Yee Haw and Howdy Folks

Every summer, Buffalo Bill Days come to Golden and we have enjoyed making it a tradition to attend the parade and festivities.

Here's a fun fact: Did you know that Buffalo Bills grave is on lookout mountain, just above Golden.  Yes, yes, it is.  I hear that he's buried in Cody, Wyoming too.  Isn't THAT amazing?!  I guess in the wild west days, if you could have a double barrel gun you can have a double burial.  Who knew?!

The Heineman's were professional paraders and they arrived early to get us a prime seat with curbside seating.  As an added bonus, all of our parade shots were framed with the Welcome to Golden Signs.

Howdy Folks, from Owen and Oliver.

Kellan likes to join in on the fun too.

After a Chinese fire drill around the letter B (see it written in chalk on the ground), they landed here with a YEE HAW!!

It was a roasty toasty 80 degrees and Kellan was tipping back some cold water.  Whew!  Living on the Wild Side.

The boys were glued to the parade AND their snow cones.

"Horses, Mommy, Horses"

Kellan couldn't get enough of the horses.

We always get excited to see the Coors truck that's compliments of Coors Distributing Company in Denver.

Throwing out some love for Coors

The Railroad Museum is always a hit too.

The Coors truck and the Railroad museum may be a hit, but in Kellan's mind, nothing compared to the endless Westerneer horses.

"HORSES!!"

With parades come LOTS of parade candy.

With a great time at a parade comes a very lenient Mommy and Daddy.

Kellan is adopting his own version of western style double draw action.

Who doesn't love a patriotic John Deere tractor?  It's the American way.

More and More candy.

The boys scouts were very prescripted on their candy distribution, unlike most of the other parade walkers.

The parade was a BIG hit.  We all loved it but you know what this Mama loves more?

Carnival Corn Dogs!

Next stop, the carnival, complete with lunch.

Mmmm... Carnival Corn Dogs.  LOVE THEM!

"Stick-em-Up if you dare get near my dog."

What's the second best?

Funnel Cake!!!

I hopped up to get two funnel cakes, one for us and one for the Martin's, who met us for the carnival.  

I'm sad to say that Oliver was the only one in the Ham Fam to join me in the love of funnel cake.  Kellan took one tiny nibble and declared it no good.  (That made me question if he was switched at birth because I don't think that's genetically possible to not like funnel cake).

Kristi was the good mom who cooled the funnel cake off or her boys.

Me, I just said "dive in, but be careful"

As hard as Oliver and I tried, we couldn't quite finish the whole funnel cake.

We really did try our best.

After lunch we finished off with some games and the one that all of the boys were dying to do was the big hammer game.  Is it in their DNA?

Oliver LOVED it and came away swinging with a Super Bat.

Kellan loved it too.

Kellan came away with a new blow up sword, which is clearly not pictured.

Once again, Buffalo Bill Days was a big hit for the Ham Fam.  We're already plotting next years parade arrival for a prime seating re-do followed by carnival corn dogs, funnel cake and hammer swinging.  

What a blast!!!