Winter

The time between Samhain and Winter Solstice always seems to resonate with darkness as we lose day-light savings time and the days get shorter and shorter. The melancholy of the impending turn of the wheel is difficult to shake with the joy of giving to our loved ones that this season symbolizes when it's 80 degrees out. Last night, going to dinner with J, it was cold enough to see my breath in the air. The lights draping the trees seemed brighter, happier in the crispness of the air. Crazy that our Decembers are so warm.

It was just cold enough that even when I made it to the barn, when the opportunity came to let Ashke play with Ardee (TB mare owned by my good friend Ree) in the arena with the big ball, how could I say no. Ardee was very unsure of the whole thing, and I think Ashke was a bit puzzled by why she wasn't willing to joining him in playing. Ardee really likes Ashke and will let him snuffle and sniff, with soft whuffles and touches, with only a little bit of mare-warning in his direction.

Ardee, however, wanted nothing to do with the ball. She reared, jumped, bucked and did a bunch of aires above the ground during their 30 minutes of fun. Ashke was focused on his ball, but would leave it to take off racing after her when she exploded. Then he would go back to his ball and Ardee would watch with terrified inquistiveness until it was just to much once again, and then she would race off.

Toward the end, Ashke was trying slowly and carefully to get her to play with him. He would move the ball toward her, like saying "look, its okay". Ree finally had her come up and touch the ball, but Ardee never really understood the point.

I love watching the muscles over his withers ripple as he moves. He has a huge, floating trot now and I made the comment to Ree that it's no wonder his trot has become so difficult to ride in a sitting trot.

I groomed him really well after, then put on a heavier blanket for the night. Tucked him in with a solid feed of TC Senior and some sweet potato treats with marshmallows.

Sixteen more days until the Sun is reborn and the energy of this slow, sleeping, melancholy time is turned into the growing awakening of Spring.