Defeat of Jesse James Days Celebration

Today we took Sammy to Northfield, MN for its "Defeat of Jesse James Days." Meeting us there were Diane and Grant. It was a perfect day--sunny with a temperature of about 70F. As always, Sammy was in heaven with cowboys and horses around.

From the "Defeat of Jesse James Days" website:

"On September 7, 1876, outlaw Jesse James rode in to Northfield and was determined to rob the bank. Little did he know the infamous Jesse James would soon meet his match. Shots were fired and men died. Northfielders Joseph Lee Heywood and Nicolaus Gustavson gave their lives in the struggle, but Northfield had triumphed. The bank was safe, and Northfield was the last stop for the James-Younger Gang."

Defeat of Jesse James Days...

The reenactment of the bank robbery...

Sammy and his Mom watching the reenactment...

We suppose it's better than saying, "Tuco would shop here"...

Sammy at lunch...

Paul, Michele, and Sammy...

Grant, Sammy, and Diane...

Grant and Diane...

Sammy waking up from a nap that was far too short...

Grant and Diane...
...but who is the guy in the background?

Sammy takes Diane for a boat ride...
...but who is Grant photographing in the background?

Grant and Samy horseplaying...

Por una Cabeza

Yesterday Michele's coworker Brian and his wife Jamie were kind enough to invite us to accompany them to Canterbury Park for a family day of horse racing. Along with their two daughters Natalie and Lauren, two of the girls' friends came along to. Paul's sister Diane met us there.

It was an exciting afternoon of horse racing. In the first race, #2 "Gratuity" won in a photo-finish. Diane seemed like she might have a gambling problem -- after all three of her horses placed she was ready to gamble more and more.

Sammy of course, enjoyed the horses, being around the girls, and the general excitement. But at one point he turned to us, held up his hands palms ups and asked, "Where are the cowboys?"

Canterbury Park...

Here's where they saddle up the horses...
...Diane's winning method was to watch the horses at this spot...
...identify the the most spirited...
...then plug that into a complex calculus of statistics, probability, psychological profiling, and weather modeling...

One of the horses...
...we think it was the pre-victorious #2 named "Gratuity"...

Brian enables Diane's gambling addiction...

One man does a single-man "wave"...
...in tribute as #2 "Gratuity" does a victory lap...

Diane and Brian excited over their wins...

Sammy with a gaggle of girls gazing at group of (soon-to-be) galloping geldings...

Sammy and his Mommy...

"Basta de carreras, se acabo la timba,
un final reñido yo no vuelvo a ver,
pero si algun pingo llega a ser fija el domingo,
yo me juego entero, que le voy a hacer"

Por una Cabeza (you might remember the dance scene from "Scent of a Woman"), has lyrics which talk about a compulsive horse-track gambler who compares his addiction for the horses with his attraction to women.