I was with another band and a fair distance from Skywalker when I looked over and saw him highlighted against the storm-shadowed far ridges with a bit of billowing cloud above him. Skywalker knows how to work the dramatic backgrounds, even while sedately grazing along.
(No, we didn’t get any of that rain, but hopefully our neighbors to the southeast did!)
Two of my very favorite boys: Storm and Buckeye.
Buckeye in the universally known stallion dance at the end of the day.
Piedra and Kestrel and their bandmates – indeed, the whole herd – are taking advantage of the bounty of (particularly) galleta grass this summer. The grama and sand dropseed and alkali sacaton also are particularly good. Mustang heaven as the days shorten.
At the very moment of sunset, Flash and his young pals were taking a break from harassing the other stallions and their bands. Fortunately, the break gave the other stallions a much-needed breather, too!
Be still my so-in-love heart.
I have been in complete love with Storm (sorry human men; you really don’t stand a chance) since the moment I saw him, bright-copper-penny red with a huge blaze, hind stockings and still-tipped ears, standing with his mama Alpha, dried blood still reddening her hind legs, sweet, divine look on her face as she stood calmly with her spunky baby boy.
That was back in the days when I had to drive two hours to get to the basin and was camping in my Jeep. I have watched him grow up and into a marvelous band stallion, watching over his own mares and spunky foals.
As much as I love them ALL, Storm is my boy. He makes my heart big enough to love them all, and that’s pretty amazing.
If you don’t realize from Sundance’s march that he means business, please allow me to translate from the original and ancient mustang: Sundance means business.
Remember the young guy wandering around wreaking havoc among bands a few nights/posts ago? This (above situation) was soon after I arrived on the scene, so I don’t know the exact extent of his havoc (I do know that I had seen his usual-pal way west on my way into the basin and had wondered where this young fellow was …). But although he was a fair distance from his family, that was too close for Sundance, who decided to have a little meeting with the youngster.
Soon after Sundance’s encounter, Storm reinforced the message, after which the young stallion went off to look for other targets – which he found in the form a big group of a couple of bands heading this way from an evening drink at a nearby pond. THEY ended up fleeing across a deep arroyo, up over a little table-top end of a ridge, down and through another deep arroyo and up another ridge.
Meanwhile, young master headed back to his original targets – or nearby – as seen in the pix of the evening of majesty a few nights ago.
“Never give up”: motto of young stallions everywhere. 🙂
(And oh my GOSH, I adore the image of Sundance framed by Temple Butte and McKenna Peak! Classics, all!)
Kestrel and Maia watch the young bachelor approach from an arroyo and a ridge away. They – the whole group of a couple of bands – were intensely interested in the approach of an unknown (I don’t know that he’s *totally* unknown) solo horse. He sure sent them on a not-short runaway mission. I was grateful for the short time I had with them – and the looks of concentration that I almost never witness otherwise!
So-pretty Mariah, knee-deep in galleta grass.
Just a little bit of rain has had a big impact on the range this year. And that’s a gigantic relief.
Not even a downed, dead tree and abundant grass could keep Rowan from keeping those bright eyes on me, just in case.
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 