Outdoor Central Oregon Issue 7 | September/October 2018 | Page 10

10 SEPT/OCT 2018 11 Being in water makes me feel happy, healthy and alive. It’s a feeling that is hard to de- scribe. I go to the McKenzie River often for work. When there, I feel strong connection to this earth and get a natural high from this incredible river. Frozen water and melted water enhance our lives immensely. Many people can’t live without playing in water or just being near it. These people who are in the water and are in the mountains know how important water is and how delicate our natural environ- ment is. Water is the key to all life on this planet. There are many things in our lives we can’t con- trol, but our personal water use, our personal footprint, is some- thing that can be controlled on a daily basis. Without getting too preachy, water is damn fun, and I want it to be fun for someone 10,000 years from now. By Neil Korn Dani Whitehead | P: Austin White