It's hard to reduce our home state to just one word. I really struggled with the idea, but kept coming back to the word "beautiful."

Native Americans discovered and returned to Kentucky again and again for the bounty that the land provided. Later, the Early European settlers must have seen bits of home in the highlands of Appalachia, the verdant meadows of the Bluegrass and the meandering waterways across the region. Today, I often find myself gasping at the beauty my state offers, and I'm in awe of the diversity of that beauty. Mountains, forests, rivers, lakes, and arches are some of the beautiful natural world we call home, but we've also had the (generally) good sense to work to preserve a lot of those places and enhance them.

My words are woefully inadequate to describe the beauty of Kentucky, but if you've ever lived through a Kentucky spring, you know that the green surrounding you is enough to make your heart squeeze with joy. If you've ever hiked a Kentucky forest on a crisp autumn day, you know the sights, sounds and smells of Kentucky.

Kentucky is beautiful beyond words and beyond my amateur photography abilities. I hope you enjoy some of my favorite images and will share links to some of your favorites!