Life comes, and life goes. I think this basic concept is so true on so many levels. I’m always saddened by loss only to be amazed by a new life soon thereafter. Whether in our own world or the animal kingdom it always seems like nature is keeping score and adjusts itself knowing exactly what it needs to survive.
I’ve seen it over and over again on Assateague Island with the horses. I know it might seem crazy, but it seems after every death of an adult horse a baby horse is being born. I think the best example I’ve seen was with the announcement around this time last year with the death of stallion Patches up north. While he’s greatly missed, it was just two months later when a northern mare, Shasta, was giving birth to a brand new shiny baby boy that we now know as Cookie & Kream. The loss of a mighty stallion filled with the birth of a brand new one is a perfect example of how amazing nature really is.
It was also recently announced that the island had lost a great mare. Tipperary was certainly wild and lived nearly her entire life in the deeper parts of the OSV. She was with Llama Boy for much of her life, and when he passed she found Charcoal. She was very wild and not a people person at all. I loved that about her, especially when I came across her. I tried many times for her to accept me as I attempted to make no quick movements around her. Sometimes it worked, and sometimes it didn’t. She was a beautiful horse, and the mother of blue-eyed Dewey… He is her beautiful legacy.
Like all living things her death was inevitable. But, her life was wonderful and long and after 31 years it was her time. She will certainly be missed, and nature knows that. So with her loss nature has suggested the island needed a new mare, and it has given that to us. Even though it has been nearly a month since her birth, I wanted to finally share with you the stunning filly of Autumn Glory. She was born sometime during the night of March 3rd into March 4th.
I was able to get down to see her in the evening on her day of birth, but it was quite dark and so I just enjoyed watching her. She was so beautiful and strong as she was doing zoomies on her first day. I thought to myself she might be one of the prettiest baby horses I’ve seen on the island, maybe a tie between her and baby Billy Bob.
I returned to the island after work on March 5th which was her second day of her life. I found her and her mom alone in Bayside and just enjoyed spending a little bit of time with them. It wasn’t long when many others showed up, too, but how could anyone resist seeing this little cutie. The crowds grew quite large, though, and thankfully the NPS had a ranger watching keeping everyone back where they needed to be.
She had so much energy as she did zoomy after zoomy. She napped just a few minutes, but when it came time to get up she was quite comical to watch as she couldn’t figure out how to get up off of the ground. But, when she did get up it was time for more zoomies and crashing through the brush with mom. This little one is very sassy.
She really reminded me of baby Billy Bob… He was also very energetic and immediately had a mind of his own with mom chasing after him from almost the first minute after being born.
I’m really looking forward to this little one growing up and seeing where this life takes her; She’s certainly a beautiful addition to the island. I think for me she is just another example of how awesome nature is as it fills in the voids left by the losses. I think somehow we are being told that death is being swallowed up in favor of more life.
Oh yeah, and I hope everyone has a nice Easter. The irony of it all as He Himself is risen. Please enjoy the post and images.
