Traveling across the Great Plains of North America can be monotonous at times but yesterday's journey was both depressing and worrisome. The severe heat, intense sunshine and prolonged drought of this brutal summer have produced dry and yellowed grasslands, sunburned trees and barren crop fields. The major streams are shallow and sluggish, farm ponds have given way to mudflats and the only greenery is provided by stressed riparian woodlands, roadside weeds, tangles of prairie sunflowers and, ironically, irrigated crop circles on the High Plains. The Flint Hills of eastern Kansas, usually covered by olive grasslands and copious wildflowers in early August, were reminiscent of the Colorado Plateau, with its sparse vegetation and dry stream beds.
Birds were rarely encountered, save the occasional flock of vultures, among the few species to benefit from the deadly drought. Cattle huddled in the shade of trees or billboards while goats and pronghorns were the only mammals that seemed to be comfortable amidst the parched landscape. Wind farm turbines whirled in a hot, south wind and only a few high cloud banks marred the clear blue sky.
Fortunately, intermittent monsoon showers have provided some relief along the Colorado Front Range and most of the trees and shrubs on our Littleton farm, adapted to a semi-arid climate, are alive and well. Indeed, after eleven hours on the drought-plagued plains, it looked like the promised land when we arrived last evening. Hopefully, late summer rains will soon bring relief to the farms, ranches and prairies of America's Heartland.
