The weather was not cooperating, however. It had rained much of the day before, and predictions were not promising. When we received the text at 9:30 a.m. that the concert was on, I was skeptical. It was cloudy, cloudy, cloudy, and when we left Wichita, it was raining. But we had spent the money, so we went.
As we neared the Z-Bar Ranch, the skies were clearing. We grabbed all of our paraphernalia - chairs, raincoats, water, food - and headed out. Wouldn't you know, just as soon as we started walking, the sun came out, and it began to heat up. By the time we reached the concert area, we were quite warm. But that was ok . . . the gorgeous scenery made up for it.
After we cooled down a bit, three of us went to some of the educational sessions. I caught one about the Lesser Prairie Chicken, and since my sister, Katie, has actually been on a Lesser Prairie Chicken count, I knew a little about them. It was a fascinating talk, and I learned a little about the Cimarron National Grasslands, by which we drive every time we go to the cabin. Next time, we are going to take a little excursion and see what they have to show!
As the day went on, the more spectacular it became. The green of the Flint Hills set against the blue sky - for miles and miles - is unmatched. Some say Kansas is boring. They haven't been to the Flint Hills.
By the time the music began, we were ready to sit and listen. The guys had a little trouble staying awake, but after about 30 minutes, they got their second wind. After intermission, fourteen wranglers gathered a herd of cattle and drove them past the crowd, a stirring sight for all. Lyle Lovett then performed a few songs, and although I do not know his music, I enjoyed listening to it.
As we left, the sun dropped below a cloud, turning the entire area reddish orange. It was a spectacular way to end a wonderful day.
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