Moments

After a nice couple of weeks to close out January and start February off on a pleasant note, winter returned to the Panhandle of Nebraska yesterday.

That's not a bad thing though. The snow will melt and provide moisture for the grass, and the grass is the real resource on the ranch. I like to say I'm a rancher, which is tough and macho and far more cool than being a plow jockey. But in truth I'm a grass farmer.

Yesterday morning the snow was still coming down when I checked cattle. It was a fairly light snow, but steady and constant, and there was no wind so it came straight down. The temperature was in the mid-20's, and that's just about perfect in the midst of a windless snowfall.

I try to capture these things in pictures and video, but I'm always disappointed. I'd like to be able to share the direct experience, because the images don't do it justice. The snowfall brings the horizon in close and the still air seems to add depth and richness to the quiet beauty of the prairie. You can actually hear the snow as it falls, a soft hissing sound, and a perfect accompaniment to the muted crunching of boots negotiating the slowly accumulating ground cover. This morning was peace and beauty and contentment. I am blessed.