Sunday, September 16, 2007

hiatus and fall line-up

Camera-obscura is on hiatus while I focus on writing and riding and enjoying the transition to fall.

I'd also like to post goings-on for the next few months:

October: I'm hosting a clinic on partnering with your horse, given by Marlis Amato, a natural horsemanship trainer who focuses on communication between horse and human. She uses no gimmicks and teaches her students how to do what she does - you see results immediately in what YOU can do with your horse.

November: I'm offering my annual writing workshop, Writing With Horses. This will be an all-day workshop where the horses assist in deepening a work-in-progress, unsticking a stuck place, and/or jump-starting new work. This does not involve mounted work - all activities with horses are on the ground and no experience is required. There will be plenty of writing time built into the day.

December and January: Writing in the Sand, a one-day workshop that incorporates Jungian-based sandplay with writing exercises. Excellent for developing characters, unraveling sticky places in plot, and getting new work started.

If you're interested in any of these offerings, send me questions and your email address via the comment feature. Comments with email addresses will be kept private.

Enjoy the season!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Of course, as soon as I find your blog, you're on hiatus! ;)

I'm going to go through the archives -- I'm very interested in your work with horses. My acupuncturist treats race horses and humans, and I'm fond of horses -- I love their sense of humor.

Best wishes for your hiatus, and I look forward to reading more when you return.

billie said...

Hi, Devon - nice to see you here. :)

My horse Keil Bay has a terrific sense of humor, although mostly I think he has a sense of entitlement that masquerades as humor...!

He is terribly impatient at feeding time, even though he gets fed 3x/day and has hay in between (not to mention free access to pasture), and often whinnies and if not served immediately he tends to bang his stall door with his knee.

I started singing to him in an effort to distract him from banging the door, and made up a very silly song that he seems to love. He often whinnies to me as I sing it.

One morning I was very distracted and forgot to sing the song. He whinnied. I looked up from mixing the feed across the barn aisle from his door, but didn't respond as I was still lost in my own thoughts. He kneed the door. I looked again, but still remained silent.

I happened to look over again, just in time to see him reach over his stall door, take his halter in his mouth, swing it to get some momentum, and then he THREW it at me! Perfect aim. It sailed across the barn aisle, into the feed room and would have hit me had I not stepped back.

Of course I immediately started singing his song, delivered his tub, and all was fine with the Big Bay. :)

shara said...

Come back, Billie!

billie said...

Shara, thank you for coming by and speaking up. :)

October is the busiest month of the year for my family, and it's also my favorite time of year as the season transitions to autumn. You'd think that would mean lots to write about but for some reason that energy seems to be going other places. (the novel revision, for one, which is one place I want it to go!)

I suspect I'll be back as we hit a quieter time.

There are so many wonderful things happening each day. LIttle things but that's what I'd be writing about if I were taking the time to document them.

If anyone here needs some sustenance, go over to Shara's blog and revel. She will keep your creative soul stirred!

Back before too long..

Anonymous said...

Back before too long..

Yay!

billie said...

I could come back sooner if I had a cleaning service, grocery shopper and meal preparer, and personal assistant... :)

Anonymous said...

Oh, Billie! I could also use those services you have mentioned above! Sometimes it gets tough just to stay caught up. I hope you are still enjoying the month of October.

L

billie said...

Hi, L.,

I wish you were close enough to take advantage of some of the fall offerings.

The leaves are changing here now and although our weather can't quite decide what to do, there have been some cool nights and days to tease us along. We still badly need rain, but other than that, it's being lovely.

I took some photos of a herd of deer yesterday morning in our barnyard. Once hunting season starts we become a haven for the deer, I think.

I am planning a post and a return from hiatus soon. The natural horsemanship clinic was amazing and although I don't have pictures, I have a lovely story of what I learned that day. It has affected me and what I'm doing with my riding - in a rather profound way.

Anonymous said...

I look forward to reading about it, Billie. :-)

L