So, I can't get enough of them. Just can't. They're magnificent and beautiful and huge and sweet and funny--all big Baby Hueys.
The 24th annual Draft Horse Classic is going on right now at the Fairgrounds (home-away-from-home). For the second year running, Tom and I attended the opening night show/competition. The competition parts test the drivers/trainers/horses on skills with lovely two-wheeled carts (SO civilized a way to get around!) and larger work wagons of different sorts: Single horses (for the carts) and multiples pulling the wagons and running maneuvers around cones or backing up to a "dock" or just trotting or walking or backing up on command. Oh, and how pretty they are matters, as well, though they're all gorgeous to me.
I love the four-abreast teams, especially. The six-up (three pairs) are also amazing to watch. In between the judged events are mule exhibitions, trick riders, silly chariot races, etc. All fun, but, it's in the evening, and the photos don't turn out so well. There's a blurry one of the team that won the four-up--you get the idea.
For the third year running, I went back over to the grounds next day to get close to the horses (sat on a big Belgian last year), talk to the owners, watch the farriers and see the horse art. 
This year, Tom came too. We watched a world-class (yes, world, folks) farrier take a straight piece of iron and fashion it into a perfectly-fitting shoe for a big percheron. So interesting! Tom chatted with another 30-year veteran farrier and learned all kinds of interesting stuff about the profession--like that it's still being practiced largely unchanged since the Roman times, 2500 years ago. I'm pretty sure that info will come in handy someday.
We visited all the barns and I hugged and patted as many animals as I could manage, including the tiny miniatures from a local ranch who always come to offer some perspective. Here's me hugging Cruiser, who seems rather unfazed by the experience. At the end of the afternoon, we walked through the art exhibits, some of which were quite wonderful, and, as if that weren't enough, there was a Major Celebrity to add some glitter to the event! 
Yup, folks of a certain age (like us) will undoubtedly recognize Clint Walker, from the "Cheyenne" TV series of the late 50s/early 60s (and, if you don't, there's a sign above him--little hint). Of course, Tom and I also think of him as a guy who survived the skiing accident where he suffered the old ski-pole-piercing-the-heart injury. He and his wife personally run his website, where one can purchase DVDs, signed photos and CDs--yes, he also sings. Always looking for his next big role, even at 83, he says. We moved on.
What more can you ask for free (well, $3 parking)? Best bargain of the weekend, for sure! And it just makes me happy to be near these fabulous animals.
Next weekend: getting all Gaelic...
It's become routine. Another weekend, another trip to the Nevada County Fairgrounds. This time, it was to support the inaugural Italian Festival. It has a ways to go before it's a major national event, but we thought it went well, considering.
Italians are well-represented in and around GV/NC. As in other places where mining was a big industry (Louisville, CO. comes to mind, having lived there in the 70s), Italians made up a large part of the labor force. We know a bunch and we haven't been here long. Three Tassones just from choir. 
High time to establish a yearly festival! We went for lunch on Saturday and had a lovely time eating pizza, watching a bocce ball tournament and listening to some pretty good/cheesy Italian music, including a really smooth, silver-haired, lounge-lizard-style crooner singing all the Sinatra/Dean Martin stuff. Oh, and the cool clown-guy playing the concertina at the entrance. Nice touch. There were some booths with Italian-ish products, lots of olive oil and wine and gelato.
It was festive and well-attended. And a glorious day. I suspect we'll see this one grow in years to come. Of course, in two weeks, the Mother of All Ethnic Festivals for this area, the Celtic, will materialize. Whereas we spent a couple of hours at the Italian, I can live at the Celtic Festival all day long. This coming weekend will find us at the Fairgrounds for the Draft Horse Classic. Cooler than it sounds.
Meanwhile, it seems I've neglected the Police Blotter, of late, so, along side the Festa photos, here are a few recent favorites:
"2:31 p.m.--A caller from the 100 block of South Church Street reported the theft of the United States, but would not provide any further information." [I thought I felt a draft...]
"12:58 p.m.--A woman called from the 11000 block of Alta Vista Avenue to report her roommate's daughter had trespassed into her home. While there, the daughter did the dishes and then left." [perhaps next time, the ne'er-do-well daughter can burgle some trash]
"10:30 p.m.--A caller from Neal Street reported two men stole a shopping cart, put a couch in it and left. They were found and both items would be returned." [difficult getaway...]
"4:43 a.m.--A caller from the 300 block of South School Street reported the theft of a light bulb from a porch." [sigh]
"12:24 p.m.--A woman from the 19000 block of Lake Forest Drive reported a box was thrown at her vehicle that had a bullet inside and a note that said, 'honk honk'." [better than "bang bang"?]
"12:32 p.m.--A caller from West McKnight Way reported steroid-using body-builders from Reno beat up the caller's son and might have killed him. Midgets [sic] from Fulton Avenue had been following and trying to poison the caller. The body-builder and the lead female midget [sic], who is really violent, have been driving the caller's truck around. The caller wanted the Sheriff's office to activate the SWAT team." [Another "team" will be heading out to McKnight way...]
"7:09 p.m.--A person on Snow Tent Road called to the Nevada County Sheriff's Office reporting a conflict between two people involving an eviction, both of them alleging crimes by the other. One of the persons allegedly had previously responded to conflict "by boiling a newt and drinking the water." [there's the problem--no eye of bat or whisker of naked mole rat...]
Sheesh. So many more. Later. Now, it's off to the Classic...
Cars. Love 'em (my little Suby), hate 'em (my little Suby, sometimes). Need 'em, but wish we didn't (at least so much). We're fascinated by the new ones, nostalgic about the old ones. We build strong brand loyalties to some (Toyotas for us), and cringe in disgust at the very sight of others (Hummers--ack!).
Today, it's about the nostalgia part. And another trip to the Fairgrounds.
The local vintage car club is called the Roamin' Angels. If you own an American-made automobile, year 1972 or older, you qualify for membership. Each year, they host a big show at this time to show off their treasures. And very like jewels, they are! The colors are spectacular!
We've never attended one of these, though many of the other events in the area also show off certain specimens--the street fairs, the air show. And we've always enjoyed car museums. But the sheer number (900 plus) and variety of automobiles made us forget all about our reservations as to whether or not it would be worth our time or the $5 tickets.
Right away, we were slack-jawed at the beauty of the paint jobs on these babies! Mind you, for the most part, we're not talking about "restored" vehicles, though there were many of those, but works of art on wheels, whose bodies were of a certain vintage, but embellished and polished far beyond the imaginations of the original owners.
Lots of Fords and Chevys, of course. Tom and I were talking memories of certain models that figured large in our respective childhoods. Fords from the early 50's (that's me in front of a car that was brand new the year I was born--fill in your own quips here) and Chevys from the late 50s and early 60s as my dad switched his brand loyalties mid-stream. Tom had far more depth of memory than I (being a guy--and far older, of course) and had stories not only about his own family (Buicks, Plymouths, among others) but about extended family and friends who drove Studebakers and Mercs and such. It seems we've forgotten quite a bit, as well, though (was it a '58 or '59?).
Our faves are still the grand touring cars of earlier in the century, though. '32 Packards, Ford Phaetons and their ilk. SO classy!
We saw Willyses, Hudsons, DeSotos, Kaisers and a yellow, 1970 Corvette that looked to me like it could have been designed and sold this year--I love the fact that good design is timeless! Woodies, hot rods and delivery vehicles. And, of course, an Edsel (um, how that "good design" concept works in reverse). All fun!
The Roamin' Angels are a visible presence in our area. They're always very busy raising money for scholarships and toys, and such. All the proceeds for this car show, for example, will be split between the many local charities they regularly support. I read yesterday that they started the vintage car club in 1962 and their primary activity was to cruise the country roads and highways for stranded motorists to offer help. Hence the name.
I think this event becomes one of our new annual amusements.
Last week was mostly about hangin' out with Mom Gold.
It's been quite awhile since her last visit with us here, so Tom took the opportunity of the occasion of a family wedding in Orange County--her great-niece, Linda--to ferry his mom to the celebration on Wednesday, then, next day, to fly with her up here to hang with us for awhile. Worked great!
I picked them up mid-morning, Thursday, at the Sacto airport and we all headed southwest to San Francisco to see Dylan and Rachel. It had been quite some time since she'd had the chance to visit with them both at once. We picked up Rachel, where Mom got to see her cute flat and meet her roomie, Walker. We met Dylan at the Pier 23 restaurant shortly thereafter where we enjoyed a nice lunch on the deck outside. There they are, smiling under the Flat Tire Amber Ale sign after the meal.
Rachel had to get back to work, so after dropping her off, we headed over to Dylan's shop so she could see it and a few pieces of his furniture. 
There they are, discussing the finer points of the functional art scene, and then, again, with Tom in the picture. The rush-hour escape from the city was miraculously quick, leaving us plenty of time to stop in Auburn for Foster's Reese's Peanut-Butter-Cup Twisters for extra energy.
The rest of the time was pretty low-key. She worked in a Facebook tutorial, naps, a build-your-own frozen-yogurt sundae at Culture Shock, naps, Mexican food at Maria's, naps, some British TV, more naps, fish tacos at Rubio's and some Gunther's ice cream in Sacramento (photo with me). Yup. All good stuff.
We got her back to the airport on Sunday afternoon looking like she'd weathered the grueling schedule just fine. It was fun and we'll look forward to next time.
After I work off some of the "fun".
This year, Tom came too. We watched a world-class (yes, world, folks) farrier take a straight piece of iron and fashion it into a perfectly-fitting shoe for a big percheron. So interesting! Tom chatted with another 30-year veteran farrier and learned all kinds of interesting stuff about the profession--like that it's still being practiced largely unchanged since the Roman times, 2500 years ago. I'm pretty sure that info will come in handy someday.
Yup, folks of a certain age (like us) will undoubtedly recognize Clint Walker, from the "Cheyenne" TV series of the late 50s/early 60s (and, if you don't, there's a sign above him--little hint). Of course, Tom and I also think of him as a guy who survived the skiing accident where he suffered the old ski-pole-piercing-the-heart injury. He and his wife personally run his website, where one can purchase DVDs, signed photos and CDs--yes, he also sings. Always looking for his next big role, even at 83, he says. We moved on.
