We had a blast in Taos this weekend, this is what I call a 'grassroots' community, with creativity bulging from every adobe crevise and sidewalk. The landscape a beautiful area surrounded by mountain range and Rio Grande Canyon and Rio Grande River running through the terrain. A beautiful drive from Abiquiu to Taos, even with the challenges we were dealt every day.
We met some wonderful 'creative' people with a passion for horses and art that stimulates and draws people to thier beauty. A fun and enthusiastic crowd tapping into thier creative being and using thier skills and giftings in wonderful ways. Great food and wine's for the evening reception including Cip's fish taco's he assembled in the Mustang Mansion. The event was hosted at 'Stables Gallery', which had quiet a history of its own as it used to be a 'stable' and has been turned into a wonderful gallery nestled in the heart of downtown Taos.
Once again we were amazed as we met community folks and out of town visitors sharing around the plight of our american mustangs how little truth people know of the reality our mustangs are faced with. This weekend was a wonderful opportunity in a creative forum to present the facts through provacative conversation and handing out literature. The overall 'feel' we received in our sharing is the american public DO care about the preservation and protection of our american mustangs.
The more we travel and share, the more we see a true concern and compassion for our wild ones. Though education is a critical intervention to bring the truth to the public. Without education we are lured into a mentality that says the government is doing a wonderful job of protecting our wild horses, preserving our wild horses and looking out for their best interest. Of the public we engaged with ... NONE, knew how many of our wild horses are in longterm holding facilities (much less what those are) and how many, and even where they are located, on the range.
The 'mission' behind the Mustang Mansion is being fulfilled at every stop we make. People are drawn to this colorful (and educational) tincan RV, and it makes for incredible conversation opportunities that are so needed to promote the protection and preservation of our wild american mustangs that remain on our public lands. Sadly, even this week the Bureau of Land Management defies its own guidelines as it is rounding up newly born foals and running them for miles across rocky terrain ... the truth has to be heard, and through general public events like this one, it provides a community and an opportunity to bring the message to a people group unaware of the realities that surround our american mustangs.
So, yeah, great art, food, connects...but more...bringing people to understand the need to get involved and make a stand for our wild ones.

Two days after the delivery of 'Sierra Cancion and Sierra Rosa', we took a drive up to Monero Mustangs to do some easy round pen work of getting acquainted. I started with Sierra Cancion first, and she began to whinny as she was seperated from her little adoptee band...and thus, confirmed why she was chosen (unknowingly of course) the name she was given...she is a soprano for certain, lol...I don't know if I have ever heard such a high pitched whinny before!

She wasn't as thrilled about our 'engagement' as I was, it was a good hour before I could get her feet to stop moving around me and get the halter on her head. Once the halter was on, the progress from there was quick. We shared snuggles and kisses, and she had a good rub down and learned to stand while ropes were thrown to and fro and over and under. I considered it a good first start, I hope she felt the same.

Then came Sierra Rosa's turn...I initially thought she would be the challenge...well, she proved me completetly wrong, haha! She was unbeleivable from the start, no jitters, no hang ups, and loved affection! And what a sweet rose she is! She will make a remarkable advocate with a countenance as tender as the petals of the flower she is named after.

I will head out tomorrow for a few days with the Mustang Mansion, some needed
R & R for me as I have been hitting it pretty hard the last couple of months. I will enjoy the mornings with coffee on the sanctuary with Headlight, and the others I have grown an affection for, and founder ' Sandi Claypool' as well, haha...taking the guitar and hope to be 'still' enough in the evenings to 'hear' somethings that the hustle and bustle drowns out...maybe a new song will arise!

Enjoy the pics...and check out the 'Living Legends' page for new recent work completed. I am amazed that I have done 4 paintings during this travel hustle time...wow. But for the next two nights and three days...a little rest, and connecting with some wild ones.
See you in a few!
Enjoy the slide show below....

Sometimes you just don't know what life holds, and just when you think you have it figured out...there comes that curve ball again! Well, at the Wild Horse Festival, Cip and I fell in love with two little red roan mustangs, I filled out the paper work, and yesterday they were delivered. They are 'El Rito' mustangs from New Mexico no more than an hour from us here. The tag #'s 31 and 33 on what we believe to be a year old and just under two year old fillies. They have been 'somewhat' gentled from the 'Mustang Camp' for the last 8 weeks, just two weeks after they were bait trapped and removed from the range, once wild and free...no more. We will spend the summer and the fall continuing to gentle and prepare Tag #33 (now named as Sierra Cancion - Desert Song in spanish) to keep with her spanish roots, preparing her to be an Ambassador for the road tour and the Mustangs she represents. 'Sierra Rosa (Desert Rose) tag #31 will be turned out to pasture for a season as I work with Sierra Cancion, whom will also be turned out to pasture for the winter, then bringing her back in in the spring to spend more time reminding her of the lessons learned from this season. It is my desire to give them a full life, with as much 'freedom' as I can offer them as they also become eventual traveling Ambassadors. I have 'fallen' for many mustangs, but fate does our choosing for us at times when we think we know whats best for  us...and as fate would have it, These two fillies are those who have been chosen to come under our guardianship. I will take my time building trust and respectful relationship, with little pressure, but desire being the constant relational connector. I am anxious to make the initial contact with them both. For now this is where their 'new story' begins after living free and wild on the range. A life long interruption, that one hopes they will both embrace with kindness and grace. For now, enjoy the pics, and the journey as we learn to walk together, forgiving and accepting a new destiny they have had little choice to choose.