Wii Time Again

Ground frozen

Wind chills in the single digits

it's only December and "cabin fever" has set in.

Pulled the Wii out of the box after taking it to the Expo

in Colorado last October.

Set it up and got the WiiFit Plus disc out.

Let the Wii scores begin!

I have a couple of students that I know have Wii....

I am going to get in touch with them and see if we can start

WiiFit competition to see who can do the tilt board in the fastest time.

The Wii really does help with riding balance and small movements and weight shifts

and now I am trying to figure out if the Wii Hula Hoop® game and the real hula hoop have anything in common. One thing is for sure my circle shapes on the Wii are better but going to the left?? Well I can do that without the Wii but with it I still need some practice.

Hope the weather improves soon so I can ride outside again soon!

First Snow!

Got up this morning to go take Al for a ride at a friend's in Middleburg.

But to my surprise the clouds opened up to snow flakes!

Roads are cold enough that this white stuff is sticking...

Will have to wait a bit to pull the trailer....

Don't feel like going for a sleigh ride with a large blue box.

Someone else doesn't like the flakes either.....

"Let me in!!!" was her statement on this weather.

Cattails Saga Part 9

Finally He Who Must Play With Me (HWMPWM) got the SUN IN A BOX working again. About time. The LIGHT IN SKY is so short now. I want to be out in my SUN HAMMOCK but it is not warm enough to spend my day there. I have had to hunt for a WARM PLACE for weeks until HWMPWM finally put FIRE in SUN IN A BOX.

Now I can sleep in the place where SUN SHINES IN and be warm. And it is too warm to stretch out on She Who Must Pet Me's (SWMPM) legs for very long. And I can stay on my DAYTIME SLEEPING PLACE all night because SUN IN A BOX keeps me warm.

I got HWMPWM to give me BIRD SUSHI again for dinner. I am very good at getting my way. If I could only get him to make SUN IN SKY warm again I could stay outside all day.

I will have to find a way......

Raised beds of happiness

You can tell that I am "off the road" for a while because I am back to blogging.

With a little more time on my hands (while avoiding other projects) I have time to look around and see the things that I like to blog about.

This summer Brad made a raised bed out of the tongue and groove board used in the barn where my horse's live. He wanted something a little nicer than the usual stuff and with tongue and groove the soil will not spill out between the boards.

This fall before leaving for another clinic I planted some seeds. Now I have lovely lettuce, chard, kale and spinach. What a difference it makes to have fresh from my own garden lettuce!

This definitely recharges my batteries after eating out for too many months while on the road. The soil is from our composted waste hay and horse manure from last winter. Next we want to put in a water capture system so we can use the water that lands on our roof rather than the town water supply.

Ned and I are home from The Netherlands

Ned and I went on yet another teaching trip. This time to The Netherlands.

He got to meet his cousin, Nick so he didn't have to work as hard a usual but

I cannot travel without him as I never know if his relatives will show up or not at the clinics.

My trip was great! I did a 4-day Feldenkrais® for Horses and Riders clinic where we did an Awareness Through Movement® (ATM) Lesson on all 4's which I then showed how it related to the horses in the mounted work. We looked at the movement going through the horse in various ways relating to how they have to move in various figures such as circles, shoulder-in, etc.

Then I had a 1-day Work in Hand clinic again with an ATM sitting on chairs (see photo above) followed by semi-private in-hand sessions. We have a big group of very involved auditors. It was fun to watch the changes in the horses and their owners.

Finally we wrapped up with a 2- open clinic with 15 riders! Many of them are instructors who have not worked with me before. It was a very interesting group. I worked with one horse that had injured his right hind leg and also had whiplash from an accident on cross-ties. He was so much better on the first day that the owner called for beers all around!

The trip was terrific but I have to say it is great being home again. Izzy complained that I would not communicate as I did not have internet service at the facility in Holland. So she couldn't tell me how unhappy she was with my absence. However I did hear that she slept many hours on my office chair. Now that I am back I am her servant again - just as it should be!

Fruits of my labor

I plant seeds, sometimes seedlings

I water them and pluck the weeds around them

I go away hoping the plant is strong enough

to survive while I are not there.

Coming home I find that not only have they survived

They have born fruit!

Some plants require less tending than others.

Some require protection from sun or insects

Some are strong enough to be ignored while attending

to the others who are not quite strong enough to keep growing on their own.

It is wonderful to see not only the fruits in my garden

but also the fruit when I get an email from a student, hear of her success

and see the improvement when I return the following year.

I love to play in the dirt with my plants

but I have realized that my garden is wherever I go

and my seeds and seedlings blossom and fruit in the successes of my students

in whatever equine endeavor they choose be that trail riding, cantering or showing.

This year my garden has been particularly fruitful even though I only planted a few things - tomatoes, summer squash, cantaloupe and peppers. The fig tree went in 3 years ago and has survived cold, snow and drought to bear the most figs ever - perhaps a total of 4 dozen! The cantaloupe looked like it wasn't going to do anything and then we discovered 2 hanging free from the grid work Brad put up for the vine.

Sometimes the fruits of riding aren't obvious or it feels like the struggle through cold, snow, heat and drought kills the progress but then you find the fruits come to bear just when you weren't looking for them.

Ned

Ned travels with me where ever I go.

He's a pretty good sport

Never complains

Doesn't need much

and is ready at a moments notice

to help me explain to my students

how to do what I am asking them to do.

Ned is pretty resilient.

He has overcome more than one surgery

caused by repeated stress syndrome

Inflicted by me making him demonstrate

good and bad position.

Sometimes it seems like I don't appreciate Ned

Some students think I drive him too hard

They think I need to give him a break

Because he looks exhausted

And can be found collapsed over the rail

whenever I am not looking

Yes, I have to admit

traveling with me is not always easy

and he does look overworked.

But we have talked about this situation

and you need to know that Ned

enjoys what he is doing and

loves helping students learn to ride.

I have asked him more than once

and although he is old

he is not ready to retire.

So as long as he is still willing to travel

Ned will be with me on the road.

(photo by Marguerite Ostling)

New toy for the herd

What to do when it is 95 degrees and there is little grass to eat?

Play with the new toy left hanging out

near the compost pile!

I wonder what is under the tarp?

Darn I wish I had opposable thumbs

then I could untie this thing!

Bounty from the Garden

I arrived home yesterday after being gone almost 1 month.

My travels took me to Colorado, Calistoga, CA, Baxter, TN

and San Francisco, CA. Most of that was continuing education

in the Feldenkrais Method® with Mia Segal of MBS Academy.

The CO and TN trips were clinics at LuAnn Goodyear's and Larry Whitesell's.

I have to say it feels good to be home even if it is in the 90's!

San Francisco was clear skies and cool temps in the 60's and 70's so

this is a bit of a shock!

While I have been gone it looks like the garden has been busy.

The tomato plants (only 5) have been prolific! The zinnias have filled in at the

front of the house, the sunflowers are over 12' tall and the squash plants are now

invading the yard.

It feels good to be home even if it is for only a few days.

Don't think of Pink Elephants!

I am in Tennessee for a clinic at Larry Whitesell's to work with a group of his gaited horse people.

This lovely pink elephant was across from my hotel. It got me to thinking about the expression "don't think of pink elephants" because, of course - that was all I could see. But the intent behind the phrase has a lot to do with what happens to riders.

You know what it is like....

The instructor says "don't use your hands!", "don't pull on your horse's mouth", " don't look down!" What happens? You do exactly what they tell you to do - use your hand, pull and look down.

Why is that? Well it has to do with how our brain responds to the word "don't".

When we hear this word it is like saying to someone "pay attention!".

Then what ever is said after "don't" is what they pay attention to.

This in modern terms this is called Priming. When you say to someone, pay attention to something, that is what she will focus on regardless of what else is happening. Therefore when someone says "don't pull on the reins!" you hear "Pay attention - pull on the reins!"In this statement "pull on the reins" is the thing your attention is drawn to because it is the only action given in the statement.

Unfortunately many instructors tell us what we don't want to do instead of what we want to do.It would be far better to say "press your hands forward" or "look up" because this is what you want to do. You can do the translation if you are paying attention. Whenever you hear "Don't ....." rephrase into the action of what you want to do!

Where in the world is Wendy?

OK so it has been awhile since my last post.

I have been collecting a lot of air miles in that time.

IAD,SFO,TYS,SEA,CLT,BNA,AMS, - it seems my

whereabouts is based on a date and 3 letter acronym these days.

Currently I am outside a little town called Calistoga, CA.

I am here for my Feldenkrais training with Mia Segal and Leora Gastor.

The weather has been FANTASTIC! Cool nights, warm days with a light breeze.

The skies have cleared in the evening so we can watch the shooting stars.

It is serving as a nice vacation in addition to education.

I was here in March when I was working on the final throws of my book.

We celebrated the release of my book with a champagne and chocolate covered strawberries.

What fun!

Lions!?

Yesterday I was teaching at Morven Park Equestrian Center in Leesburg VA. I walked into the indoor arena and what did I see? Could it really be? Lion spoor?!

I know the prints in the right hand photo are lion because they were sighted near our 2nd camp on Safari in February. We tracked them the next morning and the horses were definitely aware that lion were about. But we did not see the lions that day.

These prints aren't lion but they sure are big. So what could it be? There might not be lions in Virginia there certainly are large cats.I have seen a bobcat and my friend saw a cougar while riding on the trails in Rappahannock County. But this is Leesburg so I don't think it was a big cat.

On closer inspection there are some differences. The width of the paw is broader on the right hand photo. The toes are different shape than a cat.

Have you guessed yet?

It was a Bloodhound! There was a large group of bloodhounds and people working on tracking skills. I guess they thought they might find something interesting in the indoor.

Cattails Saga Part 8

My people are concerned about me lately. Good - keep them guessing I say. They worry I am OK out here in the OUTDOORS and come out to find me. But I do not let them know I appreciate that they check on me.

I lie under the bushes all day. I stay very still in case some little TASTY MORSEL decides to come my way. I will not expend any energy but stay quite still so that they forget that I might be DANGEROUS. So far I have not had any luck but you never know.....

When it cools down I wander out so that MY PEOPLE know I am here. I don't want them to worry to much. They get VERY ODD when they have not seen me for awhile. They make funny sounds and wander around looking distressed when I do not appear. But it is good to keep them guessing. I wouldn't want them to know that I like them...

Happy Independence Day!

July 4th and it was hot, hot, hot!

We worked in the garden this morning but came in pretty early.

Went to the matinee movie to get out of the heat - Toy Story 3 - fantastic!

Ate ice cream and went to the local fireworks tonight.

The show was not as good as last year but this time I took my camera. Actually got some nice photos.

July brings lots of things:

The Tour de France, clinics in Washington state and summer weather.

We are going to be in the 90's all week and so dry! No rain in sight.

Oh well, in the afternoons I can come in and watch the Tour. I got hooked on watching that at a clinic in Colorado years ago! The clinic was delayed so that we could all sit down and watch the final day riding into Paris.

Now it seems like the Tour is a July ritual watching beautiful scenery, drama and cycling through France. The castles and towns are really quite amazing.

I will be heading out west to Washington state soon for 3 clinics: Spokane, Vashon ( a private clinic) and Maple Valley. All old friends whom I am looking forward to seeing again.

Sometimes it is hard to believe that I come from a blue collar family, am the only child of 3 with a college degree, I own my own business, own my own home, travel the world, teach riding, authored two books and live in a town platted by George Washington when he was 16 years old.

I don't think that I would be able to have this kind of opportunity in any other country in the world. For this I am truly grateful to be an American celebrating this July 4th, our Independence Day.

Cattails Saga Part 7

Finally She Who Must Groom Me (SWMGM) has returned. Doesn't she know that she has responsibilities here at home, which are being ignored when she goes away?

Well I let her know she has to make up for her AWAY TIME. I have been holding her down on the DAYTIME SLEEPING PLACE so that she can do her job. And I have been doing FLAT CAT on the arm of DAYTIME SLEEPING PLACE so that she knows she should pet me and play with me.

There is one good thing about her return this time. She is waking up when the LIGHT THAT SHINES IN DARKNESS is still in the sky. This means that I can demand BREAKFAST, SECOND BREAKFAST, MORNING SNACK, MID MORNING SNACK AND LUNCH! She is awake and feels guilty for being away again so she does not refuse me.

SWMGM did something unusual now that she is home. She walked to NOT MY TERRITORY place where they have put up new OUTDOOR SCRATCHING POSTS. There is something living over there I have never seen before. It makes odd sounds and is very tall. I think I will stay away for now. I have more important things to do.

My book has arrived!

Brad picked me up from the airport yesterday afternoon. I had a great flight since I got bumped up to Business Class. Wow! what a difference to how I feel after being in the fancy seats.

We arrived home on a beautiful day with lovely temps to discover boxes of book on the porch.

They were supposed to arrive some time in July but here it was the last day of June.

This morning I autographed all the pre-ordered copies and now Brad is processing the orders. We hope to have them all in the mail by the end of the day. What a relief to have this project complete.

And something about this book seems to have released me from years of writers block. I have had new book ideas running through my head all the time I was in Europe and have been getting them down in 0's and 1's on my laptop. Maybe it won't take me 6 years to write another book this time!

One can only hope.

Just desserts

This is my last day in Holland. The weather is getting hotter, more like a June day in Virginia. They are making hay, something that isn't happening at home since it is so hot and dry but here it feels familiar. The Dutch are melting and I am smiling.

Holland is in the World Cup and while their flag is red, white and blue there is Orange everywhere! That's because the Queen's name is Beatrix Van Oranje-Nassau, so the color orange is on buildings (entire buildings!) clothing, awnings, flags and more. They won last night which is a good thing. I cannot imagine what would happen if they lost!

Dinner last night was another wonderful meal (Angele my chef this time) with mint pesto for dessert with Ben and Jerry's raspberry/mango sorbet and fresh cherries! This mornings breakfast was cottage cheese with fresh raspberries. I am getting spoiled.

Heading home tomorrow. Looks like the heat will break a little before I get there - only 80's for a high instead of 90's. But no rain in sight. Might be feeding hay to the horses before long but the fatties have plenty to live on for now.

Puttanesca and Hollandaise

I arrived in the Netherlands on Wednesday and have been enjoying more epicurean delights. It seems I now rate my clinics not by the horses or riders, but by the food. As I am wheat intolerant I cannot live on bread and cheese as so many Europeans do. But I think I have the advantage.

Because of my wheat intolerance I get treated to wonderful meals by organizers, friends and taken to excellant restuarants. I feel very well cared for not to mention the chocolate that appears by my chair before lectures.

For this clinic Jeroen, is my official dinner chef, He is the boyfriend of one of the organizer's and he has nothing to do with horses but he loves to cook. I am happy to oblige by eating his dinners. Tonight we had asparagus and strawberries with whip cream for desert.

Asparagus season is officially over here in Holland. Apparently they stop cutting it on June 24th all across the country so that the plants can grow and be ready for the next year. White asparagus is more common here than the USA and has a more delicate flavor than the traditional green, which makes it perfect with hollandaise sauce!

rewind the seasons

One thing about traveling is that I get to see the seasons over and over depending upon which direction I travel. This year towards Finland and on to Holland.

The weather in Finland is still cool and springlike.

The lilacs are furiously blooming and the lupine along the highway is gorgeous colors of white, pink, dark and light purples. Asparagus is still in season.

The light is the give away that we are at midsummer.. The twilight lasts all night, well at least until 2am. I didn't say up all night to find out about the early hours.

It was interesting to watch the rays of the sun through some of the clouds it was like they were on the same plane so that it looks like it was woven across the sky. An unusual sight even for my Finnish friend.

Packing my bags...

You would think I might have this figured out by now - packing.

but it seems every clinic is different.

Different weather.

Different interests.

Some new clinics.

Others old friends.

What to take this time? Of course the advance copy of the new book.

and then what?

Kindle (saves a lot of weight!)

Boze headphones (blocks out airplane noise)

Melatonin (so I can get into their time zone)

Eye covers (sun doesn't go down in Finland this time of year!)

But the rest is in a constant state of flux.

Ah well, the moment of decision will be upon me soon....

then it is whatever fits in the bag.

Cattails Saga Part 6

The other day She Who Must Groom Me (SWMGM) and He How Must Play With Me (HHMPWM) were out in my GARDEN. They were making a nice place for me to lay but they did not realize they had pulled up a MOST IMPORTANT PLANT (MIP). They did not even know it was there!

I of course am observant and sensed that this plant was in the TAKE STUFF AWAY pile. I leapt in and began to show them this MIP. I rubbed on it, and rolled on it until they noticed. SWMGM placed my MIP on the SUNNY LAY DOWN PLACE and I continued to show her how important this plant is to me.

SWMGM AND HHMPWM got the message. They put the MIP back in the earth and now I am training them to give me small pieces of it every day. I sit on the SUNNY LAY DOWN PLACE and look at them. I roll on the dried pieces of MIP. I stare at them again. They are very observant. They know it is time to give me another piece of MIP.

Now that I have SWMGM and HHMPWM trained I will have my silly roll and dreamy sleep every day.

"I once owned a farm in Africa"

Last Friday I drove up to Connecticut for a clinic. From my home it takes about 10 hours give or take depending on traffic. I have to admit I don't mind traffic jams so much anymore. I think it is because when I am sitting in traffic my Prius is not using any fuel. It sits quietly, no loud motor noise and waits patiently for the cars to crawl along. I am mostly running on battery when the traffic is really slow but there is something in that quiet that takes the stress away. Pretty amazing since I used to be the kind of drive the fussed and fumed by the slow moving cars....

Another of my favorite things to do on a long drive is listen to books on my iPod. I can plug my iPod into my car stereo system so it plays through the car's speakers. This time I purchased "Out of Africa". I have never read the book but of course, seen the movie. As I was browsing through iTunes looking for something to while the hours away I found this book. I listened to the sample for a moment and realized the readers voice was perfect. A lovely woman with a British accent. As she read the words a vivid image of the area of the Ngong Hills was painted in my mind. I have been in the town of Karen and seen some of Karen Von Blixen's furniture at Giraffe Manor so it was about time I "read" the book.

The hours slid by as I was bathed in the sights and sounds of old Kenya. On my return home the book ended just as I pulled up to the house. How perfect I thought that I don't have to drive around the block or find some excuse the next day to go for a drive to hear the end.

Today I looked at my zinnia seeds beginning to sprout in their trays. They are almost ready for planting. I thought of those words and thought "I once owned a farm in Virginia and on the farm I had planted 3 flats of zinnias..." Somehow the feeling of story and that lifestyle surrounded me in my own home with my little garden. The sense of the land and its beauty so strongly influencing my life here near the hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains on this perfect, lovely clear, blue sky day.

You never know...

You never know what is going to happen. I think that's what I find so interesting - the curiosity of what might happen next.

While I was recovering from the pneumonia I decided I should get out of the house to get a bit of fresh air. Brad and I went for a drive to Culpeper via the back roads looking at the countryside and seeing where the last storm had rearranged things. We came onto the main drag, Route 29 and were driving into Culpeper when we passed a Ford dealership. Brad has been thinking about what kind of company car he is going to get in the near future. He has been talking about the Ford Fusion hybrid. I haven't sat in a Fusion so instead of driving past the dealership we decided to turn in.

Brad and I were looking at a Fusion when a salesman came over. He brought out the keys and we took the car for a test drive. Afterward we went inside the dealership to get a brochure. While inside Brad filled out a form for a $2500.00 cash giveaway prize for an upcoming event they were having.

Yesterday Brad got a call from the dealership. The message was that they had good news. When he called back today Brad found out he won the $2500.00! I have never won a big prize and this is the most Brad has ever won. You just never know what might happen if you take a chance.

I am already angling for a nice dinner out of the deal since it was because I had pneumonia that we wound out there.

Book Buzz

Practical Horseman ran an excerpt from 50 Five Minutes Fixes to Improve Your Riding in the June issue. They used the side bar on Heels Down. This is one piece I felt was very important to write. Heels down isn't simply jamming your ankle down but how your back needs to lengthen in order for your weight to fall through your heels. Apparently there has already been some buzz from this piece. I am excited to have created a stir!

Equisearch has also run a chapter from the book on their website in General Training. Trafalgar has also had a lot of interest from their Australian distributor. It is so exciting to see how things are starting to build around the book.

On Amazon it is no. 26 in Riding books and it hasn't hit the shelves yet!

I have my fingers crossed that people will finally be able to understand the anatomy of riding. I sure hope people like the book when they read it and that it helps everyone ride better.

OK so let's just say I am a bit nervous and excited all at the same time that people do like this book.

And my collobrator - Izzy? Well she is sleeping in the shade and could care less if she made typos.

Cattails Saga Part 5

I am ALL POWERFUL. I decided that She Who Must Groom Me (SWMGM) has been gone too much this year already. So I flexed my claw and made her sick. She came down with PNEUMONIA. This is a good illness because she cannot move around alot but her arms work fine. Now SWMGM has been stuck on the DAYTIME SLEEPING PLACE and the NIGHTTIME SLEEPING PLACE for many days. :-)

I have succeeded in making her my GROOMING TOOL. My coat sleek now. She is very good at GROOMING but don't let her know!

Today is SUN OUTSIDE so I don't need her. She will suffer from my absence. This is good for her. I would not want SWMGM to think I NEED her. I will come in later for my BREAKFAST and GROOMING.

I still need to train He Who Must Play With Me (HWMPWM). I brought LIVE RABBIT into the DAY ROOM. HWMPWM wouldn't let me keep it inside. He put it on the deck. I fixed him. I only at the HEAD and left the rest.

Pneumonia is no fun

Came back from my trip out west with a cold that dropped into my chest and turned into pneumonia. One week ago I was flat on my back and rallied to teach on Saturday but wound up in the Emergency Room on Sunday. Oxygen is a wonderful thing.

Things have improved a lot and I am actually walking around now. Slowly getting back to life but not able to head to Holland tomorrow, Dr's. orders. Good thing I took out travel insurance for the flight. I thought the ash from Iceland might be a problem, but no.....

On a bright note an advance copy of 50 Five Minutes Fixes arrived in the mail today AND there is a there is an article in Practical Horseman June issue about the book!

That sure helped cheer me up.

This blog has moved

This blog is now located at http://murdochmethod.blogspot.com/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://murdochmethod.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default.

How can you tell that the weather is better

because I am not blogging so much anymore.

Teaching season has begun again in earnest.

This weekend I head to Mass. for a clinic then come

home and head to the Californios!

For the first time in four years of trying I am finally

going to get there.

Can't wait!

And my book has gone to the printers so I am relieved of book duty

until it returns - hurrah!

Summer already?!

On Sunday we went to the Old Dominion Hunt Club races. The weather was fantastic. Light breeze, comfortable temps, no bugs! Nice day to be outside and not doing much of anything.

But the past two days it has been ninety plus degrees. The poor horses are still wearing their winter coats! I can't bear to get on their backs while they are trying to deal with this heat. A cold front is supposed to come through tomorrow and drop the temps by more than thirty degrees. Sure hope so!

The office in the basement is terrific since it stays pleasantly cool. The old office had great views of the mountains but the sun came streaming in. Even with the curtains closed it got hot and we would wind up sleepy. The other thing about being in the basement - you don't know what time it is so you work all day and have no idea what is happening in the rest of the world. That's good and bad. We get stuff done but I don't seem to get over to the barn. I think I will have to make that the first thing I do each day rather than email.

I have posted a gallery of photos from the Feb Safari. This is just the beginning. I took over 5800 photos and I have to show them to someone! This first batch is more about camp. Stay tuned for more.

Warm days, sunny skies

Spring is bursting forth here in Virigina. The flowers and trees are desperate to get their blossoms out. The sounds of lawnmowers is in the air along with the peepers chirping loudly at night.

I feel like I am surfacing after a long dive and emerging into the daylight.The book is in its final stages. Tuesday I received pdf proofs of the layout, it is like seeing an ultrasound of an embryo.

It is forming into a finished product but still in the developing stages. I will see it again soon once the designer finishes the final sections. I printed it out and "turned the pages" on my counter....

and it hit me - this is going to be a book! Somehow until now it was only words and images but not anything that looked like a finished product.

The excitement of Spring after such a long winter coinciding with this book project coming to fruition makes the season even more special.

Now the thing that will make it perfect is going out for a ride!

Spring is here!

I made it home from California in time for the weekend. The temps were warm and sunny with the smell of spring in the air. The flowers are definitely behind this year. My daffodils are just starting to bloom and the forsythia is just coming out.

I am not the only one who is really thrilled with the nice weather. Izzy is lazing around on the deck in her chair and sitting out in the lawn. The other day she caught and ate a mouse. Nothing like a little fresh meat to help shed fur all over the house.

In Africa the daylight varies by only 15 minutes from winter to summer. They do not think about the Spring and Autumn Equinox since there is so little difference in the amount of light. The Mara is just below the equator so theoretically it would be the Autumn Equinox at this time of year but that was hard to tell by watching the animals. We saw vultures, zebra, hippos and tortoise breeding. Maybe they don't care what season it is? Anyway, we did come across this gorgeous zebra foal who did not appear to be very old.

So for the moment I am happy to be home. This is my favorite time of year, when the earth renews itself by putting forth a show of color, sweet smells and sounds. I can hear the peepers peeping as I sit here and type. Tomorrow I head out for a road trip and a clinic in Arkansas on the weekend. I am sure this year the flowers will still be here when I get home.

Cattails Saga Part 4

Now that they have put FLAT SURFACES TO LAY ON in the BELOW DEN they need to be trained again. HE WHO MUST PLAY WITH ME (HWMPWM) is a quick study. I summoned him to the LET ME IN DOOR by staring at him through the VISIBLE WALL high up in the BELOW DEN.

Now I have to train him to FEED ME, LET ME OUT, and PLAY WITH ME when he is in the BELOW DEN. This is trying as it takes persistence to get through to him, but I will succeed! I make my presence known in the BELOW DEN and complain until he gets the message.

It is nice to have HWMPWM living in BELOW DEN during SUN IS SHINING time. I have more control and can go out and in whenever I like now. However, I need to work on SHE WHO MUST GROOM ME (SWMGM). She is AWAY again. This is disrupting my FUR REMOVAL PROGRAM and I might wind up with BALLS OF FUR in my stomach. Well maybe I should deposit them on her SLEEPING PLACE so she knows how displeased I am that she is AWAY.

In the mean time at least I have HWMPWM to answer to my beck and call.

Signs of Spring

Here in Calistoga there are definitely signs of spring. Although there is frost on the rooftops in the morning the flowers are blooming, daffodils, lavender, rosemary and more. My flowers at home are not willing to stick their heads up yet! It has been such a long winter I am hoping everything has survived - especially my fig tree!

We have been doing a series of Awareness Through Movement lessons around the spine. It is very interesting to learn how one vertebra moves in relation to another and not necessarily in the direction I thought! As always I learn so much from working with Mia and Leora - and this is just the beginning of day 3! I am already thinking about how to incorporate these lessons into my teaching when I get home.

Cattails Saga Part 3

Let me ouuutttt!!!! Let me oouuutttt!!!!!

SHE WHO MUST GROOM ME (SWMGM) and HE WHO MUST PLAY WITH ME (HWMPWM) finally got home from the LONG AWAY TIME and let me go outside again and now this!!!!

I was only checking out the DARK HOLE to see if there were any MOVING TOYS THAT TASTE GOOD in there and suddenly it went very dark. I heard SWMGM and HWMPWM calling but it was warm and cozy here. There was a lovely fluffy COMFORTABLE SLEEPING PLACE in the DARK HOLE and I thought it would be nice to curl up and nap for a few minutes.

But then the LARGE LIVING BOX got very quiet. I knew they would come for me soon as it would be time to have more SOFT BIRD PARTS FROM A CAN soon. Now it is well past MID DAY MEAL and might even be time for EVENING SNACKS but still the LARGE LIVING BOX is quiet and I am trapped in this DARK HOLE!

But wait..... I think I hear HWMPWM. It is faint but it sounds like his voice. I must let him know where I am! "MEEEOOOWWWWW, MMMEEEEOOOOOWWW@@#%##!!". Why haven't you come for me sooner? Oh no, DARK HOLE suddenly filled with brightness and I am going to ..... this is very undignified..... tumble out!

Humph, well now HWMPWM had better give me extra dinner!

Time Zone Travel

I have been in 5 different time zones in a little over 6 weeks. This is getting confusing! Waking up at 3AM, falling asleep at 7PM trying to figure out when I can call the east coast from Europe and now California. Fortunately the internet is there day and night. no matter what time zone I am in.

I have arrived in Calistoga, CA to Mayacama Ranch and Retreat. This place is beautiful! Nestled in the hills of Northern California at about 2ooo ft. The views are terrific, the food is great - they pick the lettuce for the salads out of the garden behind the kitchen and the bed very comfortable, unlike the bed that bruised me in Mombasa!

I arrived a bit late yesterday for the first day of this segment of Mia Segal's Masters Training but quickly caught on to the lesson. It has to do with connecting the entire outer envelope of skin over the skull. I know it sounds strange but I can't wait to try this on a horse! I might have to go find one around here somewhere to test it out.

In the mean time we are coming to the finish line on the edits for the book before it goes to layout. Then I will have a bit of a break until it comes back from that phase. So we are almost there!

where have the days gone?

Been home almost 6 days.

Still waking up at 3am and falling asleep around 7pm.

Working furiously on the edits for the book.

No time for riding, or blogging for that matter.

Leaving Monday for 10 more days of workshop with Mia Segal, this time in California.

Maybe then I will have some time to post photos from Safari!

Home again, home again, jiggidy - jog!

After being gone for one month I am now back home. Izzy is delighted to see me and has been following me around to make sure I don't go too far. No worries there, my travels since Monday PM have been to the office in the basement, food on the first floor and sleep on the second. I finally went outside today as it was sunny and I needed to reconnect to the outside world.

My hibernation is not simply because I am depressed about no longer being in Africa on Safari. It is because my book has come back with edits, which have to be done by Friday! So it is forced march to the office but don't tell my publisher that I have been secretly looking at all the fabulous photos I took in Kenya. I will be posting some galleries soon. In the mean time I will put up a couple of teasers.

Off to bed now - at this tonight I made it till almost 10PM (last night it was 7PM). Let's hope I can sleep past 3AM!

Click on the images for larger size. The one on the left we are looking at elephants from horseback. The other is fording the river. This was supposed to be the dry season!

Back in Nairobi and on to the elephant orphanage

Brad and I went to our hotel and then over the the Fairview were we hooked up with some of the group. Together we ventured to the Sheldrake Elephant Orphanage near the Nairobi National Park. There are 14 orphaned elephants in their keeping and one baby rhino. One elephant was found only 1 day old in a ditch.

It is amazing to watch the keepers with the babies with such loving simplicity. It is all men and they are totally devoted to the elephants. Brad was a bit tired when we headed out but he was really happy he did go and said it is definitely worth the visit - especially if you are going to see your adopted elephant! To learn more about the work being done and adopt an orphan click on the link above.

Tomorrow we head out to the Mara so this is going to be my last post until we come back on the 28th. I should have some wonderful photos and stories to tell so stay tuned!

Photo captions: The eye of an elephant and this handle plays with the little boy who shows his budding tusks.

Post card from Mombasa

Yesterday we had another massage and this time did not go in the ocean.

Brad napped most of the day on a lovely day bed with the ocean breeze through his hair.

Today we travel back to Nairobi and hook up with the rest of the Safari group at the Fairview Hotel for dinner. Tomorrow we head out to the Mara.

Having a great time!

Wendy and Brad

Cattails Saga Part 2

HE WHO MUST PLAY WITH ME (HWMPWM) and SHE WHO MUST GROOM ME (SWMGM) at not home yet. I will make my presence known to them anyway. I am powerful and capable of reaching out the them from long distances to tell them what I am thinking. They know I am displeased and will make them SUFFER upon their return.

It seems they have found good hunting there they are. TASTY FLYING FOOD is all around them. I like FLYING FOOD. SWIMMING FOOD is also there. That is good to watch but I prefer FLYING FOOD. I wonder if they will bring some home for me?

Time to take a NAP on THROWN in FIRE ROOM but there is no heat from FIRE BOX. Why doesn't HE WHO VISITS THE HOUSE (HWVTH) keep fire in box for me? I will have to voice my complaint next time he shows up....

Mombasa Day 2 - Mixed emotions

Mixed emotions is how I would describe today. Brad and I had a two hour massage at Tulia Spa. We felt mellow and relaxed afterward. We had some lunch and headed to the pool after Bathing Suit Safari this morning, an adventure that was very successful.

After sitting around at the pool for awhile we decide to take our first dip into the Indian Ocean clad in new bathing suit. I wasn't in the lovely warm waters 30 seconds when a blue beaded string stuck to my hand. I tried to pull it off and it stuck to my other hand, then to my leg and then the other leg. By now I knew this was no ordinary filament! I headed to shore (only about 1.5 feet deep when this happened) and the locals came rushing up with plants. I had been stung by a jellyfish! I never saw the little bugger, only its tenicle which is oddly blue.

Several minutes later the stings really began to swell - they were already definitely painful. About 5 guys were rubbing plant on my hands, arms and legs. After about 5 minutes I finally headed back to the hotel area and the guard, who had never seen someone stung by jellyfish before, took me to a bar where they brought me first vinegar then hot water with salt for the stings. I was swelling quite a bit at this point but the pain was subsiding.

I went back to my hotel room and took a hot shower, which felt really good on the stings and took a homeopathic remedy. Brad and I took a nap in the room and I have decided that I will stick to the hotel pools from now on.....