Spring Creek Basin Mustangs

Heading to water on a beautiful December evening.

Snow is in our forecast after temps in the 50s!

We haven’t been calling Temple Butte Temple Butte very long, but it seems completely natural to do so.

Mustang angel Pati Temple was granted her angel wings almost three years ago, and in a little more than two more years, we’ll be able to apply to the U.S. Geological Survey to ask that Temple Butte be officially named Temple Butte. Officially, it will be in recognition of Pati and the work she did to bring protection and good management to our Spring Creek Basin mustangs. Unofficially and broader, it will recognize the work Pati AND David Temple did to bring protection and good management to our Spring Creek Basin mustangs. David continues Pati’s work as president of the Colorado chapter of the National Mustang Association.

Mustangs and Pati Temple are pretty synonymous in this part of the world. Mustangs and Temple Butte are pretty synonymous in Spring Creek Basin. Mustangs in Spring Creek Basin are pretty awesome.

Gorgeous light on a gorgeous boy. Storm definitely isn’t missing any groceries going into winter (as you can see, winter hasn’t quite gotten to this corner of the world just yet).

Pretty mustang. Pretty mountains. Pretty range. Pretty day.

Just gosh darn pretty.

Pretty darn awesome. 🙂

It’s that weird time of year when the water is mostly frozen, but there’s no snow – alternative to frozen ponds and seeps. The temperatures warm enough during the days that the horses are able to paw through thin ice at the edges of ponds and get to liquid water.

“They” say we’re supposed to have a good winter (“good” in our part of the country defined as “lots of snow”); *we* are waiting (rather impatiently)! Though these days *are* amazingly beautiful. 🙂

Skywalker and Apollo have a little chat on a ridge at sunset. And then they walked on together.

Nothing dreadful about Alegre’s *dreadlocks*!  Testament to a life that is well and wildly lived.

The layers here, with Spring Creek canyon in the foreground and the hills of western Disappointment Valley in the background, and a wonderful wild pony wandering across that view, make me feel that all is right with the world. All is not so well with the wider world, of course … so we send a little of our peace to the universe.

Oh, those boys! S’aka gives pal Skywalker a wraparound hug in the last moments of daylight on a brisk evening.

Blue water, blue sky, blue mountains, steely mustang. Killian gets a refreshing drink during Thanksgiving week in Spring Creek Basin.