Just Down River
One of the things I have learned about myself, while living in various cities and various states, is that I want to live somewhere where nature is the centerpiece. I want to live in a place where I am in consistent awe of the beauty that surrounds me. In Seattle, I had Mount Rainier, The Pacific Sound and The San Juan Islands. I loved being near this big body of water. I grew up in land-locked Colorado, where man-made reservoirs provided me with water skiing and a summer tan, but I had never seen water that intimidated me. When you combine that massive water with the Olympic Mountains rising up in the middle, I was awestruck.
When I lived in Portland, Maine, I had a similar experience. Living on the other side of the United States, I embraced yet another large and dominant body of water. This time, it expanded beyond the horizon. I was provided the opportunity to go sailing in the Atlantic. I had never been on a sailboat, let alone a sailboat in an ocean. The idea that we are a small vessel on the vast water still holds a poetic feeling for me. While out in the ocean, we anchored in a small island inlet to have lunch. We swam to the shore and as we made our way on land, we scared deer away from the cove. This astounded me. I had never considered, in my short 23 years, that deer could swim across oceans. We climbed to the apex of the island and came upon an old cement tower. The tower was three stories high and cylindrical. When stepping inside, it was dank and dark. I took the stairs that filled most of the space and led to the top. Once at the top, I was greeted with a 360º view of the Atlantic. This tower was used in WWII to look for German U-boats that were increasingly plaguing the Maine coast. I found some interesting articles about how close the Nazi’s were to invading our shores. There are also some pictures of the towers, check them out here: https://wblm.com/how-close-did-german-submarines-get-to-portland-harbor-in-wwii/ and https://shorebread.com/2013/01/24/the-watch-towers-that-line-the-de-coast-signs-of-world-war-ii/
I hadn’t realized it at the time, but water has been thematic throughout my life. I grew up not far from where the Arkansas River begins, about 120 miles to be specific. The river starts in the town of Leadville, just over 10,000 feet in elevation. In Spring, the snow that has accumulated high in the Rockies begins to melt and it feeds into the opening of the Arkansas River. The river, for me, was always constant, always beautiful and always an adventure. When I was in high school, my friends and I would spend hours on the banks of the river. We had a favorite location called “Skunk Hollow”, oftentimes referred to, simply, as “Skunk”. I am not certain how Skunk Hollow got its name, but I always imagined someone must have had an unlucky run-in that ultimately ended in a tomato juice bath. Skunk Hollow was on the south side of the river bank. There was a giant oak tree that had a rope swing tied onto one of the strongest branches. I am not certain how many generations swung from this giant oak, but I imagine there were many. The Arkansas River, at this point in its journey, is in its toddler stage. The river is shallow and reveals the numerous river rocks below. The rocks are smooth and round, accentuating the years of forceful waters rolling over them. It was quite spectacular that there was a hole deep enough to fly off of a rope and plunge into the water.
My boy and my dog, an afternoon on the Arkansas River, Colorado.
My first job was a direct result of the Arkansas River. I worked at the Royal Gorge Bridge https://royalgorgebridge.com/about-the-park/ as a costume character. I was one of four: a chubby bear, a strange deer, a chipmunk with a 4 foot tail or an old miner man with an extremely large nose.
The Royal Gorge Bridge was formerly the world’s highest suspension bridge, coming in at 956 feet above the Arkansas River (that title was taken over in 2001 by the Liuguanghe Bridge in China http://www.highestbridges.com/wiki/index.php?title=Liuguanghe_Bridge). Roughly 3 million years ago, as the mountains started their rise, the small stream of the Arkansas began wearing away at the stone and creating this jagged canyon. The Royal Gorge is a destination for intense white water rafting, kayaking and other river adventures. The river has always been home for me. In fact, Jeff and I got married alongside the Arkansas River. Therefore, it isn’t surprising that the Arkansas River, part of my past, has led me to my present and my future.
A dream day by the river. A huge shout out to the Seufer Tree Farm https://www.seufertreefarm.com/
We found our new home in the Arkansas River valley, just under 1,000 miles down river. The Arkansas River created this lush, rich and fruitful valley. The river can now accommodate large vessels and would miniaturize the rafts from up river. I am again in awe of the intimidating waters. I am not certain if it is because the water is so large or if I am, once again, entering an intimidating part of my life. Similar to how the stream wears aways at the stone, I too am working to wear away at my pre-conceived notions of what it means to be successful. With this move into self-sufficiency, by way of farming and creating, I am cultivating a new path. Rivers hold a special place for many of us. In fact, a number of authors and poets refer to rivers frequently. There have been countless quotes comparing how a river relates to life. My favorite is this one, by the Irish Poet, John O’Donohue, “I would love to live like a river flows, carried by the surprise of its own unfolding”. I’m looking forward to the continued unfolding.