Inside The March/April 2004 Issue
Here's what you'll find in our March/April 2004 issue. (Of these, only “Hunting Morels” is available online—the others are found exclusively in the magazine.)
The Spirit of Brownville
Though Brownville, pop. 146, doesn't have a bank, gas station or grocery store, it has three museums, four art galleries, four craft shops, four antique shops, 30 historic homes, a new winery, and a riverboat. And books, books, books.
Kayaking Nebraska
We're kidding, right? As photographer George Burba demonstrates in a series of stunning photos, Nebraska's backwaters are easily accessible by shallow-draft, inflatable kayaks. “You are one with the vessel, water and surrounding environment,” Burba writes.
Blue Creek Blues
In Garden County, billionaire Ted Turner's buffalo roam under cloudy skies and a few discouraging words. Turner is Nebraska's largest landowner, and has stocked his ranches with thousands of bison… and, to his neighbors' consternation, prairie dogs. Writer Jerry Wilson visited the area to find out what residents think of the Turner operation.
At the Hometown Barbershop
Sharp eyes, steady hands and keen memories. Small town barbershops are becoming harder to find. Photographer Gary Inness went in search of some long-time establishments in northeast Nebraska and the Sandhills.
Ord's Deliberate Pace
Walk, don't drive, when you're in Ord, NL General Manager Chris Amundson was told. Sure, people drive in the seat of Valley County, but with everything you need close by, why not stretch your legs a bit? Ord is a quaint town built on the edge of the North Loup River, which cuts through the eastern edge of the Sandhills about an hour north of Grand Island.
Painting the Panhandle
She didn't start painting till she was an adult, graduated from college the same year her oldest son graduated from high school. Alliance artist Wilma Schaffert may have gotten a late start, but she's made a name for herself with her watercolors of Panhandle wildlife.
Logging Nebraska Prairie
Unwanted trees in Nebraska, of all places? Yes, but that's good news for our loggers and artisans. Red cedars, formerly controlled by prairie fires, are spreading across Nebraska rangeland. But the wood is hard and makes good fence posts, houses and furniture. In Taylor, Ron Worm is able to pursue his logging career—even though he's legally blind.
Hunting Morels
Spring is the season for gathering wild mushrooms. A true morel hunter won't reveal his or her favorite spots (morels tend to grow in the same locations year after year), but Mike Gutzmer of Columbus has tips and recipes for this enjoyable family outing.
This story, along with one of Mike's recipes, is available here.
Shoes and Ringers
Despite 103 degree heat, nearly 50 horseshoe pitchers arrived for a family event in Seward. While people chatted in the shade, a few men watered the pits, spaded up the clay and touched up the stakes with metallic spray paint. Conversation centered on the game. “ He was hot yesterday, wasn't he?” said one pitcher of another. “I'll tell you, no matter how he threw ‘em, they went on!” Across the state, this old fashioned game is still bringing communities together.
Plus letters, poetry, book reviews, Flat Water News (our lighthearted look at Nebraska), and Traveler (the state's best events).