I’d like to say that Temple was just contemplating the bounty of the recent rains and the continuing benefit of being able to drink from a pond and not slurp from a seep. … But really, she was just watching her band members on the far side of the pond while she and two other band members drank from this side of the pond.
After a morning of drizzles, the sky cleared to that perfect Colorado-blue, then started to cloud up again ahead of overnight rain. Gotta love it – and we do!
Tenaz models a bit of autumn color among the rabbitbrush and willows in a shallow drainage while keeping an eye on the band. A bit different perspective, but it makes him seem a bit … mysterious? 🙂
Prettiest of girls (we have a lot of those, and they’re all the prettiest!) Temple, napping in the sunshine.
“Hey, I’m trying to nap with my bestie over here.”
“No worries, pal. It’s just that weird two-legged who’s always clicking at us. Back to the snooze.”
Tenaz, I might add, never even twitched an ear in my direction. 🙂
This is one of at least two ponds in Spring Creek Basin that are holding water again after recent rains.
The mustangs aren’t the only ones taking advantage of the improved water sources, and I like to imagine that I am close to as happy about the development as they are. 🙂
The days are cooler; the days are shorter. Fall is upon us.
I know there’s not much about this pic of Buckeye that says “fall,” but when I’m wearing three layers while taking the pix and the ponies are starting to add to their hair coats, *I* know it’s fall. 🙂
Sweet baby Bia … not so baby anymore. 🙂 Looking gorgeous in the sunset light as she follows her band.
Don’t hate me for making up spectacular words to match the gorgeousity of the magic scenery, painted by Mother Nature. … Anyone would (and should) do it. 🙂
(And yes, I did get semi-soaked!)
“It won’t rain.”
The rain came from behind-ish me (southish), and though it lasted (at a guess) less than five minutes, it soaked my right pant leg and right shoulder/arm and left water dripping down my leg inside my pants (!). These two pix (above) are looking north as the rain has mostly passed over me and is continuing north.
From the same spot as the first two pix, looking now eastish, I watched the moon rise over Temple Butte (promontory) and McKenna Peak (pyramid).
The moon was still barely visible when the light hit the passing rain and formed the prism, but while trying to decide between my phone and big camera, I think I missed it before it rose into the clouds (argh!).
With more dark clouds rising from the south and mustangs mostly far and scattered across the northern part of the basin, I decided to return another day. … (Note: It’s not a good idea to go into the basin if it’s going to rain. The road can get spectacularly bad when really, really, super wet.)
Wellllllll (a friend and a new friend will understand that heavily accented word 🙂 ) … when your gut tells you to turn around and make for the place where the rainbow will align with the pot of gold you know to be there (if you know, you know), be like Leroy Jethro Gibbs, and pay attention to your gut!
I stood in the sunshine along Disappointment Road while the second wave of rain passed from south to north across Spring Creek Basin (the rimrocks are Spring Creek Basin’s western boundary; the basin stretches away to the east in the northeasternish part of Disappointment Valley).
And the spectacularity JUST. GOT. BETTER.
End to end under the powerlines.
Temple Butte is visible again as the storm moves north.
This is NOT part of the original/above rainbows; it was a newly formed prism as the rain continued to pass and clear and the sun found space beneath the clouds above the western horizon. This stretch of Disappointment Road goes straight east.
After dark, we got yet another little wave of the good rain stuff. *Sigh of contentment*.
Maybe more overnight and in the morning. (Fingers and toes all crossed!)
I mean … RIGHT?! 🙂 Magic, folks. Pure magic. No artificial ingredients added. 🙂
Ladies ‘n lads, there’s a whole lot going on in the world right now.
None of you need me to tell you that.
What I do want to tell you is that there is a hard-working core group of folks (some of whom don’t even know and/or aren’t involved with each others’ work … and many working in great collaborations) who are dedicated to Colorado’s mustangs, on and off their home ranges. I can list our on-range groups easily (Friends of the Mustangs, Little Book Cliffs; Sand Wash Advocate Team and Wild Horse Warriors for Sand Wash Basin, Sand Wash Basin; Piceance Mustangs, Piceance-East Douglas), but I don’t want to try with the off-range-focused groups for fear of leaving some/any out. Believe me: They are out there, and they are dedicated.
As much as so many are divided these days, we mustang advocates are united in our love of our mustangs and goals of securing good management or good off-range lives – and sometimes both at the same time.
This post is late because I forgot to schedule one ahead of time (and/or I may have thought I’d have time to do it when I got home …), but I was just visiting a sanctuary and herd in northwestern Colorado where beautiful mustangs roam, and there are people as dedicated to protecting them and providing safety and wild futures for them as I am here for my Spring Creek Basin beauties.
The trip renewed my sense of hope that, at least in this, we have options and opportunities to continue the important work of advocating for our mustangs, wherever they might be in Colorado, with people who are united in doing the same (however differently).
That’s pretty cool.
(This golden eagle indulged our visit right along the road for many wonderful moments, and s/he seemed to be an excellent example of the sentiment of hope that goes with this post.)
Buckeye was nibbling on galleta near the base of this piñon or juniper tree … and keeping an eye on me at the same time. Never UNaware, those mustangs.
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 