Narelle Hunter RURAL LIFESTYLE

Last Sunday we packed up the horse float and car with swags, saddles, jumpers, boots, food, blankets, chairs and three horses. Howards dad, two of the girls and I drove four hours to Albury and set up camp together with around 300 other junior riders and their families. (Howard stayed home to shear the sheep) We attended a 3 day polocrosse training course and I was well prepared for the expected cold, wet week with a clear intention to help as much as I could and not complain. My only experience of camping was struggling to put up a tent with little children, having forgotten half of what we needed and quickly finding a bad attitude. I do have great memories of holidays by the sea in Kiama with my parents and two brothers in a caravan. (Million dollar views, great friends, bikinis, fish and chips, swimming all day long and talking all night.) Albury was completely different of course but just as fun. Not being a rider myself I was full of admiratio

I was the first to wake this morning and tiptoed down to make a cup of tea and then retreat into my writing room to make some holiday plans and enjoy the stillness of the house. The morning was unusually warm for this time of the year, it felt like rain was coming. Once Howard and I were ready for yoga we opened the curtains and the first signs of a pink sunrise appeared from under the soft cloudy morning.  We enjoyed the tri-spinal release series, Dru energy block release 2 and I practiced teaching some more advanced postures with Howard as my obliging practice student . Our bodies sigh a big thank you for the gorgeous stretching and I appreciate the opportunity to practice yoga with one of my best mates. I am sure he is enjoying my gentle encouraging voice, I will try to keep it up all day! By 9am there is drama on the farm again. A Sugar Glider Possum is found caught in a fence near our front yard and a rescue begins. Howard covers the glider with his shirt to avoid bein

Just as I was about to write about our  106 lovely little chickens who arrived this week I discovered their health had dramatically deteriorated thanks to the water tank overflowing. I found them huddled together in the corner of the box, wet and cold. We had to move fast, finding a new dry place for them  in the sun, as the heater light wouldn't be enough to dry them all out. It was a beautiful sight to see these tiny creatures appreciating the sunshine. They opened their eyes and slowly fluffed up the new feathers until they looked happy again. We lost three but it could have been a lot worse if they were left unchecked for another 1/2 hour. We are going to have to watch the chickens very closely over the next few weeks. I now realise how much work is involved, ensuring their temperature is just right each day and night. I start wondering whose idea this was and how I ended up with the main responsibility? As a mum you find yourself part of things you didn't sign up for but

Howard and I are finally practicing yoga together at 6am each morning and I am thrilled. I wrote a 6 week program for myself, designed to fire up some great energy in preparation for the cooler months. I want to enjoy winter this year and have decided to get fit rather than slow down too much. I want to be ready for a fabulous summer. Howard has asked if he can join me and so have some friends, so fitness is officially on the farm agenda!  By starting the day with yoga we are able to stretch and wake up the spine and notice tight muscles. We can also place our thoughts in the most inspiring places and shift any unhelpful beliefs. We practice a Dru energy block release sequence, followed by some preps and then triangles, the sun sequence and some pranayama techniques. By getting active we build up energy in the body, at the same time we can also sharpen our mental focus by bringing our awareness to one area such as the core, the breath or the detail of the day. I recommend that once