Believe this? That's right---a pack of wild horses hogging the road! I was SURE I had died and gone to heaven! Blessed by missing the correct turn off (we were going to the one and a half million acre Desert National Wildlife Preserve at Corn Creek to look for birds and sheep), we kept speeding along until we wound up at Creech Air Force Base in the middle of nowhere and stopped to ask for directions. The clerk in the convenience store asked why we would want to do that when Cold Creek was so much better. We turned around and when we found the sign pointing there, we decided on a whim to investigate.
No sooner had we gone a mile than we saw definite signs of animal activity. And I don't mean tracks. Then another mile or so, and the mystery cleared. Lo and behold, wild horses! Yippeee!!!!!!!!!!!! Never dreamed I could actually see them in the flesh, although I have read about them in Nevada. We were less than 20 miles up the road (the 95) from Vegas, and a world away.
They obviously were accustomed to humans (or aliens; how far is this from Area 51, after all?) as they showed no fear, and took their time to move over and share the road. I got out of the car a few times and approached different groups of them as we moseyed up to Cold Creek. They were curious, yet reserved. I did get to stroke a couple of them, but only for a second. Next time, I'm bringing apples!
Anyway, it was a huge thrill for a longtime wannabe Cowgirl/Indian Princess, and the gorgeous glorious sky and pristine snow covered mountain backdrop completed the perfect Western dreamscape. Oh, what a day!
Doesn't get any better than this, does it?
