Scenic beauty or not.

Well, here I go a wondering again, this time about what we perceive as beauty in nature. Myself, I see beauty in each blade of grass and each grain of sand, but like most of us, I see beauty in some things more than others. For instance, there is beauty in an all blue sky, but add some fluffy white clouds and it gets a little better. Add a setting sun with all its additional color and it gets even better. Of course, maybe you prefer the pure blue sky.

For today, let us just consider landscapes. It seems to me that most of us think the most beauty is where there had been some traumatic and explosive geological events. Erosion by wind and water, upheaval of huge layers of rock, volcanic action, and many more cataclysmic geological actions all tend to create what we perceive to be beauty.

OK, I have a few examples. Look at this first picture and I am sure we can find some beauty here:

Now, look at this picture taken on Interstate 40 just as you leave New Mexico and get into Arizona. Don’t you think that you can find some more beauty in the cliffs and rocks than in the flat prairie?

Now take a look out the motor-home window at this scene:

Now compare this picture to the next four pictures below. Do you see any more beauty below than in the one above?

OK, one last time. This is a picture of where nothing cataclysmic ever happened except a dust storm or two:

And these last three show the aftermath of a lot of terrible past events:

Now, tell me, where do you see the most beauty in nature. I also love a thick lush green forest and sparkling brooks, and, gee whiz, I guess I love everthing in Nature.