Pete and I will soon be heading out to Colorado for a little vacation. (Note: It's likely I won't be making updates for the time that we're gone, but you can expect some spectacular pictures when we return...I hope.) That requires us to travel a part of the state that many people refer to the "armpit of the United States (or Kansas)": western Kansas. I have many a friend from that part of the state who vehemently defend it's beauty and worth. I also have many friends from that part of the state who swear never to go back. Like so many things, you're never going to find a consensus.
But, one thing that you probably can find a consensus on is that driving through that part of the state is BORING. There are no hills, few trees.....just vast farmland. As an Iowan, it is my solemn duty to defend my state and ferociously make the argument that Western Kansas is 100 million time more boring than Iowa. If you want to challenge my assertion, make a comment!
With that being said, this picture is not of Western Kansas. It's actually a field in the middle of Lawrence (eastern Kansas) that first caught my attention today when I had to stop Lucy out to go to potty because I was afraid she'd pee in my car. Later, it was a perfect spot for me to capture these thunderheads in the waning day along with the barrels of hay I'd found before.
If the farmland of Western Kansas was always as picturesque as this, we'd be good to go. The drive to Denver would be quick and entertaining. But every rose has its thorn, and the beauty of the mountains are always preceded by the pain of the flatlands. It's just a cross that we all have to bear.
