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November 2015
11/25/2015
11/17/2015
And They Are Off !
The day was bright and clear. Nothing on the calendar. It was time to try something new. We whizzed by downtown Phoenix.
Not long and we were at out destination. Turf Paradise on Bell Road.
Turf Paradise is a long-running thoroughbred race track with live & simulcast races.
You enter past lovely tree shaded grounds. Admission for Seniors is only $1. Bargain for a day of entertainment.
Not too crowded. Plenty of spots in the grandstands.
We hadn't been to the horse races for ever so long. We used to enjoy going to them at Les Bois Park in Boise, ID.
Pretty view across the tracks to the mountains beyond.
Not sure why this has not been on our agenda long ago.
We are not experienced on picking winning horses so our picks were random. If we liked the horses name, if we thought the horse was beautiful, if the colors looked good or if we liked the owner or riders name then that was our pick.
Each race we each picked our choice.
Surprisingly one or the other of our picks were often in the winners circle.
I noticed a trend on my picks. Most of them wore orange! I do love that color.
Uh oh! Jockey down. The horse kept right on running past the finish line. Not a winner though. The jockey was soon up and moving.
"A loose horse is any horse sensible enough to get rid of its rider at an early stage and carry on unencumbered. "
Clive James (1980)
We didn't see Louise but happy to know she is enjoying the races at 80!
Orange choices continue.
Good choice! In the winners circle.
Fun watching them get the horses into the starting gate. There is always one that DOESN'T want to go in.
And They Are Off...................this race was on turf. I liked that. Some horses only run on dirt, some horses only run on turf and some excel on both.
Aren't they beautiful?
We had such a fun day at the track. It is on our schedule for another day before we leave the Valley of the Sun.
"There is no place for arrogance or complacency in racing because you are up there one minute and on your backside the next."
Tony McCoy jockey
11/04/2015
The Days Fly By In The Valley Of The Sun
A prolonged stay in Mesa gives plenty of time to enjoy the stunning Arizona skies and time to spend with our family.
We got to take Kristi and little sister Brooke to the Pumpkin Patch one evening. See that missing space in the smile. Kristi has lost her first tooth. I understand that the Tooth Fairy was very generous.
An untied shoe for Brooke was a non factor. They came off for a very long time spent in the Jump House. She loved it. I wonder how long she would have stayed if Dad hadn't picked her up and brought her out.
What a fun time watching the girls have a good time on a warm Arizona fall evening.
We have had a good time watching a lot of volleyball games. Two granddaughters and grandson, Logan (#3 above), play volleyball and we love going to their games.
We spent a very entertaining afternoon at the Arizona State University Band Day.
Grandson, Isaac, plays the drum in the Higley High School Marching Band. That is him on the left with the biggest drum.
ASU Band Day is an annual event when around 30 of the finest High School Bands from around the state compete to qualify for the Arizona state marching festival in December. Happily Higley qualified for state with a nice high score.
What's not to like on a day like this?
Bands performing music with stories to tell in bright vibrant colors.
Flags flying in perfect time to the music.
Hours of practice to perfect the formations and music.
Williams Field High School did a performance quoting over the loudspeaker one of my very favorite poems, Annabel Lee, by Edgar Allen Poe.
Impressed by this bands drum major. A beautiful young lady in an evening gown.
Each band was unique. A little kettle drum action on this one.
The day ended with a performance by the Arizona State University marching band. They were amazing. Such a nice day.
The performances ended none too soon. As the awards were being announced we were treated to a welcome rain storm.
It seems the Arizona skies give us a treat on a daily basis.
"There's never one sunrise the same or one sunset the same."
We have had time to try some new places to eat. This is Jalepeno Bucks in Mesa. Good food and a Tex Mex mix of Bar B Q and Mexican. Walt had Brisket and I had the ground pork burrito. If you go and order the burrito make sure to ask for cheese. Delicious.
What a fun Halloween craft night with this little cutie.
And Kristi had quite a good time helping Grampa make faces. Tooth Alert! Another bottom one is gone.
Funny faces were the order of the night.
Funny faces and creepy crawly things on the pumpkins. A 6 year olds imagination is endless.
More volley ball games are on the schedule. Granddaughter, Sammie #3, has a really accurate serve. Most of her teams points are scored off her serves.
This dynamic group of girls did such a great job. Played for the seventh grade district championship and lost with a heartbreaker in the final game. Granddaughter, Lyndsee is the tallest on the back row. (Except for the coach) She will go on to play on her club team that will be starting up soon.
And look at our spiffy new toys. It's true that you never forget how to ride a bike. Every day we are less wobbly and can go faster and faster. But, I will admit there are a few sore muscles, at least for me. I loved riding my bike as a kid. I would ride up the highway to the river bridge and because it was downhill going back I could go really fast and would challenge myself to see how far I could go without holding on. What a thrill. Wonder how long it will be before I can try that again.