Happy June!

I'm so happy it's June; for me, it marks the beginning of summer.  (I know that we've got three more weeks of Spring, but still....)  We had a rain shower about 2:30 this morning, as I heard the drops hitting my window.  And, even though it's June 1, it was 50 degrees (F) at 5:30, when I arose - we're expecting a high of 70 today.  There are some lowering clouds on Green and Bear Mountains, with clouds in the low spots behind the Flatirons.  It looks odd, but it happens frequently when we have moisture in the air.
  Nedi is upset that we're restricting his time outside on the balcony.  There are several groups of house finch fledglings that visit the balcony, and we have a swallow's nest in one of the exhaust vents about six feet away from the south railing.  The babies like to congregate there, and Nedi is a mighty hunter; not that we want him to be.  I re-potted the catnip yesterday and fertilized all the plants; then we had the rain this morning, so I can breathe easy until tomorrow.  With a breeze and humidity at less than 10%, the plants dry quickly!
  Besides being the first day of June, it also marks seven weeks to my departure on vacation - back to Chincoteague and Assateague Islands.  After last summer's fiasco at Washington National, I'm flying in and out of Baltimore Washington International this year...  At least I arrive before noon, so I can hopefully beat the afternoon rush across the Bay Bridge.  And I plan on visiting the Maryland end of Assateague - I have never done so, to my knowledge, other than walking up to the state line from the Virginia side.
  The Maryland NPS got a surprise when it was noted that they have two babies on the ground (Carol's Girl and Jojo have foaled), but still have two, not one, pregnant mares.  Charmed and Gokey Go Bones are still waiting to deliver.  The first two had solid chestnut foals - waiting to see who delivers what color now...
   On the Virginia end of Assateague, the ponies owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company have produced 46 babies so far.  Currently, Diamond Jewel and her colt sired by Riptide are on Chincoteague.  The colt (whom I call Ford) has a cut on his leg and was limping.  He is now on a farm with his dam and is receiving care from the veterinarian.  I have to admit that I love the solid color foals as much as the pinto babies.  I love the wild and crazy markings that our pinto ponies produce, but I also appreciate the chestnuts, bays, browns, palominos and buckskins that hit the ground.  I guess I like the solid colors because it's easier for my eye to just conformation without all the patches of color.  The CVFC ponies have produced an outstanding crop of foals so far - and I can't wait to see the rest.  I have a feeling that we'll have one to three foals born during Pony Penning week - July 25 through 29.
  One of the best places to see photos of the new foals - and all the ponies on the Virginia end of Assateague Island -is on the DSC Photography website.  For the 2016 foals, the dam and probable sire are listed, as well as color and sex, and the date they were first seen.  You can then look at the adult sections, and see photos of the parents.  Their URL is: https://www.dscphotography.net  I hope you enjoy the photos - I do, every day.