Into the light, toward the peace

15 11 2026

Madison on a lovely evening that was NOT last night. 🙂

The forecast was as messy or messier (?) than reality. It didn’t rain when the forecast said it would, and it DID rain when the forecast said it wouldn’t! That was OK. I think I’ll never think we’ve gotten quite enough in the moisture department; I remember too well the droughty times. The place beside the puddle required more branches because, yes, people had just driven past the ones I initially placed. (Really??) Now, the traffic-heavy days are nearly over, but maybe it will at least serve to make people realize that someone is here (there), and someone is watching them make poor choices. Maybe that will encourage better choices!

The end of today is the end of third rifle season!!! Please, please, please, let us all make it through with no major mishaps.


Comments : 3 Comments »

Categories : Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs

Looking for peace

14 11 2026

Even now being able to get into the interior of Spring Creek Basin after the mud and for other reasons, it has been difficult to spot mustangs. I finally found Maia and her family way away from the roads and entrances and was able to enjoy a peaceful evening with them (broken by occasional long-distance shots). The end of tomorrow is the end of this season.


Comments : 7 Comments »

Categories : Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs

High ground

13 11 2026

Terra grazing in the shadow of a hill toward sunset.

I’m being pretty careful about my outings to Spring Creek Basin and the mustangs during this very heavily trafficked third rifle season, but so far, I don’t know of any egregious behavior. I did see a guy in a UTV pass a “No Motor Vehicles” sign I helped BLM guys Jon and Ryan place last fall. He couldn’t get much farther, and the vegetation he (and likely others) continue to trample continues to be a maddening loss.

While I was out with Terra and her band, we heard far-off shots (yes, multiple), but I couldn’t tell exactly where they were coming from. … Far (enough) away from us, thankfully. I placed some branches where people had driven around a mud puddle, to try to keep future people on the road. … I have to say, that ridiculousness gave me pause? Big, bad hunters in their go-anywhere buggies scared of a little mud puddle? Enough that they and their buggies trampled multiple sage and shadscale and even actual, growing grass to avoid the puddle. Leave no trace, people. Later riders/drivers seemed to respect the branches … or at least hadn’t driven right over and shattered them. That was a few days ago, though.

Back in that little corner of Spring Creek Basin, mostly, we had peace.


Comments : 13 Comments »

Categories : Disappointment Valley, La Sal Mountains, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Spring Creek canyon

‘God painted you pretty …’

12 11 2026

“… and I bet you’ve got a heart of gold.”

Song by Hudson Westbrook, actually titled “Painted You Pretty.” It’s really just a kinda sweet “guy hittin’ on a girl in a bar” song, but ever since I heard the lyrics I used for the title of this post, I imagined it with a pic of Aiyanna. I think this one serves. 🙂


Comments : 6 Comments »

Categories : Uncategorized

Remember the sacrifice

11 11 2026

No one wants to go to war. Those who died in them fought for peace.


Comments : 12 Comments »

Categories : Uncategorized

Jes’ checkin’

10 11 2026

Temple pauses long enough for a few shutter clicks as she checks on half of the band that have already moved into a lower open area.

Fun fact: Temple is Piedra’s daughter. They’re not in the same band, but Temple’s adult daughter is still with her. 🙂


Comments : 9 Comments »

Categories : La Sal Mountains, Rimrocks, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs

Girl gone blue

9 11 2026

Well, yesterday, I mistakenly published two posts; Corazon was meant to go yesterday, and then Skywalker was meant to go today. Ah, well, call it a bonus for sticking through all the flooding pix with me.

Today, two pix of Piedra. The pix were taken the night (was that about two-some weeks ago now? three??) before the first round of rain and flooding, but I was in the same area last night, so it all works out.

Pretty Piedra.

And because the background was also so beautiful, the focus on Utah’s La Sal Mountains, well beyond Disappointment Valley.

You’re welcome. 🙂

*****

Before I realized that Skywalker was going to publish early, I found this link to a donation site for people affected by the southwestern Colorado flooding. Before I could add it to that post, it published, so here it is on this post:

Help SW Colorado Recover From Devastating Flooding, sponsored by the Colorado Gives Foundation.


Comments : 7 Comments »

Categories : La Sal Mountains, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs

Seeking drama

8 11 2026

Skywalker and the horses in his group were on a road when I hiked out to them, but just as I was reaching a good distance for pix, the horses were dropping off the road level to graze, and I lost the drama of the light and shadow and background. Well, maybe not the drama, but any mustang in “the right” spot. So here’s Skywalker helping me share a little light-and-shadow mystery. 🙂


Comments : 6 Comments »

Categories : McKenna Peak, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Temple Butte

Windblown black and white

8 11 2026

Corazon has waited his turn on the blog for a considerable while now. I’d planned (hoped) to feature him, oh, a week or more ago … and then the next rain hit with the worst flooding. All good intentions, eh?

I always love the challenge of catching this eye-catching guy on digital media (you know, as opposed to film!).


Comments : 6 Comments »

Categories : Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs

Incomparable

7 11 2026

Winona.

As things start to settle down from the weeks of wild, historic weather, I wanted to share this song I heard on the radio the other day. Huge kudos to all of the folks in all of the flood-affected communities where neighbors are helping neighbors and strangers are becoming friends.

It’s called “Home,” by Dierks Bentley, released back in early 2012 (the year after a significant year/event in Spring Creek Basin).

And if you need to travel across or through southern and southwestern Colorado, this article details the latest closures and detours.


Comments : 13 Comments »

Categories : Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs

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