“The prairie is not the kind of place that reaches out and plucks at your romantic heart strings, as do the Rocky Mountains or the sea. The prairie is quiet, gentle, and unassuming, with only fleeting moments of passion and drama. But its dominant moodiness makes the times of vibrant colour all the more exquisite! Now I am amused by people who tell me they find the prairie drab and colourless. Granted the prairie can look monotonous if all you do is drive through it at a hundred kilometres an hour. You need to spend time on the prairie to appreciate the many facets of its personality. Even then, you must take time to look and experience its subtle shifts in temperament. Dull, overcast days offer the best conditions to observe the landscape close-up, yet these are the very occasions when we are least likely to give this land its due. When the tones are even, devoid of bright highlights, or distracting shadows, we can better appreciate the subtle nuances of colour. 

“The prairie is a land of extremes, an immense land that touches all who inhabit it. Neither city nor town offers sanctuary from nature’s dominion. Prairie skies put human architecture in its place; prairie storms recognize no boundaries …

“The immensity of the prairie can overwhelm with a sense of man’s insignificance or offer a profound sense of contentment and peace or exhilarate with a vision of nature’s potency and a grander scheme of things. Whatever the response the prairie will not be ignored … “

– Courtney Milne, Prairie Light