Still raining. Coming down in buckets. Alys’s ark is seeming less and less like a joke. Maybe I’ll take the new compost facility apart, and build a boat.

I decided today that I must continue to live my outdoor life, and continue to do what I do, in spite of rain. So I got all the horses out except Mr. Siggi. He got yard time. He took a dim view of the rain, and walked back into the small pen. We decided to wean Hrimmi, so I’d moved Signy into the larger pen and put Siggi in with Hrimmi. I hope that he’ll keep the little horse company. He wasn’t too happy about being a nursemaid, and gave me the look when I took the lead line off his halter. I told him “This is tough job, but someone has to do it.”

Plans for building the Ark continue

I first took Tinni, and then took Raudi for a ride. I rode her bareback. I noticed, as I rode, that I was really tight in my upper back. I have long maintained that there is a correspondence between sites of human and horse stiffness, so I decided to take action.

This afternoon, I subsequently attended a Pilates class at the recently opened Midnight Sun Yoga Studio. I’d taken Pilates classes in the past, at Peak Fitness, so Pilates isn’t new to me. However, the course was being taught by a differing instructor. Lori Porter is good teacher, but does not hold a candle to Lesley. Lesley had been a ballerina with the American Dance Company in New York City – and was a very disciplined individual – she did all the exercises with us, and made us work hard. Lori merely gave us instructions.

Had I not done Pilates before, I would have been lost. I’m probably being too critical. There were some things I couldn’t do, like roll ups, because my back was so sore. But in the end, I felt fairly loose and my back was no longer tight. Go figure. I will sign up for a two week pass, and then maybe attempt to find out if Lesley is still teaching Pilates in the Mat Su Valley.

Next: 284. September 20, 2012: Compost and Rain