Sunflower Fields Forever

It was labor day weekend and my birthday happens to fall around that time (which always seemed appropriate since my Mom went into labor then :).  My husband Don decided to surprise me and said…”Let’s go…we are going for a ride...oh and grab your camera.” It was late afternoon and since I am always up for a surprise…I said “Sure”  and off we went.  We drove for about an hour and got off of the highway to meander down some back roads into farm country.  As we approached our destination, I realized what we were going to see.  It was fields and fields and more fields of SUNFLOWERS!!  I really can’t describe the JOY I felt as we arrived and as far as I could see, in any direction, were sunflowers!  Don had made note of this time on his calendar to take me to see them. He had seen a post on facebook the year before.  I know - I am lucky to have a guy that would think to do this :)!!

There were a lot of people wondering about and you could feel the energy in the air.  I saw couples having photo engagement sessions…family portraits being snapped, kids running in and out of the tall sunflower stalks and even people in halloween costumes getting their pictures taken.  I was able to get a variety of shots…but some of my favorite were from a higher vantage point.  We drove a Bronco at the time and Don said, “Why don’t we take the top off and you can stand up on the seat to take some shots from up above.”  Great Idea!!  There is something that fills my heart when I see rows and rows of anything.  To be able to see the sunflowers from higher ground allowed me to see the precise rows in a way I would not have been able to if I had just been on the ground.  Then, more JOY when I spied the rogue flower pointing in the opposite direction of all the others!!  Love the independent spirit!!

You can probably see the excitement in my eyes in the photo Don took with me and my camera in the field-which is on the cover of my web page.  It was a day I will never forget and will cherish always.  It is such a brief window - for the flowers to be in full bloom like that and i felt so much gratitude for the chance to see them and take it all in…and of course gratitude for Don….for such a wonderful surprise :).