a summer's day

not official yet, but here nonetheless
Remember that lovely white horse fit for a medieval princess that I wrote about a few weeks ago? the one I've been watching, taking pictures of? Well, I noticed that she was getting fat eating all that new green grass supplemented by nice bales of fresh hay.

Then our neighbor Floyd told us that she's expecting a foal any day now! Yesterday, on my deck with binoculars and camera, I watched for signs. The brown horse, also a mare, stayed by her side and (I swear) seemed protective and solicitous. The bulges in princess's sides were moving (I don't know her name)! This foal-baby is getting ready! It also occurred to me that this mare has no idea of what's about to happen to her. How she will suddenly face a tiny version of herself and wonder where it came from, but will feel protective and care for it. At least that's what everyone is expecting; sometimes new mothers don't quite know what to do and tend to ignore their progeny. I saw it happen once with a cow, back in the days when they were kept on adjacent land.

There is a tranquility about cattle free to roam 19 acres, not penned in the way I saw them once in Oklahoma and was horrified. As someone newly arrived in rural NM from New York and southern New England where cows were in zoos, I was fascinated. What I saw was that the new mother ignored her wooly little calf. The male horse who shared the pasture immediately moved in and became attached to it, protecting it to the point of keeping the mother away. The calf couldn't feed. Eventually, Manuel, whose cattle they were (and who is now 97 years old) chased the horse away and had him removed. Calf and mother reunited and all was well again.

obsessions reign
So now, as if I didn't have enough stuff to be obsessed about, I'm on Full-Foal-Alert. My house is clean after four days of intense scrubbing, cleaning, organizing, tossing (even Ron got into the swing of things and cleared out one side of the garage, filled the entire bed of the pickup and drove to the dump). The printer's proof of the anthology is expected any moment and bits of white light are opening in my mind. I may actually be able to think about what I'm going to bring along on my writing retreat in San Francisco. Haven't thought about clothes yet (I think it will be cool there), but considering yarn and knitting. 

the butterscotch Alpaca Sox socks in "Roger" pattern by Ann Hanson - I love working with this color that I never wear and have been knitting very slowly because I'm definitely taking this one with me. Who knew? this color makes me feel happy.

or the other Alpaca Sox in dreamy beach-y colors - basic pattern (this yarn really doesn't need anything to enhance it)

or the Cables & Lace mitts in Marian Foale yarn... oh, Foale - how appropriate! will have to bring that  one - maybe swing by Tutto's in Santa Fe and pick up more in other color(s)?

other realms
Totally exhausted last evening, I sat on the deck in a cool breeze (it was hot in the house) with a glass of Chablis and watched the white horse turn peachy-pink in the sunset light. An incredible feeling of peace came over me - which I didn't recognize at first since it's been missing for so long...it could have been the wine or the pink horse, a sense of accomplishment...or just the beauty of this place that never ceases to amaze.

I threw my shell away upon the sand,
And a wave fill'd it, as my sense was fill'd
With that new blissful golden melody.
     Keats (Hyperion)