It was another Saturday but one with special significance. One reason was a temperature not as frigid as the previous overnight low of -17o. The sky was a cerulean blue without a single cloud. There was still a chill from a southerly wind.
Juncos were busily feeding on the bird seed outside the front door upon the start of my jaunt into the Heart City. Walking along the drive, both red-breasted and white-breasted nuthatches were heard. The house sparrows were busy in their bit of shrubbery at a corner of the Mill Pond. They always chatter but once a pedestrian gets close, they are very quiet.
On Main Street, the bulls were stolid in pens on what is normally a highway. It was the 18th annual Bull Bash. Some of the finest herd sires were being shown. The Sand Hills have the best cattle and there were Herefords, Angus and others of a similar ilk. There was ag equipment parked for showing. A tent with a well-working heater was a haven.
My first stop was a regular one, providing a warm place to sit while enjoying some good conversation. There was talk about unwelcome industrial wind turbines and how to continue to work to preserve features so special to the county and region. It is always grand to visit with cattlemen and cattle women that are truly so very essential to a grassland which is unique on earth. It is actually quite unexpected to hear ranchers talk about the American burying beetle, endangered whooping crane and an appreciation for dark sky spaces.
After a stop at the grocery store, my walking route once again went along Main Street where the bash activities were actively underway. People were gathered and talking. A young girl was selling Girl Scout cookies. There was a fine quilt display in a main street furniture store. Art was on display in a bank lobby. Miss Rodeo Nebraska and her cohorts were present as the livestock industry was being celebrated.
Another fine visit was to the local bookstore. Author Bryan Jones was autographing his rendition of history associated with the Sand Hills north of the Platte River and south of the Niobrara River. It the first time he’d been in Valentine on a bull-bash day. One more of his book was bought and it had an autograph, because the copy I donated to the library and a couple others given as gifts did not have a scrawl signature.
The one day respite from previous days of bitter winterness was obviously being appreciated outside during an obvious gathering of community of Sandhillers.
Skeins of Canada goose were flying to the southeast just before the noon hour. They were likely heading to the Niobrara River from their feeding grounds.
Bull Bash events continued into the dark hours, but were well beyond my time in the city. It was another day, but special for so many reasons on February 9th.