My Nebraska!

Well if Sarah Palin can have her Alaska then I can have "My Nebraska", right?

I hear so many times from people that have driven down I-80 through Nebraska say, "Why would you want to live in Nebraska?" "There is nothing there."    Well I just say well then you really have not seen Nebraska.   However, the straw that broken the Camels back, was when Fox 31 news anchor Kellie MacMullen compared Nebraska to North Dakota.  She said something like," Driving through Nebraska is like driving through North Dakota, there is nothing to see."   Well that is it,  I decided to let out one of my best kept secrets,   "My Nebraska"

Cliffs by Ft. Robinson

So the story begins with my family moving here from Colorado eleven years ago.   We loved to  go camping at Ft. Robinson and Chadron State Park.  This was a time before the drought, you saw beautiful green grass for as far as your eyes could see.   Well to make a long story short, we well really I,  kept looking in the paper for farms for sale.   I have to admit the prices of farms in Nebraska  compared to that in Colorado, was amazing.   You could buy a place in Nebraska so much cheaper than you could in Colorado.  I know that upset a lot of Nebraska Farmers but it sure was a blessing to us.

On one of our trips back from camping we took a detour to look at a farm for sale.   When we finally got there, YIKES.   It was so run down and needed so much work, Dave said, There is no way!!!"    We just drove right on past it thinking we would have to be crazy to take that on.    To make this story short, the Realtor talked us into coming back a few weeks later and looking at the inside of the house.    Well I fell in love with the house and all its possibilities, well in love with everything except the fact that is was stuck in the 70's.  Anyway,  we sold our house in Colorado and moved to Nebraska one year later.   I really have to give my husband kudos,  he was willing to  give up a good job,  a home that he and I owned  in for 13 years, to follow his crazy wife dreams.    Not that he did not dream of a bigger place in the country.   Dave  was just a little more apprehensive to do it on a wing and a prayer.  A lot of prayer!

This is when I went from being a Colorado Prairie Girl to a Nebraska Prairie Girl.

The move itself was crazy, you see not only did we have to move our personal belongings, but livestock and all their equipment.   I will tell you right now the only way I will move again is in a pine box, on my back, with my arms folded across my chest.   Not only because I hate to move, but because I love "My Nebraska.    The farm does not look anything like it did when we moved in, there has been a lot of blood sweat,  tears  and love poured into this old farm.   But the move has been such a huge blessing to our family,  we have never looked back. 

This is the beginning of a canyon 1 mile north of our farm.

I wanted to share with you what "My Nebraska"  looks like.   It is not flat,  like I - 80 would suggest, but filled with rolling hills and canyon lands.  

Rock out crops in the canyon

More cliffs in the canyon

These photo's where taken about a mile and a half from our farm.  This is the scenery my children get to see out the bus window every morning and night.   When they get off the bus in the afternoon they always have stories about the wild life they have seen.

Not much straight and flat to this road.

Gabe Rock.

  I know that these photo's don't compare to those of the Rocky Mountain in our neighboring state of Colorado, to some folks.  However, to me they are just as beautiful.    Wildlife  is abundant here and ever present, well except when you have a camera.    We have elk, mule deer and white tail deer,  big horn sheep, moose, bob cats, mountain lions, coyotes, wild turkeys,  an occasional bear that wander to far down the river, and we have had wolf sighting.    Watch out Yellowstone National Park!     So you see,  that "My Nebraska"might be one of the worlds best kept secrets.

Oh and by the way "My Nebraska" can be exciting as you can see from the next photo.  Warning: This next photo does contain something, some of you might find disturbing.

Two Prairie Rattlers on one of the Cliffs.  

When I was out taking these photo's for my blog I did see plenty of deer but they were to far away to get a photo. (I need a better camera).  However,  these two rattle snakes were close enough to get a photo of, go figure.   They did not want to smile and say cheese,  they were very happy to rattle their little rattlesnake tails at me.   I hope you enjoyed some of photo's of  "My Nebraska"  but it is much better in person.  So if you live in Nebraska you already know about its best kept secrets.   If you're not from Nebraska take some time get off of I-80 and head north on HWY 71 you will be glad that you did.   Because just beyond all the farm ground,  tucked away there is the most amazing landscape and scenery.