Pretty, classic

15 04 2024

It might seem that Rowan is monopolizing the photo opportunities among the members of Buckeye’s band, but in truth, her current feature on the blog is because, of all the horses, she’s the only one who looked up for a few seconds while I had that classic Spring Creek Basin skyline in my viewfinder! The horses are most definitely chasing the green, which – I know – is hardly visible unless you look closely. But it’s coming on. … And with any hope, the rain in today’s forecast will help greatly! (All prayers, wishes, hopes, dances, jigs and crossed fingers appreciated!)





Unsettled

2 04 2024

The sky – and rain/snow falling – was the star of the show yesterday afternoon.

One band was just leaving the water trough at the basin’s main/original water catchment, followed by another band. The aprons are visible at right (looks like a tennis court – those are the aprons that catch rain/snow). They deliver water via underground pipe to the big, green tank (slightly right of center). It doesn’t look that big from this distance, but it can hold 12,000 gallons. The dark “spot” in just about the center is a couple of horses drinking at the trough.

This very wide view from Chrome’s Point in the far western part of the basin encompasses the northeastern (far left), eastern and southeastern views of Spring Creek Basin. (The first two pix are within this wide view.)

Too bad that downpour wasn’t over the basin!

Over us or not, it was a pretty glorious view!





Saint Disappointment rainbow

18 03 2024

On St. Patrick’s Day in Disappointment Valley, we had a bit of gold under the rainbow (and yes, it was sprinkling when I took these pix (above with my phone; below with my camera)).

In Disappointment Valley (which includes Spring Creek Basin), WATER is the treasure! In our case, there’s a whole lotta mud under that rainbow right now, and we’re feeling pretty rich. 🙂

(And yes, these pix were taken the evening of St. Patrick’s Day – no kidding!)





Mud-ready

27 02 2024

As I type this Monday night, to publish this morning, we’re still hoping that the chance of rain overnight is actually going to prove accurate and that we might wake up to mud.

Cassidy Rain is already ready for mud.





Bits ‘n baubles

12 02 2024

Sweet Alegre was feeling the sleepies on a breezy winter afternoon that wasn’t too nippy.





Lovely dreamer

28 01 2024

Who’s ready to take a nap with Tenaz? 🙂

This was the morning after our recent rain/snow event. As illustrated by the image, the lower elevations got rain, and the upper elevations got only a spattering of snow – and it melted pretty quickly. A sign of how dry we are is that even with the rain, the ground soaked it up, and it wasn’t *that* muddy. … It was a little muddy … but almost more “tacky” than actually muddy.





Not too worried

21 01 2024

Seneca rouses long enough from her nap to look at a band across the little arroyo between her band and that band. Then she went back to sleep. With a high temp that day at 50 degrees, conditions were lovely for a nice nap!

The ground was VERY muddy, but it’s mostly free of snow now. The 95 percent chance we had a few days ago resulted in zero snow (ZERO! how does that happen?!). Now the forecast is giving us about 40 percent chance of rain or snow today and tomorrow. We have to remain optimistic.





Cold shade, warm light

16 01 2024

Maia gives me a perfectly beautiful look with Temple Butte lit up with evening light against a bit of a cloudy sky (likely snow farther to the southeast at higher elevation). Beauty and beauty.





Bright spot

15 01 2024

Sweet ‘n curious, that’s our girl Rowan. 🙂





The art of crystal (snow)

8 01 2024

Well, we kinda got skunked again on snow – the big, hyped, “inches and inches are coming!” winter-weather-warning snowfall – yesterday, but we do have snow on the ground still from Friday’s surprise event – thank goodness. We got no measurable snow from Sunday, though we did have a couple of brief waves of blowing flakes, and there was snow all around Disappointment Valley.

The following pix are of snow/ice crystals on grass stalks and sagebrush in Spring Creek Basin on Friday.

It was so much more beautiful and magical than I can convey in photos.