Horsing Around

 
A DAY AT THE RACES: Sunday, we decided to cash in a couple of Groupons we'd been sitting on for awhile for admission and concessions at Emerald Downs, the only horse racing track in western Washington. Located in Auburn, it was about a 40 minute drive to the southeast for us.

CJ and Annabelle had never been to a horse race track, and Christian, Rick and I hadn't been to one in a decade or two (or more).

We're cheap, so we parked in the free lot, which is a looong haul from the track, but they had frequent, convenient shuttles, so we caught one of those.

Once inside, we stood and stared and looked like complete newbies. We looked at the electronic betting machines like we were strangers in a strange land. Friendly Emerald Downs staff spotted us and our lost looks, and pointed us in the right direction.

The kids and I started looking at some of the educational displays.

We learned that the average jockey height is 5-foot 3-inches, and their weight doesn't exceed 118 pounds - including their 2-pound saddle! The jockeys work as 'free agents,' and compete for mounts. Winning jockeys receive 10 percent of the purse, while non-winners get a base fee.

We also learned that there are a whole lot of different types of shoes. Makes sense, given track conditions can vary so dramatically.

Soon, we set about studying the program and getting ready for the first race.

Annabelle's scientific method seemed to be picking the pony with the girliest name. In race 1, that was Princess Madison. 

CJ and Annabelle were railbirds for every race.

We had a great view of all of the action.  Here's Havana Red streaking to a victory.

 And some more action shots ...

We enjoyed watching the ponies parade to the starting gate. This rider was about Annabelle's size. Seriously. 

In the shot below, you can just barely see Mt. Rainier through the all-too-familiar haze. Bet it's gorgeous on those rare clear days.

We were there a couple of hours, for a total of four races. In the end, we were out $5.80 in losses, thanks to CJ and Christian's picks. Annabelle picked the winner three of four times. Rick didn't spend much, and it's a good thing, as his picks were pretty awful. In the last race he had (a tiny bit of) money on EVERY horse but the one who won. LOL.

A DAY AT THE FARM: Come Monday, we used up another Groupon - admission to Remlinger Farms, in Carnation, about an hour east of us.

The place began as a roadside produce stand in 1965. Today, it's a 200-acre tourist center with rides, farm animals, physical challenges, concessions, produce (of course), and more. They host over 200,000 visitors a year.

Our visit started off at the pony rides.

This is Apple. She is NOT a race horse. In fact, she was very sleepy and, fortunately, not CJ or Annabelle's steed.

 Annabelle rode Sweet Beet, while CJ mounted Carrot.

Here, the cowpokes hit the dusty trail. ...

From there, we headed over to the steam train. It was a slow, but fun little ride.

  
Afterward, they pretended to drive tractors.

From there, it was on to a couple of other rides. They tooled around in a Model-T.

And they pedaled around a track.

They enjoyed spinning in barrels and pumpkins, but their favorite attraction was the little roller coaster.

THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON: This evening we watched a wonderful documentary, "Pink Floyd - the Making of the Dark Side of the Moon." Insightful, entertaining, thought provoking, absolutely engrossing, it's a track-by-track look at the making of Pink Floyd's 1973 album, "Dark Side of the Moon." Even if you're not particularly into Pink Floyd, the documentary, made in 2003, is a fascinating look at the recording process and how the band (with a LOT of help from engineer Alan Parsons) used sampling, looping, layering and other electronic-assisted effects that were super pioneering at the time.