Spring Fever

We've been getting ourselves, Daisy, and the horses in shape with lots of rides in the past few weeks.

Daisy is so excited about getting out on the trails.  She insists on carrying a halter herself as we go out to get the horses.

We went to Tabby Mountain a few times, where Daisy cooled off in potholes wherever she could find them.

A huge old pinon pine attracted Steve's attention.

In the Cedars, Daisy inspected the beaver dam and proclaimed the water fine for swimming.

Steve and Boss paused at a pond to admire reflections.

In Ouray Wildlife Refuge, we saw lots of Canada geese on the Green River, and heard sandhill cranes flying overhead.

A prairie dog peeked out of his hole,

And the wild horse herd that roams the area paused to stare at us.

Sometimes Mischief ponies along, and sometimes he just stays home.  While his compadres are being led out for a training run, Mischief maintains a low profile, hoping no one will notice him hiding out in the shed.  Is that a yawn, or is he laughing at his hard-working buddies?
He's our senior equine at 24, and he enjoys his days off!

On the Bunny Trail

Is there such a thing as too many bunny tracks?

Daisy doesn't think so. 
But sometimes multiple trails do present a dilemma: which trail should she follow first?

Desert Hoarfrost

Click to enlarge this photo and you will see a few of the many rabbit trails that make Daisy's nose go into overdrive.

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Here Comes the Sun

Our winter days usually start out foggy, with hoarfrost on the trees.
On a mid-morning ski tour in the nearby "Cedars",
snow-covered rocks look like iced layer cake.
Distant mountains are a ghostly glow against the clearing sky.
As the sun comes out, even the weeds sparkle with their crystalline coating.
And Queen Daisy rules the wintry hills.

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Black Gold

The area around the town of Roosevelt is dotted with oil and gas wells.  If you enlarge the above photo, you'll see a couple of them in the distance.  The petroleum industry provides many jobs in our area when petroleum prices are high.  Not so much, though, when prices sink.  That makes for a roller-coaster economy. 

One of our routes through "the Cedars", an arid juniper forest near our home, takes us right up to an active pumping unit.  Boss used to be leary of it, but now that it's familiar, he pays little attention to the movement and noise.

Mischief doesn't even give it a second look.

He's more interested in looking for treats under the layers I've donned to keep warm on a day that's barely above freezing.  (Layers, top = turtleneck shirt, zip up hooded sweatshirt, down vest, topped by windbreaker.  I also wear riding tights under my jeans, and an earwarmer under my hat. With all that on, I'm quite toasty.)

Depending on our exact route, our "Cedars" rides can be from 6 to 12 miles round trip.  As we head home, we can see our small town of Roosevelt in the distance.   

I hope all of you who celebrate Thanksgiving had a wonderful day and much to be thankful for. 
Here, we are well fed, clothed, and housed, and grateful for our many blessings.

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