The Best Part

Wednesday October 22 2014

Riding a handsome horse on a cold autumn morning with the first snow in the mountains.

I don't know what the best part of that statement is:

riding
handsome horse
cold
autumn
first snow

or a combination thereof.

Music to My Eyes

Monday October 22 2012 

I have been waiting for this day for a loooong time. Many times during the long hot dry summer, the song of winter played in my head, and I dreamed at nights and imagined during the days: rain, cold, snow.

Today, I got them all at once!

The herd lined up butts to the weather as the cold wind pushed the clouds down from the Owyhee mountains and the cold rain started its glorious descent from the heavens.

Luna still does not know what to do with herself in the rain. She kind of likes it… but she kind of doesn't. (She's the same with water from the hose - when Jose comes up to get a bath, she watches and kind of wants to get sprayed a little bit… but then she doesn't.) She ran around in circles, tried to crawl under the hay feeder, backed up into horses and kicked at them, and pestered Tex for a while.

[slide show here]

Luna was later worn out from her pro/anti-rain demonstrations, and rested in view of the snow-kissed Owyhees, as another storm headed this way.

Jose and Tex celebrated the fine turn of weather events with a bit of Owyhee Gladiator wrestling.

[slide show here]

It was a great day in Owyhee, and the forecast for the week looks delicious!

Into The Light

Tuesday October 16 2012

For soooooooo many reasons, this is my favorite time of the year - it's COOL, Winter Is Coming, and you have that golden light that just makes you gasp when you have a horse to frame it with.

The Big 4-0!

Thursday September 13 2012

There are few dates during the year that are as momentous as the threshold just crossed: after a loooooong summer, the temperature finally fell below 40° at night. (39° bottom left was the low!)

I recently marked a few other exciting historic dates on my Owyhee calendar: the day it finally didn't reach 90° (August 30); the night it fell below 50° (September 2), the first yellow leaf sighting (!!)(September 7), and last night, the night it fell below the Big 4-0 degrees.

It was another long and brutally hot (my opinion) Owyhee summer, with too much sweat, too much suffering (whine!), too many flies, too many night bugs, too many rattlesnakes… but now there is hope.

Blankets can be piled on the bed to be burrowed under at night. Fleece can be unpacked. Gloves might even be worn on an early morning ride.

The sun has started its magical golden slant, with that tint and angle you only get in the fall and early winter in the northwest. 

I know for sure that once again, coffee will soon steam from its cup in the mornings, coats will grow thicker and longer, steam will curl out of nostrils… and the Ice Princess will be thrilled.

We've turned the corner. My next momentous occasions will be the Big 2-0, and the Big "S" word, but I won't scare you winter weenies with that just yet!

Color

Sunday November 13 2011

It's one of the best treats of autumn - besides the deliciously welcome cool weather: the fall colors that festoon the earth with otherworldly colors.

In the Owyhee desert, the canyons are usually embellished with bright yellow cottonwood trees and maroon quailbush. This year, though, the fall colors have been drab. Half the trees' leaves turned brown before fall ever got here. The colors that did show were short-lived. Maybe it was the abundant rain that fell in the spring and early summer, and the excess growth that couldn't be sustained in the late summer and fall. (My theory, anyway).

So, for a brief intoxicating immersion of autumn, I migrated further northwest, where the rain falls, the moss grows thick, and the colors are in full stunning swing.

The Last Dust Bath

Sunday October 24 2010

The last Owyhee dust bath is shaken;




the last trail of Owyhee dust rises




before the approach of the autumn storm.

Golden

Saturday October 23 2010

It's that time in Owyhee: the leaves are transforming to gold, the autumn sun lavishes its golden beams on the horses.

Shadowed

Wednesday November 25 2009

I rode my big beautiful horse today, on a beautiful cold Owyhee fall day. Our shadow followed us far below as we rode along the ridge of the canyon.

Sweep

Tuesday October 27 2009

When Rushcreek Mac arrived here from the Rushcreek Ranch two years ago, he was a Working Horse. Didn't have a personality, didn't know what a carrot was, nor a pat, nor a horse hug. He just did his job.

Didn't take long to spoil him with carrots and treats, and soon he got to where he came up for treats, or scratches (but don't touch his face, he doesn't like that). And he learned to play. He learned that from Jose, the Owyhee Social Director.

Mac picks up and plays with things on his own, and he learned that he can engage Jose when he does this.

He got adept at pulling off Jose's ear mask and playing tug of war with Jose.




He picks up buckets and flings them around, and I've seen him picking up a stick and bonking it on Jose's head till Jose grabs the other end.

Today it was the broom. Mac picked it up and chewed on it a bit, then thrust it upon Jose.

They had a good sweeping session, wrestling with the bundled bristles, grabbing it from each other, whacking each other with the handle.














Jose started to leave, and Mac chased him with the broom.


That got them going again.








Great horse fun on a windy fall day, and just goes to show, you don't have to spend big money on those special horse toys. Feed tubs, sticks, ropes, dressage whips, brushes, and brooms will do.

The Perfect Taste of Fall

Monday October 26 2009

It's a national pastime, isn't it? Going out for a drive to see the fall colors.

Here in Owyhee, to get your taste of fall, saddle up your beloved horse on the perfect October autumn day, and take a ride.

Up on the flats toward the Owyhee mountains;

down into Pickett Creek canyon where the cottonwoods are golden and the quail bush shouts in red, crimson, scarlet, maroon, sangria, burnt orange, rust.

Your horse cruises along, stops to pick at new green grass from last month's rainstorm; cool autumn breezes hinting of winter finger through your hair and tickle your nose.

Nature sightseeing on a perfect cool fall day in a beautiful country on a most beautiful horse (and, first post-busted-rib ride) - the perfect taste of fall.

Something's Missing

Tuesday October 6 2009

It came like a freight train: winter!

Snow in the Owyhees.

Fairy ice crystals on the fence posts.


Steam from horse noses.



Frozen tumbleweeds.


Ice-laced leaves.


Steam rises from the mud and floats along the ground like leftover smoke from a forest fire.

Heat rises from the horses as the sun comes over the ridge.


We seem to have skipped over fall. For all you winter whiners, look out: my heat whining is over and my winter giddiness has begun. Bring it on!