To Kalispell

I've arrived in Kalispell. I left Karen, Steve and the little ones early this morning. Karen's mother Suzanne drove me to Portland airport whcih was lovely. She gave me a cucumber just picked from her garden and Karen sent me off with homemade musli in a tuperwear box. I'd got up early to savour the last morning under the fresh bit sky and some damn fine coffee. Some kind of bird of prey, eagle or vulture - they have both and I didn't see it long enough to I.D., caught it's epic wing span in the deep yellow golden sunlight like some bold mythical thing. A great send off. I was sorry to say goodbye to Rowan and Amelia but they'll be in the UK for Christmas. In the short week I've been there I've watched Amelia's face come into focus the way small babys do, like watching a photo develop.

The journey was via Seattle on a tiny, propeller driven place. I counted 9 or 10 rows. I sat by the window but the clouds were obscuring the views of the mountains. I'd already seen Mt Hood shrouded in haze from fires. Mt St Helen I'd seen previously as it's near the house, it looks like a Japanese wood block print. Traveling with the hat is a practice in it's own right. It was too large to go in the overhead locker so I had it on my lap and tried not to dent it with the huge edition of US Vogue I'd bought. There was a three hour lay over in Seattle, time for a big chowder lunch and lots of wondering around shops, then off on a marginally bigger plane to Kalispell.

We flew over the mountains east of Seattle then the rectangular crop fields of Idaho, then more mountains spotted with tourquoise lakes every now and then before the haze of smoke and Montana. They've had really bad fires, and the smoke has got particularly severe in the last few days according to Jim the taxi driver who collected me from the airport. A guy on the plane who looked like he knew a thing or two reckoned the fires wouldn't stop until the snows later in the year. He had a great shirt on covered with horses and and a face with lines that also spoke weather and horses. I got to the hotel, the Grand and noted it's very conveniently beside Western Outfitters. Bingo. Lets go shopping.

French toast and PB & J

Today is my last day with Karen and Steve before traveling to Kalispell tomorrow.
Rowan and I picked apples with his Mum as well as some blackberries. These were to go with the french toast (eggy bread) that we had WITH butter, WITH fruit. WITH yogurt AND with maple syrup. Awesome. As was the PB and J we had yesterday - peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (made with last years blackberries).

THE hat

Kitchen Yoga

Karen does a couple of Post-partum Bakasanas and Pincmyurasanas for the first time since having Amelia.

Lots of Dog pose a-go-go

OK, I know, I know pull tail bone in.

Wiggle bumasana

Cool tractors and kitchen cuddles

Steve and Rowan water trees.

Amelia and me.

Alt I.D.

Yesterday I was asked for I.D. when buying alcohol in the supermarket. Maybe it's a routine thing but being in my 41st year, I was rather flattered. Of course I didn't have I.D. so the check out woman did a grey hair head count, decided it was sufficient and I got my purchases.

Singing Snake!

Here she is, fellow pilgrim, boot luster and horsewoman, Singing Snake.


This is Bobby, a 16.2 Clydesdale x Thoroughbred. He's her UK mount.

More horses than cattle

Karen's mother Suzanne tells me Clarke County is horse country, more horses then cattle here. I can occasionally hear some from my tent. Might go boot and riding jeans looking today in a town called Battle Ground - which has a certain ring to it. I can tell my renowned fondness for footwear is going to be at an optimum. There again we might not boot shop, little 'uns have a big say in what happens with scheduling - which simplifies things. Me and Singing Snake have a shopping rendez-vous in Kalispell on Saturday so I'm certain boot lust and love wil be realised fantastically.

Finally I think I'm over my jet lag, but I've reset onto a terrific early to bed early to rise routine which really suits me in this glorious weather.

I'm getting quite a bit of Amelia holding time. She seems to like being held and sung Yeshe Tsogyal mantra. I'm also getting allot of time to catch up with yoga practice on the verandah which is an ideal, warm yet shady place. I have teacher training assessments about 6 weeks following my return to the UK so I'm trying to cover the syllabus well whilst here. Plus it'll help keep some riding muscles supple. That and some sKu-mNye.

My rather magnificent Tonto Rim hat arrived here along with a few other items. It is really splendid and I am already anticipating an eventful return journey in it on the plane.