Colorado
Without the upper part of the Rio Grande, Creede would not exist. As a practical matter this section of the river and its tributaries carved the valley that Creede nestles in. For me exploring the many streams near town flowing down the mountains to feed the Rio Grande including Bellows, Farmers and Willow Creeks has been interesting. Serene lakes at nearly 12,000 feet in the remote La Garita Wilderness mark the last water before the Continental Divide cuts off flow to the river. Walking out the back door of the theater I can immediately see and hear Willow Creek, which flows rapidly through town to meet the much larger Rio Grande near the airport and RV park on the southern outskirts. If I go to Inspiration Point over 2000 feet above town I can only hear the wind and Willow Creek’s two branches falling through the canyons below. From such small high origins this river ultimately forms the Texas-Mexico border.
At the same time when I think of the Rio Grande I can’t help but think of how it’s the most direct connection in town to Texas (aside from the hoards of vacationers from Texlahoma who show up every summer). And when I think of that, there’s another thought that comes to mind: blood doesn’t exclusively flow forward. In the Biblical story of Cain and Abel, God tells Cain that his brother’s blood cries out from the ground. Every place we live can easily be connected to murder. Seeing the Rio Grande and its tributaries flowing past my workplace every day reminds of the 22 people killed by a shooter last month downriver in El Paso. Their blood, now, is on our hands and flows up and down this river that created Creede, the border, and national tragedy.