Ice Skating in Cupertino

2 ice princesses - Adrina and Auntie Sandy

I guess we are going fast

Skating all night!

Be Stupid

I love smart people. How about dealing with some not-so-smart people or some smart asses?
I have no clue. I'm trying to build tolerance for not-so-smart questions too.
Everybody whether it's a human or an animal has its own kind of mentality or intelligence. Being in a customer service industry, sometimes you need to suffer the idiocy of your clients. Some questions that simply can't be answered by me because it's a pain to lower my common sense to a whole new level.
Please be nice to me, be a little bit smarter!

New Year Resolutions

1. Improve my riding skill so that I could ride a Pegasus or Unicorn some days. Need to canter better and learn how to jump.

Unicorn

Pegasus

2. Spend more time with Hippo and Moimoi. Get more sleep with these cuddle muffins!

Hippo and Moimoi - they are good kids!

3. Improve my Japanese conversational skill - need to be more fluent.
4. Start my Violin lessons with Suzuki method - I'm terrible at reading notes.
5. Improve my archery skill so that I could go to a horseback archery clinic some days.
6. Learn something new - like fencing or polo or speaking French
7. Go swimming once a week.
8. Drink more water and eat more fruits. Less snacks.
9. Try not to order wine too often when dining out. Wine is for celebration only.
10. Lose weight!!!!!
Attitude wise - no need to change since I'm perfect the way I am.

Horse Tribute

Compound Bow VS. Recurve Bow

Compound bows allow the archer to shoot greater distances with less fatigue. Reduced fatigue promotes better accuracy, which can also be improved by the use of scopes to sight targets at a distance. Recurve bows, on the other hand, rely more heavily on the archer's technique to ensure a clean shot, making their use a more challenging experience.

However archers can only use recurve bows in the Olympics.

Recurve Bow

Compound Bow

Gold Medal Match Olympics 2012 - Korea VS. Japan

My Archery Lesson

Tie my hair, ready for my archery lesson!
 Long hair must be tied back, No dangling earrings/necklaces, No open-toed shoes.

Practicing archery in Palo Alto every Friday night, come join me!
I have the feeling that practicing indoor archery is like playing golf in the driving range.
Repeat the same motion over and over again whether it's shooting arrows or swinging balls.
Aim for precision and practice makes perfect!
Overall Archery is a sport of repetition.

Korean Archery

I came across this ancient saddle - side saddle

Photograph of Queen Elizabeth II riding to trooping the colour for the last time in July 1986. The queen rode the same horse, 'Burmese', originally presented by Canadian government, from 1969 to 1986. With Charles, Prince of Wales, on the white horse to the left, and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh on the bay horse behind the Queen.

Sandy Riding Dijon

Handsome Horse

Handsome Palomino with English Saddle

ready to go

are you ready yet?

Look! there is a pony!

Sandy and Dijon

Sandy and Dijon

Sandy kissing Dion

Feeding Dijon

Riding Dijon

Alexander the Great conquered the world with a black stallion.
Sandy rides a Palomino. What can Sandy do?

Sandy: Dijon are you going to protect me? from a mountain lion?
Dijon: Noooo I will throw you out of the saddle and run back to the barn.
Horsey we don't fight, we flight.
So you need to fight a mountain lion by yourself, no weapon, just like a gladiator!
Sandy: Be brave! Be brave! Be brave!

Hippo makes Sandy smells like a puppy

This is how Hippo smells like Sandy

or Sandy smells like Hippo.
Sandy got the puppy smell now. Natural perfume!

do you miss me all day at work? you got my smell!

Bed Time!

Hippo: no snoring! I can't sleep well when you snore!
Sandy: but I'm super tired! I'm working like a dog everyday and you are sleeping like a pig!
You need to go get a job. I'm tired of supporting you!
Hippo: But I don't have a Social Security Number!
Sandy: %c@@X@!:(

Pebble Beach and 17 Mile Drive

Horse Riding Time!

Sandy is the one in the English Saddle with Iron Stirrups, wearing black puffy jacket!

Riding through the Pebble Beach Golf Course

Riding on the hard cement road.

Viewing the beach from the horseback!

Sandy on the beach

Hello blue sky!

Tired. Super Tired. Didn't get to sleep last night!

Do we get to stay here or go home???

Groom Dijon

Dijon is super dirty

Grooming time!

The Great Ruffian

I can't watch the ending anymore. It's heart breaking! RIP Ruffian - the greatest racehorse.

She never lost a race, the only race that she couldn't finish was the one that she was raced to death!

Ruffian is the only thoroughbred champion that is buried in Belmont

with her head pointing toward the finish line.

Keep running in heaven Queen of Fillies Ruffian!

 

Sleeping with Hippo the Pug

Hippo the Pug and Sandy

Nite Nite!

Dijon

Dijon what are you looking at?

Dijon is much taller than my mini.
One horse power!

Horseback Archery

Horses that I have ridden

Till today, I have ridden

Breeds
- Thoroughbred
- Quarter Horse
- American Paint Horse
- Saddlebred
- Halflinger
- Tennessee Walker
- Kentucky Mountain Horse
- Selle Francais
- Oldenburg
- Arabian Cross

with 4 falls, no major injury yet, just some permanent bruises on my lower back.
Once I ate dirt when falling off.
Keep riding so I can go to the Olympics someday! Just like Beezie

Super Horse Hickstead

Dijon begging for carrots

Dijon begging for more carrots

Dijon has gained weight

He is strong and handsome now!

Do you adore me?

Yes for the love of carrots

Western Style

"There is no better way to see the country than from the back of a horse!"
...Winston Churchill

Isabella Farm in Clayton CA

A buckskin Kentucky Mountain Horse, my horse for the trail ride

A bay Quarter Horse, Chance. He really wanted to go to the trail.

Sandy in the western saddle

Beautiful mountains - Wild Wild West!

Sandy and the buckskin in western style. HeeHaw!!!! Aren't we tough?

Resting in the shade

Sandy riding all day!

Western Tacks

the guide was ponying them for a shower

A wild mustang in buckskin

A friendly American paint horse