Though Cassidy Rain is all kinds of lovely dark shades herself, in these early spring days, when it still feels like late winter, she is the bright spot in a still-drab landscape. And while Colorado is still getting snow (!), she and the rest of the mustangs are still wearing those fluffy winter coats. They do know how to adapt to Mother Nature!
This is another case of having no idea what the mustang was looking at, but whatever it was, it held his attention.
We were west of Filly Peak – the rimrocks in the background form Spring Creek Basin’s western boundary – and Buckeye was looking into the cove. It’s a limited area, and I thought he might even be watching ravens or other birds, but darned if my human eyes could pick out what commanded his attention.
Whatever it was, it provided us with a wonderful pic of a mustang stallion, as free as he was meant to be.
Just before I took this pic, Skywalker was standing guard on the edge of a little ridge, looking wonderfully handsome and marvelously picturesque. I didn’t think I’d have time to get my camera out of my pack before he moved … and as it turned out, I could barely get my *phone* out before he started moving. Luckily, Skywalker was still marvelously handsome and picturesque in the middle of the panoramic view!
There’s a sort of odd 3-D effect to this photo that I can’t quite explain … but really adore. Terra is the sharpest – in fact, she’s the only sharp part – brightest part of the image, which is very true to reality!
If camouflage had a mustang theme, Kestrel would blend right in (get it?)!
He nearly always reminds me of his great-grandpa Grey. But sometimes, the similarities seem more striking than ever. I can’t articulate them, really. It’s more than them both being grey with dark points. It’s their bearing, the look in their eyes … something maybe not definable at all.
I dearly loved the grandpa, and I love the grandson no less.
The setting sun not only made an orange glow of the landscape, but it turned lovely Alegre as brassy as a coveted statue. The Earth and the mustangs aren’t ruled by clocks, of course, but the days ARE getting longer, and the sun seems to hang a little longer above the horizon.
Not much green yet – in the photo or on the range – but hopefully Mother Nature’s elves are hard at work getting ready for spring on this St. Patrick’s Day!
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At 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 22, at Out West Books in Grand Junction, Kat Wilder will be reading from her memoir, “Desert Chrome; Water, A Woman, and Wild Horses in the West.” I’ll be there to talk a bit about Spring Creek Basin’s mustangs, and we’re hoping someone from Friends of the Mustangs – advocacy group associated with the Little Book Cliffs mustangs – will say a few words about their work.
If you’re in the Grand Junction area next week, stop by and say hi!
Little bitty pretty muddy girl! Spirit always makes me smile at her sweet self … especially when she’s wearing some fancy new baubles in her forelock. 🙂
What a difference a year makes.
In spite of the snow-heavy winter we’ve had, the mustangs are absolutely thriving, and perhaps no mustang demonstrates this more significantly than almost-3-year-old Rowan, introduced to Spring Creek Basin from northwestern Colorado’s Sand Wash Basin with her mare mates Dundee (4 this year) and Aiyanna (also about to be 3) in the fall of 2021.
A year ago:
This photo, taken the end of March 2022, shows Rowan, in particular, looking a bit lean as a coming-2-year-old.
It’s rare that I have the opportunity of showing some growing contrasts, but I couldn’t be happier with her blossoming. She – and Dundee and Aiyanna – are without doubt wonderful additions to Spring Creek Basin, and I hope they’re happy in their new home (I’m pretty sure that if mustangs understand “happy” as a concept, they are). 🙂
Windy? Eh.
Two-legged? Eh.
Corazon takes it all in stride.
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 