Because grey is the most dominant color among Spring Creek Basin’s mustangs (thanks to a couple of prolific grey stallions introduced with a pinto stallion in the 1990s), probably the advice I give most to visitors is to “look for the white dots – or spots.”
While I was with another couple of bands in an area of the basin I call wildcat valley, I spotted a white dot and a black dot, joined soon by another white dot and a red dot. I might not have seen the others if I hadn’t seen that first itty bitty white spot highlighted by sunshine against shadow. In the farthest background looms the base of McKenna Peak.
That mustang! That light! That place they call home!
When I first walked out to Corazon’s band, I had visions of getting the whole band in a frame that included McKenna Peak and Temple Butte and some amazing clouds left by a passing storm (that remained southeast of us and didn’t pass over us at all). … In reality, I got butts and faces hidden in grass. 🙂 Which isn’t a terrible thing when there’s grass to be grazed!
It was very accommodating of Corazon to eventually give me a look before our area was draped in the shadow of the western rimrock edge of the basin. … And then they went off to evening water, and it was another day to mark as divine.
Usually, I make a point of culling pix of the horses with their jaws working because it’s usually less than flattering. But in some cases lately, it’s just one more way to illustrate the good grass available to the horses right now.
It’s also a good way to illustrate/celebrate Rowan’s, Aiyanna’s and Dundee’s one-year anniversary of arriving in Spring Creek Basin from Sand Wash Basin!
Last year, we had monsoon rains, too, which also provided a wonderful and very welcome relief of drought conditions in the form of growing grasses and refilled ponds (it’s kind of (!) a big deal because it had been a number of years since we’d had any kind of monsoon season). The timing meant that in September, we were able to welcome the girls to their new range in high style – and literally high grass. That’s also something to celebrate. 🙂
The three grey amigas: Houdini, Alegre and Maia. Never far from each other.
And I guess that Houdini didn’t do a FULL dunk in a pond; this pic was taken the same day as yesterday’s post’s pic. This side of her was perfectly clean. 🙂
I’m not normally a person given to repeating quotes, but I saw this one the other day, and it resonated with me deeply:
“The grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love and something to hope for.” Attributed to Joseph Addison.
For me, happiness centers around mustangs, in particular, the mustangs of Spring Creek Basin and Disappointment Valley. They give me so much more than mere happiness. 🙂
Have I mentioned the recent GREEN in Spring Creek Basin? Yes? Oh, good. … ‘Cuz it’s there. 🙂
Along with a little of this:
Two perspectives of Spring Creek, flowing with rainwater, the day before yesterday. The first image is directly as the road crosses the creekbed/arroyo; the second is just to the right – water flowing toward us. Interestingly, the road was dry to this point, but clearly it had rained in the northern and eastern (at least) regions of Spring Creek Basin. By this point, the major arroyos of the basin have converged (though there are still some that feed the creek’s westward drainage). The water was neither high (deep) nor terribly fast, but I didn’t cross. There are times to respect Mother Nature’s obstacles, and I deemed this to be one of those times.
Also a good bit of this:
This is the pond near the hill we call Flat Top. It’s rare to see it so full of water that it backs up so far to the right.
And this is the east-pocket pond, way back in the far eastern region of Spring Creek Basin, also full to the gills.
The pond pix were taken the day before those of Spring Creek running, which was the day after I got soaked going into the basin and getting caught in a lovely little drenching that did NOT go ’round. 😉
All the ponds are so excellently full; the above two are just examples.
As I was transfixed by this sight of a couple of bands gathered around one of the ponds in Spring Creek Basin, another magical sight was forming over my right shoulder.
Sometimes, you see the things you need most to see … just when you need to see them. And any worries or anxieties melt away in light of the vision before you.
A wide-open view of a wide-open place, crowned by the very best light.
And did I mention that the 4 o’clock is blooming again? No? Well … it is. 🙂
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 