Piedra

Piedra and Hollywood

24 12 2011

Sleepy, sleepy.

Piedra and Hollywood napping comfortably together. Comanche was just to the right, and Kestrel and Juniper just right of him.

Snow coming over the eastern ridges.

They have such a bond. She’d look at me, and he’d stretch slightly to nose her tenderly on the neck. She’d turn her head back and close her eyes, their faces together.

When Comanche stole most of Hollywood’s band last spring, Piedra stayed with Hollywood … Comanche very quickly lost them (Iya, Cougar and Sage ended up with Poco and Roach, who pretty quickly kicked Sage out; Baylee and Tenaz ended up with Storm, who were together all summer), but he never seemed to0 interested in them – and not nearly as interested in keeping them as he seemed interested in sticking close to Kestrel and Winona.

Very interesting little combined-family dynamic here. What will happen when the girls have their foals? Piedra is due the end of April, Kestrel around early to mid-May.

But now is now, and now is a beautiful season. 🙂

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!

Comments : 8 Comments »

Categories : Comanche, Hollywood, Juniper, Kestrel, Piedra, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs

19 12 2011

Pretty Piedra. Haven’t had any pix of her up lately. This is from the week before last.

As much as I love the warm, rich colors of dun and sorrel and bay against the snow, I love the white-on-white of our spectacular greys. OK, she’s not “white,” being still fairly young (about 5 now? 6 next year), but I still love the more subtle contrast of her soft shade against the “soft” sage and shadscale and saltbush and snow.

Sublime.

Our forecast has changed from all sunshine to lots of snow – again. Good moisture, banked against summer’s dry. So far, La Nina seems to be turned slightly inside out – supposed to be not as much snow but cold. It has been not so much snow – and warm.

Comments : 1 Comment »

Categories : Piedra, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs

Drinks at dusk

28 11 2011

Thank you all for your votes! So very much appreciated! It makes a hard process a little easier. 🙂

Some more pix from last week’s visit. Despite the low sun, I walked out to Hollywood and Comanche’s, even though they were already on the shady side of Flat Top and the sun set before I even got to them … but I wouldn’t have missed the visit.

Last light on McKenna Peak and the unnamed promontory.

Reflected light … it must have bounced off the far hills – the sun had set on the other side of this hill.

Hollywood was standing sentinel on top of the hill (one of the finger ridges that lead up to Flat Top’s top), and Juniper ran up to him …

Then he play-chased her down to where Piedra was, both of them bucking and kicking up their heels. The poor quality is because my ISO was cranked as high as it would go! But I liked the moment of suspension. 🙂

Then it was time for their evening drink at the pond. I was a little surprised to see Comanche drink right next to Piedra, who was right next to Hollywood.

He did drink next to Kestrel, too, though.

All together.

Juniper, her reflection and Piedra – love how they all line up.

Piedra grazing after drinking.

Mama Kestrel and Juniper in amazing reflected glowing after-sunset light.

Last light on the La Sals.

Comanche, one of the very last pix I took that evening.

Wow-gorgeous.

Comments : 11 Comments »

Categories : Comanche, Hollywood, Juniper, Kestrel, La Sal Mountains, Piedra, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs

Hollywood & Piedra

16 10 2011

When I saw these two last week, my first thought was “where are Comanche’s?” They’ve been hanging out with each other for so long, I look for them together.

But nope, they’ve split – at least for now.

Lovely Piedra, waiting on Hollywood. When I first saw them, from a distance, they were on a little hill, but when I walked out, only Piedra was visible, so I walked around her to see if Comanche’s were below. Nope, but Hollywood was, napping.

Greeting when he eventually came up the hill to her.

Only Bounce of the released horses didn’t reconnect with his mare (Alegre; she’s with Traveler still). I think I saw him earlier in the day with Tenaz, but they had split by the time I got a closer look (if, in fact, it was them together the first time).

Mr. Handsome

Ms. Beautiful

I hung out with them just a little while, then headed on to get a closer look at Mona. Spoiler alert: No foal yet.

Comments : 1 Comment »

Categories : Hollywood, Piedra

Seven’s band – and friends

2 10 2011

Seven’s were with their shadow, Aspen, and Hollywood’s and Comanche’s bands when I spotted them the second day of my visit last week. They were pretty close to the road, so I decided I could sit in the Jeep and wait for them, or I could try walking out and see what happened. As it turned out, it was one of my best visits ever with Seven’s wary band.

Hollywood’s and Comanche’s are particularly comfortable with each other, so maybe that made a difference, even with Aspen dogging Seven.

This was toward the end of the visit, but that’s Comanche at left, Hollywood closest and Piedra at right. Kestrel was to the left, Seven’s band were to the right, and Juniper was wandering between them all.

Killian, who is practically the spitting image of his big brother Ze, and mama Roja.

Seven would graze, then walk his “perimeter” between his family and Aspen. I’m not sure what the unspoken code was, but he was not in the slightest worried about Hollywood or Comanche or their mares.

Yearling Shane (born Sept. 15) and mama Mona; you can see Aspen in the background.

Aspen. He has previously stolen (at least) Piedra and Mahogany, but he didn’t hold either for long.

Seven and Shane

Shane and Mona. It was harder than you might think to get pix of the belly! Shane would block her or she’d linger behind a big greasewood … After a while, it got to be kind of funny. I had a great seat under a big juniper – not the best for the direction of the light – and it was pretty high and harsh anyway – but it was perfect for observation.

Mona and Roja

Juniper (near) looking at Shane …

This was when Killian and Shane came moseying up to try to have a chat with Juniper. I didn’t have a great angle – but I didn’t want to move!

Sweetheart. 🙂 She looks so much like daddy, but certain times, I catch her looking like big sister Winona.

Cute Killian – such a sweet baby face.

Talk about reminders. I’ve been thinking about all the horses so much lately (!) … going through past photos to send adopters … thinking of all the past visits … Roja reminds me so much of Molly. I thought Molly was Roja’s dam – the resemblance is right there. But I’m glad it’s looking like Killian got his daddy’s fine head! 🙂

Comments : 2 Comments »

Categories : Aspen, Comanche, Hollywood, Juniper, Killian, Mona, Piedra, Roja, Seven, Shane

A place in the grass

29 09 2011

The light was just starting to turn into that golden shower of color. I had been sitting in the Jeep at the east end of Wildcat Valley for a bit, taking notes and watching horses, waiting for that light …

Then came the pintos, and everybody scattered.

Hollywood and Comanche and their bands came out beyond where I ended up sitting in the grass … stopped … looked back at some others … and off they went.

Handsome Hollywood

Lovely Piedra

This was when I knew for sure that Comanche still had Kestrel and Juniper, even though they were so close to Hollywood and Piedra. You can see Traveler’s band in the upper right corner.

Wowza – that Comanche has big strides!

Comanche’s daughter, Juniper, floating on light.

Juniper’s mama, Kestrel. Another beautiful girl.

Seven and Aspen were visible, too. Piedra and Kestrel are looking back at Traveler’s and/or Sundance’s, and Comanche is turning to look at Seven and Aspen (Hollywood was just to the left, and he was already looking at them).

Piedra, looking.

Seven later chased Aspen back across to where the other horses had come from. He spent a lot of time and traveled a pretty good distance to try to shake Aspen, but when he finally returned to his band (out of sight for most of the chase), Aspen followed right behind.

Seven’s band (Shane, Mona, Killian and Roja) shortly after they had come into view and he had gotten back to them (they’re looking at him).

So after waiting for that golden light with bands all around … the ponies were scattered like the wind and out of reach. 🙂 Wouldn’t ya know.

Comments : 4 Comments »

Categories : Comanche, Hollywood, Juniper, Kestrel, Killian, Mona, Piedra, Roja, Shane

Killian and family

28 09 2011

Killian, son of Seven and Roja, baby brother of Ze, who was adopted locally to an incredible home.

I had one of the best visits ever with his band yesterday. That’s Shane’s hip at right – and they’re pretty much attached at the hip. Cutest thing ever to see Killian walk hesitantly up with Shane to introduce themselves to Juniper. Little guy using big “sister” to bolster his curiosity. Juni wasn’t quite ready to play, though she gave them both a sniff, and then Piedra urged them back to their own mamas.

Wait, did I just mention horses from three different bands? 🙂

Piedra and Hollywood are reunited, and Juni and mama and daddy, Kestrel and Comanche, are reunited, and the two bands are as close as they were pre-roundup. They were grazing in a little “meadow” very near where Seven’s were napping under some trees when I spotted them. Seven ran Aspen like a crazy horse the evening before, but Aspen was napping right with them.

Mona and Roja. Mona doesn’t look terribly close, does she?

All three bands, from left: Mona, Roja, Shane and Killian, Seven, Hollywood, Piedra (Comanche behind her), Juniper and Kestrel, and Aspen at far right.

Comments : 3 Comments »

Categories : Aspen, Comanche, Hollywood, Juniper, Kestrel, Killian, Mona, Piedra, Roja, Seven, Shane

Grey beauty

19 08 2011

I’m home.

Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : Piedra

Heaven in a meadow

4 08 2011

The northwest “meadow” is the new east pocket.

There’s grass. There’s water.

Horses are there.

Four beautiful bands … and Kreacher’s – and Duke – were just to my left.

Beautiful day. How could I have thought he wouldn’t still be there?

Comments : 9 Comments »

Categories : Alpha, Briosa, Butch, Comanche, Eliana, Ember, Fierro, Gideon, Hannah, Hollywood, Hook, Juniper, Kestrel, Luna, Mahogany, Mouse, Piedra, Pinon, Sable, Steeldust, Varoujan, Winona

Return …

2 08 2011

I realize that by the time I publish this, I’ve already published my “education” post, that you’ll read it – if you wade through it at all – after you look through these. Nonetheless, I’m calling this post “return” because hopefully it marks a return to photos of the horses and place I’m so passionate about.

Without further ado … These are from the day of the tour.

Bounce’s band, early morning before anyone else arrived, just west of the east pocket.

The helicopter. I never even took pix Grey’s band, just hung out while they napped.

Later in the day, after the tour … before I knew about Twister:

Comanche’s band was very near Hollywood’s – still – and had done a bit of traveling during the day (though I can’t comment definitively on the particular cause). Earlier in the day, we could see them north of Spring Creek Canyon; here, they were just off the road above the dugout (east of their earlier location).

Hollywood’s band

Piedra and Briosa. Comanche’s were just up the hill to the right. This was taken from just off the road.

Briosa. Isn’t she a stout big girl?

Eliana, Spring Creek Canyon in the background.

Comanche

Winona

Eliana

I so enjoyed visiting with them, taking these pix of the horses against the Colorado sky with the favorable clouds we’ve seen so little of this year. I didn’t want to leave, though I was headed to check on Twister. I wasn’t aware yet of what I would find with him.

After I’d finally gotten in touch with BLM about Twister, I couldn’t stay in the basin (I didn’t leave the area so I could lead BLM to Twister in the morning). Almost didn’t even stop to greet David’s band when I found them, just inside the fence along the Disappointment Road.

Shadow and Coal

Yearling Wind wiggling between mama and baby brother. You can see the fence strands in the foreground – that’s how close they were.

Handsome baby Coal

Horrible day … and yet a good day, too. Seems to be a contradiction that settles over my entire mustang experience. Can’t explain it … and I guess, overall, I really wouldn’t change it. The “good” is really just that phenomenal.

Comments : 3 Comments »

Categories : Alegre, Aurora, Bounce, Briosa, Coal, Comanche, Eliana, Hollywood, Juniper, Kestrel, Piedra, Shadow, Whisper, Wind, Winona

Spring Creek Basin Mustangs