Towheeblog

Kate and I can think of no finer way to begin any year than to see, and hear, Sandhill Cranes.  Their bugled calls, their stately dances, their very being all reminders of long ago times, before our species even existed, when our ancestors were using the most primal communications (far simpler than even twitter, or snapchat) and still living in small groups gathered at night in whatever natural shelters could be found.  Cranes remind us of a world before man controlled fire, before man made music more complex than what came from birds, before man embarked on his technological rush to control and exploit the entire planet.  That Sandhill Cranes now feed in grain fields, pastures and relict marshes is to their credit, thanks to their eons-old ability to adapt and survive.  That’s an adaptability we’re going to test to its limits as we heat up the planet and cause even greater changes to the planet than those we’ve already wrought with agriculture and chemicals.  I can only wish the cranes a very successful new year and many eons more.