My Day With The Pryor Mustangs

What can I say about the day I spent amongst the Pryor Mountain Mustangs?

It was one of the most incredible things I have ever done. The whole trip was fantastic, but there was something so incredible about those horses.

I went with Steve & Nancy Cerroni of the Pryor Mountain Mustang Center and 5 other folks - 4 from South Carolina and one from Ohio and I don't think I could have shared that experience with a better bunch of people!

We managed to see 118/120 of the horses up there - which was a one day record for them! The weather was beautiful, as were all of the wild flowers that were in bloom up there. They smelled so amazing - I wish I could have bottled that scent and brought it home with me.

Of course - we saw Cloud. I got a little bit of a lump in my throat when I laid eyes on him for the first time. Having watched him grow up as I grew up, it was truly an emotional and magical moment.

He is certainly showing his age - battle scars and all. But he is still spunky and full of life.

The horses are so trusting and accepting of people coming into their home. That makes the experience that much more special. I was sitting on a little rock ledge just watching Cloud graze. It was like sitting in my own yard watching my horse graze. He was close enough to walk up to and touch.

Watching them interact and just BE horses was so fascinating! They truly are majestic creatures and it was so mumbling to watch these guys in person.

NOW - before I even got this posted - I ended up with 2 extra weeks off in between quitting my job ad starting at my new one so I decided I was going to go back to Cody. Then - I asked the folks at the center if they had any room for me to go and they had ONE spot left for the 23rd. I said "I WILL TAKE IT!!". So - back to the Pryors I go!! I cannot WAIT!!

 

Long Time, No Blog....

Hello!
It has been nearly 2 and a half months since I have posted!
I have been busy I guess! Busy with work, sleeping, man hating and winter hating!

Finally looks like this long and miserable winter is on it's way out the door!


I was lucky to get to take my horse out to 2 sleigh rallies within the last 2 months... one I won the poker hand and I bought myself a nice Western Rawhide saddle with the money... then the next weekend I found a vintage Western rawhide roping saddle that I fell in love with... and bought. It fits Reno well... So I am banned from buying saddles now. Hahaha! Here they are:

I didn't take my camera to the first rally - but I did to the second. Here are a few snaps from it:

 



So - I have started to plan my summer road trip... Barring any issues that cost me a fortune... or a HUGE jump in gas prices or drop in the Canadian dollar, I will be going to Great Falls to the Russell museum since I missed seeing it last year, Casper WY, Deadwood SD, Cody WY and a few other small stops along the way. 11 days of soaking up as much old west history and art and culture as I can find! The Cody Stampede is on my hit list... and I plan to spend the 4th of July there. If the gas and the dollar are bad, I am just gonna go straight to Cody and hunker down there for the whole time. Either way... this KINDA what I am thinking....

 

 

I am HOPING to see Mt. Rushmore... and I think I am going to have time to go meandering through Yellowstone again after Cody. I MIGHT cut through Nebraska but there really isn't much in that top western corner of it. I am very excited to return to Cody and I HOPE I can find accommodations there since it is going to be a busy week, but I am taking some camping gear just in case. I am really excited for Deadwood though.

 

Funny thing - I really wasn't aware of it until I saw it on an episode of The Bachelor. I started to look into it and HAD to go! I bought the TV series and am working my way through it now. I am excited to see where Wild Bill was killed AND where he is buried - along with all of the other little pieces of history I can see and experience!

 

I often feel like I am trapped in the wrong century. Last year when I started to explore, I felt such an incredible sense of "home" out there. Thee connection to that area was overwhelming as is the urge to go back and continue to explore and learn. Is it weird that my idea of a vacation doesn't include a beach, laziness and booze? 

 

ALSO - one of my idols  Ann Hanson - lives in Shell WY, and I contacted her and I am possibly going to meet her when I am passing through there on my way to Cody! So far she doesn't have anything going on out of town at that time and she said I was welcome to stop by. I emailed her years ago expressing my adoration of her work before I "knew" her through Facebook and she was - and is - such a lovely lady. I was in the Buffalo Bill museum last year and I came face to face with one of her pieces and decided to take a look for her again on Facebook and I found her. Funny - I still have the issue f Western Horseman from March 2000 where I first discovered her work. I am taking it with me because I want her to sign the page!

 

I am also possibly going to do a day trip into Yellowstone with artist Pamela Earlywine on my way back home. It seems that I will have an extra night to spend and I have contacted her and she suggested she take me to her favorite spots to go scouting for wildlife! All I did last year was the main drag through and saw very little for wildlife... Or sunshine! Hoping to get better weather on this trip.

Stay tuned!

 

 

 

 

More From Montana!

Everyday - I edit a few  more of the 8500+ pictures I took n my road trip in June!
Please enjoy!

Montana

Here are a few pictures I took in Montana this past June. Such a beautiful place. I cannot wait to go back and see more of it. It is pure eye candy.... and a place I will love forever and probably return to many times.

I had always wanted to go there and was finally able to make that dream come true. Little did I know that I would love it as much as I do. Here I am - 3 months after I went there, still weeding through the photos.... reliving the experience and falling in love with it over and over again.

Please enjoy these photos!!

Honeymoon Cottage

So - my travels in Montana back in June found me at Charlie Russell's first place in Cascade!

Very neat little place - sadly didn't get the tour, but humbling none the less to set my eyes upon it.

Slowly but surely I will get more photos from that trip posted.

I want to go back down there so bad - specifically Wyoming. I miss it there so much. I felt so at home and connected there.... The scenery, the history, the atmosphere.... it was inspiring. Next summer, I plan to go back!

A Few Photos....

Here are a few photos I took in Montana at a "dude ranch" kinda place....