Comanche and his girls

27 12 2011

Comanche is devoted to Kestrel. He won her quietly, after she had Winona last spring. She was with Mahogany at the time, with Sundance with Aspen and Comanche trailing. While Sundance focused on Mahogany and Aspen focused on them, Comanche smoothly established himself as protector of Kestrel and her new filly. And protect them he did, even after the family grew this spring to include Juniper. Winona ended up with Grey/Traveler right before the roundup … I’d love to know how that happened.

For quite a while – even before the roundup – they’ve been hanging close to Hollywood and Piedra. One of the most interesting dynamics going.

Comanche and his baby girl, Juniper.

Mama Kestrel and her baby girl.

Juni is close to her first birthday.

Mama carrying the next generation – will it be a brother or a sister for Juniper?

Handsome daddy. ๐Ÿ™‚





Days, running

27 12 2011

Even at the end of the year, where does the time go? It’s that short light … except I have that problem, too, when the days are long!

Some more pix from my visit with Grey/Traveler’s band last week … Alegre and Aurora. Starting to see a bit ofย  a belly there. ๐Ÿ™‚

‘Rora on the ridge.

Beloved boy, quiet and watchful – Alegre and Aurora were just to the left.

Corona with the big view. She ought to be pregnant with Grey’s foal for spring.

Beautiful mustangy mustang Houdini-girl. She’ll be pregnant with Grey’s foal.

Alegre should be pregnant with Bounce’s foal, and Gaia should be in foal to Cinch.

Houdini leading, Aurora and Alegre following. Can’t beat that dramatic background, eh? We’re about in the heart of the basin, and those are the eastern ridges that form that side’s boundary (the unnamed promontory, McKenna Peak and Brumley Point are southish … to the right).

On top of the ridge, they could see Storm and Shadow grazing not too far away (but separated by some broken ground including one decent arroyo). Grey’s looking at them while little Miss Curiosity checks on my whereabouts.

My new favorite pic of Storm. ๐Ÿ™‚ He’s galloping after Shadow, who broke into a run as the paths of the horses started to converge up near the pond. As far as I could tell, they (the bands) never did get particularly close to each other, and I saw them later, from another part of the basin, separately grazing.

They do use the roads in the basin – particularly in the winter – for easier walking where it suits them. Grey’s band took the Flat Top road, and Storm and Shadow took the north-south road. The snow last week ranged from a pretty light dusting (from overnight) to at least 6 inches back near the Round Top area. It hasn’t snowed again since then and, in fact, has been fairly warm – into the 40s! La Nina is supposed to give us less snow but cold temps – we have less snow and not very cold temps (the overnight lows get pretty chilly with the clear skies). We always worry about snow – more is better for the coming year. But it’s early yet … the days are just on their way to getting longer. ๐Ÿ™‚

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!





Blues and Grey

27 12 2011

Muddy silver boy. Can’t even tell you how much I love this horse.

Corona and Gaia

Alegre, Houdini and Grey/Traveler. Don’t they look fantastic?!

* Sort-of update about Roja and Killian. I didn’t see them, but the only other horses I didn’t see were the pintos, David (alone last week when I found out that Roja and Killian were missing from Aspen’s band) and Chrome’s band. I think it’s most likely that Chrome has them … but I don’t know where the pintos are these days – or Chrome’s, for that matter! Did see Duke and Kreacher, and also saw Poco and Roach! They know where they are … I just have to find them. ๐Ÿ˜‰





Some near, some far

26 12 2011

A long view of Sundance’s band (“near”) and Kreacher and Duke. Apollo and Raven are the two dark horses at near left, then Sundance, Kootenai and Mysterium at right. Straight back “above” Sundance is Duke, and just down the slope – left – from Duke is Kreacher; he’s hard to see, grey against snow. The Spring Creek arroyo is between them.

Much nearer – Juniper. Fuzzy, furry, wooly little bear cub! How cute is she?!

Mama Kestrel … and not too far away, snow spilling over the eastern ridges – unnamed promontory and McKenna Peak.

Last view of the day, looking in the opposite direction from above – west – snow falling in clouds beyond Spring Creek Canyon.





Merry Christmas!

25 12 2011

Mysterium wishes everyone a very enthusiastic merry Christmas, with some help from big brother Apollo!

From our herd to yours, we wish you all all the joys and blessings of the season and the hope of peace and protection for all our wild ones in the new year.





Piedra and Hollywood

24 12 2011

Sleepy, sleepy.

Piedra and Hollywood napping comfortably together. Comanche was just to the right, and Kestrel and Juniper just right of him.

Snow coming over the eastern ridges.

They have such a bond. She’d look at me, and he’d stretch slightly to nose her tenderly on the neck. She’d turn her head back and close her eyes, their faces together.

When Comanche stole most of Hollywood’s band last spring, Piedra stayed with Hollywood … Comanche very quickly lost them (Iya, Cougar and Sage ended up with Poco and Roach, who pretty quickly kicked Sage out; Baylee and Tenaz ended up with Storm, who were together all summer), but he never seemed to0 interested in them – and not nearly as interested in keeping them as he seemed interested in sticking close to Kestrel and Winona.

Very interesting little combined-family dynamic here. What will happen when the girls have their foals? Piedra is due the end of April, Kestrel around early to mid-May.

But now is now, and now is a beautiful season. ๐Ÿ™‚

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!





Carrying wide

23 12 2011

With about five months of carrying still to come, Kestrel looks pretty and plump.

Juniper, bashful, behind her.

Is she not the spitting image of her mama Luna?

Baby girl gives mama some love while she naps.

They’re still hanging out with Hollywood and Piedra – one little happy family.





Yahoooo!

22 12 2011

Baby’s feeling goooooooooooood!

And why not? He lives in the most beautiful place on Earth! At least, I’m sure he shares my opinion. ๐Ÿ™‚

He was playing with Mysterium, and this was his reaction to baby girl getting some momentary mama protection.





Piedra

19 12 2011

Pretty Piedra. Haven’t had any pix of her up lately. This is from the week before last.

As much as I love the warm, rich colors of dun and sorrel and bay against the snow, I love the white-on-white of our spectacular greys. OK, she’s not “white,” being still fairly young (about 5 now? 6 next year), but I still love the more subtle contrast of her soft shade against the “soft” sage and shadscale and saltbush and snow.

Sublime.

Our forecast has changed from all sunshine to lots of snow – again. Good moisture, banked against summer’s dry. So far, La Nina seems to be turned slightly inside out – supposed to be not as much snow but cold. It has been not so much snow – and warm.





Depth

18 12 2011

Busily getting out Christmas cards and calendars – wait, shopping?! I knew I was forgetting something!

So these are fairly disjointed posts, I know, but here are three more from last week’s visit:

Apollo. They’re not visible in this image, but Comanche’s and Hollywood’s were out on the east-west hill there in the background beyond this ridge where Sundance’s band was grazing and napping.

Raven, blissed out on snow. ๐Ÿ™‚

Sundance – love the 3-D feel of this image with the light and soft color.