The Superior Express -

Living on a farmstead has a lot of pluses. Some of those are the panoramic views provided every day and night. When either standing outside or looking out the farmhouse window, the sights are almost unbelievable. There are no city views of tall skyscrapers, or their thousands of lights that flash on at night out here. Glorious sunsets with colors of reds, golds and oranges can easily be seen. No city buildings block those sights. Marvelous sun rises as the sun first glides up in the east light up the sky. As the billowing storm clouds begin to roll in, the cloud colors are all shades of blue, green and gray, as thunder is heard and the lightening strikes across the sky. After the rains, colorful rainbows can be seen stretching across the sky from one end to the other.

In the fall there are the flocks of geese seen flying in their naturally planned formations, as they trumpet southward. The clear blue skies are a sight in themselves, and if there happens to be some floater clouds moving into view, one can look up and see all the shapes formed. In the still of a summer’s night, a look up reveals the bright sparkling stars and the mysterious moon shining brightly.

I so remember when friends from the Colorado mountains came to visit. The couple are natives of Kansas and the husband grew up in the Logan area on a farm. When it came supper time, the wife arrived at the dining table ready to eat, but the husband had not arrived with her. She reported he had decided to take a walk but he knew what time we were to eat, and so we decided to walk out to find him. When we called out to him, he answered. We found him out west of the farmstead’s windbreak. He was still looking ahead into the horizon as the sun was about to set. He said he just had to get out and watch a colorful Kansas sunset as the Colorado mountains near their home blocked the sunset views. He added he sure enjoyed seeing the sunset and had so missed it.

Then there are the views out my kitchen window of the West Limestone Creek that showcases the fall colors on the numerous trees that fill the creek banks. In the summer, beautiful greenery is seen on the trees. In the winter, there is the soft white of the snow seen in the fields. Currently, the view from my kitchen window are of the cows and their calves as they graze in the harvested milo field. Out our patio door windows and living room windows we have enjoyed seeing deer in our yard, a bobcat as it makes it way down our driveway and into a neighboring field, a flock of turkeys are they wandered across the road, and, of course, the farm cats scampering up a tree and playing.

These farm views are priceless but sometimes those who live in the rural areas take these views for granted.