From sunset one night:
Love this sweet, sweet boy – Varoujan.
Look at him looking! Love the light, the swish of mama’s tail, the brace of his legs as he finds milk and comfort.
With mama and brother Gideon …
All those faces – faces of family – at sunset, the dawn of a beautiful life.
I was wrong.
Luna’s foal is a he, not a she.
Not missing a beat, Aghavni renamed the little mister Varoujan – “VAR-oo-zhahn” – which means “male dove” in Armenian.
Luna and Varoujan catching a few winks at dawn.
Still a little bit of shadow from the east ridges, but mama and baby are in the spotlight! Brumley Point in the background.
It was a gorgeous, gorgeous morning that started out at about 25 degrees! Once the sun lit us, it warmed up quickly and became T-shirt and shorts weather.
While I did mention the Armenian (Aghavni) and Turkish (Servet) journalists visiting Durango and getting a taste of our small-town American journalism, I don’t think I posted a link to a story about them. The article is a good one, but it doesn’t begin to do justice to the depth of knowledge these two have. It has been fascinating having them in Durango. Our visit to the basin last week will stand out as – truly – one of the best!
Aghavni and Servet wrote stories for our paper about their countries’ reactions to the finding and killing of Osama bin Laden. With their professional backgrounds (to say the least), it’s possibly the most amazing occurrence of “it’s a small world” with that happening while they were in Durango I think I’ve ever known.
Our Varoujan … because the world needs more doves and because peace is worth sharing.
Luna isn’t a real big girl – she’s rather petite – but as she gets closer and closer to her foaling date, her poor belly just gets enormous. It’s no wonder that in the last couple of months, especially, she’s either eating, eating, eating or napping as deeply as she can, not happy with interruptions. She is focused inside herself.
Now, her treasure is out in the world for all to see, and she has come alive! That’s the best I can explain the change in her. She checks baby Aghavni constantly, doesn’t let her get more than a step away, even as she grazes. The exhausted look is gone – though I know she must be – and the light is back. She’s just beautiful!
Giving the baby one of her frequent sniff-checks.
Sleepy girl. Everybody was quiet. Bounce’s band had grazed away around a hill … bachelor Mouse had taken up station between them and the band even so … Gideon and Alpha were grazing close to Luna and Aghavni, providing support (and no doubt curious!) … Steeldust and Butch were pretty calm, giving the others space – Butch enough to take advantage of a nearby tree to satisfy an itch through the mud he’d just covered himself with at the pond!
What a beautiful day to come alive in Spring Creek Basin!
… to introduce you to Spring Creek Basin’s newest precious life:
Luna and her daughter Aghavni, named by our lovely visiting journalist from Armenia, Aghavni. 🙂 In Armenian, “aghavni” (pronounced “ah-havni” with a little hint of the “gh”) means dove. How perfect is that?
She must have been born this morning – she’s THAT brand new! Pale, pale silver buckskin.
We had a FABULOUS day! The highlight of which was finding Luna with her new treasure (she wasn’t due for almost two weeks). We saw all but the pintos and Bruiser and Milagro – I saw all the horses between yesterday and today – and we got a major surprise on our way home. Southeast of the basin, I hit the brakes when I saw an unmistakable form drop off the road. I don’t even remember *seeing* it … just seeing it disappear, if that makes sense. A few seconds later, we all saw it running with unmistakable grace up the shadowed drainage away from the road. A total of about 8.5 seconds (possibly less), and it was gone.
A mountain lion. The first I’ve seen in all my years of visiting the basin.
WOWOWOWOWOW.
I told Aghavni and Servet they can’t go home – they must always be my good luck charms. We also had with us our photo intern at the Herald, Sarah, from North Carolina, for whom seeing a mountain lion has long been on her bucket list.
Speaking of Servet, Houdini’s and Grey/Traveler’s daughter has a new name – Deniz – which means “sea” in his native Turkish. Our part of Colorado was once under a great sea, so it’s appropriate and beautiful.
Deniz
In Armenia, they have a saying: “Happy people don’t check their watches.” That was today for Servet and Aghavni -for all of us.
Thank you also to Dolores Elementary School for inviting me to participate in their annual Career Day this morning. The kids were awesome!
Today rocked – and that’s pure happiness. 🙂
Also going back a couple of weeks to photos I didn’t have time to tweak and post. A visit to Luna’s was my last of this particular day.
They were napping out past the double ponds. One got dug out two years ago; the other wasn’t because of some sort of problem. The non-dugout one has been dry for a while already this year. I saw tadpoles there earlier this spring (later this winter?), and the one that got dug out is probably dry now (it was down to a puddle last week) – though it did have a shallow bit of water there when the horses were there.
When I walked out, Mouse was off a bit, napping, and the others were almost all in a row. Luna was grazing (baby is getting bigger all the time), but the others were watching me walk up – I had to go out of their view past the lower pond, into and through the arroyo and up the hill – and I climbed up to five amazing pairs of ears – all but Luna’s at first – greeting me!
You may notice I just changed the “banner” pic at the top of the blog. Aren’t they the cutest? I love Alpha and the boys. It may be because of Storm, but Gideon seems to really have become attached to Alpha. I love their big-to-little arrangement … though Storm’s as big as Alpha! Notice Steeldust. Guess where Mouse is.
I dropped to the ground as soon as I came up the hill to this amazing view – just had to take it all in! Mouse here is framed through the branches of the tree on my left. And between him and the band is … you guessed it. Steeldust.
Well, here, I have five ears of four horses … but only two eyes! The wind was blowing really hard from the south. They were somewhat protected here in this little valley – there’s a tall ridge/hill above the arroyo to the right – but it was still blasting. I love to see them so wonderfully relaxed.
Now different eyes, and Gideon’s letting me know what he thinks about the whole thing.
Before I knew it:
I really love it when they’re this relaxed.
Awww … but you know what’s coming …
That’s karma, kid! I couldn’t help laughing about the times he did exactly this to his younger “sisters” in the band.
Ugh – breath mint lately? he seems to ask.
And over he goes. 🙂 Isn’t he adorable? Soooooo sweet and innocent??? Alpha knows what’s coming, though …
… and she’s outta there. Check out Luna’s expression. Gideon had to step back when Storm rolled up – and yes, his forehead is right against Gid’ th’ Kid’s chest.
And what goes around comes around – literally. When Alpha walked behind them, it prompted Butch to move Luna – and there’s Storm about to come to his feet. Poor guy – his nap was so short-lived.
He went over to stand by mama. Look how big he is.
Gideon went to his mama, but she is in the grouchy don’t-bother-me stage of pregnancy. She IS a mama, though – HIS mama – and he did find some comfort:
Just don’t interrupt the girl’s nap. 🙂
And I left ’em to it and tiptoed away through the wind.
Lovely, lovely Alpha-mare
Cute-n-curious Gideon
The boy with his mama Luna
When Storm and Twister finally had enough and went their separate ways, Storm came innocently back across the arroyo and up the trail toward mama. But it was also the track straight to Luna, and Butch was charging after him in a flash – not play but a definite warning! Storm got away and came up the hill on the other side of mama – where she was napping still as you see in the photo.
Butch back with Luna – I noticed these interesting curls on the back of his hind legs. How cute is that?
A scattering of pix in this post … mostly it struck me how intent Fierro was on the goings-on, despite his family – and Steeldust – keeping him safely out of the fray.
The little guy with auntie Hannah (mama Ember’s little sister).
With other auntie Sable (mama’s little half-sister).
With Uncle Pinon (mama’s half-brother). I’m not at all sure why Pinon didn’t join the games … I suspect it has a little to do with the little mister and possibly a little more to do with the girls. He’s very attached to Ember – year-mates. Probably the only reason Hook tolerates him in the family … and I wonder, too, how long that will last … and until Pinon finds himself with Twister and Co. (or?) …
Hook and Fierro, Hannah, Sable and Ember below. Fierro had earlier tried to snuggle up to Hook, but Hook wasn’t having any of it at the time. Here, Hook walked up to Fierro, who is now looking back at stepdaddy’s attention.
Luna and Alpha trying their best to catch some shut-eye with all the goings-on (across the arroyo to the left). This was just after Butch had rejoined Luna after his little foray with the boys. Luna looks decent for a girl who has had multiple foals in a row (this will be her fifth foal since I’ve known her (Kestrel, Ember, Hannah, Gideon). I’d love to give her a rest … She should stay, not only because of her outside genetics (she and two others came from Sand Wash Basin in 2001) but because of her wise alpha-mare status (like Alpha above her).
Some of the boys’ roughhousing brought them down into the arroyo and up the hill a bit, and Steeldust charged down in warning – you can maybe see a little of the dust obscuring the saltbush below him. I found it so interesting that he didn’t need to wade in – knew it was play – and he had his own role – protecting Alpha. What a dynamic this little band has. How long will it be before Storm leaves mama? Will Steeldust and Alpha and Butch and Luna stay together? Mahogany and Sundance and Aspen left … at whose instigation? Will Butch eventually challenge Steeldust for Alpha, too? Steeldust backed down to him last spring … but Butch was focused on Luna and never challenged for Alpha. And with Butch’s “must-be-at-her-side-always” style, how many mares does he think he can care for? I think Alpha will stay with Luna as long as possible.
When Storm and Twister resumed their play after their intermission and greeting of baby Gideon – and Mouse stepped in – Gideon retreated to mama. Check out his body language. Doesn’t it scream “little brother sent home”? 🙂 Patience, little.
Clearly still finding comfort with mama, who has just as clearly weaned him and wasn’t in the mood to baby him. He sought a snuggle, and she pinned her ears at him for his efforts. Though she didn’t mind his nearness – nor Butch’s, immediately on her other side. (I’m not sure I’d be less grumpy with a baby in the belly.)
Fierro was looking for somebody to “practice” on, and Sable seemed to fit the bill – at least briefly.
Twister and Cuatro walking up away from the arroyo. Storm followed closely – Duke and Mouse stayed below (grazing). They paused at a stud pile – which Twister contributed to, which prompted yet another “discussion.” 🙂
Hook eventually chased his group away over the ridge and to the next ridge – which led to them going the opposite direction as the others ended up going. But that little Fierro just couldn’t get enough!
And Hook couldn’t resist a last look, either. 🙂
The day I took these pictures, it was a little warmer in the basin than it had been the day before – 17 to 20 degrees vs. 15-17 degrees. And you thought I meant a lot warmer!
Steeldust, Butch, Luna and Storm
Steeldust’s band was closest this day, and I broke trail on a little-used road to get to within fairly close walking distance.
Winter is just a magical time. It’s soooooo quiet. Can you see the flakes reflecting the sunlight in the photo above? The ponies go about the business of living like any other time of the year. There were a lot of tracks around the Flat Top pond, but the center was untracked – frozen solid. How much snow do they have to eat to satisfy their moisture requirements? Whatever it is, they seem satisfied.
Steeldust
In the dry months, I look for light spots – the greys – against the khaki desert. In the snow months, I look for the dark spots – then look closer to determine equine from bovine.
Alpha is in her element here.
Alpha
She’s always watchful … curious, though she rarely acts on that curiosity, content just to see what I do, it seems.
I was watching and photographing bachelor Mouse, grazing nearby. I hadn’t yet seen Hollywood’s and Comanche’s bands, but I was watching Mouse graze intently enough that when I saw Piedra and other members of her band pawing through the snow during their grazing, I realized Mouse hadn’t been.
Mouse
Isn’t he a handsome boy?
And then I realized someone was watching, and closer than I had seen her approach.
Alpha
Isn’t she just divine? With her beautiful dark eyes and glowing wisdom, she’s the queen of her environment.
Storm came around for a look, too.
Look at that amazing scenery!
Look at that snow-covered schnoz! How this boy has grown.
Beauty all around.
While we were watching the boys, it was fun to also watch the mamas and their babies – the little baby as well as the big baby!
Luna and her baby boy, Gideon
Alpha was giving Storm a motherly scratch on the withers while they – and Gideon – watched the goings-on among some of the boys.
Alpha and her (big) baby, Storm
Luna and Gideon and Alpha
Lovely and handsome!
Lovely Alpha
More handsome and lovely!
Growing up handsome!
Luna and her little man, Gideon.
There’s a theme … really …
The horses were just going crazy with bugs or flies or … I think it’s the wetter-than-usual conditions (although it was fairly windy and dry right at the moment) because usually we’re past the bugs by now – and they weren’t going for me at all. Alpha was seeking a little protection under Storm’s neck and got the double benefit of Luna’s tail; Gideon in the foreground. He’s 2 … but still her baby.
I am completely in love with these two – yep, with Comanche, “back” with “Steeldust’s band.” Love how they’re “sharing” an eye in this image.
Baby ‘Nona is a knockout, and I’m not the only one who thinks so …
She loves me!
Err … she loves me not? Or: Gideon gets his first lesson in the mystery of the opposite sex.
She loves me – I think?!
Oh, that little ‘Nona … 😉
OK, not a baby, but I can’t resist that sweet baby-face – bachelor Mouse.
WARNING FOR SNAKE-O-PHOBES!
Depending on how you scroll and the size of your monitor, that warning may not help …
Are you ready?
You’re wondering how this could POSSIBLY fit the theme – I know you are. When I first saw “this” snake, it was little, and I identified by the very teeny tiny tip of its testy tail that it was a rattler. Look at the rattle in this picture. Not very teeny, eh? The out-of-focus blur at right is the rock the teeny tail disappeared behind as I came walking up. Disclaimer: I’m not nearly as close as this photo – cropped after being shot at 400 mm – would have you believe. Impact is everything, after all. Because of the grass and distance, I couldn’t really see much detail through the viewfinder, but I knew enough that I didn’t want to hang around. Theory: This is mama snake, after baby snake of the teensy rattle crawled back to the “home hole” for safety.
Baby love, indeed. 🙂
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 