BreyerFest Week 2025: Thursday, Toilet Paper Derbies!

Well, my desktop is well and truly dead. Craig made some great progress in getting it to start up and then clearing out malware, but I finally asked him to stop. He'd been working hours and hours and still had a long way to go.

We'd talked a year ago about replacing it, and now was the time. I just could not see asking him to put more hours into it. 

The new one arrives today - I'd wanted it here and up and running for BreyerFest on Friday, and Craig was able to find what I wanted, order it, and have it scheduled to arrive today. (Operative word is "scheduled.")

In the meantime, the grands are having a fabulous time at Camp Tecumseh.*** Having said that, we are sobered and terribly saddened by what happened at Camp Mystic in Texas. What a horrible, horrible tragedy.

Not content with racing mini Thoroughbreds electronically (and in preparation for Happy Trails V), we raced Stablemates last night in our first Toilet Paper Derby.  

While the kids were at camp, I had pulled out some Stablemates that I thought might be pretty stable as well as appealing to the under-10 jockeys. (And, not be something I was biting my nails over as they raced!)

Glittery clearware? Yep, very appealing to those cheerleading, magician gals.

Torlini, the soccer horse, appealed to all the adults, and the other two had their own merits. I didn't have enough out for all the family, so I asked people to share horses (they raced in heats.) 

Heat One in which I learned to have a clear ending line and only three racers per heat, at least when using the dining room table. That finish line was crowded!

Having a practice run for the "jockeys" was helpful, too. (Another note to self: be sure to use the same sized toilet paper rolls. The smaller rolls require more rolling to move the horses than the bigger ones and that wobbles the model more than the big rolls.)

And they're off!

Who will be the winner?

Yes, Lukie, you are the winner!

After several heats, we had the final race - Kate versus Lukie. Susie and Mila sang the opening "trumpet" song and then did a swim team start with a "starter's pistol." (Yet another note to self - ring a bell next time.)

The final race was intense.

And ended up being a photo finish. The race steward (me) declared it a tie and both jockeys received blue ribbons for their efforts.

*** Cole and Emily's kids are attending Camp Tecumseh with Curt and Vanessa's kids this week. Emily and the kids are staying with us for the week but sadly, Cole and Henry went back to Nashville because Cole had to work. Julie and Ian are doing overnight camp, so they won't be home until Saturday.

Tomorrow's the day! I can't wait to see what I got with my tickets (for the first time ever that's plural; I bought two this year) and who the mystery surprise horse is. Still thinking it's the Proud Arabian Mare!

Fingers crossed! And stay 'tooned!