I spent yesterday along the North Platte River, about 150 miles upstream (west) of our Platte River Prairies.  The wind picked up in the afternoon, and leaves from the cottonwood trees in the riparian woodland were dropping and blowing all around.

Cottonwood trees along a small side channel of the North Platte River near Sutherland, Nebraska.     The Nature Conservancy’s Kelly Tract.

I was driving much of the day and needed to stretch my legs, so I took an hour or so to walk along the river and through the adjacent savanna-like woodland.  The yellows of the cottonwood leaves blended nicely with the yellow of the grass beneath the trees, and both were set against a backdrop of sand and blue sky.  It was a pretty nice hike, and it was only begrudgingly that I finally folded myself back into the car to drive home.

Here are some more photos from the day:

A cottonwood savanna at The Nature Conservancy’s Kelly Tract.

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A cottonwood leaf floats on a backwater pool of the river.

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More of the savanna.

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And more.

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No matter how pretty the scenery is, my favorite photos from trips like this are almost always close-ups.