Alegre rocks her own fashion-forward braid style two nights ago in a very, very smoky Spring Creek Basin.
Changing wind directions mean that the terrible smoke we’ve experienced the past few days is coming from the Stoner Mesa Fire, to the southeast in Dolores County. To say that it’s yucky is a yucky understatement. (Cortez Journal article here.)
While we’re praying desperately for rain, we’re also praying for the safety of all those fighting the wildfires around the state. In particular, as mustang advocates, we’re praying for those fighting and affected by the giant Lee Fire, southwest of Meeker, which is immediately east of Piceance-East Douglas Herd Management Area.
Earlier, the smoke plume from the Stoner Mesa Fire (now more than 3,500 acres in very rough country), had been rising high into the sky on our southeastern horizon, but by the time I got out to see the ponies, it was settling again for the night. There’s still a haze, but it’s nice to see more of our blue sky again.
Temple looks as beautiful as always, especially with McKenna Peak and Temple (yes, named for her namesake(s)) Butte in the background.
I heard a rumor that some wet weather might be coming into our region toward the end of the week or weekend, but the forecast is either behind the times, or it doesn’t want to give us a (false?) sense of hope. Ha. Any hope is great hope at this point!
Corazon is likely in his 20s now and still has a mare and a yearslong, loyal lieutenant (Maiku). This series of images show him doing a dance between his mare and a “rival” stallion (who really just went to have a chat because their families were grazing fairly close together). I couldn’t decide which moment I liked best, so you get three!
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Happy, happy birthday to my dad, Dave! 🙂 Long-time readers know that I get my addiction to (err, love for!) horses to both my dad and mom. Thanks, Dad! I love you!
I put a fair amount of effort into planning and photographing the rising (nearly) full moon this month – the Sturgeon Moon. It didn’t quite work out, what with clouds, smoke, wrong position, smoke, clouds (and all of those things in the last days as the moon neared fullness), but I’ll never get tired of that scenery.
Mustangs were nearby but not in quite the right location to incorporate into my hoped-for scene. And when I left the basin, there was an amazing gathering of bands very near the road in the west. 🙂 The moon was out of sight again behind clouds and a hill, but what a great “farewell until we meet again,” which won’t be more than a day or two, despite heat, dust, smoke, clouds (non-rain-bearing), because … MUSTANGS! 🙂
For an account of how we’re all feeling with the seemingly neverending heat and drought and fire danger, please read Kat Wilder’s post about Spiritual Drought Syndrome. She said she just made it up, but I think it’s real and disturbing. I think we’re all suffering to some degree.
It’s not my intention to ignore all the ills of the world on this blog, just to make it a place of peace and beauty.
Two nights ago, clouds stymied my moonrise photography attempts, but Mother Nature put on a show, nonetheless. You can’t really call that a rainbow – a light prism? – over Brumley Point, but it was a much better sight than the image I took the day before that looked like Brumley, which looks enough like an old volcano, was actually erupting.
This was the second time it happened (and I was in a bit different location). Neither occurrence lasted more than a minute or two?
Do dragonflies bring you joy? It’s way out of focus here near the in-focus pinon tree – in my defense, I was pretty far away, and it was zipping faster than I could follow, let alone focus – but that little beam of zooming light (seeing it backlit against a far mesa is what caught my attention in the first place) brought ME joy! I realized that it was snatching flying insects out of the air, which I cheered wholeheartedly. The gnats are largely gone, but we have (still) big flies and (now) these weird little things that are bigger than gnats and almost as exasperating.
The moon did rise above the clouds eventually, of course. No matter the conditions here on Earth, it’s always, comfortingly, there – somewhere out there.
Most importantly, to paraphrase Mad-Eye Moody (apologies to non-Harry Potter fans): Stay vigilant!
Note: Images are from Tuesday, Aug. 5. Yes, I’m in Spring Creek Basin for the below (cell-phone) images, and yes, the fire is fairly close as the eagle soars (the next county south, which is Dolores County; the basin is mostly in San Miguel County but does extend south into northern Dolores County). However, the horses are not in danger; there’s actually a lotta country between there and and the basin.
If you’ve visited Spring Creek Basin, you’ll recognize this cattle guard at the intersection of Road 19Q (Disappointment Road) and Road K20E. What you most likely and very fortunately have NOT seen as you head east toward Spring Creek Basin is a giant, nuclear-cloud-looking smoke plume. 😦 That’s the newly started Stoner Mesa Fire. (This is the Durango Herald link; you may hit a paywall, or you may get a free read of three articles (?).)
I won’t lie; I nearly had a heart attack when I saw that plume. Back in 2002, I was working at the aforementioned Durango Herald, and when I drove to work each afternoon (copy editor/page designer shift of 3 p.m. to midnight), the nuclear-plume of smoke from the Missionary Ridge Fire greeted me with heart-stopping awesomeness (and not in a good way) every time I topped Hesperus Hill to descend toward Durango.
This is from the area we call Chrome’s Point in western Spring Creek Basin, looking east-southeast. Yes, those dark-and-white spots at far left, left of the main/original water catchment aprons (looks like a tennis court) and tank are mustangs. Thankfully, they seemed completely and totally oblivious. The air was hot and smoky: Dragon Bravo Fire, Sharp Canyon Fire, Turner Gulch Fire (smoke still visible from it, too), Waters Canyon Fire … and who knows what other fires contributing to our air dis-quality (!?)) – more hazy than seems apparent from these images.
Moonrise over McKenna Peak and Temple Butte from farther north in the basin. Most of the smoke was blocked by the eastern horizon of ridges from this perspective.
Sunset through smoke. Pretty … but it is violently, dangerously dry out there.
This is a hot, bad, dry (and very-bad-dry) summer, folks. Please be mindful of anything that could spark a flame, stay safe, and support your firefighters … local, regional, state and national. And rain dances are *ALWAYS* appreciated. 🙂
(I went with my phone pix for this post, but I may have some from my big camera in coming days. … May …)
Kestrel is another “old-timer” (though younger than Corazon), who doesn’t like to pose for the camera (or the camera-wielding woman), and frequently turns this gaze of curious confusion toward me. And sometimes I manage to catch it somewhat creatively. 🙂
It’s hot again. And dry. And hot. And did I mention dry? And still smoky-hazy. Kestrel and her band have been hanging out in a far location of Spring Creek Basin where remains at least one (maybe two) water-(semi-)filled ponds. That’s a relief … but rain would bring more.
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 