A day at the races!

A beautiful day at the races!

In March, hubs, little man and I visited Stace (my sweet sister-in-law) and her family on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I missed her face, and she had a free hotel room to put us up in. How could I refuse?

We went down on a Friday night. On Saturday morning, Stace and her husband had big plans for us. We were going to the racetrack in New Orleans to bet on horses! I'd never been to a racetrack before, so why not? Plus, it was family day at the track. They were also racing dachshunds, and there were inflatables for the kids to jump in. 

The horses run so gracefully.

First of all, it was an absolutely beautiful day. Sunny, but not too hot, not a cloud in the sky. And the horses were absolutely gorgeous. We went to the paddock, where they walk the houses out and around for you to look at before betting. They are magnificent animals - muscled, coats shining, with glossy manes and tails. 

We started betting on horses, and I learned something. I stink at betting on horses. Not only did my picks not win, they consistently came in dead last!! Perhaps I could market myself to the gambling community as someone who can instantly improve your odds by showing you which horses NOT to bet on! 

Jewel's still got it, folks!

We had a fun day, though, snacking on yummy bread pudding, enjoying the fine air and watching these graceful animals run.

That night, we had a quick dinner at the hotel/casino, then Stace and I went to a Jewel concert! Jewel was HUGE to me while I was in college. I knew all her songs. I had all of her CDs. And folks? She is still out there killing it. Her voice is still amazing. She is a wonderful performer live - no auto-tuning or pyrotechnics. Just her, her guitar, and her voice. I was really impressed. (And the college me was seriously having a moment. No lie.)