The other morning a few clouds were snuggled among the mountain in the west while the pale blue sky to the east had nary a cloud. The wind was causing a bad hair day for even those without hair. As is customary along the Front Range, by mid-afternoon larger clouds were developing from those few clouds. As these clouds moved eastward they showed their power with thunder, lightening and rain. So, in the next morning I rose early in hopes of seeing a colorful sunrise. But nature gave me more cloudy skies, unusually cool temperatures and, of course, the wind.
Since I’m new to this area just east of Denver, everything is unexplored. After driving 20 miles east the pavement ends and the bumpy dirt road reminds me of the few rattles in my old car. The beauty offered by the Colorado prairie are large fields of green wheat extending into the distant flat horizons. Every so often we can find small clusters of trees following along river bottoms that offer protection and habitat for deer, raptures, coyotes and other wildlife. But, along with finding these gifts in nature we also find mans electric power transmission lines, a farm house with a barking dog claiming ownership to his homestead, an old barn (maybe no longer used), an isolated oil pumpjack, and, sadly, the proverbial real estate sign. I had another good morning but without the photograph of a colorful sunrise, only a a photograph of an unused and solitary barn on the horizon.
9 Comments
Anita Jesse
But what an eloquent statement. I am always drawn to this type of composition. The barn is a wonderful choice here and nothing can make everything manmade seem smaller than the prairie. The barn manages to seem tiny and insignificant in all that space, while simultaneously radiating strength.
Monte Stevens
Thanks, Anita. An, you bring up a good point, nature sure can make these massive buildings small in relationship to nature.
Paul
Oh, but how nice it looks all isolated out there in the vastness of the prairie. It leads me to think of what life must have been, or perhaps what life is like on that wide open plain with no protection from anything!
Monte Stevens
I am interested in knowing more about that life they lived. It amazes me the hardships they endured, and as an expected them as an everyday part of life. So many of us have no concept of what sort of life they lived. Not many of us even know how to grow a garden and would be totally lost in how to farm a 40 acre farm. And, they did this without the farm equipment, the fertilizers, insecticides, we have today. They were so dependent on nature.
Monte Stevens
You’re right. Here I sit on my laptop in an air conditioned coffee shop. When I leave I will then have to make a decision on where and what to eat. Life is so different!
Earl
Certainly a different way of life then most of us have ever experienced and it would be sad to think that it might someday become a “lost” way of life. A real story with this photo, Monte.
Monte Stevens
I’m afraid it may be lost already. The small farm has almost not existence in this country. I feel for those who want to farm for the love of the land but can’t because they have no way to compete with the larger farms.
David Leland Hyde
Wow, these open range images are fantastic. I love this photograph. I believe it is because I feel so much looking at it.
Monte Stevens
Thanks, David, and I’m glad one of my images can evoke feelings in someone. Have a super day!