours of course. Indy kept yelling: "Is it 10 minutes yet? He said it'd start in 10 minutes. What about now mum? Oh, WHEN will they stop SINGING and bring out the TRUCKS!"

We've spent almost a week in the Fort Worth Dallas area and here's the low-down on our favourites...

KIDS

1) Monster Truck Championships - hands down!

2) Legoland Discovery Centre (they had loved Chicago's version so much that we were easily persuaded to spend another day in Lego heaven).

ADULTS

1) the cattlemen's catwalk at the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District (especially watching the cowboys bringing those Texas Longhorns back into the pens after the twice-daily cattle drive down Exchange Avenue).

2) the Fort Worth Championship Rodeo (awesome! but especially watching Indy chase a sheep around the Cowtown Coliseum in the kids' event).

THE WHOLE FAMILY

1) We all loved camping for the night beside the Stockyards Arena and opening our curtains in the morning to say Good Moo-rning to the bulls, horses and even a camel.

2) It was interesting listening to air traffic control as they directed the planes to take off and land at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. (The Founders' Plaza observation area has a radio feed from the tower).