Spring rite of passage

Each year the land goes through a transformation around this time.  People traveling along the interstate can look into the horizon and see different shades of a haze that hangs over the land.  This shade may be white, brown or greenish-brown depending on the distance they may be from the event.  Depending on the direction of their travel they may already see evidence of the event.  A blackened earth with areas of green or trees can be seen for miles.  The closer one travels the event becomes more evident.  FIRE. 

You can actually see the distinctive orange flame devouring anything brown/dead in it's path.  This line of fire can consume hundreds of acres of pasture in one burning.  The smoke doesn't billow as a if a building were aflame, but slowly flows into the sky.  This is a spring rite of passage in the midwestern plains.  Dead weeds and seeds are burned before they can take hold in the land.  The minerals are then added back to the earth to help nurture the brome grass that will feed hundreds of cattle or horses.  It doesn't take long, a week, before the lush green grass is blanketing the same place flames danced.  Because there are few trees there is no danger and those that are present are safe from the flames because they aren't there for the trees.

That was the scene for miles on my drive home from the penitentiary today.  I hope to have pictures and some history tomorrow when I return.  I'll give a hint and name some inmates that have been known to reside here.

Robert Stroud
George "Machine Gun" Kelly

More tomorrow.

Keep on Go!