Waves of a Different Kind

Grammy Writes,
Sunset on the Sea
Sunrise on the Prairie

I live in Kansas, right smack in the middle of the United States. The nearest ocean is the Atlantic, nearly 1200 miles to the east. The Pacific is 1800 miles west and would take approximately 25 hours to drive. I am understandably overjoyed when our travels include a trip to the ocean. The sight of the sea flattened across the horizon thrills me, especially if bordered by rocky cliffs etched into uniqueness by the forces or wind and water. I watch as foamy waves meet the shore, consuming every crevice in its path. I try to memorize the sound of endless space – the cry of the seagulls and the breaking surf as it crashes over and over and over again.

When memories of the sea begin to fade, something very similar takes its place. Here in Kansas, miles and miles of land, not sea, flatten across the horizon, its vastness interrupted by an occasional rock formation, farm silo, or grove of trees rising up from the banks of a stream. Prairie grass sways in a gentle breeze, creating waves of a different kind, while the warmth of the sun brightly glows on fields of golden grain. Here, the sound of endless space is filled with near-quiet bliss: the mellow moo of a grazing cow and the distant honk of snow geese as they migrate back and forth to wherever it is they go.

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Be happy with what you have… make it your source of inspiration!

For Lens-Artists Challenge: Inspiration

30 Comments

  8. Fantastic photos and beautiful message. I love the way you described where you live. We all need to learn to be happy with what we have. It might be challenging to do it right now, I mean, with the world being in chaos and all, but focusing on good things in life and letting go of expectations is a great way to achieve more happiness. Thanks for sharing and have a good day 😊 Aiva

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  9. A beautiful message indeed Linda. I remember being so enthralled by our visit to the waves of grass in the Palouse, which I assume are similar. There is something very special about places like these.

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  10. I got stuck on your early comment about the distance to the oceans. Per Google Maps you are correct! Who knew – the center of Kansas is closer to the Atlantic, not the Pacific. I would’ve guessed wrong on that. Also, on a clear day your amber waves of grain are visible from the top of (our) Pikes Peak.

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    1. Whew, I’m glad I got it right – and being in the Kansas City area puts me even closer to the east. That’s cool about being able to see Kansas from Pikes Peak!

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  13. I love how expansive the Kansas landscape feels and the similar sensations I experience in looking both at the landscapes and the ocean. I enjoy how you placed the land and water photos side by side. A sense of the mirroring each other.

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