Here’s another take on the abandoned house in southwest Oklahoma. I’m always amazed at the presence of beauty in the midst of decay and abandonment. Here, the wild flowers (some would call them weeds) are framed by the wood and tin of the ancient house. Even as one is dying the other is living and thriving. I had a conversation with one of my sons today about dilemmas and life struggles. I promised him that they will always exist, but I felt confident he could handle them. When things seem to be falling apart, new beauty is often struggling to live. If we let it, and nurture it, the old that we once thought so precious becomes less important. The old now acts simply as a faded counterpoint to new beauty.
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I took the scenic route home from Altus today by way of Oklahoma Highway 19. I stopped numerous times to take some great shots. One of my favorites is this beautiful horse pinned up outside its red and yellow barn surrounded by yellow wildflowers. I’ve done little to enhance it. The wildflowers are actually a weed of some kind with irritating thorns. What is so wondrous to me is that there is great beauty among the thorns, rust, and peeling paint in this scene. It reminds me that despite the thorns and worn surfaces of our lives, there is always beauty to be found if we look closely enough.
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I have lived in six different states and visited many others. Each has its unique landscape and charm. Although I’m partial to mountains and rolling hills, a couple of things I do love about my Oklahoma home are the big skies and expansive landscapes. Here is a shot I took last year in NW Oklahoma on my way to Woodward. The heads are heavy and drooping, ready for harvest.
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The color of this “flower garden” in a Guatemala village is punctuated by the color of “yard ducks.”
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The wildflowers bloomed in multiple varieties and colors all over the meadows during my 2008 trip to Colorado’s Elk Mountains. Those who hike these mountains often told me they had never seen them quite so plentiful or colorful in August.
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