Spring Creek Basin Mustangs

Cassidy Rain. My goodness, she’s beautiful. She is her mother’s daughter.

Isn’t she gorgeous? Her rich, thick copper coat, lit by the low autumn sun, makes Gaia seem to glow from within.

Magic.

Remember the pic of the badger a couple of months ago, then the pic of Ty with his ears pricked? It didn’t take a badger to get some animation out of Mysterium for this pic, though. A lone mule deer doe did the trick. I’m not sure *why* Mysterium was so interested, but the whole situation sure provided a cool freeze-frame of time and place and horse and light.

Sometimes, this is all of the horses’ faces I see as they graze among the sage and saltbush and greasewood. But with the light on their fuzzy ears and rough manes, even that view is enough.

Puzzle accepts a nuzzle from Tesora. Young Puzzle acts as a good auntie for younger Tesora.

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Would ya’ll believe parts of the basin got snow yesterday? And not just the upper ridges. It didn’t last long, but it served to give the thirsty land a bit more moisture.

… and burrs in his mane.

His long, long mane – and his forelock – is all knotted up with burrs now. All the members of his band have been into them. Even so, how handsome is he?

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Good news: Disappointment Valley got some rain yesterday. What a relief.

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The area is Grand Central Station for hunters right now. Here’s a wish for safety for all visitors – and all residents.

‘Tis the season for the ponies to put on their winter coats. The days still are pretty warm, but nights have been down to freezing. The aspen are pretty well done, but Disappointment Valley still has a river of orange where cottonwoods line the creek.

Mama Chipeta can always be counted on to provide relief to “baby” Seneca.

Isn’t she just divine? Sweet Alegre with Houdini.

… is 67 years old today! 🙂

She is one of the most compassionate people I know. From a young age, inspired by a favorite uncle who was a doctor, she knew she wanted to be a nurse. An untold number of patients of all ages benefited from her calm approach to nursing them back to health. On the downside, when we were kids, my brother and I rarely got out of school for “illness”!

She’s the best cook/chef/baker I know. What’s my favorite food? Anything my mom makes! She’s a horsewoman, a dog lover, a gardener (and canner/preserver, following a long line of women in her family), a woman who sews, a planter and lover of trees, a chicken wrangler, the glue that binds our extended family, a farmer, a rancher, a mechanic’s helper, a veterinarian in a pinch, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a wife (and an Army wife at that), a mom, my best friend.

My mom is my role model, the woman I aspire to be.

I love you, Mom! Happy birthday! 🙂