The sound of music

We had the treat of attending the Symphony in the Flint Hills event last night with our friends, Josh and Becky. This was the 5th year of the event, but our first time. It was about 2 hours south and west of Kansas City. And, while it was a monsoon at our house all day long, the weather was really beautiful down there.

If you've ever driven south on I-35 from Wichita, you've had the pleasure of seeing the beauty of the Flint Hills. Most drives through Kansas aren't so scenic, but this part of the world is truly amazing and untouched.

You don't see this everyday ...

We had Boulevard beer and BBQ out in the prairie ...

We were just 4 of the 5,000 people in attendance. It was a remarkably well-organized event for being, literally, in the middle of nowhere.

The Kansas City Symphony played from about 7:00pm until sunset, and the guest vocalist of the evening was Lyle Lovett - it was really something. On top of that, the ranchers herded the cattle back and forth across the wide open fields in pace with the music.

Love the cowboy texting ...

We made the call to leave after Lyle's last song to beat the traffic. So, while we missed the last song and the crowd's rendition of Home on the Range, we were some of the first to the parking lot.

After stopping for a photo op with some cowboys, of course.

These are some fuzzy pictures of cowboys. I was walking as fast as I could and taking pictures in the dark. Let's just call them artsy.

It was a special night and something we would love to do again. Sometimes being a Kansan is seen as a novelty, but this was one of those things that makes you feel really proud to be a Kansan. You wish everyone could see the specialness that is the Flint Hills. Or, you may wish to keep the secret to yourself.