With the start of the school year looming, I’m trying to wrap up some unfinished projects around here. This particular embroidery was started over spring break. I tried to add a few details, but ultimately ended up ripping them all out, and instead opting for a simple landscape. You can find it for sale here.
Last March we tried to head out to Fort Collins, Colorado for a change of scenery. Record snowfall delayed our trip and we ended up staying in Kearney, Nebraska for a night.
To my absolute delight, we accidentally ended up in the middle of sandhill crane migration and Kearney happens to be the epicenter of this colossal migration.
Each year, approximately 600,000 sandhill cranes migrate through Nebraska, specifically along the Platte River. The Platte River is wide and shallow, creating the perfect place for cranes to spend the night. During the day they feed on corn from the nearby fields.
Kearney has a spectacular crane viewing park at Fort Kearney State Recreation Area– it has campsites, a playground, plenty of parking, trails, and a bridge to watch cranes coming in for the night.
We found food, viewed cranes, and spent the night in Kearney, due to the interstate being closed. We got up the next morning and saw thousands more cranes and eventually we did make it to Colorado. Admist the human frustrations of road closures, the cranes were a welcome moment of awe and something I’ve always wanted to witness. Their journey is a wonder that has been happening for thousands of years and a timely reminder to slow down and pay attention to the beauty outside our car window.
Bluebird Hill Art 