Mary L Longden's Blog: NARHA Conference and home to Jindivick

NARHA, Denver Conference. The guest speaker at the Friday luncheon was Burton 'Bubba' Gillian, the actor, boxing referee and retired firefighter and boxer (he won 201 out of 217 fights when enlisted with the Coast Guards boxing team). At 72 he said he now plans in years instead of in decades! He was a most entertaining speaker. He never trained as an actor but applied for a 'walk on' role when a film was being shot in Dallas where he was a firefighter. He went on from there but has never stopped being involved in the boxing world. His first famous acting rle was in Blazing Saddles. He supports charities, such as NARHA, by giving his time as a speaker.

I talked with him outside the hotel where we were both waiting for transport to the airport. A very down to earth and nice person to meet.

Ayako Tanaka is now a student in San Fransciso so she was not able to interpret last week in Japan. She came to the conference and we were able to catch up. Interpretting the medical therapeutic riding terminology is not easy and she had become very good at it. On average 4 English words translate into more than 8 Japanese words so it is very tiring for an interpretter. Two people took over her job this time and both of them were exhausted by the concentration and the intensity.

My Presentation was well received so the long journey was worth the effort. It was lucky that I was flying with Air New Zealand. I usually fly Qantas but if I had I would still be stuck in L.A. waiting for their planes to be reintroduced to the air!

So home to Jindivick. I always mow when I return home from a journey. A nice way of reestablishing my roots in a fairly mindless manner. Too mindless! I had not realised how wet it has been while I have been away. The ride-on mower just slipped down, as can be seen by the muddy tire, into the edge of the pond. I thought of leaving it there but it was gradually sinking into the mud.