My two day excursion through the heart of Nebraska's largest county.

My first overnight trip into the Sandhills this spring happened several weeks later than normal. Very seldom have I missed my 1st of May "bass blitz," but somehow, the month passed like a whirlwind. Here it is the first week in June, and I finally hooked onto the boat for a quick breather in the hills.

Is it just me, or does life get harder after we turn 60? Four years ago, when I was 59, I could do pretty much everything that I wanted to. Nowadays, I creak and groan like an old tree in the wind every time that I make a move. Maybe building houses for forty-four years has something to do with it.  It's kind of sad to think that my jaunts off the beaten path must someday come to an end. But for now, I'm going to keep trucking, just in a lower gear.

An unnamed Cherry County lake.

I've spent a lifetime exploring the Sandhills, but much like reading the Bible, I discover something new every time that I delve in. There is something strange and wonderful about experiencing this place from an electric-powered Jon boat. The quiet hum of the motor is easily overwhelmed by the raucous calls of marsh birds and lapping of waves against the cattails. To catch a fish is just a bonus to the adventure.

A Merritt Reservoir crappie.

Early morning pelican.

Sunset on Gordon Creek.