Firewood or Fine Art? | Weird. Wonderful. Collected!

Would you burn this... or put it on display? Near Chimney Rock in western Nebraska, Judy Durnal collects weathered wood knots, twisted branches, and sun-bleached fence posts sculpted by wind, time, and harsh prairie weather. What others overlook, she sees as works of natural art. Judy has spent a lifetime discovering beauty hidden in the Nebraska landscape. Each piece reflects her deep connection to the prairie and the ranch her family has called home for generations. Her great-grandfather homesteaded this land more than a century ago and famously sold Chimney Rock to the State of Nebraska for just one dollar. Today, Judy's remarkable collection reminds us that sometimes nature creates the most extraordinary works of art…we simply have to notice them. Love discovering extraordinary collections? Watch more from the "Weird. Wonderful. Collected!" series:    • Weird. Wonderful. Collected!   Do you have a weird, wonderful collection of your own? Tell us about it in the comments! Special thanks to Scotts Bluff National Monument #WeirdWonderfulCollected #FoundArt #NatureArt #NebraskaHistory #ChimneyRock © 2026 Nebraska Public Media Foundation. All rights reserved. Nebraska Public Media has been dedicated to connecting Nebraskans through news, sports, education, and entertainment since 1954. Providing global news and compelling stories from PBS and NPR, Nebraska Public Media also produces award-winning original content. FOLLOW US: YouTube:    / nebraskapublicmedia   Facebook:   / nebraskapublicmedia   X (Formerly Twitter): https://x.com/NebPublicMedia Instagram:   / nebraskapublicmedia   Website: https://NebraskaPublicMedia.org