Autumn on the high plains

What a glorious day it was yesterday for a late afternoon walk along Big Creek! Just warm enough for short sleeves and not windy (always a noteworthy condition here on the high plains). The cottonwood trees, willows, and grasses are all in their autumn color, contrasting beautifully with the bright blue sky. Baxter had the time of his life running up and down the dyke, but never straying too far from me. (If you’ve met Baxter at the B&B you know what I mean.) So relaxing.

Today I plan to finally walk the new nature trail at the Sternberg Museum. It’s not far from the pleasant walking/jogging path that winds around behind Hays Medical Center. Plenty of lovely, safe, relaxing places to walk around Hays.

I love being outdoors at this time of year. If you’ve never seen the prairie in autumn you probably can’t imagine how colorful it is. Our fall color is mostly close to the ground, you see, not up in the trees. Last Friday I got to take in some breathtaking views on the half-hour drive along country roads to the little settlement of Pfeifer. The rolling pastures in gold, tan, brown, the last few wildflowers, the fields of bronze milo, and clusters of yellow cottonwoods along the Smoky Hill River and Big Creek were sights to behold. And to balance all that fall color we passed fields of bright green winter wheat, just a couple of inches high.

Now, I have been in the Rocky Mountains many times in autumn, and (only once) in New England at the height of leaf-touring time. Spectacular. But I make no apologies for western Kansas’ version of the season. It’s not an explosion of color, but more of a rich tapestry draped artfully over the undulating landscape. Don’t trust my bias? Then how about a Colorado couple who stayed here last night? They are on a tour of southern Kansas, where they have been several times. At breakfast this morning they described the sights they have seen in our state in awe-struck tones. Not a shabby endorsement from folks who live on the front range of the Rockies!

It’s another gorgeous day—maybe the last one for awhile—so I’m off to the nature trail.