Regular readers will know of my ongoing love affair with the prairies. The historic vast wilderness of sweeping grasses now mostly turned to farmland still maintains that wonderful wide open expanse. It is the expanse that draws me, as an Englishman such vast open spaces are unequalled in my home country and it is almost impossible to comprehend that these spaces are as large as my entire home country. 

Yet within this seemingly infinite emptiness, masses of life exists. Colonies of ground squirrels and prairie dogs, thousands upon thousands of eagles, hawks, falcons, and owls hunting overhead day and night. Millions of birds in transit to and from the arctic as the seasons turn.  Coyotes and Foxes fighting for real estate close to huge water sources teaming with fish. There are elk, moose, pronghorns, deer and bears patrolling endlessly. Badgers, snakes, and rodents too numerous to mention, it is a stunning wildlife paradise that I will miss very much. 

One of the great benefits of living within this wonderful wildlife arena, is that all of these beautiful creatures pass by the house with regularity, and just occasionally stop in long enough for an image as this stunning prairie falcon did very recently.