Horseshoes and Rust

Horseshoes is a great game that is just not played enough. People of all ages and adeptness can play fairly well together. This, of course, makes it a great game to play at a family gathering. Here you can see the spectators of one game looking on with amusement.

Grandpa Ben was the real professional here. He was giving us all tips on how to throw more accurately and how to make sure the horseshoe is open when it hits the pole thingy. Though he apparently never told me what the pole thingy is really called.

Melody was the MVP (Melody prefered MMP for Maui Mom Player. Jared said he would chant whatever she wanted) of the Jared Melody team.

Here's her ringer!

The team of Jared and Melody were whipping the buttuskis of the team of Grandpa Ben and Meghann at 6 points to 1. Then Grandpa Ben got a ringer to bring us closer. Then this remarkable thing happened...

If you are unfamiliar with the rules of Horseshoes, if one player gets a ringer, the next player can cancel it with another ringer and neither player gets a point.

Grandpa Ben and I were able to hold on long enough to win. Here is the picture that is going to be on our Wheaties box.

Here is Matisse throwing with all the spectators looking on.

Grandpa Ben showed us all up with this silent ringer. Oddly, I think I can hear a little ping on the video but it really was silent in real life. Is that possible?

Lucky for us there is a large, rusty piece of machinery to play on right by the horseshoe grounds. Notice you don't see any of the older, wiser people in these pictures.

Few things can make you ponder about life as deeply as standing in a scary wire cylinder with Patrick leering over your shoulder. Especially with Chase messing with the on/off buttons which may or may not be still functioning.

I'm sure there was absolutly no danger with these two getting the belt spining straight toward the jagged, rusty pinch that, with a wrong step, would surely take off a leg or two. They did escape unscathed.