Nourishing Waters, Comforting Sky: Thirty-Five Years at a Sandhills Oasis PDF
Preview Nourishing Waters, Comforting Sky: Thirty-Five Years at a Sandhills Oasis
Praise for The Last Prairie, by Stephen R. Jones “[A] gem of Great Plains environmental writing. Stephen Jones has given us a collection of his undated journal entries that represent an interesting combination of nature writing, history, and anecdote. . . . One finds the footprints of Mari Sandoz, Aldo Leopold, and John Neihardt in this must- read for Sandhills enthusiasts. As Jones’s own ‘love song to the plains,’ The Last Prairie captures the region’s rich history with a depth often overlooked in other writings on the Great Plains.” —D ouglas Harvey, Journal of the West “Reading this book is as pleasant an experience as actually viewing the tall, gently waving prairie grasses and pastoral scenes that Jones describes.” — Library Journal “Jones does a remarkable job of capturing the variety, texture, and integrity of the Sandhills environment— including the plant and animal life as well as the ranching community and the historical fabric that work to create this complicated landscape. . . . [The Last Prairie] richly describes a region of the United States that few people might be familiar with. Second, it works to show how landscape, wildlife, culture, and history are always interconnected. . . . Finally, the book works to make a compelling argument that because of human dependence upon and connection to landscape and all life, regions like the Sandhills deserve consideration and preservation.” — saraH Hulme Hill, Western American Literature “A must- read book.” —J onis agee, author of Strange Angels “A lovely book, to enjoy and cherish.” —a nn H. Zwinger, author of The Nearsighted Naturalist and Beyond the Aspen Grove “From insect to eagle’s-e ye view, The Last Prairie gives us the heartening illuminations of a writer honoring his chosen cut of the continent with loyal affection and full, gifted attention.” — merrill gilfillan, author of Magpie Rising and Chokecherry Places “This book is a celebration of place by a man who truly loves it, walks it, and is willing to work hard enough to bring it home to readers and place it in our hearts.” —C Hristina nealson, author of Living on the Spine: A Woman’s Life in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains Stephen R. Jones Nourishing Waters, Comforting Sky Thirty- Five Years at a Sandhills Oasis University of Nebraska Press Lincoln © 2022 by Stephen R. Jones Portions of this book previously appeared, in different form, in R. A. Adams, ed., Into the Night (Boulder: University Press of Colorado, 2013); and “Trumpeter Swans Return,” Nebraska Life, July/August 2018. All rights reserved Manufactured in the United States of America The University of Nebraska Press is part of a land- grant institution with campuses and programs on the past, present, and future homelands of the Pawnee, Ponca, Otoe- Missouria, Omaha, Dakota, Lakota, Kaw, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Peoples, as well as those of the relocated Ho- Chunk, Sac and Fox, and Iowa Peoples. Publication of this volume was assisted by a grant from the Friends of the University of Nebraska Press. Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data Names: Jones, Stephen R., 1947– author. Title: Nourishing waters, comforting sky: thirty- five years at a sandhills oasis / Stephen R. Jones. Description: Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, [2022] | Includes bibliographical references. Identifiers: lCCn 2021035832 isbn 9781496230270 (paperback) isbn 9781496231574 (epub) isbn 9781496231581 (pdf) Subjects: lCsH: Sand dune ecology— Nebraska—S andhills. | Sand dune conservation— Nebraska—S andhills. | Sandhills (Neb.) | Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge (Neb.) | bisaC: nature / Ecosystems & Habitats / Plains & Prairies | nature / Regional Classification: lCC qH105.n2 J67 2022 | DDC 577.5/83097827— dc23/eng/20211007 lC record available at https:// lccn .loc .gov /2021035832 Set in Questa by Mikala R. Kolander. For my mother, Kay Kelly Jones Contents Author’s Note . . . . . ix Portal in the Sky . . . . . 1 Timpsula . . . . . 7 Owls . . . . . 17 Feather’s Touch . . . . . 24 Ojo de Agua . . . . . 30 Dawn Chorus . . . . . 43 Shorebirds in the Grass . . . . . 53 Swan Lake . . . . . 61 Black Cherry Moon . . . . . 69 Milkweed Silk . . . . . 80 Snow Blows like Spirits in the Sun . . . . . 93 Popping Trees . . . . . 103 Turtle Tears . . . . . 111 Circles of Life . . . . . 117 Path of Souls . . . . . 125 Grace . . . . . 132 Sacred Gifts . . . . . 136 Fallen Star . . . . . 138 Acknowledgments . . . . . 141 Notes . . . . . 145
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