Headwaters
This morning I am sitting within fifty yards of the Rio Grande, just outside Alamosa, Colorado. In late February I will be camping alongside the same river in Lajitas, Texas. In both places the river will be about the same width. I could easily throw a rock across it. I suppose, running as it does through land that is mostly desert, it just never has a chance to get as big as some of its sister rivers. Plus it’s the US/Mexico border so there are lots of people using its waters.
I’d like to think I could touch the water here and then meet my touch in Lajitas, but there’s a good chance a farmer along the way will pump my touch into a field of cotton or hay, and that will be that. Humans always seem to get in the way don’t they. Of course, mother nature almost always has a say in the matter, but I have no idea how she’ll deal with this one. Besides, humans are part of nature, even if they don’t know it, so I guess the answer will manifest itself at some point.
Meanwhile I’m going to enjoy the beauty of the river here at its headwaters. There are snow capped peaks in the distance. There's ice on the river, and snow might come today, and I mostly have the river to myself as it lies peaceful upon the land. The river here is only as long as I can see, and that’s all I need for now.