Anne, the contrast between the last photos from the past and the pictures in your piece is startling! Wow, what a difference.

Other then the ocean, I've never been anywhere with so much open space. My life has centered on the east coast of the USA - lots of people, cities, and a great deal of greenspace, too, but the natural spots are crowded with trees, bushes, and other plants. It's hard to imagine such wide-open spaces like these. I could find similar ones in the U.S. west or southwest, but I haven't been in those states.