If the cliffy ridges beyond Juniper look familiar, it’s because you saw them recently as the full moon rose above them. The moon rose actually just a tiny bit to the left of what’s pictured here, which is looking pretty directly southeastish. (In case you haven’t noticed, every direction out here is a bit of an “ish”! I suppose that’s true of any/every land this vast.)
Couldn’t pass up an opportunity to share a couple of non-mustang sights from Disappointment Valley last night!
I don’t think I realized until this year how many “favorite” birds I have! I keep thinking “this one is my favorite” until the next one comes along that is *also* my favorite. (Kinda like the mustangs, ALL of which are my favorites!) Western meadowlarks have been one of my top favorites since I lived in Montana and learned to recognize their gorgeous liquid trill of a bright song. I haven’t managed to get a favorite pic yet, but this one was singing his beautiful heart out near the road before and after moonrise.
Speaking of moonrise … !!!
I was expecting it to rise later, and from a different location (yes, I know there are apps for that, and I have one, and it was completely wonky, showing moonrise nearly directly south!), so I was looking for the meadowlark when I caught sight of the rising moon, nearly already fully above the horizon! (It was NOT as far south as the app showed, but it was considerably farther southish than I was expecting. This is fairly southeastish; McKenna Peak and Temple Butte are some distance (photographically, at least) to the left.)
All in all, another gorgeous evening in Spring Creek Basin (and the wind even dropped a bit). 🙂
To all moms, everywhere, and especially (of course) MY mom: Thank you! … THANK YOU!
Words are not (ever) enough, of course, but know that you are appreciated, you are valued, you are loved. Deeply. 🙂 We can never know all that you’ve given on our behalf, and I hope we show our love and appreciation all year long, not just today.
Happy Mother’s Day!
How is she so gorgeously gorgeous?! Temple, of course.
She and her band had just been to a little water source; note her black “socks.”
No rain, but stormy light is the best light.
Skywalker, who has been wandering mostly on his own, sometimes with a couple of bachelor pals, most recently has been back with his former band (still as a bachelor) and buddy (maybe not quite anymore) Sancho.
He seemed fairly grumpy, but I finally caught him looking mildly interested as he looked up from snoozing, saw me sitting nearby … and went back to sleep. Nothing to see here!
But everything to see *there*!
We had rain Sunday and Monday, and we had great storm clouds Tuesday and Wednesday. Unfortunately, we got only a trickle-drip of “rain” from those clouds those days, but the light has been incredible.
Most unfortunately, I had already hiked down from the hill and the band by the time sunset and THIS happened (a couple of hours later):
Those mountains, in all three pix, are southeastern Utah’s La Sal Mountains.
Absolutely, breathtakingly spectacular. Scenery and mustangs brought to you by Mother Nature’s magic. 🙂
Mariah grazes on greens while Mr. and Mrs. Mallard peruse the shoreline for any duck-lightful edibles.
By this time, I had moved to the west end of the pond, on the opposite side from the horses. I really was delighted when the ducks landed where they did. They were still probably 20 or so yards from the horses, most of which ignored the ducks, but a couple of which paid rapt attention!
Our feathered friends Mr. and Mrs. Mallard are still on the one pond in Spring Creek Basin that has water (or they may be a different pair?).
Mrs. (I think) American Wigeon is with them (might also be a different individual), but Mr. Wigeon was not present.
Mr. and Mrs. Mallard were practicing their synchonized diving, and this judge awards them a near perfect 9.5! 🙂 (Also, though, I think this illustrates how shallow the pond is, though it still covers a fair bit of area.)
Mustangs had already been to the pond to drink and were lingering over some fresh greens to the left (eastish). Later, the ducks all few off the pond, and Mrs. Wigeon circled and returned to the water, but Mr. and Mrs. Mallard explored terra firma – right near some horses! At least a few of the horses were interested in their little waddling friends, but nobody approached too closely.
Spring Creek Basin and at least part of Disappointment Valley got about half an inch of rain (total) Sunday and Monday. Upper and lower areas of the valley likely got more and less, respectively. We needed it badly, and I think the grasses are already growing, and it’s already a bit more green. *Grateful*!
While aiming at a few other horses to the right, I realized that someone was camouflaged through this juniper tree to the left. Piedra. 🙂
I always wonder what they think from their perspective, where I must be more camouflaged than they are, maybe about the same distance from the tree. I love MY perspective, seeing her through the “window” in the branches.
When I’m taking pix of tiny little things like flowers with my phone, I never know where the focus is going to be, whether I try to make it in a certain place or another certain place. I got the focus on the top flowers in one pic and the bottom flower in the next pic, and I like them both!
The claret cup cacti are now blooming – all of a sudden! – in Spring Creek Basin. They make me so happy. 🙂
A closer look at Mr. Flash (yes, it’s him; I promise!), looking at my buggy recently. He spent most of the visit napping (that’s Gaia grazing in the background; the other mares mostly were napping, too), but when he woke up and noticed the buggy, all of a sudden, he realized he should be on defense. It’s a hard, exhausting job for a young stallion to keep track of all those mares, who are (only) fairly tolerant of having him tag along with them, thank you very much. 🙂
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 