That looks lovely, right?! That’s nearly all of San Miguel County – McKenna Peak is outside the basin’s eastern boundary – under wonderful green, which in radar terms, of course, means RAIN.
Except that it wasn’t actually raining when I took this screenshot (around quarter after 8 a.m.). The heavens had leaked a little a little while earlier, but someone fixed (!) the leak. (Note to someone: We’re really OK with that kind of leak … and it could rip right open … really!)
We are so hopeful, and we need it BADLY – GOODLY? … We need the goodness of it in a really bad way ’cause it’s really kinda bad dry out there.
Not too much earlier before I took this shot, the weather radar showed another lovely green blob right over us. … What we *really* had was a whole lotta blue in the big ol’ sky! I think it comes down to this: The weather gurus are just as hopeful as we are. (Otherwise, there are seriously some techy gremlins in their weather equipment.)
In very good and wonderful news, Connie Clementson, manager of Tres Rios Field Office, released a letter Monday saying that after “thoughtful consideration of the analysis and comments received” (thank you!), she has chosen the preferred alternative – Alternative A – presented by our herd manager, Mike Jensen, for our Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area Plan revision. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Now there’s a 30-day appeal period, then the decision record becomes final, and all that we’ve worked for these last many years is the official management plan in Spring Creek Basin. Documentation, bait trapping, PZP-based fertility control, AML increase … it’s all there.
I can’t begin to articulate my gratitude and overall feelings of relief. Thank you to all those who made this happen. You know who you are, and you know you are appreciated!
The world is kinda one big crazy-town right now, but all I have to do is drive into the basin, spot some horses, walk out, plop myself on the ground (dry as it is … watching for cacti and slitheries, of course) … and all that crazy melts away.
Nature and wild horses truly are the best medicine for what ails us (somebody said that once upon a time, I’m sure of it!), and I am so blessed and thankful to have huge dollops of both in my life.
No bodies of any species in or near Spring Creek Basin were harmed by loud explosions, no fires were started, no fingers were amputated or eyebrows singed off.
Awe was widespread. 🙂
O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed His grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea!
O beautiful for pilgrim feet, Whose stern, impassioned stress A thoroughfare for freedom beat Across the wilderness! America! America! God mend thine every flaw, Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law!
O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife, Who more than self their country loved And mercy more than life! America! America! May God thy gold refine, Till all success be nobleness, And every gain divine!
O beautiful for patriot dream That sees beyond the years Thine alabaster cities gleam Undimmed by human tears! America! America! God shed His grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea!
~ Lyrics by Katharine Lee Bates; music composed by Samuel A. Ward
This Independence Day, especially, let’s help our fellow Americans hold to the ideals of brother(and sister)hood and all lives being equally valued and cherished. We are bound not only by the country of our birth … but also by our planet of birth.
Celebrate freedom. Celebrate each other. Celebrate the wonderful diversity that thrives all across these United States of America.
Hollywood watches a couple of his mares while another couple peek over the ridge behind him. They chose a pretty scenic place to watch the nearly-full moon rise over Spring Creek Basin.
The full moon, known in July as the buck moon, thunder moon or hay moon, will be Saturday night and early Sunday morning, and there also will be a partial penumbral eclipse!
Yes, you’re seeing clouds in the background above McKenna Peak and Temple Butte. We’ve had some nice clouds. … And we’ve had more red-flag days. And smoke. And heat.
So handsome blue-eyed boy Kwana is a welcome sight for sore eyes. 🙂
Aspen stands at peace with his hip cocked while watching a band a little below the ridge he was on. McKenna Peak is giant in the background. The other band was napping in the shade of a juniper tree, but Aspen didn’t seem to mind the sunshine.
Four o’clock flowers are some of the iconic wildflowers of this part of Colorado and one of those we (OK, I) look forward to seeing most. They’re suddenly blooming in Spring Creek Basin, and they’re a welcome splash of color amid our brown, brown expanse.
Speaking of a splash of color … !!!!!!
Our skies lately have been blue, blue, depressingly blue (depressing while we’re looking for rain clouds). But the last few evenings, we’ve gotten some clouds toward evening, and those have made for some spectacular sunsets.
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 