Weekend wrap-up -- Happy Mother's Day!

This has been quite a full weekend -- and tomorrow we start Week 3. One of the things that made this weekend full (and special) was that my parents (Rich and Julie) came to Loveland to visit and we celebrated Mother's Day together. Here are a couple photos as proof: 1) Mom wrestling the steer at the Dude Ranch and 2) a "group photo" at the stables, to see many other classmates off on their afternoon trail ride (see other blogs for details on the ride. Then we headed up through Big Thompson Canyon to Estes Park for a peek around and a picnic in the town park.


On Friday, we had a full-day outdoors working with the horses at the Dude Ranch. We are learning different techniques to loosen up different parts of the horse. An interesting part of the afternoon was starting to work on the "engine" of the horse, aka the back end. This was an interesting experience, as much of my previous horse training included a strong undertone of "stay away from the back end". Therefore, there is some unlearning, as well as some curiosity about that taboo part of these magnificent animals. It takes a giggle or two to get over the batheroom humour and to get to work!

Have you looked under a horse's tail? Do you know what it feels like? Here is a different perspective on Big Daddy (as I was playing around with camera angles) and a picture that Kimi snapped while I was working on Big Daddy's "engine". And, seriously, it was quite interesting to realize how we could work with the horse to loosen up the muscles around the sacrum and sacro-iliac joint which then affected how his whole spine moved ("...the leg bone is connected to the hip bone, the hip bone is connected to the back bone, the back bone is connected to the shoulder bone....")

After class, my roommates and I continued our tradition of going out to dinner to celebrate the end of the week. In this case, we found a great "Mexican Family Restraunt - Pueblo Viejo" in Fort Collins. The restaurant was located in the Olde Town Fort Collins, CO and the food was excellent, as were the margaritas! We were in Fort Collins (about 30 minutes from Loveland) as we were planning to meet other classmates at the Sundown Saloon to watch some live bull-riding. Unfortunately, the lighting was not available to capture any pictures of the bulls or the "mutton busting". (For those of you who don't know, mutton busting is where little people "ride" sheep who are running across the arena to the to the safety of the pen. I believe it is a way to nurture the next generation of rodeo competitors.)

Fortunately, I was able to capture some of the (mechanical) bull-riding that took place later, inside of the Saloon. Both Jessica and Heidi were champions in my book, and I believe there is video Heidi's blog as proof! (Unfortunately, I didn't time the pics better to get more of the Cowgirls' faces and less of the bull's tail!) There was obvious adrenaline running when Heidi got up from the mat!

Fortunately, let me emphasize, that this was truly a "Cowboy Bar", and we have documentation that Heidi was caught up in the moment, and very appreciative, as we left the bar -- even to the wooden Cowboy who was standing at the entrance. Truly an experience of the "wild west" in 2008!
Now, on to week 3 -- let the learning continue! (Please note, I have added a new poll to the right-hand column and would love to hear what you look for on my blog.)

Happy Mother's Day -- to all of you mothers, and also those of you who can appreciate your mother!