South Dakota

These photos hardly need words!  Taken at Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

This was the greeting at the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary along the Cheyenne River in southern South Dakota.  Wrought iron mustangs running across the landscape, free and wild!

Our guide, Walter, was the perfect host for an afternoon of learning and photographing.  We went bumpityBump over the roads of the ranch — and off-road, also!  If I pointed, Walter aimed the Jeepster in that direction!  These nice bookend paints were my favorite (until we saw the Spanish Mustangs).  I peered into every face looking for Hildalgo, who was ostensibly set free on this preserve at the end of his big movie with Viggo Mortenson.  There were paints in rusty brown shades, as well as black spotted ones.  Truly beautiful.

These American Mustangs are headed down to the Cheyenne River for an afternoon drink.  Tucked in the evergreen trees on the right is a Sioux sweat lodge that is still in use.  I wondered if descendants of the horses met descendants of their riders here in this holy place.

The day is over and a pale sunset mists this high desert with soft light that perfectly matches the hues of the Spanish Mustangs.  They blended so perfectly with the landscape.