Scenic Route

My husband and I carpooled with friends to the temple. We were all going to be there to witness the sealing of a couple from Church. But our regular temple trip takes us through areas that are currently closed due to flooding.

I'm so glad we knew about it in advance, so we could not only choose a different route, but leave early enough to still arrive on time.

We ended up taking some stretches of road I had never been on before. But oh, how beautiful! We were met with lovely vista after lovely vista, pastoral fields and picturesque valleys. We drove through small towns and farm land and it was all sublime.

The sky was amazingly blue, and the clouds were amazing, the weather was amazing...

The young woman who graciously came along to watch my baby while we were in the temple teased us for being so easily impressed by barns and grass waving in the wind, and we agreed that we spend too much time inside city limits and inside buildings.  She continued to rib us old, un-hip fogies (clearly we need to get out more!), but it was part of the enjoyment.

It was just as exceptional on the way back home, with the sun setting in spectacular color. I found myself thinking of the title song from the musical Oklahoma:

We know we belong to the land, and the land we belong to is grand!

I am grateful for the scenic route. I'm sorry for the flooding, and for the damage it is doing, but there must be a silver lining. For me, it was the chance to see new and lovely landscapes. I have lived in America's heartland for almost twenty years. I never grow tired of seeing how beautiful the land truly is, particularly this season of the year, when wildflowers are blooming in profusion, and the grass is high and birds are everywhere.

What are you blessed with today?