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.
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.
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.
Mountain areas – Utah’s La Sals above – have lovely snow, but we don’t. And there’s a lot of brown expanse between here and there.
It’s an easy winter for the wild ones (so far?!), but it’s gonna be a tough summer (unless something changes PDQ).
When photographing Corazon, one has to be ready for the one moment when he looks up from grazing, ears pricked with interest and eye(s) glowing – the one moment in many long moments of otherwise peaceful, quiet wandering – to hit the shutter and capture his handsome self.
While I was walking away from the band, Shadow and three of her bandmates, who were slightly separate from the main group, kicked up their heels and trotted back to reunite with their pals.
I was glad I hadn’t put my camera away in my backpack.
See those white dots out yonder, past Shane? And a couple of darker dots, too? No, not the trees. About the level of Shane’s ears. Earlier, that band had been up on top of the north side of Spring Creek canyon!
It’s not the first time I’ve seen horses up there, but it’s the first time I was in position to hustle down to the canyon to hike up to the top of the canyon. Unfortunately, by the time I’d hustled up, they’d moseyed down. The view wasn’t nearly as grand from the bowl as from the top of the rimrock-bound canyon.
It was nice to catch sight of them again, while hanging out with another band on a most-gorgeous, calm, peaceful, just lovely-as-all-get-out evening in Spring Creek Basin.
We have some more snow showing up in our forecast the next day or so. It’d be REALLY great to actually get it.
Corazon with his mare … another pretty redhead in Spring Creek Basin. The mountains would ordinarily be visible from this perspective, but they were cloaked in snow clouds (and hopefully good, soaking snow). …
We finally got some drips and dribbles early Friday morning, which was a huge relief (bigger than the amount of water in the rain gauge). … And yes, it was rain, not snow, though the higher elevations of Disappointment Valley and surrounding ridges got some snow. Bring it on!
