Spring Creek Basin Mustangs

Happy FIFTIETH anniversary to my mom and dad, Nancy and Dave!

Fifty years, folks. And they’ve known each other for years before they were married – since they were teenagers, hauling their horses to 4-H shows in Ohio.

The past 50 years have taken them across the country and across the Atlantic with the Army, and like many military spouses, they’ve spent long stretches apart (though, thankfully, fate spared my dad war-time service). Not always, but most of the time, they’ve been able to have horses, which means my brother and I got to grow up with horses, even as we changed schools and friends and moved around the country. I wouldn’t have changed it for anything.

They still have horses – in Texas now – and they still ride, though maybe a bit slower than the speed games they used to compete in (!).

Fifty-year marriages are becoming more rare these days. Both sets of my grandparents were married 50-plus years. Today, my parents hit that milestone. Wow. 🙂

Their love and support have guided me all my life – their love has supported each other and all of our family! – and I am profoundly proud and grateful to be their daughter!

Happy anniversary, Mom and Dad. I love ya’ll!!!!!!!!!

Shiny, shiny, shiny! Could Cassidy Rain be any more gorgeous?!

S’aka grazes the good stuff … which is much more abundant this year. 🙂

Pausing mid-chew, Killian takes notice of a stallion on a hill across a big arroyo, who was whinnying after another band. Threat level assessed, Killian went back to grazing.

I love the way light shines through manes and tails, no matter how tangled and wind-knotted.

Inspiration comes in many forms, and just now, I’m feeling exceptionally inspired by people doing good work for mustangs – and other wildlife – around the planet.

Do an act or more of kindness and love for someone. … Someone you know or someone you don’t! Because love simply must win over the non-love in this world. Why waste a minute on anything else?

The very loveliest Kestrel stops to pose amid sunflowers against a stormy sky. Her band was grazing their way to the top of this little ridge that Kestrel reached first, and she had paused to wait for them.

I don’t mean to start a trend with all the pretty grey horses … but they ARE “pretty” (gorgeous, really), and they are grey! In case you hadn’t noticed, grey is the dominant color of our Spring Creek Basin mustangs because of two grey stallions introduced in the ate 1990s to help keep the genetics of our small herd viable.

Their genetic contribution most definitely lives on!

Alegre and Maia are well-practiced at looking gorgeous in late-afternoon light in Spring Creek Basin, even if Maia wants to look coy about it. 🙂

Wary Chipeta likes to keep plenty of distance between herself and two-leggeds toting cameras. When she grazes, she does it with her butt to me. The side look is a better look. 🙂