Morgan and I couldn’t wait to frolic in the open prairie and document The Kansas City Symphony playing alongside cattle drives, cowboys and cowgirls. We packed our camera bags early in the morning and set off for the three hour drive west.
Along the way, we stopped at abandoned barns, old stone farmhouses and lofts, played in the corn fields, avoided poison ivy, looked at the cows and tried not to kill ourselves on the winding backroad farm routes. It was glorious.
Prairie grass is so soft and floaty, but Kansas is windy. WINDY. So much dirt and dust covered us head to toe. I loved every bit of it.
The Symphony in the Flint Hills is so special. Every year the KC Symphony plays out in the middle of the heartland. The songs evoke a far away time of our American past: frontier, new lands, freedom. When I saw the open space, I imagined this landscape hundreds of years ago sprinkled with buffalo and a completely different culture.
The event is not just about the Symphony or the Flint Hills. It has the power to bring people together from east and west to appreciate this beautiful land and remember a past that is rooted deep in the heart of every American.
It also calls on a changing present: Morgan and I documented our adventure with Instagram and Twitter (@kansaslovebird #flinthills), veggie burgers were served and devoured, and the astronomy society brought their amazing GPS telescopes so we could see the rings around Saturn in broad daylight. There was a bridge made of completely recycled materials. Hey, Kansas! You’re awesome!
The governor was there to celebrate a new nature trail, and as part of the media crew, we were invited to document! Wow!
The event was also about education: learning about the geology of this amazing place, the migratory birds, the native grasses, music, and dancing. And of course, cowboys and cowgirls.
Morgan got a little misty when the final notes of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” coincided with the last light of the sun, while I got chills during the finale when the whole crowd pitched in to sing “Home on the Range.”
For most of the folks, the bluegrass and two-steppin’ topped off the evening. But for Morgan and me, our night wasn’t over yet. We decided to drive a bit down the road. It was pitch dark and we wanted to do some nighttime stargazing. I’ve never seen such a glittery sparkly star-filled sky. I think we saw three shooting stars. It’s true, in Kansas, you can “wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far behind.”
Click the link to see our video and see that Kansas WIND. Great footage, Mo Milla!
Morgan Miller is a Kansas City photographer and guest blogger for Kansas Love Bird. Thanks Morgan for being such a great gal pal and ammmmmmazing photographer.
Take a look at the slideshow to see the adventure.
Thanks, Flint Hills. Much love.
Kansas Love Bird 