When I first read this photo challenge I felt my eyes well with tears.

This felt personal to me. We had just exited a remote region in Utah known as The Maze where the only water we had was the water we carried.

I instinctually searched for photos that generated the tranquility that flowing water usually brings. Beach life is a reminder of that, and the ocean undoubtedly a respite for me. Our years of boating on the Puget Sound in Washington came to light.

Yes…the deep breath I needed was in the countless chapters of, The Knotty Impulse.

And I recalled the day we discovered the wild horses, scavenging for food, on the Salt River in Arizona. To them, water is more than just a drink and I am fascinated by their lives in the Sonoran Desert.

Do you agree, there is something wonderful about hearing the plunk of a stone tossed into a lake and waiting for the circles to form? The company of grandchildren makes those moments in time, even better.

But I would be fooling myself if I didn’t share the power and necessity of water from our recent trip. It was my reality for six days, a stark contrast to the serenity we think of with bubbling brooks, trickles of a creek, or tidal flow.

Our journey started and finished at Goosenecks State Park, Utah. The San Juan River, reminds me of a ribbon delicately wrapping itself around the canyon floor, 1000′ below. And while it looks tranquil at sunset, we witness its power as it forms those canyons, and we gain the understanding of its role in nature.

Water is the most abundant natural resource on the planet, crucial for survival.

We began conserving ours. Experience meant not knowing if we would have to hunker down longer than we hoped. The constant pounding of incoming squalls caused temperatures to plummet. We didn’t need a weather report to tell us snow and gale force winds were in the immediate forecast.

And yet, we were completely awestruck to watch the snow dance across the canyon. Yes, we were inconvenienced, and we were also OK. Our reward was knowing there would be necessary water for the desert…in time.

Well… the view was top notch too. I am still humbled with the way nature seems to know how to take care of itself.

And I am grateful there was always enough water for coffee.

See the steam?

Wind Kisses, Donna