RIP Polar Bear đź’ś
Video above is from Colorado, Tessa is smaller with the black nose :-)
Tessa aka The Polar Bear
November 11, 2013—February 20, 2026
I will write about it all next week but for today, I will just share pictures of her. The vet was on her way, but Tessa my little independent girl, crossed peacefully on her own terms before the vet could get to us. She was surrounded by Brad, ManChild, her best friend Bonnie, and me. So thankful we could all be there with her. These photos are from both our Colorado and North Carolina ranches, when she was healthy:
Duke and Tessa's first day with us on the Colorado ranch, look how young they both looked! This was spring 2017, Tessa (foreground) was 3.5 years old and Duke was 3 years old:
My first day at the NC ranch, Brad had driven across with the dogs a few days before. ManChild and I arrived by plane after loading the herds into the transport trailer:
My Aunt Katy and Uncle Chris:
Our first Christmas in NC:
Tessa and Sweetness:
Tessa on the left, they loved to maul me with kisses:
After we had her shaved last summer:
She adored Mom and now they are together again:
You will be forever missed my girl.
Let me give you a big ol' hug!
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Author
Julia MacMonagle
Author
I’m Julia MacMonagle—artist, equine-partnered coach, and founder of The Mother Ranch in Apex, NC, a 7 acre sanctuary where women come to breathe, create, and reconnect with themselves. My work blends creativity, presence, and nervous-system awareness to help women (and the occasional teen girl) listen to their Inner Voice and remember what’s true for them. Whether I’m leading an Women’s In-Person Circle, hosting a Women’s Online Creative Circle, or offering equine partnered coaching, everything I do is rooted in gentleness, compassion, and personal agency. I believe we all deserve a place where we don’t have to hold everything together—a space where creativity, connection, and quiet insight can unfold naturally. Art and writing is how I listen to my own Inner Voice. Animals are how I stay grounded. The Mother Ranch is where those worlds meet. When I’m not teaching or painting, you’ll find me with the herd, walking the land, or sketching the tiny moments that make life meaningful.
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