A long night – a bumpy start leaving the Anchorage airport. The anti-anxiety medication didn’t work at all, me thinking as the plane rose up into the air, there’s pre-anxiety and there’s anxiety. Holy shit, this plane is going up and down and sideways simultaneously, and I have to sit in this damn seat for another three hours. The teenager sitting next to me didn’t seem to have a care in the world. On the runway she put her head down on the tray table and went to sleep. And she stayed in that position the entire flight. I suspected that she took a lot of anti-anxiety medication. Had to be.

Landed in Seattle at 4 a.m., and then an hour later I hopped on the plane heading for Sacramento. Thankfully, it was a smooth flight. I was picked up shortly

Susan Faulker March leading horse

after 8 a.m. by Anita’s husband. He drove up to the pick-up area in an old, unmarked police car.

I soon found myself at Anita’s ranch – temps in the 70s – the grass was green and there were leaves on the trees. Unreal. There are 65 horses here. They reside in pastures and in panel enclosures. And, most of these horses are huge, really huge. I was told that the majority are rescue horses, and most are also thoroughbreds.

There are a few ponies here, two minis and two larger ones. One is named Peter Parker – this horse’s namesake’s alter ego is spider man. Another is named Clark Kent – this horse’s namesake’s alter ego is Superman. I told Anita shortly after I met her that I want to ride a small, ornery pony because this is what I ride at home. So I guess that Peter Parker, aka Spiderman, is my man. The other fellow – he’s wearing an odd contraption, a red spandex slinky in the front, and a thong in the rear. Apparently he was neglected, and the end result was that his penis swelled up so that he can’t contract it. He’s also on the thin side – I’m told he needs to put on another fifty pounds.

Upon stepping into the main arena, I found myself in the midst of others who were attending the open centered riding clinic. And, small world, one of the clinicians is Susan Faulker March – she conducted an open centered riding clinic in Fairbanks, and I took further instruction from her at the Icelandic horse farm.

And today I met Susan Harris, the centered riding instructor who is conducting the instruction clinic. I immediately liked her – she impressed me as being forthright, friendly, outgoing, and very open minded. And in observing her today, I noted that she gives her students her full, undivided attention.

I was going to camp, but am bunking it in the living room. This is far easier than setting up my tent. My room-mate is Elaine, who is also doing instruction at this clinic. As I understand it, she is in training to be a Level 4 instructor, just like Susan. So all n all, it’s looking like the next three days are going to be a great deal of fun.

Next: 93. 4/10/15: First Day of the Instructor Clinic