Inn of the Wandering Dragon

Henna'ed dragons, oriental dragons, stylized dragons etc. They are all fair game! And when I am feeling down and having a hard time getting those creative juices flowing, starting with something like this is just what I need to help me up. It's not about trying to force creativity to come up with something I've never done before. When I'm in that kind of mood it just doesn't work and that just makes me more frustrated and upset. It is about taking a familiar idea and traveling with it down a slightly different path... And yes, I plan on continuing the henna dragon. Right now it is being a bit of a brain teaser as I try to work out how best to make the elements and designs flow the way I want.

It's hard to say exactly, how I am feeling today. My day has been quiet for certain. Tired yet not tired, a little blue yet I have some contentment in the small things today. A cold seems perched on the edge of my lungs. Perhaps with enough sleep and a break from the stresses it can be convinced to leave. Perhaps I need a good cry.

I start a new round of classes this week, actually I have already gone through one six week session with this particular instructor and this week I jump in for another six week session. The classes are being taught by the Bedouin Dance Company and the style of dance I am learning is tribal fusion - still belly dance but with elements of other dance forms thrown into the mix. You can find find elements from all sorts like folk dances to hip hop. I have seen it performed before and been intrigued by it. I am happy to find it is as much fun to do as I thought it looks!

It has been years since I have been out to Calaway Park! I think I was still in junior high to be honest, maybe grade 10? By that age it's losing it's charm as a fun or cool place to hang out. And I have to admit that as a kid I was pretty upset when the park sold off the original carousel, it was a beautiful work of art but at that time carousel animals had become a hot collectors item so I guess it was only a matter of time.

I recently had the chance to check out the new show at the Glenbow Museum

Yes I have been re-entering the dating scene after being out of it for some years. Mainly I have been perusing the online dating sites because it seems somewhat convenient with a broad base of people to draw from.

Yes I was feeling a little artsy at the time, but the reflections on the skin of the plane were just too much fun to resist!

The Hercules was open for the public to enter and check out the cockpit, after some time spent in the slow moving line the kids opted to go look at other things but it was a nice break in the shade.

I believe these shots are of Team Rocket although I did not clearly hear all the announcer had to say on the matter so I could be wrong. Nevertheless, they put on a fun performance!

I came across a fun set of short videos by one Rick Mereki, you can find them here. He has put together these little montages of shots from around the world focusing on 3 different themes: Move, Eat and Learn. I am still smiling from watching them and it's no wonder why. They show not only a diverse array of cultures and places, but they also show the joy that comes from taking part in these activities. We move, exploring new places near and far. We learn, trying out new activities and ideas. We eat, and enjoy the community connecting over mealtime traditions. They are simple concepts yet if explored they enrich us as individuals.

Due to the weather, our flying demonstration was held indoors with a Harris Hawk sent to fly from one end to the other with some raw meat as it's reward / dinner. I have tried in the past to catch photos of birds in flight and it's really hard to catch a good shot on film (with my camera and skill anyway). The Harris Hawk is not native to Alberta. It was brought here from a center in the US that had run out of room.

Mr. Boggle, as he is known, was orphaned at a very young age when the tree containing his nest was felled. He was the only baby owl to survive and he has been kept by the center as one of their "spokes-birds". He is sometimes taken to schools for educational programs and has even made a few television appearances over the years. The Great Horned Owl is actually Alberta's official provincial bird, as chosen by school children back in 1977.

A majestic Golden Eagle, who seemed less than impressed about the wind blowing at the time. The birds who are set out along the "Hawk Walk" are tethered to a perch with water close by. We did not stay late enough to see the feeding of the raptors (which probably would have grossed out the kids I'm sure). These birds are all in various stages of training and they all get their turns in the flying demonstrations that happen (weather depending) about every hour and a half during the day. One thing that I was suprised to learn is that if the raptor has a full belly they have no interest in flying - unless they had to escape a predator. They will sit for a full day or more until they start to feel hungry again.

Back in June, I took my nephews on a little road trip down to Coaldale, AB to check out the Alberta Birds of Prey Center. I had heard about this place from my parents, who have friends that are avid bird watchers. The part that is accessible to the public is not overly large, you certainly don't need more than a day to go through it all.

Different forms of stunt riding and trick riding make for lively and entertaining episodes.

The horses all have a large stage to move around in without leads or ropes. They interact with the people but they also have the room to play and be themselves without having every move choreographed.

My mother and I attended the production of Cavalia not that long ago. For anyone who does not know what it is, it is a live performance showcasing the bond that has existed between humans and horses over the centuries. They have blended equestrian arts and theater arts in a format that is similar to a Cirque du Soliel show - which is no coincidence since one of the directors had previously worked with Cirque. However the show stands well on its own merit and has drawn a huge amount of praise from horse and art enthusiasts alike. I freely admit, I am not familiar with all of the forms of horsemanship demonstrated here and I could not tell you how well a particular movement was executed or what level of skill was required. However, I can say that the show fully embraces that combination of fancy and fantasy that every horse lover has indulged in at some point in their lives (and some have even experienced it) - that dream of the freedom and companionship that arises when a horse and rider not only understand each other, but also bond on a level of real partnership.

I admit, I could not resist taking this shot of Chalk being a first class snoop as he searches for a certain toy I had put out of reach at the time. Believe it or not he does know how to open the cupboards and he will, from time to time, attempt to search for the sources of whatever curious scents that catch his fancy.

As you know, after much debate, soul searching, discussion and examination, my landlords came to the decision to give notice to myself and another tenant.

So I have hit the ground running in terms of the search for a new home. Thus far this week I have viewed 7 different places with another viewing booked on Saturday. My final decision will come down to two main points:

Changes are coming, and I can honestly say I am not surprised. I have noticed the tension lately. I have been aware of the stresses and frustrations as the upstairs people have come to the conclusion that they are running out of options. So when I found a voicemail asking for me to call right away I knew that whatever has been building over the past while has finally taken form so to speak. I received my notice to move out by the end of August.

At least that is the plan. I spent all last night cooking, and a large chunk of this evening doing the dishes from last night. It is always easier to do something like this when there is a bunch of stuff already to eat for any meal. Yes, once again I am embarking on the Wildrose 12 day detox, something I have not done in quite a while. It is more stringent than what I did last fall but I think this is just the approach I need to give myself a culinary kick in the right direction. To say I have fallen off the wagon of healthy eating would be an understatement...

Easter has come and gone again for another year and as per my family's tradition, we went camping out in the foothills. We enjoyed warm sun, good food and good company for the three days in Maclean Creek. Yes, there is still a fair amount snow laying around but I also noticed some green starting to peak through.

I stopped in at the local home and garden show this weekend to have a look around. Having spent time actually working these shows it was kind of nice to not be involved in all the madness this time. My work did not have a booth but we provided a rather nice prop for another company and I wanted to see how it turned out. I have to say it looked pretty good overall.

As my obsession with henna related arts has continued to evolve I have set up a separate little blog for it. Actually I have been mucking about with it for a while now and I have finally decided to let the rest of the world know about it. :)

I have added a new dimension to my journaling lately, namely I have been attempting to doodle. It's a bit wierd (to me anyway) but I used to doodle and draw all the time. Then once I really got into painting it is as if a switch had been flipped in my head - I couldn't doodle anymore and drawing became more difficult. As I have focused on henna art, some of my drawing and doodling ability has returned. So far as I can tell this has made no difference to my painting ability. And now I'm trying another tactic.

Yes, that lovely much stressed about day is fast approaching, Valentines Day.

Yes I was finally able to get out and take in a play last week - the fabulous Nevermore, by Catalyst Theater. Based on the life of Edgar Allen Poe, the show weaves in imagery and verses from across Poe's poems and stories. It is a playful and macabre exploration of his life with speculation on where his inspirations came from. The stage design was simple and effective and it allowed the costumes and the acting to really stand out in all their glory. At times graceful and whimsical, at times frantic like a puppet desperate to cut the strings that bind, this version of Poe keeps coming back to the idea that we cannot deny what we really are.

The latest round of bellydance classes has begun! My last semester was not so great with several missed classes and being generally tired / overworked. The end result was that I was pretty clueless on the choreography at the time. I aim to do better this time. Although I suspect it's too late for that particular choreography, since I was not the only one with issues last term I suspect the instructor has decided to take a different approach this time around. I'm sure I'll have fun with it regardless!

Change can be a scary thing, be it large or small. In the case of some friends of mine, this change is going to be huge.

Well here we are in 2011 and my list of things to do just seems to get longer. My various ideas for "winter projects" have been completely untouched so far this winter thanks to the piles of work and holiday related stuff. Now that the holiday stuff is out of the way it's time to dig in to my various projects. To help keep me on track I'm making a big list I stick on the wall so I can cross items off as I complete them.