Revisiting Rowe Sanctuary in the Sandhills

Last week, my husband John and I visited Rowe Sanctuary to watch the cranes. We knew it was early in the season, but John had a meeting as chair for the Spring Creek Prairie Stewardship Board. It was great timing for all of the events.

Our Most Memorable Moments

Several years ago, we took our grandkids to Rowe to watch the cranes. They were enthralled and enjoyed every moment. While we’ve had many adventures with them over the years—like skiing and traveling to Hawaii—Rowe is still a favorite. When we told them we’d be returning, they shared their best memories of the trip.

My grandson remembers throwing up in the car. The other grandkids talked about laughing out loud when they were supposed to be quiet. None of us could forget the freezing wind against our faces.

Rediscovering Sanctuary Grounds

As John participated in his meeting, I began to re-explore the sanctuary grounds. It looked different, yet the same. Maybe that’s because I had my cataracts removed and needed a new pair of glasses, or maybe the place was actually new.

I noticed the river had changed course because of the flooding in Nebraska. I saw some of the trees near the river had died, but they still looked majestic in the openness of the sanctuary. There was a bit of snow left on the ground.

I took pictures and shared them with our four grandkids. They compared the photos to their memories. They still loved hearing the cranes in the field eating and resting.

Planning Virtual Crane Viewing

We all remembered the weather, the animals, and each other’s company. “But do you remember anything about the cranes?” I asked them. They paused for a minute and I laughed, reminding myself that our visit happened years ago.

“We’d love to visit Rowe again,” they said, “now that we’re older.” I wondered if my more mature grandchildren would get something new out of the experience. Then I questioned if they were actually mature when they were all together.

Either way, I knew they were all too busy with school and work to come to the event this year. So, I suggested video calling them and watching the livestream of the cranes on our laptops. After telling me my idea was a little archaic, they all agreed to give it a try. We set a date and time. I couldn’t wait.

Creating Imperfect Memories

The livestream and our video call were wonderful. They weren’t perfect, but we all agreed it was the best we could do. While none of us are “birders,” we still appreciated our time together, making memories and embracing the “oops” moments just like we did all those years ago. If you could communicate with the cranes, they’d tell you that the “oops” moments are the best of all.