mountains around ranch

After yesterday's post about the mountain lion prints, I should clarify something. My horses are boarded about 12 miles away from the pinyon forest where I found the footprints. Additionally, there are many ranches around them with dogs. And, the ranch where I board them is only a quarter of a mile away from a school (not that THAT would mean much to a hungry mountain lion!). In fact, a mountain lion was killed here in the desert last year near a school! ACK! Now, THAT is scary. My cousin frequently takes one of her horses and works on the trails both here in the desert and up in the mountains and I have frequently warned her to PLEASE be careful and alert and she just laughs at me and thinks I'm crazy, BUT...the one killed here in the desert was right across the street from the areas where she works on the trails. YIKES! One time, she suggested that we meet in Pushawalla Canyon...she would ride her horse up in the canyon and I walked (ALONE). I parked my car and walked in, all the time looking up at the sheer cliffs in the canyon and I could feel the hairs on my neck prickling. It was in the middle of the day and I stayed in the middle of the canyon. I told her then, "This is mountain lion country, just look at those rocks", but she merely scoffed. Turns out, the mountain lion was spotted and shot right across the street from that same canyon! Mikey, no, I don't pack, but I'm rethinking that now! I've had the hairs on my neck stand up too many times. Here's a photo of the mountains where I board my horses. Yes, there is a lot of shrubbery there, but above this ranch is one that breeds dogs and they are constantly on the lookout! There are ranches all around this one and I'm sure the neighbors keep their eyes open! Actually, I'm more worried about running into a rattlesnake than a mountain lion! However, in the valley directly behind the ranch, mountain lions DO roam and that's where I saw a bobcat last spring. I remember one time, I was out walking around the ranch and I came stumbling out of the shrubs and both Cali and Scout took one look at me and ran to the center of their corral! You can see all the bushes in this photo and I'll stop and take some more this coming weekend. YEAH! It's Wednesday already!

Guess what I found Sunday?

Sunday was a cold, cloudy day and I really didn't want to drive up to the ranch to see the horses if it was going to be as cold as last Sunday (when I nearly froze to death!). I looked up at the sky and debated about going at all, but finally decided just to shut up and get in the car and go! And, I'm glad I did because I saw several hawks and a meadow full of meadowlarks! I stopped at my favorite dirt road in the pinyon forest that is about halfway up the mountain, got out, and investigated some dried mud. Upon closer inspection, I spotted some animal prints in the mud and, as I bent over to check them out, I realized how BIG they were and that there weren't any claw marks on them (meaning FELINE). Hmmmm....There I was, alone in the forest, hubby at work, my cell phone not working (no cells nearby), and I'm bending over looking at mountain lion prints! I really wasn't worried because they were a week old (it rained up there last weekend). I continued onward to the horse ranch and it was pretty quite there, so on my way back down the hill I decided to stop back and REALLY take a look at them. This time, however, I was covered with horse smells and horse slobber. Hmmmmm....AND, as I got out of my car, I noticed a very distinct cat urine smell. ACK! I looked up toward the rocks where the tracks were headed and they were only about 100 feet from where I was. Every neutron in my brain was screaming, "GET BACK TO THE CAR NOW!!!!" and I remembered my husband's warning: "NEVER run because a mountain lion sees that as prey behavior!", so I calmly (NOT!) walked back to my car and was extremely relieved to make it there without becoming lunch for a wayward mountain lion. I have spotted bobcats twice up in those mountains and about 35 miles away from where I was, a mountain lion attacked and killed a female jogger. Friends who live in our local mountains told me about the night a mountain lion attacked their goats. I have been warned by people to NEVER hike alone in those mountains, due to the danger of mountain lions. And, then I saw those footprints. I was glad that I saw them and I will remember those warnings, but, honestly, I'm not going to stop exploring the mountains that I so dearly love.

A horse friend!

I stopped on a side road yesterday to see if there were any hawks, eagles, or vultures out and about. Instead, there were many, many meadowlarks and I became intrigued with them and in trying to get a photo of one. I never really did, but I did make a new friend! He came wandering over to take a look at the strange lady who was busy taking (or trying to take) photos of birds who immediately flew away and gave her a headache! Isn't he a cutie pie?

A view of Quad

I didn't get up to see the horses yesterday. First, I had to take my dog, Ripley, in for her shots as they had expired. So, off we went to the nearby vet clinic. Only $20.00 for her DHPP shot (her rabies shot is still good...) and I donated another $20.00 to help a shelter dog. I made an appointment for next Saturday morning to have Abby spayed. She's gone through several heat cycles (She's my half-Oriental shorthair black cat) and, frankly, hubby and I don't think we can STAND another one! MMMMMEEEEEOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWW! Oye, vei! So, that took most of the morning. I ran some errands and by then it was noon and after I ate my lunch, I took a nap. I'm still recovering from my latest bout of bronchitis and I don't have much stamina. I did go for a quick early morning walk (only 15 minutes) because that was all I could do! Finally, hubby needed my car to drive to Indio to watch the UCLA/USC football game, and I stayed home with the dogs and did some school work. Yeah, that's Quad diving headfirst into his feed, like me with my lunch yesterday...leftover mashed potatoes and steak. Yum, yum! Oh, and a nice BIG green salad! No wonder I needed a nap! I'll be driving up today and I'm hoping that with our warm weather spurt, I can get some pics of the horses.

Scout's coloring and tail

Look how dark Scout is these days! And, yes, that's her tail. I forgot to include a photo of her on the tails post! (see: http://deserthorses.blogspot.com/2010/12/t-is-for-tailsabc-wednesday-120110.html She was so busy eating after I fed her that she didn't even look up! During the summer months, she is MUCH lighter, but her coat darkens during the winter months. I would think that, being from Wyoming, her coloring would be the opposite: light in winter (to hide in the snow) and darker in summer (to blend in with the shrubs)...what do you think?

Hi, MOM!!!

This was Sunni on Sunday, after realizing that I was passing out sweet feed! LOOK at the tongue! Silly boy! He's such a goofball~

"T" is for tails~ABC Wednesday 120110

Each of my horses has their own distinct tail. I couldn't find a decent photo of Scout's, but hers is pretty stubby and always has been. Quad has a thin one, Gigondas' tail always looks nice and trimmed and I've NEVER even touched her tail (something I need to work on...). I have no idea why or how hers is so even! Any ideas? Cali has a thick, beautiful one, but Sunni has the thickest and longest. In fact, I had to cut 4 inches of his this fall! His tail grew back in two years after Cali munched it one cold winter night! He looked like a yearling! She also munched on Scout's. I can't imagine Scout allowing her to do that, but WHO KNOWS? She managed to destroy both Sunni's tail and Scout's the same night! "Tails"...ABC Wednesday for December 1, 2010.