I also wanted to see for myself the new life that is growing there after a recent burn. The prairie is burned each year to replicate the burns that happen naturally on the prairie. These are important because they actually help the prairie thrive. It seems counterintuitive to us, as does so much of the natural world.
My friend, Cindy, works at the Arboretum and in her blog, Tuesdays in the Tallgrass, wrote a post about the burn and then added pictures not too long ago of the new life poking through the charred earth. I felt a bit like Thomas after hearing the stories of Jesus resurrected - not dead anymore - saying, "I want to see for myself." I felt drawn to see for myself the blackened earth and the vibrant green of Cindy's pictures.
Hopefully this summer I will make it west to stand in the Great Plains. For now, I carry the sounds and the quiet with me - and the promise of life.
~ Pam