One of those days, one of those clouds will drop moisture on us.
Seneca and her band had just been for a nice drink of cool, clean water, and I’m so thankful we have the catchments and stored water.
Building
30 08 2026Comments : 7 Comments »
Categories : McKenna Peak, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Temple Butte
Lined out
29 08 2026
I was out with another BLM person this particular day last week, doing something kinda (really) cool (more on that next week), and we were just above to leave when I saw a group of horses (there are about three bands) walking along a ridge between us and McKenna Peak and Temple Butte. Hopefully, I’ll never pass up the chance to get that pic: wild ponies in a big, wild land.
Comments : 6 Comments »
Categories : McKenna Peak, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Temple Butte
Deep partial lunar eclipse
28 08 2026
The full moon rising over Temple Butte, from the base of Round Top in Spring Creek Basin.
The sun had set by the time the moon rose, and I wish I knew all the techy bits to get the moon exposed correctly and Temple Butte exposed correctly, but you’ll have to take my word for it: It was glorious (as it always is).
While most of this image looks black, that’s actually Temple Butte beneath the rising full moon! 🙂 And the eclipse was already starting when the moon rose over Spring Creek Basin.
You can really see the progression of the shadow taking over in the above two pix. All of the above images were taken from the base of Round Top in Spring Creek Basin. Then, I figured I should head out of the basin while the moon and Earth were doing their thing … and I’d pick it up from farther out in Disappointment Valley as the peak of the eclipse neared.
This was taken at 9:55 p.m.
And this was taken at 10:20 p.m. The “peak” of the eclipse for us in Southwest Colorado was at 10:12 p.m.
Just cool. 🙂 I hope you all got to see it, wherever you live!
Comments : 16 Comments »
Categories : Colorado, Disappointment Valley, Lunar eclipse, McKenna Peak, Night sky, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Temple Butte
All the colors
27 08 2026
On this evening, the sky to the *east*/southeast at sunset was spectacular. That’s Spring Creek Basin at far left.
Still no rain, but the sky is putting on evening shows that are phenomenal! One day, it will rain.
Comments : 3 Comments »
Categories : Brumley Point, Colorado, Disappointment Valley, McKenna Peak, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Sunset, Temple Butte
Meeting under sunset
26 08 2026
A couple of bands were together the other evening when I was leaving Spring Creek Basin, and with such a glorious (dry) sky, it was a no-brainer to stop and hit the shutter button on the phone’s camera a few times. 🙂
*****
Sing with the angels, Dolly Parton. You are a national treasure.
“I wish you joy and happiness … but above all this I wish you love … I will always love you … “
Comments : 10 Comments »
Categories : Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs
Raise the curtain (let it rain)
25 08 2026
Temple on a dramatic evening a couple of nights ago. A curtain of rain was passing to the northwest over or in front of (our Colorado side of) Utah’s La Sal Mountains.
Shafts of sunlight were finding the mountains as the rain edged past to the north.
Whatever land was getting that glorious rainfall under the path of the curtain is fortunate, indeed. For our part of Disappointment Valley, after a crazy “front” of wind, rain finally came briefly after dark. Still not much, but it was wonderful while it lasted.
I even managed to capture a tiny bolt of lightning in the clouds. The ponies were not at all concerned, but shortly after, I hit the road!
Comments : 6 Comments »
Categories : La Sal Mountains, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Rain, Utah, Colorado, Spring Creek canyon
Peaceful greys
24 08 2026
Alegre and Maia are one of a few pairs of mamas and adult daughters still together in Spring Creek Basin.
So far, an unbreakable bond.
Comments : 8 Comments »
Categories : Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs
Promising
23 08 2026
Promising … but not making much good on its promise. The northeastern and maybe eastern portions of Spring Creek Basin (including at least one water catchment) got enough rain to make the ground damp for a little while, so that’s fortunate.
Comments : 8 Comments »
Categories : Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs
From safety
22 08 2026
Cassidy Rain listens to a far-off, low-flying plane from the shade of a secret forest in eastern Spring Creek Basin.
It had been a long time since I’d been to that part of the basin (the day Skywalker was born, in fact), and I’m grateful to the ponies for leading me back to that beautiful high plateau.
Comments : 6 Comments »
Categories : Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs
All well in his world
21 08 2026
Corazon’s attention was briefly caught by whinnies from his band members over the edge of the hill while they grazed near Spring Creek canyon.
That was the moment I caught him in the late light. Best kind of capture. 🙂
Comments : 14 Comments »
Categories : Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Spring Creek canyon
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 