A Day to Remember
imageSo here it is, the final day in Green River. Later there is going to be a civic reception for our visit, held by The Arts Council here. All my communication regarding this have been with Jeriemy Gomez, the Vice Chair of the Arts Council and, after a great breakfast at a community cafe in the town, we have a meeting planned with him. Jeriemy offers us a very warm welcome and we hear about his day job, as a soda ash mine manager and he regales a lovely story of his families’ journey to reach the town, Spanish immigrants gradually moving north, state by state from New Mexico, settling in Wyoming. It is clear he loves Green River and the connection the town has with the paintings of Moran.
After the meeting he guides us down to the River itself, as we have been unable to get close to it thus far. A section of it has been turned into a place where the public can access the water for fishing kayaking and swimming. The scene reminds us of Huckleberry Finn, children busying themselves with all these wholesome activities.

Green River, Me taking a dip and a traditional diner.

Green River, Me taking a dip and a traditional diner.

Throughout the whole project I’ve yearned for a taste of this kind of traditional outdoor life which gave Jackson and Moran a break from their creative activities on the expedition. The weather is as you’d expect in the desert during June and we can’t resist a swim down the clear cool waters of Green River, it is invigorating and in the context of nearing the journey’s end feels like a kind of baptism, an unforgettable taste of the river in every sense of the word. This will hopefully add even more to the depth of my experience, seeing the painting once again in Bolton.
We nip into an all American diner, Andrew is drawn to the reflections in the diners metal exterior and that gives me time to prepare some words for the reception later.