32 Nebraskaland • March 2025
ABOVE: At Eugene T. Mahoney State Park near Ashland, a wild plum shrub blooms.
OPPOSITE: A flock of specklebelly geese flush from a Cass County pond.
Photos and story by Jeff Kurrus
The
Re-emergence
arch is a re-kindling of hope. A time to peek
at the 10-day weather forecast and celebrate
when we see above-freezing temperatures,
hoping we also see below-freezing winds.
It's T-shirt weather. It's parka weather.
It's migration days on the Platte River watching birds from
the tailgate, closing our eyes and allowing the sun to hit our
cheeks like a long-lost friend.
It's watching cranes come to roost from the heated confines
of the same vehicle, pointing from behind the glass.
We try hard in March. We force hikes along our trails in less
clothes than we need, hoping beyond hope we can shed our
hoodie for the layer beneath.
We use our spud bars on ice, wishing for one more fish
through the hard water, while also dressing the line on our
fly rods for the first open-water bite.
As photographers, we always answer the phone for tips,
for wildlife repeatedly ends up in places they don't normally
frequent, a re-emergence for them as well
it seems.
We know winter isn't quite over, despite the official
calendar dates telling us spring begins this month, but many
of us hope to see the few remaining morsels of what winter
brings while also waiting very impatiently for the world to
green around us.
N
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