We spent the last week on a family vacation in Branson, Missouri, and with all the distractions of roller coaster rides (or "roaster coasters" as McKenzie called them) tours, and spending time with the family, I didn't find the time to photograph any images for the assignment. Still, when we had a quiet moment in the car, I thought about the assignment, and what I might photograph. Most of my ideas were either of mothers nurturing young children, or perhaps a gardener nurturing young plants in their garden. On the way back home through the back roads of Southwestern Missouri and Eastern Kansas we drove through miles and miles of open prairies and ranch land, all amazingly lush and green from the spring rains. I began to wonder if perhaps I had it wrong, and it was us that were being nurtured by the earth, if we would just take the time to get away from the noise and distraction of modern life and let ourselves wonder at the beauty of nature. It was a long way to drive, and we needed to get the kids home to bed, so I didn't stop and photograph. Still, those images of lush green open spaces stayed with me. I've posted an image from last week's visit to the ranch so that you can get a sense of what I'm talking about.
(http://spiritofphotography.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10001/wide_open_spaces.jpg)
Open Spaces...Open your minds