What a Beautiful Morning

Kansas sunrise

I love Kansas.
I know it may sound strange, especially to those who knew me prior to moving here, but it's the truth. Kansas feels more like home than anywhere else I've lived, and though I never thought I'd even visit this state, I love it.
This morning I woke up in time to see a breath-taking sunrise, which is pretty much par for the course around here. A beautiful sunrise and a gorgeous sunset--you can almost bet on it in Kansas. I've always appreciated the natural beauty of the sky and have been interested in meteorology, and Kansas is a haven for the weather-friendly.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not a big fan of how hot it can get here in the summer time, but there's something about that fire of a sunset that follows those July days that makes up for the trouble. Winter skies are even better, when the trees are naked and the rays of color stream through the bare branches. Every open, snow-covered field reflects the hues of pink and indigo and seems to take on the waves of clouds, drifting and floating and blurring the horizon.
This morning was cool but humid, the blanket of clouds insulating the moisture of the early dew. Once the sun was up and it was (past) time for me to be leaving for work, the colorful beams of sunlight had submitted to the clouds. Every shade of gray mixed with hints of violet and blue laid in ripples and rivers running through the atmosphere. It was one of the most spectacular cloud formations I've ever been privilege to see--like heavy meringue, or the ocean's tides, pooling in shallow areas and flooding over with circles and waves of current. I was mesmerized and doing all I could to keep the car on the road.
Dammit! Where's my camera when I need it?
There aren't many things to look forward to when you've got an hour-long commute to work, but the clouds made my day. At least until that bitch cut me off at the toll-plaza when it started to rain.
Goddammit, I hate people sometimes. They ruin everything.

So let me clarify: I love Kansas. I don't love most Kansans, I don't like Kansas politics, I really can't stand Kansas morals/values/religion, and I'm embarrassed by some of the backward shit that goes on (and people joke about the South?). I do love the hills, the prairies, the streams and rivers, and the sky. I love my family here, and I like my job.

So, if you have a problem with my living like a hermit crab, doing my best to ignore Kansan society and all of its rancor (okay, I still vote), go fuck yourself. If you understand and agree, I have a guest room anytime you want to come visit.