Sun spots

17 03 2012

Maybe not the spots you were expecting.

Corona backlit.

I confess that I’m not sure about her pregnancy status. She ought to be, having been with Grey/Traveler since last spring. (Even after the roundup and a brief sojourn with Tenaz, he got her back.) But she’s so small, it’s hard to tell.

She will turn 3 the end of April, born the spring after her mama, Raven, and Mona and Kootenai were introduced from Sand Wash Basin. (This is done periodically here to help ensure our herd’s genetic diversity, and these three mares represent the third such introduction that I’m familiar with.) From documentary photos of the Sand Wash Basin mustangs before their 2008 roundup, I know Raven was with that basin’s famous and fabulous stallion Corona – for whom I named our Corona.

I *think* she is pregnant – she has a way of walking that seems to accommodate a bigger belly than she’s used to.

What do you all think??


Comments : 4 Comments »

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

Such a boy

16 03 2012

A, who adopted Liberty, had a wonderful art show tonight in Ridgway: “Liberty and Family and Friends” drew a big crowd of Spring Creek Basin mustang supporters!

She had several paintings of Liberty, of course, as well as paintings of horses we’ve recently lost: Twister, Hook, Cinch, Kiowa …

A’s painting of Cinch, from a photo I took of him last March. Actually, I’m sure she won’t mind if I provide her name, as the artist: She is Alice Billings of Ridgway. Isn’t this fantastic?

I met several people I’d previously known only by name/email/phone/Facebook. To see all the people so enamored of and supportive of our mustangs was awesome.

These photos are for L’s daughter, who said Hayden is her favorite. 🙂

What a sweetie. Terra walked over to Hayden, where he was napping under a tree, minding his own business. It’s fun to watch the girls with him. It’s probably not quite as much fun to be him, dealing with the girls teasing him.

But he gives back almost as good as he gets. 🙂

Later, he laid down while they were napping, and they stood protectively over him, his head inches from their hooves. I love watching them.


Comments : 5 Comments »

Categories : Hayden, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Terra

Morning lightness

16 03 2012

Chrome and Terra in the morning, gilded. My camera was giving me error messages on each shot, and I was just crying with that light all around. I finally changed batteries, and that solved the problem, but I must also have changed the white balance because none of the other photos came out with this golden light. Winona is just out of sight below them, and Hayden is behind them a short distance.

This is behind Filly Peak, where the roundup took place. Chrome likes to hang out in this area. They were pretty far distant the other day. It was good to see them back in “usual” territory.

The bare hill in the middle background drops down to the Disappointment Road. The treed hills in the background are outside the herd management area. You can see some snow still on the shady north hillsides among the pinon and juniper, but most of it is gone in this area. We’re apparently awaiting our next storm; moisture will be critical this year (as it is every year!). This is one of the mildest winters I think I’ve experienced in 10 years in Colorado.


Comments : 2 Comments »

Categories : Chrome, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Terra

Escape artist

15 03 2012

Houdini, highlighted.

She wasn’t keen on having her picture taken. I just wanted to see the belly. And yes, there’s a belly on the girl. I just couldn’t resist this scrumptious, gorgeous image of the grand girl.


Comments : 4 Comments »

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

Girls rule

13 03 2012

The boys get all the press, but it’s the girls who call the shots.

Do you get that from this image of Piedra and Hollywood? She’s totally in control.

He wooed her when she was still in her family band. He has lost her – briefly – a couple of times, but he always gets her back.  When Comanche stole most of Holls’ band last spring, the one he didn’t get – who didn’t leave? – was Piedra. All of her foals are his foals. This year’s will be their fourth.

He seems to like to be close, but he also gives her quite a bit of space. Comanche, Kestrel and Piedra grazed close … then away. Holls was close, but they drifted while grazing, comfortable apart.

Who can blame the boys really? 🙂


Comments : 5 Comments »

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

Light and shadow

12 03 2012

While visiting Grey/Traveler’s band, I was watching him watch his younger girls, Corona, Gaia and Aurora, when he suddenly came alert. Chrome’s band had just appeared over the crest of the hill.

Terra

Winona

Hayden

Chrome

I stayed with them past last light. How beautiful are they?

Having just a short period of time served to concentrate my focus. Instead of thinking ahead, thinking other, thinking where else I could be, who else I could see, I was happy to sit, to see, to be with those I was with.  How happy was I?


Comments : 5 Comments »

Categories : Chrome, Hayden, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Terra, Winona

Wonder

12 03 2012

Is it any wonder he’s the star of so many posts?

This was taken after he and Hollywood had a little chat. Chrome’s band had just come into view farther up the hill. Grey/Traveler and Hollywood had a brief little meeting, then Hollywood walked away. Right about then, he noticed Piedra alert, quite a bit behind them. He galloped off … the pronghorn buck that had been napping and grazing with Grey’s band had started walking west toward Hollywood and Piedra while I was visiting with Comanche’s band. I lost sight of him, but the horses didn’t! The horses didn’t mind me, but prongs wasn’t too keen about my presence.

See him?

Never know what wonders you’ll see in the basin.


Comments : 2 Comments »

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

Ha ha ha!

11 03 2012

What do you think he’s saying?

Nice teeth, pal. 🙂

Like daddy, like daughter! (Take care of those pearly whites, Juniper!)

Mama Kestrel was her usual calm self. Who do you suppose is there in the background? Clue: How many grey horses do you count?

Seems like forever since I’ve been in to see the ponies. I’ve missed them. It felt *good* to sit on the hill with the setting sun shining on us, horses grazing, birds wheeling, pronghorn watchful. Wonderfully simple and natural and normal. Wonderful and beautiful.

The horses had a few other visitors. People soaking up springtime and mustang magic.


Comments : 1 Comment »

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

Grey against blue

7 03 2012

Snow again here! We’re getting good moisture, though I don’t mind saying some of us are looking hard ahead for spring.

No new photos of the horses, so I’m reaching back a month for this one of Grey/Traveler, handsome against a lowering sky and the La Sal Mountains of Utah.

Beauty in the world is not an untouchable thing. It surrounds us … though sometimes in out-of-the-way places. 🙂


Comments : 2 Comments »

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

Aurora, Corona & Gaia

4 03 2012

Did I post this already? Thank you all for your patience while I’ve been busily engaged elsewhere. I should be back to fairly regular Internet service now … and back to regular postings of pictures and tales about our Spring Creek Basin beauties!

Aurora, left, Corona, center, and Gaia alert and/or snoozing in the snowy sunshine a coupla-few weeks ago. ‘Rora looks black as jet, but I love Gaia’s rich red against the snow, and even Corona seems less “light” against that pure whiteness.

This was taken during a hike when I also saw Sundance’s band close, and Duke and Kreacher, and Chrome’s and Aspen’s bands at a distance. I may have some news soon about whether Roja and Killian did, indeed, rejoin Aspen, Mona and Shane.

So, a bit of explanation: Part of my busy-ness these last few (several?) weeks has involved walking fence lines. Several places were cut before the roundup. Fortunately, we have been able to get those cuts fixed. All the horses are safe and sound within protected boundaries. In a few weeks, a group of students from the University of Missouri will be in the area during their annual “alternative spring break.” Students usually spend a day in the basin on a projects (cutting and spraying tamarisk the last few years) and then other projects on local public lands during the rest of their stay. This year, they will spend two days in the basin repairing and rebuilding fence. We are always happy to have their volunteer labor and cheerful help! This is a program organized through San Juan Mountains Association (part of our Disappointment Wild Bunch Partners coalition) with BLM and other volunteer groups. We have certainly put partnerships to good work here.


Comments : 6 Comments »

Categories : Advocacy, Aurora, Corona, Gaia, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs

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