Yellowstone in Fall.

I remember when I moved "out West", from a life primarily lived in urban environments of the East and Midwest states. I rode in the upper bed of a camp trailer (unadvisable, I know) and stared out the window, for hours and hours, as the scenery changed from the familiar lush green trees, to endless fields of green and tan farmland, to mountainous horizons with little or no population, and finally, to our destination, a small town which was, it seemed to me, populated mostly by sagebrush. I thought it was ugly. Awful, really. It was desolate and drab and depressing, to a young teenage girl. I recall my Dad being so excited by the varied landscapes, while us kids were so disenchanted with miles and miles of sagebrush!

Well, years have passed, and while I still love the cities...and I still love the lush greens and beautiful colors of deciduous trees of an East Coast & Midwest Fall...I have become quite accustomed to the muted tones of the deserts as well. There is a subtle beauty in the tones and a surreal quality of the landscapes that cannot be found anywhere else. Perhaps I had to reach a certain "maturity" to see it. Thanks Dad!