Rancher Tom Frank rides Yahoo, whose cloud of exhalation indicates the cold morning temperatures on the ranch. (Mandy Frank)

When it’s cold enough to see your breath, it’s just another winter morning in Wyoming. Just ask Yahoo the mare, whose puff of exhalation was captured by photographer Mandy Frank on a recent morning near Lysite.  

Frank and her husband, Tom, who are ranchers, were bringing cows in for sorting when something caught her eye, she said. 

“I looked over and was just watching that mare make those big puffs of breath,” said Frank. 

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Frank, who describes herself as a hobby photographer, pulled out her camera and snapped a picture. The resulting image of Tom Frank astride Yahoo captures the brittle quality of a cold Wyoming morning in a moment of life lived outdoors on the high-desert prairie.

Katie Klingsporn reports on outdoor recreation, public lands, education and general news for WyoFile. She’s been a journalist and editor covering the American West for 20 years. Her freelance work has...

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