Today’s swish-model: the lovely Winona.
The horses are grazing on so many delicious goodies currently: galleta, grama, alkali sacaton and sand dropseed. The winterfat (I’m not sure how to describe it; it’s not a grass, but it’s not a shrub … it’s sort of sage-like, if sage wasn’t a shrub) must be yummy now because they’re starting to browse it, too. You can see both grama and winterfat in the lower near foreground below Winona’s chin.
The deer and elk have shed the velvet from their antlers, but the horses are growing their winter velvet coats. The days are still warm – 80s and enough to make a body sweat – and the nights are comfortably in the 50s.
Spring Creek Basin’s elevation is in roughly the 6,000s, so we don’t have aspen, and because it’s so dry, there aren’t many cottonwoods. Also, unfortunately, because of years of drought (ongoing, despite what the U.S. Drought Monitor shows), most of the cottonwoods we did have in the basin have died in the last few/several years (I remember some from at least 17 years ago that are either dead and/or fallen). There are still many cottonwoods along Disappointment Creek, the entire length of which is outside Spring Creek Basin.
The above pic, looking northeast across the basin from the westish, shows Knife Edge along the bottom and the hill/ridge above what I call the east pocket to above the basin’s boundary. That beautiful reddish color is Gambel oak, which always reminds me of the rich rusty colors of a woven tapestry. The basin itself is still a bit too low even for Gambel oak except in the southeast end (which, in our world, is “up” and higher).
Fall most definitely is here. 🙂
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 
Pretty Winona is a lovely subject for a swishy swishing photo! Glad those mustangs have had such an outstanding and ongoing buffet this year! So happy for that. And yes, TJ, the oak is gorgeous already in its rusts and reds. The aspen are changing too – rapidly – so you are right “fall is most definitely here.” Can’t believe these summer temps, though. We need the cool-down. 🙂
Temp in Disappointment Valley yesterday: 89F! Temp in Naturita today: 90F! What is happening?! But it’s gorgeous out there … and soon enough, we’ll be feeling it as well as seeing it! 🙂
TJ, Wishing you’d publish your book with your own beautiful photos.l!
🙂 Maybe someday.
I love the light on the grass, and the swish.
Gorgeous, both, right? 🙂
Love the golden swish!
Can’t beat the golden swish. 🙂