On January 29, 1861, Kansas was admitted to the Union. I’ve made no bones about my love of the place here on this old blog. I’ve also mentioned numerous times that I’d go back there to live and work, should the opportunity arise. So this year, I’ll just look at the above photo, imagine the wind, and the sound it makes as it ruffles this wheat field into more shades of green than you can count.
I’ll also cite a little piece of poetry, found here. This expresses my feelings about as well as anything I’ve found.
Wandering children of Kansas away,
By mountain, by desert, or sea,
Feasting or fasting, at prayer or at play,
Whatever your fortunes may be,
Open the doors of your hearts to the breeze,
Prairie winds never are still,
Hark to the surf in the cottonwood trees,
The breakers that boom on the hill.
Open your soul’s windows-let in the sun-
The prairie sun gay with delight.
Where’er your wandering pathways have run,
Come home tonight.–From: “A Song for Kansas Day” by William Allen White
-k-
H/T for the photo: Dave Leiker and his wonderful Postcards from Kansas series, licensed through Creative Commons. Thanks, Dave!
Seems kinda flat, don’t it? OK I’ll get while the getting is good.
That picture gave me chills.
What the non-prairie residents don’t understand is that is a still picture and it is the movement of the wheat that is the thing of beauty. Like a big green ocean with it’s own special sounds and way of moving.
You gotta be there. In the absence of that, though, nice picture.
Ken thanks for another great KS day post. I was busy with work yesterday that I totally missed it. Thanks for putting things in perspective for the rest of the week.
It’s supposed to be in 60s tomorrow here in Lawrence so I’ll be sure to go out and snag some pics!
Thanks, Matt.
Kansas is a great place to be from, it is a great place where I’d love to live again.
Do me a favor. Get a springtime photo of KU campus scenes, Fraser or Strong Hall would be good. I need to section out a 1200×175 pixel hunk, and I’ll have a neat new header graphic
-k-
James:
You got that right. I’ll troll YouTube or someplace for a video. If you’ve seen the beauty, it needs no explanation. If you haven’t, my lowly prose just can’t explain it.
-k-
Mark:
This photo is in southwest Kansas, almost Colorado. Eastern Colorado is flat city
Thanks for stoppin’ by; don’t be a stranger.
-k-
America is such a large and beautiful country. Country people tend to be nice or nicer just about everywhere. I’ll always be strange but never a stranger
PS:My rice chex your wheat http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbluesman/2481814102 other than that same day different crop…
Dude:
Compare the flatness of that riceland with my pic.
Beautiful, both of them. And great grains, as well.
-k-