Sunday, August 29, 2010

I Have to see a man about a horse!

A Lot can happen in a couple of weeks. The highlight was a short trip to Bonanza, Oregon to see a man about a horse. Some old frequent flier points came in handy earlier this month.... as I made my way to Curry Ranch. I was the guest of the most gracious host, Dr. Henry Curry and was able to spend some time (although not nearly enough) talking Peruvian Paso Horse with Henry and his trainer, Jaimie. Best of all I was introduced to Lindero, a very handsome gelding with pleasant ground manners and a smooth, ground covering gait. In a couple of weeks Lindero will become a Canadian citizen and a resident of Denman Island. This means that Mikki will have a trail partner that can keep up with him.

This weekend, there was a horse camp-out, trail ride, and soccer game on Denman Island. Mikki, (with Kari) and several other horses and riders took part in a trail ride on Saturday, which was followed by "happy hour", a pot luck dinner and impromptu line dancing. The next day we introduced the horses to soccer balls. Most of the horses had never experienced the game, but soon got the hang of it. Mikki was a natural and within minutes could "dribble" the ball the entire length of the field. His high leg motion is a definate advantage. He's now ready for some serious competition. Pictures of the weekend can be seen on the Island Equine site.

Strawbale Houe Update: Continuing on with the fir flooring upstairs. The gutters went on last week. (only pictures of horses this week)

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Poking the bear

Smok'n hot, quite literally sums up our weather for the last two weeks. Forest fires in the interior have made for some interesting sunsets and very smoky air quality. In one of the pictures below (looking out the living room window) you can see that the mountains are no longer visible though the smoke.

I spent five days at The Haven for their "Come Alive" program. I'd have to say it made a notable impact on my life, (to say the least). I highly recommend it for those that wish to get to know themselves a little better. Thanks to the inspiring people I met there.

Straw Bale house update: The fir floor is nailed down in the upstairs "bonus room" (I still have the upper bedroom to do). It now needs to be sanded, stained, and finished, (a project for a rainy day) This entire room is backed up by generator power. It will contain TV and wireless router coverage for the multiple laptops in the house. Door painting and prepping for kitchen cabinets is on the agenda for the coming week.

Pictures this post are: (1) fir floor in the bonus room, (2+3) living room window detail from two directions, showing bales "hung" above the windows on the gable end.

It was a sad day for direct democracy last week when the HST petition was set aside pending court actions. I'm all for a VAT tax of sorts, (although not this one) but I think the latest blunder is a case of "poking the bear". People are pissed.