What do you do when Canadian wildfire smoke and clouds choke out the sky? You go sight seeing!! This year I brought Cecelia and Jeanette with me, both were looking forward to seeing a fantastic dark sky Milky Way core. But like troopers, neither were disappointed. I had to return home on Wednesday evening, after speakers, due to some work commitments. Here is hoping Saturday night in my backyard, might be my next chance at clear skies. We are all looking forward to traveling to the April 2024 Solar Eclipse. And viewing the partial Annular Solar Eclipse October 14, 2023.
Smoke fills valleys and skies near Valentine…this was the story for the beginning of the week then clouds rolled in alsoView from the Lord Ranch CabinSpot the cloud rainbowLone Tree in the SandhillsSunset in the SandhillsStorms keep brewingMore smoke…the view out the windshieldRays of hope for clear skiesCountry road in the sandhills…lined by happy little yellow facesDismal River overlook on Highway 83The views are amazing200th International Dark Sky Park Certified September 2022BOLO for parachuting cows ?!?Cherry County Weather RockMerritt DamOff Hwy 83 at Dismal RiverBryan Bridge near ValentineDeWitty Community HistoryFort Niobrara HistoryNebraska Sandhills at ThedfordSandhills HistorySigns, signs, everywhere a sign…Twin windmills in the distanceMissing tooth windmillTrees indicate long lost homestead, the windmill remainsAnother important but lonely windmillGrowing windmills in the SandhillsWindmill at Thedford (Thomas Co Fairgrounds)Windmill in a meadowSentinel in the SandhillsWindmills, soldiers bringing water, standing vertical above the Sandhills Calves on the way to cabin…the white one we named “Norman”Staring down a steerHoney bee finds sustenance in the Sandhills Yucca pod beetle…of some kind…Western Kingbirds resting on a fenceParty of birds on a random lake along Hwy 83Merritt pelicansPelican pod at MerrittPelicans over Merritt ReservoirFauna, both small and large thriveHoary Vervain and Milk WeedChaparral Clematis Chaparral Clematis further spentAlkali Marsh AstersYucca PodsWhite Penstemon (Beardstongue)Sunflowers, Sentinels over the valleySalsifyPrickly PoppyFlowers of all kinds are a showy wonderSmith Falls, largest waterfall in NESmith FallsLowers falls at Smith FallsStacked stones bring luckBerry Falls from Berry Bridge on the NiobraraArtificial waterfalls at the dam in ValentineJeanette and I at Smith FallsCecelia, me, and Jeanette photo bombed by a buffalo at Niobrara Fort MuseumThe Sandhills have some of the best waterfalls
Smith Falls on the Niobrara River near Valentine, NE visited on Monday, July 17, 2023.
