Taking It for Granted

Today, as I drove through the pass at Scotts Bluff National Monument, 45 mph through the national park zone, I felt a little thrill as I realized that the grass at the foot of the bluffs was beginning to turn green. Little whisps of billowy fog were resting in the hollows, adding a touch of mystery to the terrain.

I could, and probably should, feel a sense of awe every day, as I have opportunity to recognize the ever-changing beauty of the Wildcat Hills and Scotts Bluff. I can just see the top of the Monument from my back yard, above the roofs of the neighborhood houses, but I only have to walk one short block to be able to see it clearly, standing at attention at the west end of U Street, or silhouetted against a majestic sunset at the end of the day.

I took this photo of Scotts Bluff, a few years ago, not far from my house.

When the weather is foggy or snowy, the Monument becomes invisible until the weather clears, and I breathe a sigh of relief; it's still there, of course.

It's funny how we often take things for granted; things we see every day become so common place that we fail to appreciate their importance or sheer beauty. That's when the observations of other people help us see our surroundings from a new angle, giving us a renewed sense of awe.

Last year, two area photographers decided to take pictures of nearby Chimney Rock, every day for the whole year, posting the best photos on their Facebook page, and publishing a calendar at the end of the year. I was amazed at the variety in the pictures. You would think that the photographs would all be similar--after all, it's just Chimney Rock--but I discovered that Chimney Rock looks amazingly different every day, even when all of the pictures are taken at sunset. Click here to see some breathtaking pictures of Chimney Rock.

This year, the same photographers are attempting to take daily sunset pictures of Scotts Bluff National Monument. I suspect that this is turning out to be a daunting undertaking, since the Monument covers much more territory than Chimney Rock, but I look forward to seeing a large variety of photos again this year. Click here to go to the SBNM365 Facebook page, where you can see many aspects of Scotts Bluff National Monument at sunset.

My daughter, Meagan's, family lives four miles southeast of Gering. When they step out of their front door, they get a wonderful, panoramic view of Scotts Bluff, sometimes dusted with snow, or lush green after abundant spring rains, always highlighted by the city lights in the evening. In July, a myriad of fireworks accentuates the western landscape. And every evening, they can see God's handiwork in the magnificent colors of the sunset behind the Monument.

A dusting of snow on the Monument, from Meagan's front yard.

A sunny summer morning view, several miles east of town.

Signs of nearby grass fires: a smoky late summer sunset,
about six blocks from my house.

As I think back to all of the places I've lived, I wish I had taken more pictures of the magnificent landscapes that I usually took for granted. I was too little to use a camera when we lived on the farm, so I don't have any pictures of the garden behind the big, red barn, or the orchard, with its fruit trees laden with luscious, red cherries, or the tulips that bordered the house yard fence.

I'm thankful to have a few recent pictures of beautiful TaHaZouka Park in Norfolk, taken at family reunions, but I wish I had been old enough to photograph my favorite moss roses in the yard of our First Street house, and the old rowboat Dan and I played in behind the Oxnard Hotel, where we lived for almost four years.

I often wish I had taken a panoramic picture of Fairbury from an east window of our fourth floor apartment, when I could look out over the hazy, green treetops in the early spring. It might not be too late to figure out how to take an art photo of Fairbury's unique brick streets, perhaps from an unusual perspective. I must say, I appreciate the pictures some of my Fairbury friends post online from time to time, reminding me of the incredible, historic architecture in downtown Fairbury. I'm afraid I didn't appreciate those old buildings too much when I lived there.

I have a couple of poor pictures of Sleeping Bear Dunes near Traverse City, but I didn't take near enough pictures of the woods and lake behind our house there, or of the sparkling snow that covered the ground for half a year.

Oh, how we take things for granted, as if our lives will never change! I guess we should be thankful that God has given us such beautiful surroundings to enjoy with our families and friends, and that he has blessed us with memories that are better than a whole album full of photographs. I just wish he had installed a "print" button in my brain, so I could better share those un-photographed memories with the people I love.

For the beauty of the earth, for the beauty of the skies,

For the love which, from our birth, over and around us lies.

Lord of all, to thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise. 

For the beauty of each hour, of the day and of the night,

Hill and vale, and tree and flower, sun and moon, and stars of light,

Lord of all, to thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise. 

For the joy of human love, brother, sister, parent, child, 

Friends on earth, and friends above, for all gentle thoughts and mild, 

Lord of all, to thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise. 

Text: Folliott S. Pierpoint, 1835-1917 

Music: Conrad Kocher, 1786-1872 

One last photo of Scotts Bluff National Monument:
Day's end, from Meagan's front yard.