We live in the rolling sand hills, immediately North of the Cimarron River (catty-cornered across the river from the now-defunct Kerr-McGee Plutonium processing facility, made infamous by whistleblower Karen Silkwood) in central Oklahoma, an area adjacent to wheat fields and open, untamed pasture, where white-tailed deer are a regular fixture, with an occasional bobcat, a pair of Bald Eagles can be spotted during Winter, and possibly even a passing mountain lion.

The meadow pictured is along my regular drive, maybe a half-mile from home in Indian Springs, and among my favored spots to capture Autumn brilliance...in years not beset by drought. My mom took up residence in this area in 1975, passing in 1999, after which my wife, daughter, and I made this area home, having been here since, and that is why I ALWAYS carry a camera of some sort. (In 2020, I retired from daily commuting to the burgeoning Oklahoma City, formerly about 30 miles distant, after 40+ years in Parks & Grounds.)