Stallions On BLM Land

The days are flying by so incredibly fast right now.
My business is so quickly becoming successful that it's a little breath-taking.
I feel gratified.
Extremely gratified.
Gratified that I established a business model that seems to be working.
Gratified that the community has embraced the idea and supported this flourishing new business.
Gratified to actually grow something that started out only as an idea.
Gratified that we are finally settled enough, and in the right place to make it all happen.
I have been so busy recently that by mid afternoon I realize I haven't eaten all day.
Which is actually a good thing - I'm not fat but after being a dedicated athlete for so many years I FEEL fat.
And I am heavier than I used to be.
Losing a few pounds would be good for me.
I'm rambling but the excitement I feel over how it all seems to be falling into place feels good.
I'll try and stop rambling..................

These pictures were all taken sometime back in July when Wyoming was firmly entrenched in the hot and dry weather that is typical in the dog days of summer in the west.
We had not been out to McCullough peaks in a few months and wanted to find the wild horses.
Kory hadn't run free in a couple of days, and we hadn't wandered on BLM land in a couple of days, so it was time.
To wander.
As we pulled off the Greybull Highway about 20 miles outside of Cody, we eagerly and immediately began to scan the empty land to both our left and right - both of us in search of the herds.
By this time Kory was pacing back and forth between both open windows in back of the Tahoe, panting excitedly and occasionally barking in anticipation.
She would run free soon, and she could barely contain her puppy excitement.
Soon baby..............

10 minutes after pulling off the highway, we saw two mustangs grazing out on the plains to our right.
Immediately we began to watch for a trail to the right.
When we found one, we took it..................

We stopped in the middle of the trail and watched with quiet pleasure as a beautiful stallion slowly walked towards us.
As I snapped pictures through the windshield and we quietly and excitedly watched, this stallion added to the manure pile that was already on the trail.
I didn't know that horses did that...............

The second mustang grazed alongside the trail, occasionally lifting his head to inspect us but then quickly going back to the business of eating.
At this point in the summer the desert grasses were still lush and green.
A couple more weeks and the world would turn brown...............

When it became obvious that this alpha male was not going to get out of the way so that we could continue beyond him, LC put the Tahoe back into Drive and slowly pulled off the trail.
The mustangs have right of way.
They own this joint - we were just visitors.
Slowly LC pulled off the trail and drove through the grass and sage, giving the stallion a wide berth.
He was beautiful.
Strong and steady and majestic and beautiful.
And looking at him as we passed by, somehow I felt as though he KNEW that he was beautiful...............

A few minutes later we found one more stallion.
This one alone, also grazing on the lush grasses of BLM land.
By this time our puppy was beginning to ramp up the hysteria.
She was over it.
She needed to be released from the vehicle and was loudly beginning to announce that fact to us.
When the hysteria reached fever pitch it was impossible to ignore - dog needed out.
By-passing the white mustang, we continued slowly wandering along dry and dusty trails, now in search of a place to park the vehicle.
Kory could run.
We could sit on the tailgate of the Tahoe and share the Subway sandwich and soft drink we had brought with us.................

One lonesome antelope watching us from the safety of the top of a hill.................

We were about 25 miles from Cody and yet Carter Mountain still dominated the landscape..................

Random picture of random rock..............

And a happy puppy, finally enjoying her much needed freedom.
She is happy and healthy.
And she is spoiled.................

At this time of year I was wearing snake boots and LC was wearing snake chaps.
We did not see a rattlesnake on this trip, but throughout the spring, summer and fall locals are always watchful for (and wary of) the potential to run into a snake.
Our dog gets rattlesnake shots each spring.
If she is ever bitten by a snake (and it is always a very real possibility whenever she shoves her curious nose into a random sage bush) we will still have to immediately take Kory to a vet.
But the annual shot will buy her more time, and hopefully save her life.
A good number of dogs this past spring had to be taken to the vet for rattlesnake bites - Kory has just been very lucky so far.................

Both of us using binoculars to see far into the distance.
We spent hours on BLM land on this day and never saw another person throughout the entire trip.................

Cedar Mountain on the left and Rattlesnake Mountain on the right............

My favorite picture from the trip.................

Aside from the three stallions that we came across early in our trip, we never did find the herds of wild horses.
We saw antelope, wild flowers, fungi covered rocks that looked as though young children had drawn on them with brightly colored crayons.
We saw beautiful skies and far off mountains and wandered for hours in the empty and uncomplicated public lands that are so abundant in the west.
It was a quiet trip.
A nice trip.
They are always nice trips.................

 The immense desert, empty as a bird's wing, inspired him with promise..........Author Unknown