Spring Creek Basin Mustangs

Moseying through the early morning sunlight, mustangs walk through a couple of inches of fresh snow. I wish I could describe the sparkle of a million colors as that shine reflected all those perfect flakes!

Before sunrise, the temperature was a cool 2 degrees. It topped out around 27? When the sun dropped beyond the the far ridges, the temp dropped fast, to 18. That didn’t take long!

The ponies are fuzzy, and if they wonder what happened to their brown world, replaced with all this lovely – cold! – white, still they mosey on.

We got some white stuff!

By the time I got out to the basin and found somebody close enough and willing enough to show it off, a good bit of it had melted (and we got only about an inch). Thanks, Hayden. 🙂

The good news is that – see above – we got white stuff! The mo’ bettah news is that more is in the forecast for today. Temps are supposed to plunge to single digits. Brr. But … we’re supposed to get more white stuff!

And even the reddest among us can be happy about that. 🙂

Shadow is ever unwilling to be closer to two-legged admiration than necessary – and even that close seems wholly unnecessary.

Chipeta takes advantage of a jungle of greasewood and rabbitbrush in the bottom of an arroyo to hide from the intrepid photographer.

Yeah, it didn’t work. 🙂

A nearby band was too tempting for Hayden to not go investigate – through a deep arroyo and over a ridge!

Meanwhile, his mares thought that looked like way too much effort, so they hung out on their own side of the arroyo and waited for him to return.

When Hayden reappeared, having ensured that the rival band was no threat to his family, he approached the arroyo, then stopped (he even cocked a hip!). Apparently, it was a standoff; would he make the effort to traverse the deep ditch again … or would his mares make the effort to join him on the other side?

Naturally, the mares chose an altogether different option and moseyed into a little cleft between hills, and as they disappeared from his line of sight, Hayden decided (quickly) that where they were was where he needed to be, and on he came!

Nobody gives the girls an ultimatum, not even their handsome copper stallion. 🙂