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Desert Riverman |
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Desert Riverman |
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Introduction This is a book about a man who all his life did exactly as he pleased---never mind the consequences. And what he pleased to do was roam the deserts of the southwest, to see what he could see. A man who spends his life exploring the desert may properly be called a prospector, for a prospector, very simply, is a man who looks. In a lifetime of vigorous prospecting, Murl looked a lot and found a great deal. But like any true prospector, it was the looking he relished, not the finding. The stories in this book are the ones Murl liked best to tell. No one, himself included, knew if all of them were strictly true. Probably not. After all, he liked to brag about being an accomplished liar. And his daughter Jane says “Forget it. He had a vivid and fertile imagination.” But I can testify to the general authenticity and credibility of his tales on the basis of the half dozen adventures I shared with Murl in the deserts of the southwest and Mexico and on the Colorado River. More important by far than the details of Murl’s adventures is the delightful, tireless childlike curiosity he brought to them. This and an unending gruff but gentle sense of humor produced success as a human being that few have managed to achieve. Murl enjoyed a rare freedom and happiness that can only derive from following his heart and living exactly as he pleased---thanks in part to his devoted wife, Edith, who made his enviable life possible---and who he took good care of. He was as happy a man as I’ve known and it was a pleasure to be with him. Remembering our times together as I prepared this book for publication, I found I still missed the old rascal. Bob Wood, Sedona, AZ - April, 2009
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