Quiet girl Piedra on a gorgeous evening when there was still snow on the far (FAR and well outside Spring Creek Basin) ridges. Most of the band was napping, and it was just beautifully peaceful. (I forgot about this pic, but Piedra, in her peaceful semi-slumber, deserves to be seen.)
Half a second after Buckeye had been pulling a handsome-wild-stallion pose with McKenna Peak and Temple Butte behind him (as we’re viewing him), looking at his mares, actually behind him (as he’s standing), he dropped his head. … Which was half a second too late for me to photograph *that* moment.
Still … he’s a handsome wild stallion with McKenna Peak and Temple Butte behind him – as we see him. 🙂
The magic is in knowing the wild things are in the wild places.
Is Juniper the poster mare for Spring Creek Basin or what?!
Yes. Yes, she is. 🙂
Sancho pops into view to check on his ponies after skirting the hill they were on as they moseyed about their evening grazing. They took the high route while he took the low route.
Check out his cutie-patootie mustachio! I’ve meant to get a better pic, but it hasn’t worked out. So enjoy this view of handsome Sancho and his ‘stache!
Who DOESN’T like to walk straight into water on a hot day?
Thank goodness there are at least a couple of ponds with water in Spring Creek Basin right now.
Temple and her band love this one.
Yesterday was spring equinox, and now the days get longer (though after the time change, they already seem longer as I’m out way “later” chasing that golden light on golden ponies). The temp hit at least 85F. T-shirt weather. In March.
(Sue, I just saw the first prince’s plume plants shooting up their plumes. … Innnnnnnnnnnnnnnsane. At *least* a full month early???)
As if we needed another indication that spring is springing (way too) early, the bees are going bizzy-buzzy right now on apricot flowers. (Apricot trees? In the desert? They were planted by long-ago pioneers to the valley.)
The temp hit 82F yesterday. Yowza. Way, way too warm for mid-March. In good news: Yay, BEES!
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat the heck are you doing out in mid-March?!
I don’t know what minimum temperature these little critters need to pop out into the open wide world, but it was at least 74F in Disappointment Valley yesterday.
Not quite 80 … but the weather(wo)man says it’s coming. 😦
I love seeing these lizards – they’re my favorites! – but I never think about seeing them in the middle of March. (Yes, yes, I am starting to watch for the first snakes of the season … !)
Buckeye follows his mares (every stallion knows when to follow) along the north side of the Spring Creek arroyo toward the canyon in Spring Creek Basin. They’d just left a stretch of shallow, trickling water, where they drank their fill before moseying on to find some evening grazing.
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 