Name that plant

I met the parent of this little plant last year for the first time. When she was about this size, I started taking pictures of her and watched over the months as she developed into a most beautiful adult. She was alone in the woods under the Madrone trees last year but this year there are about 6 of her babies sprouting up including another sprout from the parent plant. (shown at the bottom of this picture). Does anybody know what it will become? I'll send a free Path of the Horse DVD to each of the first 3 people who can identify this plant. Email me at: stormy@stormymay.com with your guess.

I haven't gotten much pasture time in the last two days. I'm watching the balance in my life between being with people and animals. In the past, my focus was so much on animals that I was quickly becoming alienated from my own kind. Now I'm beginning to appreciate that the most important thing is that I become someone who is able to help people, and from that the animals will also be helped.

As most of us on this path of the horse feel, it's much easier to be with animals than humans. They aren't capable of taking on the layers of lies, manipulation, and hiding that humans have. Slowly, very slowly I feel the threads unwinding as I put myself into situations where I am the student (with help, lots of human help!) and am able to look into what I've taken on over the years and determine in a moment if I want to still be that person.

The horses were very happy to hear me whistle them in to dinner. Taking care of animals is such a simple thing to do. I think it's a way of connecting us back to something we humans have done for thousands of years. This is especially so with horses and other large animals where we must go into their environment, whether it's wet or cold or dark or muddy. The animals must be cared for in the best ways we know how. If it takes a horse to make me want to become a better human being, then that's ok with me.