O beautiful for spacious skies!

Monday, morning I went to "Branched Oak Farms" which is an organic dairy farm I found online who advertised tours and homemade cheeses. I was expecting that it would be a touristy place with a gift shop and such; just like the maple syrup farm I visited in Vermont. However, I realized my preconceived notions were wrong when I was driving up the driveway and knocking the front door of this families home.

Doug and Krista, the owners of the farm, welcomed me in to their kitchen and we talked for a while and got to know each other. They were interested in my travels, and I, in their farming experiences. They own over 200 acres of land (which is considered a small piece of land out here) and only about 50 cows. They have been milking cows forever, but only just recently in 2006 started making cheese from some of the milk they produce. The whole operation, from milking to cheese, happens in just a couple rooms about the size of a 4 car garage. Unfortunately, the "cheese making class", as Krista called it, that I was expecting to take was really just her neighbor wanting to learn how to make cheese and Krista was going to give her a lesson. Well, the neighbor had to cancel and, therefore, no cheese making class. Bummer!
It seems like everything goes slower on the farm. I was thinking I would get the tour, maybe learn how to make some cheese and then leave, but I ended up spending most of the day there. They just made me part of the family. I helped them clean some barrels for milk storage, Krista hung her laundry out on the line, and I listened as they chatted about cheese. Half of which I did not understand. Who knew cheese making was so complicated? I really experienced the mid-west hospitality when they insisted on feeding me lunch. (Side note: During lunch I got to taste some of the cheese Krista makes and loved it! So I bought a few packages of it and have been enjoying it the past couple of days on crackers.) They even offered me a room for the night. I told them, thank you, but I had to keep heading west and so they pulled out all their maps and gave me some great tips. They told me that this time of year, this particular week, in fact, is when hundreds of thousands of Sandhill cranes and other migratory birds are heading north and they all funnel through this one area of Nebraska called Grand Island.
I took their suggestion to stop in Grand Island and see the birds. As I was driving down the highway towards the nature center I was talking with my Dad on the phone just chatting about the trip and all of a sudden I noticed the skies were becoming very crowded! There were so many birds flying in their "V" formations. It looked like black and gray ocean waves in the sky. 

The pictures I tried to take just did not do it any justice. Just imagine this scene, but across the whole sky and it does not stop for 5 miles!
Once at the nature center they showed me where I could drive around and see the cranes on the ground feeding in the corn fields. This drive was nice. I just rolled my windows down and listened to the sound of the cranes and the dirt road under my tires. It was sunny and the breeze was blowing. The cranes call is not the most pleasant thing ever, but it is great just to listen to nature and I loved every minute of it.

These corn fields seemed to go on forever, and I never stopped seeing the cranes. I eventually had to turn back so I could get to the foot bridge by sunset. The birds all return to the river at night for protection so this is really the best time to see them all clumped together.

Today, Tuesday, I drove through the rest of Nebraska. Part of the way was on the Sandhills Journey scenic byway. The sandhills of NE area the largest grass stabilized sand dunes in the world. It was amazing driving across this vast expanse of land that just had wheat fields and what looked like barren land. However, I have learned that the sandhills are far from barren there are actually tons of wild life. They are just hard to spot especially in winter when everything is brown and the animals blend right in.

I noticed that there was a change in crops as I drove through the mid west. In northern Missouri and Eastern NE there were only corn fields and mostly dairy cows. Then as I got into Western NE it turned into wheat fields and beef cattle. I was pretty impressed that I could tell the difference. I can thank being in Maine for this new found knowledge. The difference in appearance between corn and wheat fields in the winter season after it has been harvested is very slight. (The cows are a bit easier to tell apart) :)
Can you tell the difference?

As I came into WY the scenery began to change. More hills and plateaus dominated the landscape. Once in Cheyenne I stopped by the State Museum and the State capitol building. Both were interesting and gave lots of history about Wyoming.

I have to say while I was driving across the plains today it struck me how amazing and how varied our country is. It gave me a new appreciation for the greatness of America, and every time I hear the song "America the Beautiful" it is going to hold a whole new meaning for me. I would highly recommend that everyone, at least once in their lifetime, makes a cross-country trip. It will change your perspectives and widen your horizons!