You envision an enticing view stretching away to the far horizon of Utah, don’t you? Or, perhaps, in the other direction, the Glade (where the aspen grow).
I hate to burst your visionary bubbles. 🙂 There was a hill just there, and we couldn’t see Round Top let alone all the way to Utah. But Maiku sure looks handsome, with his cute little pony ears and his winter beard and scruffy roughy coat … and that lip. … That lip! I’m undone by the lip. 🙂
Most of the mustangs are starting to look a little rough as they begin to shed their winter finery in preparation for the longer, warmer days of spring, but Chipeta rocks her still fine fluff.
She’s a fashion maven that way.
Slurp, slurp goes the snow. Happily, happily, we soak up the gift from Ma Nature and Ol’ Man Winter as we wait for the Maiden of Spring.
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And how about this: New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland has been confirmed the first Native American secretary of the Department of Interior.
From the article:
“Deb Haaland, a member of New Mexico’s Laguna Pueblo, has become the first Native American Cabinet secretary in U.S. history.
“The Senate voted 51-40 Monday to confirm the Democratic congresswoman to lead the Interior Department, an agency that will play a crucial role in the Biden administration’s ambitious efforts to combat climate change and conserve nature.”
For fighting for her people and all indigenous peoples and on behalf of public lands for all Americans, for fighting for science in the face of looming and catastrophic climate change, for working to preserve places of environmental importance and places sacred to Native peoples, she has been called radical. If being fierce in the face of interests that threaten and standing up for the threatened means being called radical, she seems to be well up to taking that title with the dignity for which she is known. She has widespread support, including mine.
Terra had been napping with her beau as the rest of the band browsed through the snow, which had melted to the point that vegetation was readily seen and available. Winter isn’t easy, but with moisture widely available in the form of snow, the horses scoop up bites of snow between mouthfuls of vegetation. Even with the snow we’ve (finally) received recently, the ponds are still just big depressions in the ground. This may or may not be the last gasp of winter, but (as always) we are still very much in need of water from the heavens.
Another 2.5 inches of snow (at least) fell overnight and Sunday morning in Disappointment Valley, bringing more much-needed moisture. Lots of melting happened Saturday, and the temperature is hovering right at freezing, so lots of melting is happenING.
Interestingly, snowshoes work pretty well when mud is close to the surface under the mud by doing the same thing as on snow: spreading weight over a surface. Of course, the mud isn’t as easy to knock off, but your boots are happier.
This is Temple on Friday evening:
This is Temple on Saturday afternoon:
Oh, what a difference a day (less than 24 hours) makes. 🙂
We got at least 3.5 inches of snow, so the pic taken Saturday afternoon shows a considerable amount of melting – which means water in the ground.
Placing one’s hooves and feet takes feats of strength and endurance in the mud. Killian appears to be taking extra care in that department.
It’s not that Corazon is vain, he’s just completely comfortable with his exceptional handsomeness.
Sundance and his band came to drink in an arroyo.
Sundance had a chat with another stallion whose band was first to the arroyo.
Sundance’s band got to the *water* in the arroyo first (by the luck of direction of approach).
Sundance rejoined them after his chat with the other stallion.
The other band and his stallion waited their turn. Peace was preserved.
Shadow is another little old lady of the basin (though not nearly as old as Houdini) who’d rather not bother with two-legged interlopers, thank you very much. Just because the rest of the band doesn’t seem to be bothered, Shadow knows what she knows, and no one will convince her otherwise … even during lovely naps on lovely, sunny, not-quite-spring days. 🙂
