Not-yet-amber waves

10 11 2013

Gaia and grass (galleta?)

Gaia and galleta. Reaping the rewards of September rains.

What weird weather we had this year: Drought and the threat of hay shortages because of drought, then rain and floods and the destruction of the hay that was grown.

In Spring Creek  Basin, our mustangs took it all in stride and feasted on the plentiful grasses and waded in knee and hock deep to drink from full ponds. For a beautiful stretch of time, it truly was mustang paradise. Now those grasses ARE amber. The horses are thick-coated and round-bellied. And in the beautiful golden days before winter, they graze like kings in the desert.

Galleta grass in Spring Creek Basin.





Mama-daughter faces

19 06 2013

Cassidy Rain with mama Gaia.

This image was taken while looking for Roja’s baby (who hasn’t yet made her or his appearance). It was a happy diversion!

Above: Gaia with her own big-girl baby, Cassidy Rain.





Red – it’s the new gold

6 06 2013

Gaia and Roja in delicious evening light.

Gaia and Roja glow golden in the last light of another beautiful evening in Spring Creek Basin. And yes, that’s a getting-close belly on the little red girl.





Gold ‘n glowing

30 05 2013

Gaia gorgeous in late side light.

Gaia.

So lovely.





Earth and Storm

14 05 2013

Gaia and Storm

It sprinkled today, but you’d never know it. Gaia-girl and Storm, along with Cassidy Rain and Roja, were at the Sorrel Flats pond. Walking to the east-pocket pond (to the north) were Seven, Puzzle, Shadow and Tesora. That’s a little change of location for them. There was a lone pronghorn with them when I first saw them, but it didn’t follow them to the pond.

Roja is due to foal in a couple of days, but she doesn’t look imminently due. She lost her foal in 2012, so I’m basing her due date on the approximate time she should have foaled last year.

Roja at the Sorrel Flats pond.

Some high, thin clouds allowed some light to filter down during the early evening, and it rims the girl in such a lovely way.

And because we can’t forget Miss Cassidy Rain:

Cassidy Rain at the Sorrel Flats pond.

She pops up over a little hill, and she gives ME the schnortle! She’ll celebrate her first birthday in early June.





Outstanding from the shadows

7 05 2013

Gaia and Cassidy Rain

Gaia and daughter Cassidy Rain. Love the richness of their coats against the green of their world.





Precious water

13 03 2013

All but three of our 10 ponds have water. Of the three that don’t, one still is on the list of priority ponds to be dug out (set by Disappointment Wild Bunch Partners and BLM in 2008), one was dug out last year, and one was started last year and about half dug out before rain hit. To date, only two ponds haven’t been dug out since 2009.

Gaia, Storm, Cassidy Rain, Killian and Roja drinking at the double pond.

Storm and his band are seen here drinking from the main double pond (both have water, but only one was dug out, so I should amend my earlier statement, but only the main pond holds water reliably). From left: Gaia, Storm, Cassidy Rain, Killian and Roja. Do you see the ice still on the pond?

Gaia, Storm and Cassidy Rain drinking at the double pond.

So dainty!





Hello, my pretties!

4 03 2013

Gaia and Cassidy Rain!

The lovely Gaia and her gorgeous daughter, Cassidy Rain. They’re in Storm’s band with Roja and her almost-2-year-old colt, Killian.

It was a cloudy, stormy-looking day, but no moisture for Spring Creek Basin. The band was near the roller-coaster ridge pond, which has water, and closer to a big arroyo, which has water trickling downstream. And there’s still a bit of snow in that area (and mud on my boots to prove it!), which is reassuring.





On the run to water

20 11 2012

Evening drink time:

Gaia, Cassidy Rain, Killian and Roja run down a slope to join Storm at a water seep in an arroyo!

Love the rich colors of their fuzzy coats in diffuse sunset light.

It’s so dry – still. Seeing them drink was a welcome sight. Ranchers are hauling water to their cattle that still are on the range (not Spring Creek Basin but in nearby areas). All rain and/or snow dances welcome!





Two red, one dark

28 10 2012

These beauties are in Storm’s band:

Red Roja, red Gaia and dark Cassidy Rain. Watchful girls in the wind.

In other news, happy birthday, Mom! Love you!