Photo Of The Week – 5/29/12

A sweet moment shared between band members – Sand Wash Basin HMA, Colorado

Photos are for viewing purposes only. Most images available for purchase at: http://www.NickolesPhotography.com. Images by Pam Nickoles Photography, along with all site content are copyright protected and owned solely by Pam Nickoles Photography. Photos and/or text may not be used, downloaded or reproduced in any form without express written permission from Pam Nickoles Photography. Feel free to share, but please respect my copyright.

Piceance Creek/Sand Wash Basin trip, #2 – 4/12

Continuing our day driving towards Cathedral Bluffs. I’m going to add some photos from other trips that include an area (Tommy’s Draw) that we did not go to on this particular day. If we had continued to the left where we turned right, the following images detail what we would have seen.

Driving down a two-track at Tommy’s Draw.

There’s a cabin at the end of the two-track.

And a spring that the horses can access.

Behind the cabin, you can see the horse (and cow) trail that leads to the spring.

Coming back up the two-track and continuing west and then northwest down another two-track, you come upon these scenes. (Three views of Cathedral Bluffs on different days).

Cathedral Bluffs

A tiny Tommy in front of the Cathedral Bluffs.

From another trip when we took both my Mom and our friend Jim Westin with us. That’s Tom and Jim (waving). Hey there!

Tom with my Mom. Love those clouds!

It’s some beautiful country!

If we’d had more time, I would love to have taken Diane to see this view. Okay, back to the current trip.

Diane looking to the east.

Lots of poop on the road. A good sign!

Way out there, we see some dots. Wild horses laying down. Cool!

As we got closer, they stood up to watch us.

Hi guys – 2 bachelor stallions that I recognized from last year.

Here are a few images from the last time I saw these two boys in August of 2011. They were almost in the exact same location, but on the other side of the road.

August, 2011 facing west.

August, 2011

August, 2011

As Diane and I approached, they made a slight retreat before turning right back around as we clicked away in admiration.

Taking off again.

See you later guys…great to see you again!

Part One of the trip can be viewed at the link below:
http://wp.me/pqR49-2RG

Photos are for viewing purposes only. Most images available for purchase at: http://www.NickolesPhotography.com. Images by Pam Nickoles Photography, along with all site content are copyright protected and owned solely by Pam Nickoles Photography. Photos and/or text may not be used, downloaded or reproduced in any form without express written permission from Pam Nickoles Photography. Feel free to share, but please respect my copyright.

Portrait of Nature

“Look deep into nature and you will understand everything.” ~Albert Einstein.

Print available here: Flowers

Photos are for viewing purposes only. Most images available for purchase at: http://www.NickolesPhotography.com. Images by Pam Nickoles Photography, along with all site content are copyright protected and owned solely by Pam Nickoles Photography. Photos and/or text may not be used, downloaded or reproduced in any form without express written permission from Pam Nickoles Photography. Feel free to share, but please respect my copyright.

Photo Of The Week – 5/24/12

Wild foal atop the Pryor Mountains of Montana.

Photos are for viewing purposes only. Most images available for purchase at: http://www.NickolesPhotography.com. Images by Pam Nickoles Photography, along with all site content are copyright protected and owned solely by Pam Nickoles Photography. Photos and/or text may not be used, downloaded or reproduced in any form without express written permission from Pam Nickoles Photography. Feel free to share, but please respect my copyright.

Piceance Creek/Sand Wash Basin trip – 4/12

I find myself pretty much unable to write detailed trip posts anymore. The time it takes to edit, compile, size and load the images and write the text is just more than I can seem to put together right now. So, most of our adventures remain unpublished. Of course I imposed this “rule” of getting at least one whole day or weekend, etc. (and in sequence) on myself. I think it’s a good time to throw away that standard and just bring smaller chapters more often and maybe not in order. No one would have a problem with that would they? After all, I’d rather get some things shared than nothing at all. Change can be good, so I’ll run with it…

It had been since last September since Tom and I found ourselves in the horse ranges. Much too long to go without the horses. On this trip, we were bringing someone along with us. It would be her first time to see the wild horses, so we knew there was a definite possibility this could be a life-changing adventure we were about to embark on.

A little background. Through a friend’s recommendation (thanks Rene!), I had taken my gelding (Gold) to a specialist for a final evaluation and treatment before deciding whether or not to put him into training after a lengthy injury. At Diane’s clinic ( Elemental Equine Services) my boy received chiropractic, accupuncture and dental work. Both Tom and I were impressed with the time and care she took. (I’m happy to report that Gold is doing well in training). Through another friend that was working with Diane, a conversation about wild horses came up and Aleta gave Diane my name. Interesting timing, since I had just been out to see Diane (I love the way life can line things up that way). Anyway, we started e-mailing about the wild ones, I asked her if she’d like to go out to the range sometime and a date was set.

We headed for the Piceance Creek/East Douglas HMA near Meeker, CO. It would be our first time back since the roundup. I had spent a lot of time at Piceance last summer. I wondered what horses I’d see and who I would recognize. I knew my favorite stallion “Handsome” had been re-released, so I was really hoping to find him.

We drove to the “pasture” area, but saw no horses and very little sign. This had been a place where you could almost always find horses. Tom and I were a little shocked by the absence of horses. We continued north for just a bit and came across a horse. Not just any horse mind you – it was Handsome! There to greet us on our first trip of the year and to introduce Diane to the magic of the wild ones. So cool! He looked good, but he was alone except for a group of cows nearby. I’ve never seen him alone, so his circumstances were new and strange, but hopefully not permanent. It was just so good to see him and be able to share my favorite boy with Diane. What an initiation to the wild horses!

Handsome!

Hello boy.

Diane getting a good look at Handsome.

Handsome stuck around for a while and then decided to make his exit. We just watched him float off into the sage. What an awesome sight.

Being out in the horses ranges again feels like breathing fully. It’s just good for the soul. I don’t know how else to put it. It’s just everything that feels good.

What a great start to our adventure. We decided to drive over to the beautiful area near Cathedral Bluffs. A couple miles up the road, I caught something out of the corner of my eye and there to our left, more horses under the shade of the trees.

He blends in so well – almost becoming part of the tree.

There appeared to be two bands separated by a fence. All but one were stallions. They were surprisingly tolerant as we observed them.

Another stallion.

So alert. Love him.

And there are some pretty young ones in the bachelor band.

Kind looking boy.

We stayed with this group for quite a while before continuing up the road towards Cathedral Bluffs…

Part Two of the trip can be viewed at the link below:
http://wp.me/pqR49-2TD

Photos are for viewing purposes only. Most images available for purchase at: http://www.NickolesPhotography.com. Images by Pam Nickoles Photography, along with all site content are copyright protected and owned solely by Pam Nickoles Photography. Photos and/or text may not be used, downloaded or reproduced in any form without express written permission from Pam Nickoles Photography. Feel free to share, but please respect my copyright.