Aspen moseys on ahead of the band. I love that green on the hills and ridges in the background. Some in the nearer background (there’s a big arroyo in the lower part/mid-ground of the pic) is greasewood and shadscale and four-wing saltbush (salt desert shrubs), but much of the green in the background is grass: grama, galleta, sand dropseed, alkali sacatone, etc. It’s a bountiful summer (thank goodness for even our sporadic monsoon rains!).
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. 🙂
Yummy, green, squeaky, delicious (that’s just an observation by a human who watches wild horses graze) sand dropseed. Shane and Hollywood and the rest of the band were blissfully happy. 🙂
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. 🙂
Not too old for a full dunk in a pond, our lady Houdini knows how to keep the buggies at bay.
Southwest Colorado’s Spring Creek Basin is a looooooonnnngggg way from any tall-grass prairies … but in some places currently in the basin, it sure looks lush. Our favorite (and only) grey-pinto boy Flash models the knee-high galleta handsomely.
*****
If you’re in the area, please join me and Kathryn Wilder from 5:30 to 6:30 this evening at Wilkinson Public Library in Telluride for her reading and talk about “Desert Chrome: Water, a Woman, and Wild Horse in the West.” We’d love to see any local mustang lovers!
Sometimes, it’s even harder than usual to find words to convey the beauty or peace or contentment I feel while with the mustangs. Sometimes, neither words nor images can quite do it … and not words and images together. But if even a little is conveyed … I consider both well worth the time spent, with the understanding that no time in the company of mustangs is even a second wasted.
Aspen had a brief fling following Hollywood’s band recently, and it allowed me to get some pix of him closer than I usually see him. Always good to spend some time with this elder gentleman.
The heat is back, the flying insects are bugging horses and humans alike, and we – including, I imagine, Cassidy Rain – are anticipating the cooler, crisper days of autumn.
Tenaz keeps his eyes on a bachelor pair associated with his band and a lone bachelor. … Just in case his presence and wisdom is needed, you know.
