August 30, 2008
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is this big sky country???
When I’m sat at my desk looking out the windows in front of me and I can’t see much really, a few industrial buildings, I can see the jagged Foothills of the Rocky Mountains if I crane my neck to see “around” one of the buildings and lots of sky. Lots and lots of sky. I am struck at the minute of how I have never, until now, lived in an area that has been as flat. I grew up on the mountains of the Fraser Valley in BC, I lived in Toronto for a while and okay while there are no mountains there, it is not flat (not including the tall buildings!). Even in Ireland, there were always borders on the sky. There was always a small mountain range to frame the area around me.
Now it seems not so. I look ahead of me and I see no limits (even if you know you can cross them), there is just sky. Not even the sense or knowledge of something there to hold you in if you wanted. As I drive to and from work I see almost limitless fields of crops dotted with the odd silo or “grasshopper” oil derrick, I will often catch myself thinking, “where are the mountains?”
Comments (1)
Great word imagery!
It’s interesting to me how we look for familiar landmarks like mountains – when I first arrived in BC (in mid winter) I remember feeling like “where’s the sky”? Now I’m back in Australia and at first I found the amount of open horizon almost overwhelming.