Bay girl

10 02 2014

Madison

“Another bay mustang mare” is our girl Madison. But certainly this bay beauty is not bland! Her refinement and quiet intelligence shine from her sweet face.





One and two with a view

7 02 2014

020414tysenecachipeta

Ty and his girls a few days ago after the last snowfall. This was Copper’s and the youngsters’ view in a previous photo post. You can sorta see the arroyo behind Ty – it runs at about the level of his hocks. All three of them were beyond it while I was first hanging out with the pintos. Why did the mustang cross the arroyo? Curiosity, of course! 🙂





Photobomber

6 02 2014

Seneca photobombs a photo of mama Chipeta.

Seneca crashes her mama’s photoshoot. It was a cold day after the snow.





Well, hello there

5 02 2014

S'aka, Spirit and Copper watch Ty come up out of an arroyo.

S’aka, Spirit and Copper watch Ty leave his band on the other side of the near arroyo and come closer to investigate the pinto band.

Look at that snow. And the snow mustaches! And the ice hanging from S’aka’s sides. His heavy winter coat is doing its job to insulate him and keep him warm. This photo was taken shortly after a brief blizzard that added to the cover that fell a couple of days ago.





As the snow falls

4 02 2014

Temple, Spring Creek canyon

Today marks one year since we lost our amazing Pati Temple. One year since heaven gained a unique angel. One year of grieving and insights and feeling her presence among us still. She is missed, but she left us all with lessons and love.

The basin didn’t get a whole lotta white stuff (coupla inches), but it came on top of rain, and it’s sloppy and saturated. The above photo of Temple was taken before it snowed.

We have decent numbers beside the percentage signs in the forecast for the rest of the week! Thanks for the dances and prayers. Pati, please nudge aside the dome over the basin/lower valley and let it fall!





Angles and lines

2 02 2014

Chipeta and unnamed promontory.

Chipeta matches the lines of the unnamed promontory at sunset.

This view is white now!





Relief

1 02 2014

Temple drooling after drinking from a snowmelt puddle in an arroyo.

Temple was drinking from  melted snow at the bottom of an arroyo.

Thursday night, it rained.

Friday, it snowed.

It’s heavy and wet, and it means more water for mustangs.

Such a relief.





Mouthful

31 01 2014

Ty with a mouthful.

Ty bit off a little more than he could chew. I think that’s snakeweed, and they do eat it, but not usually in one giant mouthful!





RIP, Garnet Pasquale

30 01 2014

Pinto band

Rest is not for one such as Garnet, a person her friends called a “warrior woman,” tireless in her efforts to protect mustangs, particularly in her home state of Nevada.

Garnet contacted me a few years ago to learn about documenting mustangs and about PZP. As mentor advocates had done for me, I passed that knowledge along to Garnet, and she developed tools to help form the Spring Mountain Alliance and offer solutions to protect their mustangs. “Paying it forward” gave me immense satisfaction.

Garnet’s friend Arlene said Garnet would give us nudges to keep us moving in the right direction. Coming up on the one-year anniversary of the passing of my mustang friend Pati Temple, I can vouch for the truth of that. These warriors still are in the fight.

Heaven is richer for these angels we’ve called friends, and for sweet girl Ryah, who joined them today.

Your nudges are felt.





Grass and light and spots

29 01 2014

Copper, Spirit, S'aka and Reya

Copper and Reya with her babies in pretty late light. Spirit is nearly as big as S’aka.

Amazingly, we have rain and snow in the forecast. Any wetness to hit our dry ground is welcome.