Rest In Peace, Raindancer

Kachina Shenandoah Raindancer was only with us for a short time.  This brave little palomino filly was born on 25 June of this year, and left us on Monday, 3 December.  Her dam's full name is Kachina Grand Star, and her sire, "Hoppy," is Effie's Papa Bear.  Raindancer was #49 at the annual Pony Penning Auction this past July.  As a designated "Buy Back" filly, with a winning bid of $10,000, she was returned to Assateague with her dam and sire.  However, she was one of the seven ponies diagnosed with "swamp cancer" at the Fall Round-Up.  She has been under the care of veterinarians since mid-October, and had surgery to remove the afflicted flesh.  Unfortunately, the pythiosis invaded the ligaments, tendons, and bone of her leg.  She was painlessly euthanized so she would not suffer as the disease would continue to invade her body.
   She will be mourned greatly.  My heartfelt sympathy is given to the family who purchased her with such great hopes.

The blue dot on her hip is washable dye to indicate she was chosen

as a Buy Back filly.

The Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company has now lost two of the seven ponies fighting equine pythiosis.  Raindancer, above, and Essie on 30 October.  Please send healing thoughts to those five ponies fighting for their lives on Chincoteague, where they receive 24-hour care from the Fire Fighters, and have a veterinarian assess their health every 48 hours.  Thank you for caring.

New Foal on Assateague in Maryland

While doing their census of ponies on Assateague Island in Maryland a week or so ago, the National park Service discovered a new baby in the stallion Chestnut's band.  The dam is Shasta, and the filly's estimated birth date is 16 November - here are a few photos of the dam and foal...

It looks like she has a small triangle of white on her left elbow, also.

Wildlife Photos

Snowy owl

Mountain goat kids on Mount Evans, Colorado

Chincoteague pony foal

Grey squirrel

Numbat (marsupial anteater)

Unusual wren's nest

Spring in Virginia Photos

Wild Creatures

Allie and child, bottle-nosed porpoises

A European wildcat  (not a feral cat)

Raja, a Komodo dragon, with his treat ball  (is it a Kong?)

Mom and 2-week old gibbon

Kavi, 12-year-old tiger

Stee-retch....  a Chincoteague pony (filly)

Name That Foal E-Bay Auction

My equilibrium decided to go on vacation yesterday afternoon... I arose from my desk chair, took two steps, and crashed to the floor because I couldn't tell which way was up. So I kept my eyes closed and made it to the medicine chest, where I pulled out my trusty package of meclazine, and took two. Then I went to bed for an hour. When I awoke, I was a little fuzzy-headed from the meds, but the AntiVert had kicked in, and I could function again. I had to take another dose last night, and then again this morning. I hope this clears up before we go see The Hobbit...

  It's 32 outside and we have partly cloudy skies. The kits are running in and out, and Nedi and the raven family are heckling each other. Cashew the squirrel has ducked inside, with a pecan in each forepaw to thank me for this mornings offering. I'll go walk Rosie and Remy and then finish the work on the gift I'm making; hopefully I'll be able to send it via Express Mail by Monday.

  Not much else going on, unless you'd like to donate money to name a Chincoteague pony foal up on the Maryland end of Assateague Island... Anyone shopping for a fan of Assateague Island National Seashore has the chance to get a truly unique memento of the park during the eBay Name that Foal auction. Since 2009, each year before Christmas, the Assateague Island Alliance, the park’s friends group, has sold the chance to name that year’s foals in an online auction.

   “If you have the extra money, this really gives you a special opportunity to fund an organization you care about and get a great gift in return,” said Christina Hulslander, Assateague Island Alliance program manager.Those interested in naming one of the wild horses have until Dec. 17 to take part in the auction. Although there are two 2012 foals at the park, the naming rights to just one are available through the online auction this year. The other was named by the National Park Service in honor of Jay Kirkpatrick, the scientist who researched and developed the contraceptive originally used for the park’s wild horses.

   The foal that will be named by the winner of the auction is the pinto filly born this spring to the mare April Star. Park staff member think her father was Fonzi, the sorrel stallion known for frequenting the campgrounds. Hulslander said many of the park’s visitors are familiar with the filly because her herd lives near the roadway. The auction’s highest bidder will have the opportunity to name the filly and will receive a packet with her photo and other information. Once she is named, she will be put into AIA’s Foster Horse Program, which enables participants to sponsor the park’s equines. The funds raised by AIA’s program are invested back into Assateague Island National Seashore.