Everywhere I’ve gone for picture-taking this fall, I’ve seen sandhill cranes gathering in large groups near spent cornfields. They’re flying in and flying out to bulk up on corn dregs as they prepare for their long migration southeast. I’m delighted that my two crane families are still here. They’re easy to spot because they live on opposite corners of the same road. One day soon, though, I’ll drive by, and they’ll be gone. Many people wait for the snowdrops and crocuses to bloom in the spring. I wait for the cranes to return.
