It's
an open land. A land of big sky, ocean-like grasslands, meandering rivers,
contented cows, and endless fields of waving grain. At one moment it can
feel like the end of the earth or the spiritual center of the universe.
It's a diverse land. Glaciated in the
northeast, flat as a pancake in parts of the west. North America's longest
river defines one corner, while out west what passes for a river may only
run a couple months out of the year. In the urban areas one can't swing
a dead cat without hitting another person, in extreme western Kansas you'd
have to bring your own dead cat. Kansas and Kansans can be unique, mainstream,
beautiful, disturbing, thought provoking, harsh, comforting, and awe-inspiring.
It's a beautiful land, covered
by an intensely blue sky. Green prairie grasses and wildflowers cover
the landscape in the spring. Subtle shadings of red and tan tallgrass
envelope autumn hillsides. An early morning drive finds the low sun accentuating
the freshly tilled rows of a farmer's field, adding accent to the gentle
contour of the land. The aroma of damp earth hangs lightly as one drives
by. Beauty subtle, and not so subtle, abounds.
