East pocket paradise

20 11 2019

111919Stormsband2

Do you see what I see? Besides the road leading to beautiful country *beyond* the road?

Remember, look for white spots. In our country, they could be rocks or old juniper trees silvery in the light or salt coming to the surface … or grey mustangs, posing as mountain goats in the desert. (That’s a hint: Look fairly high.)

111919Stormsband1

How ’bout now? 🙂 About seven horses are visible, though at best, from this distance, they don’t look much like equines!

I got so giddy, seeing the horses on that high ridge, that apparently all I could blurt out was “mountain goats! mountain goats!” And my friend Karen Keene Day thought I really was talking about mountain goats! No, no, just wild ponies pretending to be sure-footed wooly wonders (well, they ARE all that!), high on a ridge on the farthest east boundary of Spring Creek Basin. 🙂

They’re also deep within McKenna Peak Wilderness Study Area (which covers a good chunk of the whole eastern side of the basin). The road you see in the first photo is almost to the farthest eastern edge before it turns south. Beyond, only foot – or hoof! – traffic is allowed.

In other good news: The ground is damp as I type this post Tuesday night! More rain is coming! More is welcome! More is NEEDED!

Please, please, moisten our ground and fill our hearts and hopes for a good start to winter wonderfulness!





Buckskin ‘n gold

19 11 2019

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Isn’t it crazy how Kestrel is the same exact shade as her home range?

And we call her gorgeous … and her range desperately dry?

Rain, rain, glorious rain is coming to ranges near us if the forecasts are to be believed. And I … I believe with all my heart!





Wisps

18 11 2019

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Storm of the mohawk aims his laser focus on something beyond the sphere of his band.





Dapples in the desert

17 11 2019

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The moisture is in the forecast STILL. It has a habit of appearing in our forecast (not for weeks, but when it does …), then disappearing from the forecast just as the beautiful days approach. The fact that the forecast continues to show moisture Wednesday, Thursday and Friday makes me hopeful. 🙂 We’d love to see clouds in that blue sky … and snow covering that brown, brown land!





Some dry

16 11 2019

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Dried sunflowers = sure sign of autumn.

In good news, our forecast finally shows some moisture in the near future!

Cross fingers! Cross toes! Dance like nobody’s watching!

Pray for rain. 🙂 Or snow. We’ll take either … or both.





Blue-sky boy

15 11 2019

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The only thing clearer and bluer than our Kwana’s eyes is our Colorado sky these last many, many weeks.





Sunset Skywalker

14 11 2019

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You know you’re busy when you forget to schedule a blog post!

Chunky Skywalker had just visited a basin pond and was moseying off into the sunset.





A son of the sun

13 11 2019

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Comanche in the light.





Sheeniest, shiniest

12 11 2019

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Sweetest Winona ambles down a trail in search of greener pastures. … Well, *other* pastures, maybe. Not too green these days.

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Other than the horses ( 🙂 ), the best thing I saw from this past hunting season happened yesterday (the day after the end of third season). Strapped on the back of an ATV-trailer hauled by a truck (with Texas plates) leaving Disappointment Valley: Three large, clear bags full of aluminum cans! They were hauling out their recycling! One has to think they also had bags full of trash.

Thank you, hunters!





Next

11 11 2019

110419Killiantbmck1

We made it through another third season. 🙂

And on our very last day, we had another check-up visit by one of our excellent BLM law-enforcement rangers! And I found out that our other ranger was out not only the day before the season (when friend Pat and I talked to him) but a few other times, too.

Fourth rifle season starts Wednesday. It’s a short season, and it’s usually much quieter than third.

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To our veterans (including my dad, a retired Army officer; my uncle, formerly a Navy pilot; my cousin, a former Navy SEAL; *my grandpas on both sides of my family, who served as an engineer in the Army and as an aircraft gunner with the Army Air Corps during World War II), thank you for your service and your sacrifices. Your families know the costs.

(*Updated to note the service of my grandpas. I wasn’t sure whether to include them as veterans because they’ve both passed away. But as Karen S. noted below, our gratitude extends to our service members past *and* present!)