What a great summer!

My coachees are kicking all sorts of booty, as well as pushing their game into the "A" column; many of them working for real *cash.* It's always the pride of any coach to have their folks working, especially for money

I tell all my coachees the primary reason to work for money: pay your coach! ;-)

The most important thing is that they are investing in themselves, their professional and personal constructive growth, achievements, self appreciation and love -- and perhaps most importantly, never to take themselves too seriously - just the work - and to enjoy the whole process.

And I'm kicking booty, too!

Not only have I been writing my heart out and coaching some great talent, I've been doing so many things I've wanted to do in the past several years, but was too sick - doing chemo or recovering from chemo - or just plain too busy to pursue my fun activities and passions.

This summer I'm catching up and doing just about everything I've wanted to do in the way of fun and activities I love.

My dream is to have a small farm with animals, living in a cozy log cabin with my studio for coaching, writing, making and editing films attached to the main house.

One animal I'll have is a horse. I need to be sure that the horse I get is not the type to get lonely without a pal, so I'll get either one or two. I found out there are horses who need a pal, and others who just get jealous with another horse around. I'll have an electric invisible fence around the house to protect the smaller pets and animals from wild predators - including eagles.

Eeeewww. Someone had to cut down a tree recently because it was diseased in a rural place here. They found eagle nests - filled with *cat collars!* Kitty, kitty, kitty! I'll have to figure out what to put on Allie Cat to make her downright distasteful to our national bird.
Anyway, I really miss horses. I haven't been around them for several years. I love grooming them, walking them - I don't even need to ride them, even though I enjoy that as well. There's something about the horse soul that those who are "horse people" understand.

It's a sense of peace and substance and being incredibly grounded. Like all animals, one can not have an ego around them. Despite considering me an alpha leader, they pee, poop, belch and laugh at us .. OK, me .. at will.

All of which is to say I'm really excited about going horseback riding and grooming horses this coming weekend. My friend Kevin is taking me to a horse ranch - his friend the horse ranch owner invited me to join him.

I had to get a new pair of cowboy boots for the occasion. It's been a little too long since I've ridden a horse to start out bareback, which is the way I used to ride when I groomed horses and cleaned their stalls for fun.

Their muzzles are the softest skin on earth.

And I'm a little more cautious about where I walk around their hooves, thought. I was grooming a horse and he - all 2,000 pounds of him - stepped on my right foot. Ow. Double ow.

I elbowed him - HARD! And he moved off it, but not before doing some damage to my poor (I was going to put "little," but thought better of it looking at my size 9.5's) foot.

Mercifully I was wearing cowboy boots, which have a reinforced toe (I'm sure it's reinforced to prevent more injury) so nothing broke, but my big toenail on my right foot was pretty much wiped out and severely blackened for years. It's just now starting to grow back after falling off. Several times.

All well worth it for spending a great day working with horses!

I would say horses are also great conversationalists, but .. you know .. ah .. if I did, you might think that me being an animal whisperer (I actually used to be a professional pet calmer) means that I hear as much as I speak to them .. and, um..

Oh, my goodness. I just remembered I need to dig up my cowperson hat!

Yeee-ha!