Electric

31 07 2023

No chance of catching moonrise last night because of deep-purple clouds and what looked like heavy rain to the east/southeast of Spring Creek Basin. But then something else super (get it?) cool happened, and I was focused on that (you’ll see it in upcoming posts). …

The clouds receded and returned, lightning was starting to strike along the southern ridges of Disappointment Valley … and I knew it was time to go.

The above pic is nearly full frame (a little cropped off the bottom). I didn’t know I’d actually caught the lightning until I saw the image on the computer. A little bit wow, eh? 🙂


Comments : 22 Comments »

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

Those moments

30 07 2023

There’s golden hour, and then there’s that absolutely sublime, divine, *golden* light. Then the photographer is thanking her lucky stars when a divine, sublime, *golden* mustang pauses long enough for the shutter to click. Just a moment. … Just enough.


Comments : 11 Comments »

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

Promising

29 07 2023

The upper atmosphere is trying to gear up to potentially, eventually, maybe – at some point – give us some rain. Soon (we hope).

The evening was punctuated with a few small, very faint rainbows, catching some elusive liquid suspended in the air. The above – do you see it? – was not only the biggest I saw, it was the first of the evening.

Long-maned Sundance, napping, which is to say, perhaps, waiting impatiently for the sun to set, relieving us all with a bit of … if not coolness, at least a cessation of boiling heat. The background was so gorgeously beautiful, but I had to use my phone (as opposed to my camera with its long lens) for the wide view.

Post-sunset in Spring Creek Basin’s wildcat valley, bands were peacefully grazing while rain fell (or seemed to fall) over the Glade to the south.

And as I left them to their evening repast, I found this guy:

Hollywood alone, within sight of the horses in the image above.

Just another low-key evening in Spring Creek Basin. 🙂 The moon is about half-full. Who’s ready for the full, super sturgeon moon?!


Comments : 11 Comments »

Categories : Brumley Point, Disappointment Valley, McKenna Peak, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Temple Butte

Flip

28 07 2023

Just one little wind-directed flip of her forelock, and I’m in love with this pic of Alegre, even though she’s not paying me the least mind.


Comments : 20 Comments »

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

Happy belly

27 07 2023

Stout Sundance isn’t missing any meals. Looking gorgeous in the lovely light.

**********

The powers that be have finally cottoned to the news the rest of us in western Colorado have known for a while now: It’s really dry out there: “Colorado’s drought is back after only a short reprieve.”

The U.S. Drought Monitor also agrees that it’s at least “abnormally dry” here now.

Also:

Versions of these signs are up all over our public lands currently. Despite the handy illustrations, some people still can’t seem to understand the restrictions (don’t ask). On a town errand yesterday, I ran into some Forest Service and BLM fire folks out of Norwood (about an hour-ish north of Disappointment Valley/Spring Creek Basin). They’d knocked down at least four lightning-started fires in the area the day before, one of them told me. (No rain for Spring Creek Basin … but thankfully, no lightning, either.)

No joke: It is DRY out there, it’s super hot (OK, not Phoenix- or Texas-hot … we’ve had only a few days up to at least 101F), and the wind is bellowing like a furnace day after day. Depending on the source, we have some possible rains (“t-storms”) coming next week. I think I speak for everyone when I say we’re beyond ready and hopeful.


Comments : 12 Comments »

Categories : Disappointment Valley, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Temple Butte, Wildfire

High standards

26 07 2023

Storm gives the eyeball to another stallion who was giving an eyeball to his daughters. No matter what age or what species, daddies have high standards.


Comments : 13 Comments »

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

Drinking fresh

25 07 2023

Even from a distance, it was great to see absolute evidence of horses drinking at the water catchment in wildcat valley. There are a few bands in the area, and there are hoofprints at the trough, but this is only the second time I’ve actually seen horses there. It makes me super happy to know they can drink the cool, fresh water collected from rain and snow.


Comments : 6 Comments »

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

Sunset hue

24 07 2023

Dundee, in Buckeye’s band, still in the late light, the same evening as yesterday’s post. She’s still the most watchful of Buckeye’s girls.

Round Top in the background, and Disappointment Valley’s southern ridges in the farther background.


Comments : 12 Comments »

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

Daddy daughter day

23 07 2023

Baby Bia hangs out with daddy Buckeye in the shade of a western hill toward sunset. The temperature relief of shade is intense. Almost immediately, there’s a temperature drop of about 10 degrees – from upper 90s to upper 80s. It’s noticeable … and wonderful.


Comments : 18 Comments »

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

Short view

22 07 2023

Hollywood made an appearance the other day, near the bands near the wildcat valley water catchment. It was good to see him … and good to see him there.

His eye doesn’t look any better, but the big hunk out of his hindquarters is healing and closing. He’s still lean, but he’s doing all right.


Comments : 15 Comments »

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

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