Colorado: The River

Heat.
Heat drove us to the water.
My sister lives in southern Colorado, in the desert, with the kind of summer sun that comes up early and stays all day. It stings your skin, and singes your arm hairs right off. All while you are standing there, minding your own business, trying to be alive.

The river comes from the reservoir and runs through town like a lifeblood, the only liquid amongst miles of scorched earth and rock-scaped neighborhoods. A long kayak trip ended with a ropeswing into the frigid water. I've always wanted to fly.

Splash pads in the city provide temporary relief, with their surprising vertical bursts of cool water droplets that seem frozen in mid-air like prisms. There were flashes of rainbows and squeals from the little humans and tugging on the arms of the grown ups. You bet your bum I ran through the water with them, clothes and all.

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