Juniper

4 06 2011

Just some pix of a super-cute baby (really, is there any other kind of baby?!) and her family.

Juniper with mama Kestrel and daddy Comanche.

Juni and daddy

Baby girl isn’t quite a month old yet, but look how big she is! Baby Winona – in my memory – was just a petite little thing. Juni looks big and stout!

Kestrel and her girls – baby Juniper and Winona

Juni-girl – doesn’t she look big? And in the background … way back … see those white dots? That’s Two Boots on the left and Chrome on the right (I cheated – I kept looking back at them through my binoculars), and darker Jif is just to the right. Who else was back there? Seven’s, Grey/Traveler’s and Cinch’s. Nearby? Spook and Bruiser and Luna’s – and Aspen. A little farther but still in this general area? Hook’s – with Twister – and Hollywood’s and Kreacher’s. Not tooooo far away, Iya’s. 🙂 They’re finding plenty to eat, and they have a couple of water sources – they’re happy.

Dazzling sweet girl!

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Categories : Comanche, Juniper, Kestrel, Winona

Dawn and on

24 05 2011

Still have lots to share from almost two weeks ago … looking forward to getting back to the basin this week, weather-permitting. Loved getting all that moisture (including snow!), but I can hardly stand not having been in the basin for two weeks. I want to see it GREEN, like we’ve hardly had yet this year (the green-up was as subtle as I’ve ever seen it, and the cheat grass has already gone to purple), and I want to see ponds brimming with water. I want to see all the babies and families! Don’t know what I’ll find … and that’s why I’m so eager to get back out!

Juniper, mama Kestrel and daddy Comanche. For whatever reason, I just love knowing Comanche is a full-fledged daddy … He has taken such good care of Winona.

Baby girl in the spotlight

Isn’t she divine?

And the whole world is new and interesting and beautiful, to be explored and marveled at.

Then they left the shadows of the trees for the morning sunlight.

All things bright and beautiful …

All things wise and wonderful …

It was a gorgeous morning. If snow fell in the basin last week with the rain, I wonder what she made of that? What all the babies – tough little mustang babies, made of stern gossamer stuff – made of it? I hope they delighted in it and kicked up their tiny heels and ran for joy of life!

We wandered over the pinon-juniper island and found Luna’s band already hard at work at nap time. There’s just about nothing better than napping in that delicious morning sunshine after the day’s first trip to the water hole. At least, that’s my take on it. 🙂

Alpha was just to the left. I think Mouse was a little back, also to the left.

Zeroing in … Steeldust is likely Varoujan’s granddaddy (likely sire of Butch).

The littlest mister laid down …

And big brother Gideon came thiiiiiiis close to joining him … His nodding head dropped so low, I was sure he was going to lie down, but he never did.

Meanwhile, just a little distance away …

Big sister Winona, fascinated by the baby …

Ha! Mama Kestrel was just steps away to the left. Pretty soon, these two will be playing together and running circles around mama and daddy!

Handsome daddy Comanche

He stays close …

🙂

Baby girl couldn’t resist the call of nap time, either …

Like mama Luna, like daughter Kestrel … I really don’t know how to articulate how I feel when I sit with these horses, in the sunlight of a beautiful spring morning, a million miles away from anywhere and everywhere. It’s the most incredible gift to be able to do that, feeling their quiet magic all around. I am grateful beyond words … I am amazed beyond reason … It keeps me going back, it makes me do everything I can to ensure their survival in the best conditions possible. Above all things but my own family, they are my light in this world.

Juniper

Luna the beautiful and wise, mother of (at least) Kestrel, Ember, Hannah, Gideon and Varoujan; grandmother of (at least) Winona, Fierro and Juniper. We are so blessed to have her (she came from Sand Wash Basin in 2001).

Varo and Luna, Gideon and Alpha in back.

Do you see all their eyes? Luna and Varo, of course, Alpha … and Gideon? I love trying to capture images like this – puzzle pieces of family life.

Baby gives mama a schnuzzle …

Mama gives baby a schnuzzle! I love how her mobile lips are stretched out to him.

Mama, always a comforting presence …

Loved the light on him against the shadowed arroyo wall behind him.

Just love … just always simply love.

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Categories : Alpha, Butch, Comanche, Gideon, Juniper, Kestrel, Luna, Steeldust, Varoujan, Winona

Rapture

21 05 2011

[rap-cher]

verb -tured, -tur·ing.

–noun

1. ecstatic joy or delight; joyful ecstasy.

2. Often, raptures. an utterance or expression of ecstatic delight.

3. the carrying of a person to another place or sphere of existence.

I’d have to agree. 🙂

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Categories : Juniper

Till dawn

19 05 2011

Pre-dawn is a truly lovely time of day. These photos were taken from about half an hour before dawn to just after, when the light was just kissing the trees in our corner of heaven.

Cinch

Liberty gives Cinch an early morning nuzzle.

Pretty Gaia with Liberty

Luna’s band at one of the ponds. From left: Steeldust, Gideon, Alpha, Varoujan, Luna, Butch and Mouse.

Mama Luna and her boys. She’s actually drinking out of a puddle there. I’m not sure why she drank there rather than from the main part of the pond.

Love all their faces. Butch is looking at Comanche’s band, who are at the other side of the pond.

Mama Kestrel (Luna’s daughter), Juniper and Winona (Luna’s granddaughters!) get a drink at the pond.

Winona and Comanche

Comanche, watching Luna’s band.

Sweet Varoujan gives mama a nuzzle.

Off to graze.

Juniper and Kestrel

Good morning, beautiful girls!

Daddy, Juni and mama -dawn. You can’t miss that piece sticking out from his nostril … I’m not sure what he did there, but it does seem to be a piece of skin that he ripped somehow. Doesn’t seem to bother him for grazing or drinking. He’s looking at Grey/Traveler’s band.

Peaceful, beautiful, all right with the world. Out here … it’s easy to believe in everything that should be right with the world …

What more to say? 🙂

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Categories : Alpha, Butch, Cinch, Comanche, Gaia, Gideon, Juniper, Kestrel, Liberty, Mouse, Steeldust, Varoujan, Winona

Juniper and family

16 05 2011

Thanks to photographer Claude Steelman, Kestrel’s filly has a new name: Juniper! The baby girl does LOVE trees! Claude found Juniper when she was just hours old. He also named young Pinon when he was born two years ago (crikey, that’s another birthday I’m behind on!).

I don’t know how you’ll stand the cuteness … brace yourselves. 🙂

One of the first photos I took of her when I first found her family, standing – where else? – with her namesake juniper! Check out the banding on her legs. I’ve noticed this in several foals when they’re very young. Most of the time, they seem to fade with age.

Mama Kestrel and her new baby girl. Kestrel is Luna’s daughter … she learned from the best!

Handsome daddy Comanche

Sweetest big sister Winona – she’s whinnying after mama and stepdaddy.

Mama and her girls

Are you seeing a theme in the surroundings?

Or this recognizable, purely Spring Creek Basin landmark?

Dearheart girl and your angel baby – so beautiful!

Baby girl was wandering around – she’s already quite independent – and mama ended up on the other side of that fallen tree. Juniper tried to paw at it a bit, but she couldn’t quite seem to lift her long legs high enough to get over it, so mama came back to the rescue.