Favorite North American Place

Of all the places I’ve visited in North America, the Mira Valley near Ord in central Nebraska is my favorite. The Mira Valley lies just south of the town of Ord, with the Mira Creek winding through it. Both Ord and the Mira Valley are near the larger North Loup Valley, one of the most beautiful of Nebraska’s rivers.

My uncle, Keith Peterson, who grew up in the valley and now farms and ranches there, introduced me to the Mira Valley. When my family travels to Ord for holidays and special occasions, I often spend the better part of the day walking the rolling Mira Valley hills hunting upland game birds with my uncle and his brother.

The Mira Valley and the surrounding terrain resemble the Sandhills or northern Nebraska, which lie relatively close to the north. Yet, the area is distinctly different, especially in regard to the soil. While the soil of the Sandhills is very sandy and unsuitable for farming, the Mira Valley is a very fertile and farmable area, especially alongside the Mira Creek. Even though most of the land there is farmable, the few residents of the valley make a living through a combination of farming and ranching. This combination is evident in the landscape, as corn and soybean fields border alfalfa fields and unplowed pasture. Horses are still the choice work vehicle in many jobs that involve moving and working cattle.

Many kinds of wildlife thrive in the Mira Valley. When walking the valley, one passes beaver dams on the creek, spooks both whitetail and mule deer across the hills, hears turkey flocks gathering beneath cottonwood trees, sees coyotes and raccoons crossing the roads, and flushes out upland game birds such as quail, pheasant and grouse.

One reason that I am so interested in and impressed by the Mira Valley is that I am attracted to areas of Nebraska that have remained largely unchanged over the past several centuries of human settlement. Perhaps this is because I come from a highly plowed area, where the fertile land spells profit, and the landscape looks nothing like it once did. Although the human presence has certainly been made known in the Mira Valley, areas of traditional Nebraska prairie remain and offer a glimpse into the past that long was the American Midwest. I also enjoy the memories that my relatives and I have made walking those Mira Valley hills. It's the place I learned to hunt, shoot a gun, and ride a horse. I hope this place can continue to be enjoyed by me and those that call it home.

-Daniel Uden 1-27-2009