From the first light of day until dusk casts its long dark veil, the river flows on as it has for eons. Its massive rock gardens must bewilder the adventuresome who ride down its current. Drifting past the megalithic boulders mystifies my own imagination.

In the glory of the gorge’s June light, questions linger. What forces had rumbled and rolled these stones down these canyons? How long ago did ancient peoples walk among them? What resourcefulness would it take to sustain yourself off this land?

As the sunlight ripples across the shallows and streams toward night, I wonder how anyone could forsake this land. At last, closing my eyes, I dream in shades of clay-red, living greens, and golden ochres, in a shimmering azure backlit vision of creation.