And now for something completely different…

I feel like I’ve been in kind of a photography rut on this blog lately.  Lots of close-up photos, especially of seeds.  This week was extremely windy, and I didn’t get out and get any new photos, so instead I dug into the archives for this photo of the week.  It’s about as different as I can get from close-ups of seeds.

Cowboys moving cattle at TNC’s Cherry Ranch in the Nebraska Panhandle. May, 2001.

The photo was taken in May 2001 at The Nature Conservancy’s Cherry Ranch, near the northwest corner of Nebraska.  It’s a dry, rocky, and utterly beautiful landscape.  It’s dominated by threadleaf sedge (aka blackroot sedge – Carex filifolia) and a number of short grass species, but also has patches of big bluestem and tall grasses here and there.  Rocky outcroppings are a great place to see pretty little flowers clinging to rocks, along with the occasional nesting prairie falcon or golden eagle.  Prairie rattlesnakes are not uncommon, but easy to see (and hear) because of the short vegetation.  The mighty Niobrara River flows through the ranch, but is small enough that you can jump over it in some places.  It’s just a great place.

Enjoy your weekend!