Blame it on the wind that blew Juni right into Myst’s super exciting (as you can see) photo shoot.
But I love the way they frame the bottom of a heart around two of Spring Creek Basin’s most beloved landmarks: McKenna Peak and Temple Butte. (That’s salt coming through the soil on McKenna Peak’s eroded flanks; that’s lingering snow higher in the P-J woods of Temple Butte’s ridgeline.)
Can there be a hunkier stallion? Of course – in wild herds all across the West! But he’s one of Spring Creek Basin’s hunks, and we love him. 🙂
Sweet Shane on a typically windy day in Spring Creek Basin.
Jaunty, shaggy, feisty, muddy pinto pony! Some of the horses seem nearly fully shed out; others still are long-haired. All in good time.
Disappointment Valley and Spring Creek Basin got an awesome soaker of a rain system Friday and a little more Saturday evening, so presumably the ponies are even muddier – and the seeps and springs and ponds are even fuller! We are relieved and grateful that the “omega block” brought much-needed moisture to our corner of the world!
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Also in the grateful category, thanks to Kat Wilder and to Suzanne Roy of American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign for posting the first in Kat’s series of “Mustang Tales: Bringing the Reader to the Range”! This first post records our meeting with Jen Maramonte and Suzanne last summer in Spring Creek Basin, where we were privileged to introduce them to the range and to several bands of our amazing mustangs. 🙂
Suzanne and the AWHPC team work tirelessly to keep advocates informed about threats to our wild horses and burros, as well as highlighting the good work being done by countless volunteers across the West (and elsewhere). Kat is working on a variety of “tales,” in a variety of formats, to highlight challenges faced by – and successes made by – advocates and BLM managers on behalf of the now-wild equines whose ancestors were instrumental in developing this country.
Join Kat on the (digital) range with the mesteños!
This cracks me up so much there are hardly words for it. That’s Peter (Petra?) Cottontail in his/her arroyo-wall den in the wilds of Spring Creek Basin.
There’s probably 2 feet of arroyo wall above the den, and there’s probably another 4 or 5 feet below the bottom of the pic to the bottom of the arroyo. (The long lens is great for photographing mustangs at a distance but not so handy at capturing smaller critters closer at hand!) Pretty clever and pretty safe, really, though I don’t know if the bunny is the original excavator.
In addition to Peter (Petra), Jack (rabbits) abounds (har) in our little slice of heavenly planet.
All the cool kids are doing it!
Fortunately, the greasewood sliver seems to be skewering only a bit of hair and not actually piercing Hayden’s cheek. 🙂 These ponies are so fashion forward!
Storm was in the-sun-is-setting shadow while Temple Butte still was lit by end-of-day sunshine.
In lovely news, Spring Creek Basin and Disappointment Valley got a bit of wet stuff yesterday. In fact, the weather has a been a little monsoonish the last couple of days. If that’s so, it’s either really early … or really late (the monsoons passed us by last year). We’ll take some more wet stuff, thank you. 🙂
Puzzle and Spirit look gorgeous always … but in that light? Wowzers. Pretty, pretty pinto ponies.
Lovebirds Comanche and Kestrel graze close together on a perfect evening in Spring Creek Basin.
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 