Dear friends, How are you? We are well, really looking forward to a good season, with all our horses who have passed a good winter in Lolog, I was out riding on Colorado last Friday and they look great, just need some riding like all the others!!! We have spent some time these past weeks checking out some new rides on properties close to Lanin volcano and also an Indian Reservation, which we are excited about trying! Our home base in Lolog is looking lovely! It is green, in bloom and ever so peaceful. We hope to have the new house painted and ready for those brave who would like to stay there, it will be very simple but special, I know. This winter brought some geological surprises to Patagonia, as many of you might have heard there is a volcano in Chile called Cordon del Caulle which decided to erupt in June, it's ashes went all the way round the world at that time, causing some trouble with air traffic in Australia and New Zealand. The worst hit areas are Villa Angostura, Bariloche and Traful, to a much lesser degree San Martín de los Andes and properties to the east. To the north of San Martín de los Andes there is hardly any ash at all, it seems to have gone mainly east. Now spring is bringing colour back to San Martín de los Andes with lots of trees in flower and those lovely pale green shoots of new leaves, after many months of cold and grey. Tourism, during winter, was obviously affected by the lack of flights to the area and there is still uncertainty as to when they will be restart to Bariloche. Luckily, San Martín de los Andes can use the flights arriving in Neuquen and we have the excellent bus service in Argentina, and the Tutto Leito is very comfortable and reliable, with big seats that recline into a bed and rather good meals and at the same time it is a trip in itself leaving from Buenos Aires and driving across the pampas, the vast expanse of grass land and today agriculture, then the transition from to arid steppe, table mountains till in the distance you see Lanin, then you are nearly here. We have just returned from a short trip checking out the places we have choosen for our rides and were very pleased to find little ash on the ground, our only concern are the winds and how this will affect the summer. However, if the summer is like these past few days it will be very beautiful, no wind, sun and blue sky. We would like to invite you to come and explore a corner of Patagonia, relax and enjoy the peace and quiet. Horse riding, fly fishing, hike, shoot photographs, camp and experience nature. You'll find your soul refreshed from the sights, sounds, smells of Patagonia. Looking forward to hearing from you. Un abrazo Yvonne, Raúl y Dylan