To all lovers of all creatures wild and free, I wish you every beauty and joy of the season. Be happy. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you and to our wild ones. Treat each other kindly and with compassion.
Above all, love.
Merry Christmas!
25 12 2012Comments : 3 Comments »
Categories : Juniper, Kestrel, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs
Mustangs at the edge of the world
18 12 2012Seen any “Pirates” lately? Seems a good reference for this shot:
Or was it “end” of the world? Ah well. That’s a mix of Comanche’s and Hollywood’s bands on the “edge” of the second saddle of what I call Lizard Mesa. Young bachelors Hayden, Tenaz and Apollo “ran into them” at the double ponds and sent them running north. I thought maybe they’d end up at Sorrel Flats for a drink, but only the boys were there when I arrived. West of the east pocket, I finally spotted the bands on the yonder ridge, all in a line, silhouetted by the sun just before it dropped into a snow-cloud bank, which has been stalled at the west/southwest ridgeline (the top of the very far tree-covered hill you can see in the background of the above pic) for the last two or more days.
Notice, if you will, the complete and utter lack of snow on the ground.
Gentle admonition to folks within 200 miles who got a foot-plus of the white stuff: Don’t be greedy!
How does EVERYBODY get snow but Disappointment Valley!? Not a speck; not a drop. It’s not even damp.
Weatherman says another wave is coming … Cross yer fingers ‘n toes. We sure need the moisture.
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Categories : Aurora, Kestrel, Madison, Mona, Piedra, Shane, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Temple
Comanche moon
28 10 2012What if we threw out everything we thought we new about the Earth and the moon, the universe, the galaxy, the tides and turns of season.
What if it was angels – just angels – lifting the moon into the sky. Raising it – and our hopes and prayers – and lifting those we hope and pray for.
What if miracles happen?
Such beauty in the world.
What if we could hold onto it always?
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Categories : Comanche, Juniper, Kestrel, Madison, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs
Walking through beauty
17 10 2012Comanche and Kestrel:
Do you think they celebrate each day? The beauty, the light, the dark, the grass and water and occasional cloud? Themselves? 🙂
Comments : 4 Comments »
Categories : Comanche, Kestrel, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs
Sunset
12 10 2012
No words.
Comments : 10 Comments »
Categories : Comanche, Kestrel, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs
A peek at peace
6 09 2012
Sweet baby Madison peeks over sister Juniper’s back while grazing with mama Kestrel at sunset.
Mama Kestrel and daddy Comanche sharing some “us time” at sunset. Prominent Spring Creek Basin landmarks the unnamed promontory and McKenna Peak in the background.
What they know about peace in the world could change the world.
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Categories : Comanche, Juniper, Kestrel, Madison, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs
Another three (of four)
23 08 2012And mama is there, at right.
I love their faces. So serene. Family time (all the time).
They’re still traveling with Hollywood’s band.
Comments : 2 Comments »
Categories : Comanche, Juniper, Kestrel, Madison, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs
Three of four
21 08 2012Comanche’s and Hollywood’s bands were hanging out near Grey/Traveler’s band – and with Duke.
Mama Kestrel and baby Madison with daddy Comanche. Juniper close by.
Welcome clouds brought a few heavy sprinkles this morning … lighter sprinkles later. I don’t think it’s too greedy to pray for more rain? It has gotten really hot and really dry again. Rain would be as welcome as the clouds!
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Categories : Comanche, Kestrel, Madison, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs
Horses of different colors
30 07 2012
Mama Kestrel and her girls Madison, 2 1/2 months old, and Juniper, yearling. Her first daughter, Winona, is buckskin. Juni is going grey like her daddy, Comanche, and baby Madi is bay like … ? Her daddy also is Comanche; his background unknown.
Great news on the pond front: The trapsite pond has about 3 feet of water as of today! Thanks to C (and intern from South Carolina D) for the great news! The Forest Service dozer operator still was working on it some but had to abandon. J will finesse the spillways of the northwest and roadside ponds and then be done with those two. They look great – nice and deep. We had amazing rains yesterday and Saturday – particularly Saturday. Disappointment Creek started flowing again (not that it helps the horses because it doesn’t flow through the herd area, but it’s a marker for the overall valley).
The hills are green – for the first time this year really. So amazing to see what some good rain can do for this high desert environment!
This was taken at the northwest pond late last week looking northish. Sundance’s band is in the scene; can you spot them? Trick question. 🙂 They’re really not visible in this image, especially at this size. But they are there. See the promontory at the top of the image? Below that, on the open hill, the trees? The horses are near/under the leftmost of those trees. I kept looking up there, thinking I saw something … and telling myself “no way.” But I *have* seen horses up there before … and sure enough, when I finally went for the binocs, Sundance’s band. Those mountain goat-ponies. 🙂
But really, look at the foreground: grass! This area was seriously *burnt* as recently as a week or two ago (I hate it when people say/write “burnt” when they mean burned, but this area was seriously crispy, and there’s really just not another word for it).
This is looking northwestish from the middle-ish area of the basin. Duke is there.
Rain. Green. Love.
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Categories : Juniper, Kestrel, Madison, Rain, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Water, Work projects
On the rocks
4 07 2012Comanche’s band sticks pretty close to Hollywood’s band. The stallions zealously guard their mares – and if the mares get out of line, they send them back! Interesting to watch. Duke and Seven also are with the band most of the time, and this day, Kreacher’s little band (he got Roja and Killian) also was nearby and drank from a different part of the canyon.
Kestrel and Madison, taking the high ground as Kreacher’s band pushed in behind them.
While it’s totally human of me, I’m so glad to see Kestrel and Comanche and the girls reunited.
Juniper shows off her mad mountain goat skillz on the side of Spring Creek Canyon.
It doesn’t look like much, but yes, there’s water.
Comanche stretches his big trot on his way to catching up with his family after warning Kreacher’s not to get too close.
Adios!
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Categories : Comanche, Juniper, Kestrel, Madison, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Water
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 