Keep watching the skies, Phyl.

Today Phyllis (Mrs. phlog) and I drove over into Indiana, near the town of Medaryville, to the Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area to spend some time with the migrating Sandhill Cranes. It's been several years since we've taken a day to have this incredible experience. We swore to each other on the way back that we won't miss a year again.

I believe that the current census of cranes in the area is about 12,000 +/- several hundred.

Being there just in the gloaming is something very special. The cranes fly in to a particular field to roost for the night. They keep coming in flights of three or four to a score or two. This goes on for a couple hours, I think.

The only thing to rival the crane-watching is the people-watching. Every former hippy and present enviro-nerd in five counties shows up on weekends. Turn to the west and you'll have a grand view of the flights of cranes comin' in one after another. To the east one can watch the little tangles of crane-watchers arriving very similarly (albeit at a somewhat lower altitude) up the path from the parking area.

"Look! They just keep comin'! From every direction!" the watchers keep repeating. (It really is incredible to see.)

And one can only imagine that the cranes' cackles and cries from the fields, translated, would go something like this: "Look! They just keep comin'! From every direction!"

Don't miss the show if you ever find yourself in central Indiana in the spring or the fall. Just don't.

-more photos-