Saturday, October 24, 2015

Sorraias in Autumntime




"Seeing through the mundane and witnessing the sublime is less than an eye-blink away."
      --Bodhidharma


There seem to be certain times of the year when the quality of light and feel of the air make it easier for the human eye to see the sublime present in the mundane.  


The "Super Blood Moon" on the rise over Ravenseyrie


Autumn is most definitely the most audacious season in its ability to captivate our senses with colour...perhaps because we know that the austerity of wintertime and its subtler colour moods are only a moon or two away.  


Ousado (Altamiro x Bella)

The many hues and nuances of the colour grulla never cease to enchant me!  The quality of light and shadow playing upon the autumnal landscape and bodies of the Ravenseyrie Sorraia bachelors creates poetic rhapsodies so beautiful they pain the heart in a most delightful way:
  



Cooler weather and freedom from incessant biting flies has the colts once again energized and engaging in the "Titans Clashing" game.











On cloudy days, the grasses and grullo hair colours look less yellow than when sun-infused:
Ousado (Altamiro x Bella)
Fidalgo (Altamiro x Belina)

Meanwhile, down on the Twinravens range where our mares continue to dwell, autumn (and burr seeds!) finds them in fine form as well:  


Led by Bella, the mares come up for a visit with your authoress


I especially enjoy these two images of full sisters by Altamiro out of Bella:

Pinoteia

Altavida

How lovely and noble they are, even with the adornment of Agrimony burrs knotting up their forelocks!

Esperanda (Altamiro x Ciente) and Zorita (Sovina x Tia)




Bella (Silver Shadow x Miracle)

Mares on the run, with grulla and dried goldenrod colours identical

Mares and Crows 

Altavida comes to say hello


As you have seen, the landscapes up on Gore Bay's East Bluff where Ravenseyrie is and down along the Manitou River in Tehkummah where the mares are presently living on the Twinravens range, no killing frost has yet come.  As I type this entry, autumn grazing remains abundant, unlike last year where at this same time, all the leaves were long gone and the frost had taken hold of things.


One of Ravensyerie's elder Maple tree sentinels, photographed late October 2014

The Ravvenseyrie Maple, tenaciously staying alive in a most inspiring way
late October 2015



I'm at a place in my life where I find I don't fret over what the weather may be, but am able to appreciate whatever the day brings and find beauty in whatever the seasons have to offer as they keep to a course of their own choosing - their own way of unfolding that man's technology cannot rule over.  And that seems most right to me.

"Power Point" rock painting by Lynne Gerard (photo by Mark Seabrook)

Be the wind fierce or fine,
Be the sky near or far,
The Raven worries not for the future
Nor longs for the past...

She takes to flight
Or sits in meditation - depending -
Harmonizing with chaos or tranquility
The Raven is authentic and free,
As are we
If we simply BE.

            --Lynne Gerard


5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I thoroughly enjoyed reading through this blog. Fall is my favorite time of year and your photos and words have captured it beautifully.

Mom

Anonymous said...

What a spectacular sight all around. Both boys and girls look to be in superb condition to go into the winter. I am impressed how much forage, and even green there is left for the horses so late in the year. Of course the comparison is with our pasture-turned-drylot during this relentless drought.

So good to hear from you, Lynne, and I hope you & Kevin are as well as your equines. I admire your stoicism about the weather, not so easy when you live in the hot-zone of our fried planet and bracing for the next deluge.

Perhaps you figured out by now who is posting under the cloak of anonymity (with google password forgotten and too lazy to recover it).

eva

Karen said...

You can never share too many photos, Lynne. I love the Sorraia horse hair yarn spinning - you are an amazing artist...always so brave to try something new. There is no end to your talents. Wishing all at Ravenseyrie a cozy and peaceful winter.

Annemiek said...

Ooow those colours! Love them! The horses look really well indeed. Here in the Netherlands autumn was late, but beautiful. It is still warm here. Walking outside in a t-shirt in november is not common here. Although today wind and rain......

Lynne Gerard said...

Mom, Eva, Karen and Miek...thank you so much for reading and leaving your comments.