Chat
04-21-2019, 09:31 AM
Out here the towns empty out and everyone heads to the desert on Easter weekend. I kid you not, the main street of the nearby town had zero cars on it Friday evening. Some people at the grocery store loading up, and the gas station had some campers. But it looked like a zombie movie. The tradition is called "Eastering" and it explains how every single house has some kind of big camper or motorhome out back. Out in the desert, the highway is mostly 4 wheelers and side-by-sides. I took Bacchus out and let me tell you-- He's gotten bigger over the winter. I had to let his saddle out 2 inches. I think I'm going to fit my fancy new saddle to him. I tried it on Shelby but he has trouble with the yoke choking him. That goat chokes if a shadow falls across his neck, so I may have to rig a more horse-like breast collar for him instead. Bacchus has no problems, on the other hand.
See the clusters of campers? I parked near a group because my Lexus couldn't handle a stupid deep wash. They need to widen that a bit or I need to get my Jeepster restored. I had to hike to where I was going several extra miles.
An Easter flower. Sadly near here I found a poor dead cow. It had .. I dunno, been going through the wash when it was very muddy and must have broken a leg or got stuck. The hazards of being a free range cow I guess.
I made the mistake of climbing a steep slope of that dark gray mancos shale dirt. It expands when wet, and turns to a popcorn-ish dirt gravel and fluffy powder when dry. Look at how Bacchus is sinking. I did too, and I think I've ruined my socks. They're so caked with dirt that they look like a mold of my foot.
Then there's this antelope. He or she (I could see no sign of its gender) was disgruntled that I disturbed it. It was unphased by even Luna. It walked away, turned around and stared. Its tail would start wagging and it'd swear at us "G'Dyer!" and stomp. Very displeased. Look at that face!
They say these things were built to outrun a fast cheetah-like cat. There are no fossils of such cats, but the design of the antelope more or less demands that such a thing existed. I'd like to cross one of these with a goat and see if it'll carry a pack.
I also saw my first mule deer out on the swell in the same area as the antelope. We have zillions of deer around town and the mountains, but I don't think they do so well in the deeper desert compared to the antelope.
See the clusters of campers? I parked near a group because my Lexus couldn't handle a stupid deep wash. They need to widen that a bit or I need to get my Jeepster restored. I had to hike to where I was going several extra miles.
An Easter flower. Sadly near here I found a poor dead cow. It had .. I dunno, been going through the wash when it was very muddy and must have broken a leg or got stuck. The hazards of being a free range cow I guess.
I made the mistake of climbing a steep slope of that dark gray mancos shale dirt. It expands when wet, and turns to a popcorn-ish dirt gravel and fluffy powder when dry. Look at how Bacchus is sinking. I did too, and I think I've ruined my socks. They're so caked with dirt that they look like a mold of my foot.
Then there's this antelope. He or she (I could see no sign of its gender) was disgruntled that I disturbed it. It was unphased by even Luna. It walked away, turned around and stared. Its tail would start wagging and it'd swear at us "G'Dyer!" and stomp. Very displeased. Look at that face!
They say these things were built to outrun a fast cheetah-like cat. There are no fossils of such cats, but the design of the antelope more or less demands that such a thing existed. I'd like to cross one of these with a goat and see if it'll carry a pack.
I also saw my first mule deer out on the swell in the same area as the antelope. We have zillions of deer around town and the mountains, but I don't think they do so well in the deeper desert compared to the antelope.
I don't drink beer, but if I did, I'd prefer Dos Equis. Stay thirsty my friends!