Those are some BIG horses!

This past weekend we went to Deer Lodge, Montana to visit my parents and go to the Draft Horse Expo. I have a thing for horses. If I didn't have kids, I think I could totally be into horses. I grew up on a horse and I miss it. But babies and horses just don't go together very well. And there will always be horses. I won't always have babies. So that's how it is right now. And I'm okay with that.

Anyway, these draft horses are amazing. And the work that goes into them is amazing. Just look at these two. Aren't they beautiful?



Oh, wait. Those are draft MULES. Sorry.

How about these?



Oh, those are burros. But aren't they cute??

Alright, check these out. I think I got it right this time.



In the barn we even got to pet them. For as huge as they are (I think one of their feet is bigger than Violet), they are sure gentle. All that handling.



They truly are gentle giants.



Gorgeous gentle giants.



What a hobby.



I love this picture. Calla is just grinning at that horse.



Violet got in on the action, too.



She was so intrigued by them. She wanted to touch them, but when they nosed her hand, she would chicken out and pull away.

On our way to the barn to see the horses we ran across a chuck wagon. And these three folks were busy cooking dinner for 350 people. When asked what they were making (BBQ Beef) the one guy just said, "Dead cow."



Of course he said it with a twinkle in his eye. But it still struck me as funny. Probably because that's what we call it at our house, too.

But check out his apron. It's "Cook Chaps." Says it right on them. Cool. And they were cooking in all cast iron. Double cool. AND we bought a cook book from them that was put together in collaboration with a 5th grade teacher in a town neighboring ours--in fact, we're part of that school district.

Triple cool!

But as good as that looked, Violet preferred the shave ice we got the other two girls.



She opened that wide for every bite. Love that baby.

Love her.