Crossing Nebraska and Iowa

We left Wyoming and headed into Nebraska. Our destination was North Platte. The North Platte River meanders from Wyoming and into Nebraska. It’s the location of the largest concentration of Sandhill Cranes in North America. The migrating cranes all funnel through a small area. They stop to feed and it’s said that in the morning and evening flocks of ten thousand birds rise into the air as they go out to the daily feed. The number of sandhill cranes this spring was estimated at seven hundred and twenty thousand birds. I can’t’ imagine the sound of that many birds with their raucous rattling call.

They had already left when we got there but we did hear a few near the Audubon Society’s Birding Center. The volunteer told us that we could make reservations for next spring’s migration. She did say that the field trips always sell out early.

From Nebraska we drove into Iowa and met my cousin Pat and Her Husband Greg Hudson. They moved to where their children are located, in Ankeny, Iowa. We met them for lunch and of course I had to have a pork tenderloin sandwich. It was great to catch up on all the cousin gossip. We both forgot to take any pictures of the four of us definitely a senior moment…. After lunch we headed to Keosauqua, where Renita’s sister Pam and her Husband Camp Host at Lake Sugema County Park. We were going to surprise them but decided instead to call just before we got there. Arriving at their site a party was in progress, along with a huge corn hole tournament. Renita and I played against each other, and she won. We spent the night in the Grand Hotel in Keosauqua. The next morning, we stopped and said our goodbyes. They also come down to Texas and camp in the same park we do so we will see them soon. Clear skies