sandhill cranes and airport dreams come true

The sandhill cranes, named for the sandhills of Nebraska where they stop by the millions to feed on their way up to Canada for the summer, may be viewed online here. My parents and I stopped to see them on our way home from North Platte. Right around sunset, the birds all come from the fields, where they've been eating corn left on the ground from the previous fall, to the Platte River, where they spend the night. Apparently they like to sleep (standing up) in the (very shallow) water because the water helps them hear predators coming. They've been doing this for zillions of years. Anyway, it's quite a spectacle to see huge numbers of three-feet-tall birds flying to the river and jumping around and making friends, all backlit by a beautiful Nebraska sunset. Maybe next year I'll have a sandhill crane party. But for now, the Cranecam will have to do. I highly recommend checking it out around the time of sunset or sunrise (when they leave the Platte) Nebraska time.

It was a little chilly in the blind where we watched the cranes.

Dad was pretty intent on the bird- and deer-watching.

In other news, I got to be the person who gets the sign at the airport! When I flew into Omaha, I was met by one of the Omaha Legal Aid folks, who had a sign for me! with my name on it! and he remembered to hold it up so that I could see it! (cough, cough, Zach) It was really great. I've always wanted to be one of those sign people, and it was especially great because it gave me something funny to say first thing (about how I'd always wanted to be one of those sign people). AND THEN! on the way home today, I got to be one of those "Paging Anne McShane, please come to Gate C4 for immediate departure" people! My plane was delayed, and I was wandering around the airport, and apparently they decided to take off a little earlier than was listed on the marquee. So really, a banner airport trip.

Here are some other classic moments:

I met Young Liam. He seems pretty cool, if a little gassy.


Nice as always to see H*s and SWT, + tasty bread in the sunlight.


And I do love me some magnolias.


I got to see other fine people but somehow they didn't make it into the camera. And I think five cats? yes, five. and a happy dog with not a thing wrong with her saliva glands.
Two thumbs up on the trip home.

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