Sixteen Hands Horse Sanctuary

Back in , thanks to my niece Lauren, we stumbled across a horse sanctuary. Diana asked that day if I minded if we stopped to check it out for Lauren's sake. I did not mind at all. We got out, talked to someone and made a decision to come out for a day to do some work. I blogged about that day here: Helping at the Horse Refuge. What I did not know that day was how much the place would stick with me and draw me back for more.


Last year, as soon as I realized that we were in fact going to stay in one spot for a bit and that my last child was leaving home, I decided I'd better find something to do that would help me adjust to both things. I remembered how much I loved the "feel" of Sixteen Hands and started there. Then a series of health issues and a computer crash halted my attempt. Still, I knew I needed to get going with something or it would potentially be a very ugly scene when Austin did in fact move out. I thought maybe I should find something closer, something I had experience with, something that fit our lives when we started moving around again. So I looked around at my options. And kept coming back to Sixteen Hands. I'd tell Nathan that I still wanted to do it. But just did not get around to doing what I had to do to make it actually happen.



The first week I set up a booth for Thousand Trails at Friday Night Live in Wauchula, I see the lady next to us setting out items with horses on them. I say to Nathan, "I still want to do volunteering at Sixteen Hands" and then set out to go be friendly and talk to my neighbors just to make nice. I get to the front of the booth and am shocked to see it is Sixteen Hands. I most likely overwhelmed them with my excitement as I talked to Robin and Diane. I get the information again and this time, I know I'm going to follow through no matter what. I do. And the rest, as they say, is history.



I always knew I liked horses, but was not what I'd consider a "horse person". I wasn't obsessed with them like my niece Lauren or my Mom. I thought I'd enjoy being around horses. I had no idea I'd fall head over heels in love with them though. Or that I'd want to spend as much free time as possible with them. Or that I'd talk endlessly about them until poor Nathan's eyes rolled back into his head from sheer boredom.



I still love the 'feel" of Sixteen Hands. Probably more so than our first visit, because I know all that is involved with what creates and preserves that peaceful environment. I'm honored that they let me come out, completely green and stupid in all ways, and so patiently allowed me to find my way during this new chapter in my life. I'm guessing you will see lots about the horses and SHHS because it is where I spend a good bit of my time while we are temporarily planted!



Living the life in FL!

Fosse Meadows -Frolesworth-Claybrooke-High Cross- Fosse Meadows

Led by me, with Barry, Gordon and Maureen. Weather misty, some light drizzle. Muddy underfoot. Just over 7 miles.





A lot of this route is on the Leicestershire Round. Most of it is the same as last Friday's walk, but walked in reverse.



Today has not been the most tempting weather for walking. Indeed it wouldn't have taken much for me to roll over and stay put in my bed.

Drizzle on the windscreen as we drive over to Fosse Meadows near Sharnford. Drizzle threatening to turn to rain when we get out of the car persuades me to drag my waterproof out of my bag. On the positive side, not much wind, and warm once we start moving. It's not difficult to pick up the Leicestershire Round footpath near the car park - we head along the path through the children's playground, and a few hundred yards along the path we turn right.







We keep the woods on our left - and pass a few labels - dragonfly, pheasant and hazel. We have to go through a very muddy gap in the hedge, and on our right, half way along the next field is another waymarker. This is where we leave the Leics Round for the moment. Our path turns a sharp right - running almost south-east. Waymarkers are obvious and easy to follow, and when we hit a minor road there's a sign - Footpath to Frolesworth 1 mile. It really is just a question of following the yellow wood signs, slightly up hill, past fields with horses to Manor Farm, and into Frolesworth. There's a large pond over to the right, and downhill.











Here we walk along the road as far as White Cottage, where we turn right, heading south, at the Leicestershire Round sign - through a gate and along a track to the next gate. The path veers left across a field to another yellow post. From one post to another uphill past Hill Farm, and round its fields, marked all the way. We arrive at Frolesworth Lane, cross it, and cross a fairly big field,then turn right along the field edgeto the footbridge at Claybrooke Mill. Our path goes south west and comes out at the edge of Claybrooke Magna. We turn right to walk along the road for a few yards before turning left to a footpath going due south. This comes out near Claybrooke Hall, in Claybrooke Parva.




We pass the twisted tree, and the primary school and follow signs past Midsummer Barn. At this point the sign points slightly to the right across the mud. The easier route is to walk along the hedge on our left to the point where it turns left. Here there is evidence of a path of sorts heading off diagonally to the right, towards another marker. This is where the Leicestershire Round crosses a footbridge, and where we wandered slightly off track last Friday, when we met the Parish Walks path.




It's all very easy now we know how! We head across the fields, led by the markers. We take a short break in a sheltered spot, then carry on to the (alleged) centre of England.

They say it's the centre of England!

Lions guard High Cross House

Photos are taken, the Latin is not deciphered - too much ancient graffiti and erosion. We turn along the Fosse Way and walk steadily down hill for a good mile and a half, and at the point where the track becomes road, our path goes through the fields and before long we arrive back at the car park.

Bird hide in Fosse Meadows Park, designed by Yr 5 and 6 of Sharnford Primary School 2006

of walk

Daily scenes of Santiago de Cuba’s pedestrian zones and street markets

Blondine and I were so glad to have discovered the pedestrian lane—Calle Jose Saco. We were literally harassed, walking on the narrow and busy streets of the city, such as the chaotic Calle Heredia where you practically walk side by side with pedestrians, bikes and vehicles as well. These are very poorly maintained vintage cars and old trucks blowing out very thick clouds of black smoke. The horrid air pollution was making me dizzy and I could feel the grime gumming on my skin. I know it is only a matter of minutes that I will catch allergy.



If I was to be re-born again, I would ask for a super power skin where no amount of bad environmental elements can make me itch, sore or fly off the handle. Seriously. It is not easy having very sensitive skin.



Anyways, oblivious to our surroundings, Blondine and I walked as fast as we could to get out of this traffic, noise and pollution madness. We just want to reach the corner of the street and turn to somewhere where we can breathe. We need fresh air so bad! Luckily the corner is a plaza.



Here, we came upon ‘Plaza de Marte’ and discovered the local Starbucks of the city—Café Mama Ines. In front of the plaza is ‘Calle Jose Saco’, the only pedestrian main and big street in Santiago de Cuba. However, it is only a pedestrian street between 9AM and 9PM.



Calle Jose Saco is a very lively and colourful street adorned with shops, cafeterias, fast food windows and beautiful colonial crumbling (as usual) architecture. There are street markets as well located on the parallel streets. Moreover, here at Calle Saco we can now inhale normal air while walking the streets (of Santiago de Cuba)!







Window kiosks selling fastfood such as Cuban sandwiches and pizza are very popular in Cuba.











Papaya's are great medicine when you experience constipation.





Taro but we call this 'gabi' in Cebuano which is a popular vegetable in the Visayas region of the Philippines.







There are many locals cafeterias such as this that are subsidised by the government.







Cubans like it colourful.











This is Plaza Marte with the Column of Independence and statue of Jose Marti.









This is between Calle Jose Maria Heredia and Calle Francisco Vicente Aguilera, the nook by the Barcardi Museum:









Cuban dolls are usually black.







Happy vendor because Blondine bought something from him!



And this is Plaza Dolores. This area is very popular for night life in the city. Lots of bars, cafe terraces and restaurants rings the plaza.







Moi, souvenir shot in front of Plaza Dolores.

Childs Cup

These cups were very popular in 1950's. The little bird on the handle is a whisle and it says 'Whisle for Milk' on the bottom. This one was mine. I found them on line and they are worth about $5.00 now and sold for 39 cents orginally.

Birthday Boy

Remember the Straw Brothers? Eric the elder just got older.There's no particular story here, just the very photogenic Eric did some climbing and I took some snaps.







I don't always go with the fall shot, but this one I think retains all the energy and body tensionof the move.I reckon if you hold that exact pose, but get a bit closer to the rock, you should be able to pull that move off.



Everyone deserves a Lei on their birthday.

The statistics on strangulation rates of tropical island belayers is higher than you might expect.

All the gang gobbled up this lush cake in his honour.

On Handmade Bicycle Shows

[image via prollyisnotprobably]


Continuing with the theme of framebuilding, today is the first day of NAHBS - the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, held this year in Austin, Texas. I received a couple of invitations this time around and for a brief moment considered going... then remembered the state of my finances and swiftly came down to Earth! Besides: To tell the absolute truth, my feelings on NAHBS are mixed.






[image via YiPsan Bicycles]


On the one hand, NAHBS is a great thing. A trade show where some of the best independent framebuilders and component manufacturers showcase their newest work, it is a spectacular multi-day event. If you are into handmade bicycles, attending the show will enable you to visit numerous framebuilders all at once, compare their work, and chat to them about their process. There is also media coverage, which gives exposure not just to individual framebuilders, but to the culture of custom bicycles at large.






[image via Retrotec & Inglis Cycles]


New designs, accessories and components are shown off at NAHBS, making rounds on the bicycle blogs and giving us all something to talk about for weeks.






[image via J. Maus]


So, what's the downside? I think there are several issues here. First off, it seems to me that the culture that has developed around the show creates unfair pressure on framebuilders to exhibit, which in turn is a huge financial strain for most of the builders. The fee for a booth at NAHBS is quite a large sum. Add to that the price of airfare and housing, plus the transport and insurance of numerous expensive bicycles, and the cost of exhibiting quickly adds up to several thousand dollars. Most framebuilders I know - even the "big names" - can hardly make ends meet as it is, and feeling compelled to exhibit at NAHBS every year and swallow the expenses involved makes life more difficult still. While it is true that no one is forcing them to go, there is implicit pressure. With NAHBS positioning itself as the biggest/greatest handmade bicycle show, potential customers who follow all the hyped up coverage start to expect framebuilders to exhibit at NAHBS. It is as if exhibiting in itself is perceived as a sign of industry recognition - which in actuality it is not: Any framebuilder with appropriate credentials can pay for a booth.



The other major issue for me, is that I am simply not a fan of centralised and grandiose anything. I don't like the idea of there being "the" handmade bicycle show,which is how NAHBS presents itself. Instead, I'd prefer numerous smaller, regional shows, where the framebuilders exhibit on their own turf and visitors get to see not just the bikes themselves but also the flavours of the local framebuilding cultures. To me such a system seems more interesting, more diverse, and less wasteful of resources than what we get with NAHBS. I know that many may not agree with me, and I mean neither to offend nor to push my views on others - but that is how I see it. We do currently have some regional shows, and my wish is for them to grow stronger and more influential in the years to come. I heard great things about the Philly Bike Expo last year, and will try to make it to the New Amsterdam Bicycle Show in NYC this April. While I follow NAHBS with interest, I do not consider it to be a fully representative display of framebuilding talent.