It's not "just one river"

It has been brought to my attention that I have been referring to “the river” quite often in my early posts; someone has asked which river I’m referring to.

My answer: “The river.” It doesn’t matter which one.

When I think of “the river,” I think of the Red River of the North, which irrigates the part of North Dakota where I was born and raised. The Park River, which served as a playground for the church camp I attended. I remember the Lewis and Columbia Rivers, where I fished while we were on a family vacation when I was growing up.

I think of the Crooked Creek where my brother takes his boys fishing near Leechburg, PA. I've never seen it, but I'd like to.

The San Joaquin River is impressive; it winds through a beautiful valley until it finds its way into San Pablo and then San Francisco Bays; we loved the area when we lived there in the early 90’s. I think of the headwaters of the Mississippi near Itasca State Park in Minnesota. Our parents helped us “walk across” that part of the river when we were little kids; in later years, that would be the site of the first large-scale river clean-up I was ever involved with.

When you think of “the river,” you’re thoughts flow to the grandeur of Hudson’s Bay, the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico, each of which are the destination for our fresh waters. This summer, we’ve spent a lot of time on the St. Croix River which serves as part of the border between Minnesota and Wisconsin; a national scenic waterway, and the stream that brought me back to the beauty of…

“The river.”

Sometime soon, I’d like to explore the Kettle River, Cannon River, and Rum River, the Namekagon, Apple, Kinnickinnic and a few others. The photo to the left is a little stream called the Sunrise River (this photo was the source of the banner at the top of this page). Click on the image to see a larger version of the picture; it’s a beautiful stream. But, I’m sure your river is a beautiful place, too.

When you think of “the river,” what comes to mind?

I’m no hydrologist. But I bet your river is connected somehow to the same waters I’ve mentioned here. CleanUpTheRiver.com is not intended to focus on a single river. It is intended to focus on singular attitude; an aspiration to protect them all.

© 2007, 2008 Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN.