I realized last night that I have shown you a lot of photos about sites and written what I have done. But I have not really expressed my feelings about this journey. This journey was not only to accomplish something...drive the distance of Hwy 281...but to see what makes RAYNA tick!
Topography, geography and history have always interested me. Driving along and seeing the changes in the terrain has been fascinating to me. Some people would think it's boring, but not me. I notice when there is more trees or the changes in the degree of slope in the hills. Yesterday, I saw wetlands (marshes, small ponds) appear. I am a visual person and I guess that fits my interest in photography.
History of this country and its people has been fascinating to learn. Granted, every town seems to have their own historical museum and I don't have the time to visit them. I can tell you that many will be quite similar with old tools, furniture and dress. It's often the Indian culture that I am least familiar, so seeing their history on display is great. Even so, you often see repeats in these displays just as you do for the Anglo people. I still have picked out places to visit, just in case there is a "new" piece on display.
Regarding feelings on this journey..... I am alone, but I am not lonely! I am in contact with my husband via phone and text messages. I can still keep up with people's lives via facebook. As I mentioned in last night's blog, I feel centered and at peace.
You may have wondered about the unique name for my blog...thepesproject. The original name of this blob was not Rambling Rayna, it was The Peace Project. In the beginnings of this blog, 2007, I was striving for peace in my life....physically, emotionally, and spiritually. If you take the first letter of each of these it spells pes. Also, if you look up "peace" in the dictionary the phonetics spelling is pes.
One of the surprises on this trip is how few cars there are on Highway 281 in many spots. It has made it much easier to look to both sides of the road, instead of looking straight forward all the time to watch and concentrate on other cars coming my way. That has allowed me to see so much more. I have taken photos of the sites, but sometimes I have had to "take a photo in my mind." Yesterday that happened again! As I looked to the east up a hill I could see an animal and as I got closer I could see it was a deer. I slowed down to stop and take a photo, he turned and gave me a full silhouette of his huge rack of horns! By the time I got stopped, he had strolled over the hill. Awesome sight!
I see things like that and I'm excited. I have seen so many old barns and stopped to take photos of them! But not all old barns with do...my husband can vouch for that! It's not only the barn, but the surroundings and background that make the photo. If it's really run down, that may not be photo-worthy.
During my research for this trip, one of the books listed this area Oklahoma to North Dakota the Plains states and the "fly-over" states. So many people fly-over these states going to and from the East and West coasts and states. Granted there is a lot of wheat and other crops, but where would we all be if these local residents had not decided to settle here and make a living off the land? We would not have all the food available unless we imported it all. The history of our country also shows us that people did not fly-over this country, but did travel over on their way to California, Santa Fe, and Oregon. Of course, over time people did settle in this prairie land. Granted, some people would think this land all looks the same, it doesn't. I have enjoyed seeing the shades of green and gold, not just because I'm a Packer fan!
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