Storm is wise and strong, and because he’s wise, he keeps his sweet little band in the faraway places of Spring Creek Basin, rarely seen by humans (I imagine the other horses see them infrequently, but as many times as I ask, they keep the secrets of their kind …). And if he’s confident enough to nap with his girls, it’s because he’s also strong enough to meet any challenge (though it rarely comes).
Happy Leap Day!
In very good news, we got half an inch of nicely wet snow yesterday morning. In other news, our view didn’t change much from the above-pictured visit with Corazon, taken a couple of days ago, because the snow melted very quickly. In fact, by afternoon, with sunshine and continuously howling winds, the ground and roads were dry again.
A little moisture is very welcome.
As I type this Monday night, to publish this morning, we’re still hoping that the chance of rain overnight is actually going to prove accurate and that we might wake up to mud.
Cassidy Rain is already ready for mud.
Snowy white girls Mysterium and Juniper (don’t mind the mud bits – at least they’re finding it!) have a bit of a nap under a cloudy sky recently. The only white between here and there is – literally – the salt of the earth – alkali – coming to the surface of the dry soil.
These days seem to bring out the sleepies in horse and human alike. Way too warm. Way too dry.
Pretty, though. And if you’re a live-in-the-moment being like a mustang, you love it.
If you’re a worry-wort human who looks at the excruciating lack of snow and feels terrible anxiety for this coming summer (at least), you … are … well … terribly anxious.
Hoping Tuesday’s forecast rain/snow actually delivers some measurable moisture.
Sunshine. Check.
Breeze ( a little strong). Check.
Warmth (near 60F). Check.
Perfect nap weather for Maia? Check.
Lovely Mariah walks atop a little ridge just as I noticed the moon rising above Knife Edge.
In the space between napping and rousing and grazing, Seneca gives me her sweet look as if to ask if I also see the fabulous scenery. Yes, indeed, dear girl. I see you.
The handsome fellow has been elusive for the last couple of months, and I hadn’t seen him either alone or with the other (mostly young) bachelors.
Finally a friend alerted me that she was “85 percent sure” she’d seen him from Disappointment Road on the southern side of Spring Creek Basin. … I looked for him in that area on a couple of drives but didn’t spot him (or any other horses). From interior, with another band, when they turned as one to look at *something*, I did, too, and there he was, glowing orangey-dun on a drab taupe hillside. 🙂 The decision to hike out to him was MUCH faster than the actual hike.
He’s still pretty lean, bordering on downright thin, but he’s OK. His hip gouge has healed, and his right eye is open but squinty.
He couldn’t have made it more plain that he didn’t want to be bothered by an overly-happy-to-see-him human, so I didn’t visit with him long. I really was very happy to see him.
Sometimes the mares (Piedra in this case) get a wild hair and try to outrun their stallion. In this case, her band and the band that moseys with her band had gotten a little separated when they chose different sections of an arroyo to drink in.
Her stallion followed along, and maybe she just needed a little gallop because he fairly easily and quickly collected her – and she let herself be collected.
Oh, those wild shenanigans!
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 