In Nebraska and most of the upper Midwest, including my home state of South Dakota, there are miles and miles of prairie, pasture and cropland. The landscape is flat with very few trees. My friends from the East Coast, and a former priest from England, could not adjust to the flatness. They would make comments like, "There is no SCENERY here! It's so BORING!"
I beg to differ. We have some beautiful prairie lakes, river valleys, and even some waterfalls. And, as I recall, "spacious skies" and "amber waves of grain" got equal billing with "purple mountain majesties" in America, the Beautiful.
But I will admit, our landscapes are mostly flat and treeless. In Nebraska, the last Friday in April is celebrated as a state holiday, Arbor Day. I joke to my out-of-state friends that trees are so scarce here, we have a holiday to honor them. It reminds me of the lyrics to a Joni Mitchell song ("covered" by another artist in the 80's). "They paved Paradise and put up a parking lot…..They took all the trees and put them in a Tree Museum. And they charged the people a dollar and a half just to see 'em." The "covered" version of the song increased the price of admission to the Tree Museum as I recall – inflation, I guess.
I've always felt that what the prairie states may lack in LANDscapes they more than compensate with breathtakingly beautiful SKYscapes. We have BIG horizons, with nothing to block our view of the sky. I learned at an early age that the sky is not always "blue." It can be red, orange, pink, purple, gray, ominous greenish-gray, and every shade of blue and gray that Pantone can classify.
Not to mention the occasional rainbow or double rainbow!
The photos above were taken by my hubby at sunset, before what was forecast to be a "dark and stormy night." I call the photos Big Red Nebraska Skyscapes (with a shout out to my Etsy Nebraska Team buddies who will appreciate the Big Red reference). The blazing reds and oranges and yellows breaking through the dark, threatening clouds, remind me that even in dark and threatening times, there is light, and there is beauty.
TTFN
LeAnn aka pasqueflower
http://pasqueflowerponderings.blogspot.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/pasqueflower
Beautiful photos! Our southern Alberta landscape sounds much like yours. I tend to get claustrophobic after a few days away from the prairies and am so glad to return to the "open" skies.
ReplyDeleteAs a lover of open space and big sky views, I concur with you. I found the landscape of the south, east, New England and much of the midwest (OH, IL, IN, WI) to be boring as it is not only flat but smothered with forests that totally block open views of the sky. Too claustrophobic and monotonous green for me.
ReplyDeleteGreat sunset in those photos, and I see plenty of trees there!
Gorgeous photos! I'm originally from New England and now live in North Carolina. I think everywhere has its own unique beauty.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous, simply gorgeous! I too think that every place has its own beauty...those skyscapes are the best canvases:):)
ReplyDeletethese are beautiful skyscapes, LeAnn. Everywhere has its own natural beauty and these photos prove it.
ReplyDeleteMy family owns a lake in Fremont Nebraska and I have to say it is one of the most beautiful places EVER! Love the sunset pic... GO BIG RED:)
ReplyDeleteI agree. I've always thought that the sunsets in the midwest were beautiful. The colors are amazing.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely gorgeous! :)
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