On Father’s Day we travelled to my uncle’s ranch on the Thompson River to do some fly fishing. On our way, we saw this beautiful pair of sandhill cranes out in the marsh off of Highway 2. My husband turned around and encouraged me to walk out to the marsh off the highway and see if I could get some good photos. It turned out to be a very special day and experience!

For many years I have hoped to see cranes doing their courting dance but to no avail. I got out to the marsh and sat in a tall clump of grass and just began to observe. I always like to take mental notes about the scene, the animal, their mannerisms and interactions, color, and form. I sat there for a while and took a few photos. All at once, the dancing began. I was the only one there and it felt like I was at a theatre watching a special ballet performed just for me. They danced and called and were so graceful and magnificent. They did this ritual five times when I was there. I was blown away and at a loss for words. It couldn’t have been a more magical setting and time to have this experience with these royal birds. When I returned to our truck, my family had wondered what in the world had happened to me. HaHa I excitedly shared my experience with them and now with the world.