shadow valley

Ever since we moved to Northwest Arkansas people have been exclaiming to me, "oh, it is SOOOO beautiful here!" I often have to resist replying, "compared to what? Oklahoma?" Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I know that, and lately I've been wondering if thinking the place where you reside is beautiful may be a better way to live than knowing it's ugly. Besides, comparing Northwest Arkansas to say, the California coast, is futile. Coastal beauty is obvious, an easy get. What if one has to work a little harder at finding the charm in a landscape? Might that be rewarding in itself? So I have set out to find the beauty in these parts, not compared to anything, this is just how it is around here.