Dreams of Agua Fria

Last night, I dreamt of Agua Fria.

Last night, I dreamt of a friend, a friend from Pindi Pueblo

I dreamt of a wild turkey on her nest full of eggs.

She had covered herself with dry weeds to disguise herself

At her back was a small struggling bosque along the river banks.

In front, our law enforcement was standing guard by the roadside

All around was an industrial wasteland.

As I woke my friend gave me an understanding to share with my community and for my community to share with those around us that struggle to perceive the value in our uniqueness.

That nesting wild turkey hen gave me the understanding that we, the people of Agua Fria, appreciate our differences.

We appreciate that our name, Cold Water, recognizes the great blessing that the deep water that burbles to the surface at the San Isidro crossing offers us in our arid high desert.

We appreciate the thousands of years of artifacts accumulated near the banks of the river reminding that the waters bless all the children, regardless of who their parents are.

We appreciate the living wisdom of the grandmothers of the First peoples still among us.

We appreciate our grandmothers and grandfathers, our fathers and mothers, our teachers and caretakers who bring that blessing to life for all our children regardless of their ancestors.

We appreciate our healers from curanderas to acupuncturists, from dental hygienists to doctors who bring that blessing to life for who are suffering and in need.

We appreciate the many voices of the Wind and the many peoples who travel our small part of the Camino Real de la Tierra Adentro now just as they have done for time immemorial.

We appreciate the inspiration of the wind in our historians, photographers and filmmakers that keep our memories alive.

We appreciate the inspiration of the wind in our artists, our storytellers, our musicians, and writers that create new memories for us.

We appreciate the inspiration of the wind in our artisans, our blacksmiths and jewelers, our potters, woodworkers and weavers that create the furnishings of our daily lives.

We even appreciate the spring winds that blow the dust and the tumbling weeds of the past as well as the pollen and seeds of the future into new quarters and new forms.

We appreciate the sand, the stones and the clay of the Earth that supports us.

We appreciate our Patron Saint, San Isidro, who blesses all those who tend the land, from the elders of the First Peoples buried in the banks of our river to our newest residents and caretakers of the land.

We appreciate all those who tend the plants through plant nursery, truck farm or landscapers.

We appreciate all those who tend the animals, from our horses as ancient as the Amazhig to our newcomers, the Vietnamese pot-bellied pig.

We appreciate all those who build, construct and repair, who transform our earth into our homes and our roads, who maintain all that sustains our small community.

We appreciate all those who transform the fruits of the earth into form we enjoy and digest, the bakers and brewmakers, the cooks and the chefs.

We appreciate the Fire that can literally move mountains, as our community stands on the skirts of the Jemez Caldera.

We appreciate the fire of the sun that illuminates all without judgement.

We appreciate the heat of the winter sun in our south-facing homes and hot sun of summer in our green and red chilis.

We appreciate the wildfire that burns through the dry brush of the forest, renewing the cycles of life just as we appreciate the fiery rhetoric of our politicians who aspire to bring change to our lives.

We appreciate the heat and pressure pf the fire that created the geological lava dike at the San Isidro crossing bringing our Cold Water to the surface and so our community of Agua Fria life just as we appreciate the slow burning heart-fire for justice that burns in our law enforcement, driving them to safeguard the peace of our community.

We appreciate the intricate interweaving of dreams, prayers, motivations and actions of all our differences through the generations that creates the fabric of our community.

We appreciate our solid circle of shared values.

We appreciate our shared desire for a safe environment for our children and elders.

We appreciate our shared desire to sustain our thriving community of small businesses that allows us all to pursue our individual lives.

We appreciate our shared desire to offer our young people the support they need to fly free and explore their possibilities.

We maybe unseen, invisible to many, like the wild turkey on her nest.

But we are all the more precious and deserving of recognition, support and protection precisely because we are not a flashy quick-passing hothouse flower cut from its roots and placed in a vase.

We, the people of Agua Fria, are all the more precious and deserving of recognition, support and protection precisely because we are the unnoticed living roots, trunk and branches of enduring community,

Photo of Agua Fria under a double rainbow courtesy William Mee

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