I am currently in Northern California. Started out on Monday in Kingsburg, CA around all the fruit trees and grapes. Went on to Fresno and then to Chico, CA. Chico has a lot more open country and farm land. To the east is the Sierra Nevada mountains. It has been a little hazy so have not been able to see them as well as I would like. They still look beautiful. It has been a little cooler than I expected in in California, too. But it is still nice to see this part of the USA. It gets me thinking about how much beauty we have here in the states. Here in California where it takes about 16 hours to drive from one end to the other, there is so much diversity. Here on the west coast there is the ocean, the mountains, lakes, rivers, and open country. It is wonderful.

But I still love the beauty of my home state of Kansas. Lots of people don't think it is very pretty, but I love it. I love the openness, the rolling hills, the pastures and grasses. I love that I can see the sunrise from the moment (or before) it reaches the horizon and I can watch it set until I can not see any more than the many colors it leaves behind. I even love the wind most of the time. Standing outside and just feeling the wind on my face and against my body is a wonderful feeling.

We need to appreciate where we are at every moment. I love where I live and would not want to be anywhere else. Because it is home. But I love to be able to travel around and see all the other wonderful sites across this land. As I was driving yesterday from Willows, CA back to Chico, I was able to look over to my left (towards the east) and was overwhelmed with the beautify of the mountains and the foothills. But it is no different than when I drive home each night between Wichita and Lehigh and look across a wheat field and see how the wind is blowing the stalks around like water/waves in the ocean.

I thank God today for all this beauty and that I am able to enjoy it. And the freedom to drive around and experience it as I want.