Whew! That's What You'll Think After Reading

Well everything is going so totally awesome that I don't want to leave! A lot has happened these last few weeks. Work is going awesome! My Tommy, the bay horse, is working really well and I need to get some pictures of my boy up, but haven't taken any yet. Last week Nat had the Sydney One-Day event up at the Sydney International Equestrian Center and I groomed for her. She had two horses competing and it was just intense the entire time. I had to get one horse ready set Nat off and then get the next one ready. I practically ran the entire cross-country course to get some pictures of her. I got some good ones too. The facility was amazing! I can't even describe! That's where they had the events for the Olympics. It was cool seeing some of the cross country jumps that they used for the Olympics, and some were gargantuan! I can't wait to go back there for the three-day event!

Nat is the best boss ever, and I humbly say that I am great worker as well. It isn't often that you get praise directly from your boss about your performances. Nat has told me that she loves how hard of a worker I am and just really efficient. She has even said to me that she doesn't want me to leave in May. She wouldn't say that if she wasn't happy with me. Nat is even paying me pretty well, for the week plus the weekend of competition I got $230, and this week I got $200 for the week. I didn't even think that! I would have been happy with 50-70 dollars! She had even given praise on my riding. Having praise about my riding from an Olympic level rider is nothing short of amazing!

I am really inspired by Nat and she is asking what I want to do with riding. She's said that I need to get into competing and really go somewhere with it. That starts with getting a horse which I will start looking at the market when I get home in September then go from there, but if everything goes as planned I could have an imported horse....

Yesterday I went to the Yass Picnic Races. They were so fun! We watched the races even putting a dollar on some here and there! The best part was when Hot Rod won winning me 7 dollars! It was an intense race! It was just so fun dressing up and going to the races acting all posh.

Ok, so there is a TV show here called "Farmer Wants a Wife". A reality show where they have 6 farmers from Australia looking for lurv, a farmer version of the Bachelor. There is a girl on this season and one of the finalists for her named Owen was there at the races with us. Funny bloke, but ya I was hanging out with a tv star(?). Lots and lots of fun!

peace out

PICTURES PICTURES PICTRES!!!!

A Moment of Silence

To all friends, family, and secret admirers, just want you all to know that I'm safe from the bush fires. It's a real scary thing to be happening here. There are big bush fires here in New South Wales, but the really horrific ones are down in Victoria. There have been entire communities and towns just wiped out from the blaze. And with virtually no warning many people have died. The latest death count is 181, but it's expected to get up to 300 while fire crews go through the ashes of what used to be homes. Every evening I've been glued to the news watching the reports and interviews with people have lost homes that are now living in tent cities thankful to be alive. I've loved seeing the response of the people to this devastation. Over 2 million dollars was fundraised just by one radio station that I listen to. My favorite story was of a boy that donated his $72.25 that he's been saving for a year to go towards a wii, but donated it to the Victora fund. As a nation over 44 million dollars have been raised to go directly to those that have lost so much. Thses are the worst bush fires in Australia history sadly the worst ever in the world. Keep these people in your prayers.

Yum Yum Aussie

I love australia with my heart and one particular reason that gets me through each day is the Australian flavors! Get this, in my lunch I have pink grapefruit yogurt, mango orange juice box, and mango passionfruit granola bar. Can you recall any of these flavors on the local Days Market shelves? Heck to the no! They all taste great and a breath of fresh air! Plus their otter pops don't just come in the typical blue, red, and orange flavors (for real trademark flavor names), they have been replaced with Pineapple passionfruit, Peach pear, blueberry apple, and strawberry watermelon, num-yummy! I have about 8 of those a day because it's been stinkin hot! We are having a massive heat wave with no sign of cooling down yow!

PS latest aussie town: Gundaroo = gunned a (kanga)roo? hmmm those bogens