I can't imagine nicer landowners as hosts. We felt very welcomed, appreciated and like our stay actually mattered.
We loved the silence, but more, we loved what the silence let us hear.
Birds, cows, cranes, coyotes, and the actual quieting of the day as night fell. During a log sunset, first one type of bird then another stopped making noise, until the last sound before full darkness settled was a Canada Goose, who honked three times.
Why do they always have to have the last word?
I imagine it disturbed the Meadow Larks who were the first to turn in for the night.
This was our first trip of the year, a 'settle in to the system' if you will, that was convenient to home. We expected little beyond that.
What we left with was peace, hiking stories, and appreciation of this unique space and the people who let us enjoy it. We settled in, and can't wait to return.