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Ammit · Nov 17, 2022 8:56 AM

This time our end-of-year festivities are themed around the poem "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear". The poem was written in 1849 by Edmund Sears during a time of war and revolution in the world. It reminds us that the song of peace and hope is still singing even if we are struggling to hear it right now.

This year we have ten new herd helpers inspired by poem and themes of peace. Midnight Clear, Songs of Old, Harps of Gold and Solemn And Still come from the poem. Doves, mistletoe, olive branches, and white poppies are all symbols of peace. Finally, Shadow of Mars reflects the looming presence of the god of war. All the new herd helpers are exceptionally perfect except for Midnight Clear.

Midnight Clear - black with one copy of nexus
Songs of Old - light bay duns with one copy of p+
Harps of Gold - gold champagne pearl rabicano chimeras
Solemn And Still - silver grullo snowflake appaloosas

Dove of Peace - Gray Silver Black Pearl Tobiano
Light in the Dark - gray, sooty, DP and W3
Mistletoe - red duns appaloosas with non-dun one and chimerism
Poppy White - cream pearl sabino with one copy of satin
Olive Branch - dark bay dun chimeras with sooty plus and dp

Shadow of Mars - dark red hom. tobianos with Belton Spotting!

In keeping with our Midnight Clear theme, we also have three brand new spacey genes. Please note this is NOT the formal announcement for these genes. This is just a sneak peek so you can keep these in mind for your gift exchange wishlist and shopping plans.

Belton spotting in a hypothetical gene. It does not require a license and is not fantasy. It will be creatable and in the GMT lab. It suppresses white markings and adds freckle spots to white areas of the coat. It gets really spotty with tobiano but can show up on other pinto patterns.

Jewel Box is named for the Jewel Box star cluster. It is a new Tobiano Modifier variant and turns the dark areas of tobiano into a lovely stellar cloud of roany, lacy textures. It does require a license but is not a fantasy gene.

Void turns all markings pure black. It is far more aggressive than wrong warp and can turn all markings black including roan, phantom markings and varnish. It has no warping and no blue edges. It requires a liscense, and is a fantasy gene.

Again please remember this is only a teaser. I won't be giving further examples of these genes in this post. You will have to wait for them to fully launch.

Here is hoping 2023 is a year of greater peace.

Ammit · Nov 17, 2022 8:56 AM

It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth
To touch their harps of gold;
"Peace on the earth, good will to men
From heaven's all-gracious King" –
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing.

Still through the cloven skies they come
With peaceful wings unfurled,
And still their heavenly music floats
O'er all the weary world;
Above its sad and lowly plains
They bend on hovering wing,
And ever o'er its Babel-sounds
The blessed angels sing.

But with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love-song which they bring; –
Oh hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing!

And ye, beneath life's crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow,
Look now! for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing; –
Oh, rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing!

For lo! the days are hastening on
By prophet bards foretold,
When with the ever circling years
Comes round the age of gold;
When Peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And the whole world give back the song
Which now the angels sing.

— Sears, Edmund H.