real kiwi video

Here's a little secret - I feel like the QUEEN of everything when I ride my horse. Why walk when you can ROCK? Some own Feraris, some Harleys - but hey! You can't even buy one of these! In this clip I'm hanging with the horses and watching Dash and Phoenix gallop over the hills. You must see how I would rather ride than walk? Even if it is bareback with halter and the rope - who needs a bridle and saddle anyways? For that matter - who needs a man when you have a horse ((oops - did I really think that ---wooo)) A little less conversation and a little more action from me! Playtime at my ranch - 1 MB (playing time 1 minute)

Hey what a buzz to see some comments - THANKS GUYS! Heres some more clips just for those who have taken the time to show some interest and support - Cheers! See our new filly foal having her very first try of those long wobbly legs - what a gem - she bowled right on up for a big hello to me and made my whole world stand still **gush gush** - well OK - I have ALWAYS been horse - mad ... would never have guessed huh? I am proud to share and show off Phoenix's sister Romance as she is only the second horse I have ever bred. Our New Filly - 1 MB (playing time 1 minute)Gorgeous!

We horse mad hunt in New Zealand on horseback in an english seat saddle and have hounds which hunt hare. Well...actually the hare always gets away but great fun to watch and even better - no gates to open and lovely prepared wires and spars to jump. We are stil allowed to drink and ride. Have a look at this video clip of Pheonix and I at Avoca Road and admire the view of the Tangawahine Ranges in the background. Talley Ho!

Creampuff gets her own vidblog! A Chihuahua with a sense of humour - especially for the kids (and big kids) Creampuff's first vid blog Creampuff the famous comedian Chihuahua finally makes her reality known. Not too much deep thought and serious stuff here, just what you need to get through the day! This is a child safe vidblog Ask your kids if they would like to meet Creampuff she will say a big hello to them if they write her an email creampuffy@gmail.com

Meet my friend Michelle, I dogged her with the camera while she was preserving pears at my house a couple of days ago. We ended up with 7 jars and they taste sooooo yummy! I first met Michelle when I was 14 - we played in the same hockey team. I became the babysitter for her three boys. This lady never fails to amaze me, she is so industrious, she spins her own wool and knits homespun jerseys that sell for hundreds. She also does cross-stitch and is never sitting down doing nothing. When I visit her house I am instantly starving and she brings out the most amazing creations – my favorite is her macadamia nut crumble pudding. Her vegetable garden constantly produces organic produce and the fruit trees are laden with the sweetest tastiest pears, apples, plums and mandarins. In the freezer is organic home grown beef and the chickens lay rich yellow yoke eggs. She lives like a queen and to me she is royalty. Her red hair is a clue to her strength – I would NEVER like to be on the wrong side of this Tiger! Techman (Ian) called in for a visit, gets accosted by the Chihuahuas and is allowed to sample the pears. See it all here

If you have a look back through my videos you can tell what kind of person I am – I love the country life and my kids and horses. I can work hard but I love to party and we jaunt off to Hollywood every now and again to see how the other half live. We always return back to New Zealand with a new appreciation for our life here and the kids love the freedom that the outdoors offers. Those poor people who live in the city Mum! Now to present day: yesterday I spent all day peeling pears with my great friend Michelle and she bottled them. We had a few wines and a few visitors, what a cool day. There is something about picking or catching your own food, knowing where it has come from and then feeding the family. It’s sacred to me; my kids get an appreciation for reality and are down to earth because of these experiences. I hope they will survive anywhere. A lot of this knowledge is not being passed onto our children. Last weekend the kids visited their Dad. They went fishing and caught an eel down in the creek. Bushman Pete (Dad) showed us how to prepare it and smoke it – Of course I was all over it with the camera - this is REAL KIWI LIFE at it’s best! See it all here

This video clip was taken in Naperville Chicago when the circus came to town – of course my kids wanted to go! I wanted to see behind the scenes and watch the big top going up. I loved the vibe of everyone getting set up for the opening night. Kelly Miller Circus takes a grouchy old elephant, retired from performing, specifically to raise the big top. I was terrified of this huge wrinkly gray grump and all I could think of was that "When animals go bad" show, he constantly "jawed" and looked decidedly fed up. Check out the three guys hammering in the pegs for the big top – amazing skill just in that! Dallas (daughter) would not even get close to the snake sign let alone the snakes themselves.

This video clip was taken in Naperville Chicago when the circus came to town – of course my kids wanted to go! I wanted to see behind the scenes and watch the big top going up. I loved the vibe of everyone getting set up for the opening night. Kelly Miller Circus takes a grouchy old elephant, retired from performing, specifically to raise the big top. I was terrified of this huge wrinkly gray grump and all I could think of was that "When animals go bad" show, he constantly "jawed" and looked decidedly fed up. Check out the three guys hammering in the pegs for the big top – amazing skill just in that! Dallas (daughter) would not even get close to the snake sign let alone the snakes themselves.

Can you imagine how excited my two kids and were to be flying out of lil’ ole New Zealand for Hollywood California? I made a wee vid blog for the school while we were away (seeing as they were so good letting the kids romp off for three months). I’ll tell you - that was heaven arriving to 100 degree sunshine after the wet and cold winter we were experiencing here! I sound tracked this VIDEO to "We’re the kids in America" predictable I know, but the school loved it. Again this is my old camera (I bought the new one while I was there) but I think it’s priceless to capture kids expressions when they are on an adventure like this one! Hey - spot me in my bikini :0)

All my videos are about things I love in my life. If I am down and out, I am incredibly boring, so who would want to see a video about that? I could be the type to make "Save The World" stuff but it is just not me (yet). I feel like some people probably do that as therapy – actually to save themselves from quiet desperation, sorrow or boredom or WHATEVER (that would be the only reason I would). Hey - technology has just opened up brand new channels peoples - vid blogging! Now I feel like a complete beginner in life…and that cannot be all bad is it? ANY hoodoo…in this VIDEO you can see ME! Probably only chance because I gave Kyle the camera! My OLD camera that is. Truth is that it hardly occurs to me to put myself in a scene because I am usually so absorbed in what I am doing. I am not the only star in this video clip – Dash my quarter horse is such a dandy dude. He is a little red Ferrari (with a tail) that can swim!

This video is of my 2 kids, Jimmy and Dallas getting their horses, Hazard and Smithy ready and going for a ride while I video and give instructions. Smithy and Hazard are the best! Check out Jimmy ingenious method of getting on from the quad. The horses mundanely put up with all the fiddling about. (This was shot on my old Sony handicam so it’s pretty grainy). Bringing my children up in New Zealand in a country environment has helped them to become confident and adventurous. If you have children or are still young at heart, make sure you see this. COMING SOON Jimmy milks Lucy the cow! Our kids are our future and I am overjoyed to have caught some of these precious moments and to be able to share them with you - enjoy!

Yeah OK so I am a country girl... That doesn't mean I'm boring! Here's a video clip of our LEGENDARY party on the Amtrak South West Chief train, (3 days of it) from Chicago all the way to Union Station Los Angeles. We drank the train dry and our conductor (is that the right title?) was THE BEST! He let us party non stop as the train was not that full, but because everyone above the smoking car complained about the noise and the smoke he shifted them all for us! Now is that service or what? He even gave us a rendition of Smoke on the water! Har! How classic! We were joined by a homeless couple who just surf the trains and the life of the party was a Vietnam Vet. Our guitarist was on his way to L.A to meet his long lost girlfriend and the guy on the mandolin who joined in later was a healer who healed my headache hehe! The cute black lady with the braids was from Kentucky and on her way to a wedding in Los Vegas. The guy in the rainbow T-Shirt was a music producer and described our guitarist as "all piss and vinegar" and I heard them arranging to meet in LA for a demo. I got advice from the lady in glasses on bringing up teenagers - she said "All kids make mistakes, be there and help them learn from it all" The guy in the sunglasses was trying to pick me up - he must be brave! Oh well nice try but ....There is a inserted shot in there of me if you pay close attention you might see it. To all those on the train - hey thanks guys! I had a great time and it was the kind of party I was so hoping for. You all showed this Kiwi girl that Americans do know how to rock.

See my latest video hereThis video is a summary of my life for the past 3 years working on a 5 500 acre beef and sheep farm. The soundtrack is Swamp Boogie by Tony Joe White. See the guys pull a cow out of the swamp, sheep shearing, cattle mustering, horses being trained and ridden, dogs working as well as the cats and kids play fighting. Good old fashioned fun and work combined. There is great scenery on this clip and you can get an appreciation for the terrain here in Northland New Zealand and why a horse is needed. I do make an appearance in this video teaching a young weanling that she has nothing to fear from humans. Early mornings and getting home after dark, being thirsty and hungry and then finding my second wind, praying to the horse gods to keep me safe down that hill that I know I couldn't make - some times I miss it and other times I see the weathering on my face and think "I need an easier life - maybe I will become a video blogger" So here I am.