Nebraska Sunset ~ April 07

Here is another picture of a Nebraska sunset . . taken in April of 2007. Notice how differently the rich colors of this sunset compare with the sunset in the picture below. Both sunsets were photographed in the same general locations. My pictures seem to be a bit dark . . I might need to work on that . . . .

Prom Night

High School Prom . . .April 21, 2007

Katie and her boyfriend, Adrian . . .

Katie is ours . . We've known Adrian since kindergarten . . so sometimes, he almost feels like ours as well . . . . .

Ree Bear

~ Ah . . . my little "Ree-Bear." She is the oldest of our three children. Her real name is Christina Marie but when she was tiny and someone would ask her name, she would state "My name is Christina Ree!" So, we started calling her Ree-Bear. I miss Christina. She is currently over 900 miles away, student teaching in Texas. Come May, she will graduate from college . . . Yee Ha!! Now for the second and/or third round(s) of college tuition(s). No rest for the weary parents!!
~ Here, Ree is looking quite pensive, as she often does. However, there is another side to her personality . . a very spunky and dare-devilish side that sometimes prevails. That side of her is maybe what helped fuel her desire to student teach so far away instead of taking on such a task in more familiar surroundings. Ree also gave up her perfectly good job for over a month this past summer to go to the Dominican Republic to help try save the world (or at least a tiny part of it) through an organization called "Foundations for Peace." Go Ree!! She's a brave one, for sure!! While in the D.R., she broke her foot just a few days after her arrival as she was helping children maneuver over a dangerous place in the dirt road. That didn't seem to slow her down more than a few days.
~ Our family moved from Texas to Nebraska almost 16 years ago when Ree was in the second grade. Ree has lived in Nebraska most of her life. She had the opportunity to student teach close to home or spread her wings and teach in the Houston area. Being the risk-taker and free-spirited young lady that she can be, she chose to spread her wings. We are very proud of her for doing so. However, she has been dealing with quite a few eye-opening challenges during her student teaching experience. She says it's different having so many locked doors at school, being a minority, having policemen standing in the hallways ready for the slightest bit of unacceptable activity, and seeing gang members "cluster" when something is getting ready to happen, etc. She is taking each new experience in stride and seems to be growing in very meaningful ways. She keeps a wonderful perspective through it all and is even thinking about applying for a position in her district. That's my Ree~Bear . . However, I do hope that in the midst of this wonderful growth opportunity, she is able to stay safe!!!
~ Children: what a beautiful thing . . . no matter what age . . no matter what shape they're in . . whether they're currently on top of the world or struggling somehow. We love them for who they are , for the simple joys that they grace us with . . I have two other kids that I am equally proud of . . Blake and Katie Lou. These stories will need to wait for some future postings. Jo Ellen

Sunset on the Platte

Sunset on the Platte River in Nebraska . . . .

Sunset on the Platte River here in Nebraska is quite lovely, as it must be just about anywhere. There's something very magical about watching a sunset at the end of a day. It marks the time of day when most of us know that peaceful slumber is soon to come. It can be a time to reflect on anything and everything or maybe a rare moment in which we simply allow ourselves to be still. Seasons, like sunsets, mark the end of one cycle and the beginning of another. Typically in March around here, Mother Nature is confused as to whether she would like to tease us with a little bit of spring time or if she would prefer to have winter hang around for just a tad longer. The sandhill cranes are beginning to arrive, just as they do every year at this time. It was reported that the first cranes of the year arrived about a week ago when we were experiencing several days of beautiful weather with the temperatures clear up into the fifties. That was remarkable after several weeks (or has it been months) of below freezing temps. However, the warmer weather was short lived as blizzard conditions set in just days after the first cranes arrived. I always marvel at how such seemingly delicate creatures are able to survive the harsh conditions of Nebraska winters, relentless bitter cold temps and wicked Artic winds. I also wonder how the not quite so delicate cows out in the pastures fare, with little or no shelter to speak of. In just a few short weeks, we will have had over half a million cranes visit us before they continue on their northward journey to their breeding grounds. They roost along the Platte River at night time and spend their days frolicking in neighboring fields. It is an extraordinary sight to watch these large birds fly in for the night or take off early in the morning for their daytime adventures.

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Not everyone around here welcomes the birds. Some people think they can be a nuisance. One person, in a local newspaper article a few years ago, referred to the birds as "flying rats." I try to be open minded, and as humorous as I find that comment, I do not understand this person's perspective. Perhaps the birds were here way before us humans, so that would make US the bothersome ones. Maybe soon, I'll be able to get a few new shots of these birds, that is . . if I can find my way through the other picture-hungry people aiming for a decent shot. Along with the birds come the tourists. Sometimes it's just as interesting watching them marvel at the birds. Watching the sandhill cranes . . . most definitely can be classified as an extraordinary simplicity. Jo Ellen