Image Courtesy of Ted Harsha
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The Abiquiu News is brought to you by Carol and Brian Bondy
Image Courtesy of Ted Harsha
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January 31, 2025
In Gratitude
We thank donor sponsors for the Northern Youth Project sponsorship and the Espanola Humane Sponsorship!
Northern Youth Project would like to extend our gratitude to the anonymous donor who has once again renewed our sponsorship here in the Abiquiu News. It is because of generous donors like you that we are able to sustain our organization. From our Youth, Staff, and Board of Directors, a heartfelt thank you!
This year, our dedicated Staff and Board are focused on strategic development of our long term goals to assess how to best meet the needs of our youth in this new era. Since putting our beloved garden to rest in Abiquiu last fall, we have been busy working behind the scenes to develop an adapted programming model. By strengthening partnerships with trusted adult Mentors in the arts & agriculture, we have created sites that will host our interns from spring to fall of 2025. Not only will these sites provide paid hands-on learning experiences, job skill development, and leadership & community engagement opportunities for our youth, they will provide helping hands to support local farmer’s lands within Rio Arriba County. Current partner sites providing agricultural mentorship include Pilar Trujillo of Viva Vida Botanica in Chimayo and Don Medina & Valerie Archuleta of One Pea Pod Farm in Ojo Caliente.
If you would like to support NYP, the best ways are to become a one-time or monthly donor: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/northernyouthproject/, take our 5 minute community survey: https://forms.gle/ReaAFb96PwNqzivC8 and most importantly share these asks with your friends and family by word of mouth or social media. If you or someone you know is interested in being added to our list of potential Mentors or would like to propose a workshop on a subject in arts or agriculture, or have a volunteer skill set that could help our organization, please contact us at info@northernyouthproject.org. We look forward to connecting with you!
This year, our dedicated Staff and Board are focused on strategic development of our long term goals to assess how to best meet the needs of our youth in this new era. Since putting our beloved garden to rest in Abiquiu last fall, we have been busy working behind the scenes to develop an adapted programming model. By strengthening partnerships with trusted adult Mentors in the arts & agriculture, we have created sites that will host our interns from spring to fall of 2025. Not only will these sites provide paid hands-on learning experiences, job skill development, and leadership & community engagement opportunities for our youth, they will provide helping hands to support local farmer’s lands within Rio Arriba County. Current partner sites providing agricultural mentorship include Pilar Trujillo of Viva Vida Botanica in Chimayo and Don Medina & Valerie Archuleta of One Pea Pod Farm in Ojo Caliente.
If you would like to support NYP, the best ways are to become a one-time or monthly donor: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/northernyouthproject/, take our 5 minute community survey: https://forms.gle/ReaAFb96PwNqzivC8 and most importantly share these asks with your friends and family by word of mouth or social media. If you or someone you know is interested in being added to our list of potential Mentors or would like to propose a workshop on a subject in arts or agriculture, or have a volunteer skill set that could help our organization, please contact us at info@northernyouthproject.org. We look forward to connecting with you!
Espanola Humane
At Española Humane, our mission is to keep pets and people together, fostering a thriving and compassionate community. With a dedication spanning over three decades, we remain steadfast in our commitment to reducing animal overpopulation through free spay/neuter surgeries. In 2024, we hit a remarkable milestone of altering more than 7,100 pets, each receiving essential vaccinations and microchips, ensuring they are healthy and ready for their forever homes.
Lovingly known as “The Little Shelter that Could,” we cared for 4,030 at-risk pets last year, providing critical medical treatments, behavioral support, enrichment, adoptions, and working with partners for temporary boarding. Our innovative programs—like Paws in the Pen, a transformative training initiative at the state penitentiary; Flying Floofs and Transports, which placed 1,023 pets in loving homes both in-state and across the country; Puppy Patch at Ojo Santa Fe, where, over four years, 632 puppies have delighted overnight guests and found forever homes nationwide; our Volunteer Team, with more than 625 dedicated individuals fostering and working with pets to connect them with their future families; and Pet Amigos Outreach, which supports neighborhood dogs and cats—have all contributed to extraordinary outcomes for pets and the people who love them.
This year, we’re reaching new heights. From expanding foster and adoption programs to the construction of a state-of-the-art clinic in Española, we’re addressing our region’s evolving needs. With these advancements, we aim to create even more happy endings for pets who need care, compassion, and love the most.
Together, we can transform lives. Whether through adopting a pet, volunteering, or donating, your support is vital to our mission. Learn more about our life-saving initiatives at www.espanolahumane.org or visit Española Humane at 108 Hamm Pkwy, Española, NM, 87532.
Lovingly known as “The Little Shelter that Could,” we cared for 4,030 at-risk pets last year, providing critical medical treatments, behavioral support, enrichment, adoptions, and working with partners for temporary boarding. Our innovative programs—like Paws in the Pen, a transformative training initiative at the state penitentiary; Flying Floofs and Transports, which placed 1,023 pets in loving homes both in-state and across the country; Puppy Patch at Ojo Santa Fe, where, over four years, 632 puppies have delighted overnight guests and found forever homes nationwide; our Volunteer Team, with more than 625 dedicated individuals fostering and working with pets to connect them with their future families; and Pet Amigos Outreach, which supports neighborhood dogs and cats—have all contributed to extraordinary outcomes for pets and the people who love them.
This year, we’re reaching new heights. From expanding foster and adoption programs to the construction of a state-of-the-art clinic in Española, we’re addressing our region’s evolving needs. With these advancements, we aim to create even more happy endings for pets who need care, compassion, and love the most.
Together, we can transform lives. Whether through adopting a pet, volunteering, or donating, your support is vital to our mission. Learn more about our life-saving initiatives at www.espanolahumane.org or visit Española Humane at 108 Hamm Pkwy, Española, NM, 87532.
Thank you Contributors and Paid SubscribersBryan D
VJ M William P
News and Features
State lawmakers passed a bill through committee Tuesday night following an often heated debate over banning books from public libraries.
In recent years, hundreds of books have been pulled from the shelves across the country, as Republican lawmakers lead efforts to ban books in schools and public libraries for “obscene material.” Free speech advocates have pushed back and some states have offered protection to librarians. ReadMore
SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced today that 26 additional rural health care providers will receive a combined $40.6 million from the Rural Health Care Delivery Fund, part of the $46 million allocated during the 2024 legislative session.
Last fall, $5.4 million was awarded to four rural health care organizations that demonstrated their ability to immediately implement services. Read More
Results of a hydrogeologic study focusing on groundwater resources for several communities in Rio Arriba County are now available online in a report titled “Evaluation of Groundwater Resources for Communities in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico.” The primary goal of this study was to characterize the local and regional aquifers that currently supply communities for domestic and municipal use. Read More
My memories of bars are vague because I don’t like alcohol very much. I picture smoke-filled, dark rooms where the smell of stale beer lingers perpetually. That’s why I never stopped at Los Caminos on the corner of Hwy 84 and the El Rito Road, although I must have passed it thousands of times on the way to Espanola or Santa Fe. Read More
In the middle of a hundred things the other day, the girlfriend said to me, “I’m a train wreck. I don’t know why you love me.”
This was no trap.She was not baiting me. This statement was a healthy expression of adult emotions. And I, bringing decades of relationship experience to bear, picked up on the most essential component of what she was vulnerable enough to share. Read More
At Presbyterian Española Hospital (PEH), we are committed to improving the health of our community, which is why we encourage patients to not delay preventative care, including heart screenings. Read More
Abiquiu News is pleased to announce a showing of work by three local photographers. The show is up now through the end of March in the upstairs gallery at Abiquiu Inn.
Support these local photographers and the Abiquiu News. Abiquiu Inn is generously contributing a portion of the sales to the Abiquiu News. Read More
The Elixir of Love is going on tour in New Mexico! In celebration of the opera’s 67th Festival Season and the season of love, the Santa Fe Opera invites opera fans and newcomers to enjoy free screenings of The Elixir of Love across New Mexico during February and March. Prepare to be delighted as lovers find their footing and the elixir does its job. Read More
The long chain of data breaches that have been in the news of late should be a huge wake-up call for everyone who is concerned with their online security.
It seems that every day or two we hear that another online service has been hacked and their customers’ personal information stolen. Read More Previous News and Features
This tiny restaurant is famous way beyond the borders of El Rito. If you have lived in or near Abiquiú for any amount of time, you’ve probably visited at least once; make it the destination of your next restaurant outing in case you’ve never been there. Its award-winning Green Chile is world famous. Just be sure to note that the menu features NEW Mexican cuisine; some reviewers mistakenly call it “Mexican”. Wrong. Read More
In response to President Trump’s executive order rescinding longstanding federal protections for sensitive locations such as schools, churches, hospitals, and courthouses, the New Mexico Department of Justice (NMDOJ) has issued guidance to leaders of these critical spaces. This change in policy, reversing safeguards recognized by both Republican and Democratic administrations, underscores the urgent need for local leaders to understand their rights and responsibilities at the intersection of state and federal law. Read More
‘We can respect civil rights and protect the right of every family to live safely’
“Everyone in this room knows that crime is out of control in New Mexico,” Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham told attendees to her State of the State address at the Roundhouse on Tuesday. “Even our public safety professionals agree, we’re in a state of crisis…the violent crime rate in New Mexico is twice the national average. Addiction is rampant. And we’re clearly struggling to protect New Mexicans from this madness.” Read More
Wildfires have been ravaging Southern California since Jan. 7, burning thousands of structures and homes and displacing thousands of people. 24 people have died as of Jan. 15, and the death toll is expected to rise. Due to climate change and increased fire risk, insurance agencies across the country have dropped homeowners’ insurance for people living in ‘high risk’ areas leaving many residents to start at ground zero without so much as the shirt on their backs. Read More
For the third straight year, lawmakers are trying to raise taxes on alcoholic drinks, in an attempt to reduce New Mexico’s worst-in-the-nation alcohol-related death rate.
This time, they just might succeed. Read More
Yesterday a reader in El Rito had a Mountain Lion encounter at her home. When she opened her door a very large male mountain lion stood just several feet from her with her cat in its mouth. The reader was quite shook up but survived the experience. Unfortunately the cat did not.
Adult males can grow to an excess of 8 feet in length, including the tail, and weigh an average of 140-150 pounds. The home was about 2 miles up 110 in El Rito. Read More
A Santa Fe artist’s studio is hosting a “pottery throw down” on Feb. 7 to support Española Humane’s work and invite the public to celebrate. Read More
This poem came to mind recently for a simple reason. When I feel overwhelmed with the state of the world and everything in it, it’s easy for me to get caught up in too much wide-ranging thinking. Read More
Since I retired from computer repair, I get asked who they can go to for computer repair. I have been recommending Julian Shapiro for PC work and Eric Roithmayr for Apple work.
I know sometimes they are unavailable so I just heard about a company in Taos that a friend recommended highly. I know Taos isn’t that close, but not many places are. Read More Sale of Tres Semillas Property ClosedOne of the most frequent questions we have been asked in the past few months is what's going on with the sale of the Tres Semillas Property. We've reached out to the Merced de Abiquiu Land Grant and can report that the sale has closed and the Land Grant is the new owner of the property. We are looking forward to hearing their plans for the land.
Neighbors Helping Neighbors
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Abiquiu News needs you. If you are interested in providing local news for the Abiquiu News on a regular basis, drop us a line. Let's talk!
If you have a story to tell, send it in. If you want, interview your friend, relative, teacher, co-worker. If you think it would be interesting, I bet other people would too. Give it a try and send something in to us. Carol Bondy Scene Around Town
Image Courtesy of Tricia Noll
Send us your local images. Send to AbiquiuNewsImages@gmail.com Please send images under 1mb. My inbox will thank you. ~Carol
Thursday Nights in February at Café Sierra Negra 4 – 7 PMOpen to all - Come with an open heart.
An evening once a week to visit and express yourself Share your Story – Learn something new How do you envision the future of Abiquiu and surrounding communities? What can we do to promote a stronger sense of community? We’ll provide the space to share creative discussions and we’ll be open for dinner! Art, Music, Film and BooksNow on Sale! | Georgia O’Keeffe Home & Studio Tours!
📍 Tours begin at the O’Keeffe Welcome Center, 21120 US-84, Abiquiú, NM.
Plan your visit to experience Georgia O’Keeffe’s historic Home & Studio, and see how the artist lived and created in the landscape that inspired her. Tickets are now available for Standard and Extended Tours beginning in March and for brand new tour offerings kicking off in June! Advance reservations required. Questions? Please contact the O’Keeffe Welcome Center at 575-467-2001 or abiquiutours@okeeffemuseum.org 
https://abiquiuartistsmarket.com/shop/karen-butts-photography-studio/
The Locals’ Picks Book List
Zach Hively Casa Urraca Press has created a place for locals in our area to recommend books to each other, and a place to find book suggestions with a personal touch.
Have a book to recommend? Send it to Zach at casaurracaltd@gmail.com – title, author, and the reason you suggest it.
The full Locals’ Picks list is available to view here on Bookshop. A purchase from Casa Urraca's link helps support independent bookstores. Abiquiu’s Casa Urraca Press earns a commission from every shopping trip that starts with the above Bookshop link—you can shop the entire Bookshop site in addition to the locals' picks. Plus, a percentage of every book (at least 10%) goes straight to independent bookstores. This is an opportunity to support small businesses with the same convenience as large online retailers. Abiquiu Book Club
The group has compiled the list of books they plan to read for 2025. Check this out and mark your calendar if you wish to join in the discussions.
March - Violeta by Isabel Allende (6) April - Goodnight Irene by Luis Urrea (6) May - Whiskey Tender: A Memoir by Deborah Jackson Taffa, (5) June - The Women, by Kristen Hannah (5) July - Theo of Golden by Allen Levi (5) August - The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin (5) September - Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey by Kathleen Rooney (4) October - James: by Percival Everett (4) November - All Fours by Miranda July (4) December - Anthropology of Turquoise by Ellen Meloy (4) January '26 - Eventide by Kent Haruf The group meets the last Tuesday of each month. Books are recommended by the members. All are welcome to join. Please call Analinda 505 927-6220 if you have questions For the Birds
Image by Bryan Hanson from Pixabay
EventsPlease remember, events will go in for a maximum of three Fridays before the event. Send text, word or publisher file and a separate image, please keep images below 1 mb and send to info@abiquiunews.com. Vertical PDFs or JPGs will be edited for space. Send by Wednesday Noon for inclusion in that Friday's News.
Free Online Talk | Georgia O’Keeffe & Frida Kahlo: Two Cultures, Two Journeys, and One Era
Wednesday, February 5 | 9–10 AM MT Join us for a special 90-minute program on Georgia O’Keeffe and Frida Kahlo! Hear from Carlos Rovelo, professor of Mexican American studies and art history at Dallas College, on O’Keeffe and Kahlo’s friendship, their New York encounter, their art, and their legacies.
starter
Tortillitas, Shrimp, Chive and Chickpea Pancakes Joyful Salad Bib Lettuce, oranges, avocado, sweet, pickled beets, and candied pecans with champagne vinaigrette entree Slow Braised hind Lamb Shanks with Lemon, Cumin and Cinnamon (for two) or Roast Halibut with Orange and Green Olive Salsa or Winter Vegetable Tart Tatin With your choice of: Celery Root, Yukon Gold Potato Mash or Golden Couscous with Wilted Greens with Pine nuts, Raisins, and Apple dessert Pistachio Raspberry Tart or Double Fudge Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream $60.00 per person Reservations only Seating at 5:00pm, 6:00pm and 7:00 pm 505-685-0086 during business hours 
8th Annual Rio Chama Congreso - Water after Wildfire
9th Annual Rio Chama Congreso
following 2-3-2 Events at Ghost Ranch Event Center February 27, 28, March 1, 2025 Save the dates! You won't want to miss this joint meeting of the Rio Chama Congreso and 2-3-2 Partnership. Join us for three days of learning and connecting about the state of the Rio Chama watershed. On Thursday 2/27, the 2-3-2 will host a meet and greet in the evening, before the Full Partnership Meeting on Friday 2/28, followed by joint field trips looking at projects in the Rio Chama watershed and an evening premier of the first episode of "Thinking Like Water" and discussion, and the 9th annual Rio Chama Congreso on March 1. Congreso participants will have a full water and riparian health agenda, including a keynote presentation from Mike Hamman (former NM State Water Engineer), water and fire outlooks for the year, legislative water update, and panels featuring irrigators impacted by the flooding in 2024 on the Rio Chama, discussions on restoration projects in the watershed, and lots of opportunities to network across the watershed. We welcome everyone to join us as we explore the 2025 Congreso theme of "The River and Watershed, Top to Bottom." And, of course, we will provide food! Share the invite and RSVP today! Email sage@chamapeak.org with any questions. Announcements and Classes
Hoy Recovery Seeking New Board MembersHoy Recovery Program, a non-profit substance abuse treatment program located in Velarde, NM is seeking new Board members. If interested please send email to Eugene Gutierrez, HR Mgr.
E.gutierrez@hoyrecovery.org www.hoyrecovery.org 
New Moon Manifestation Gathering
Harness the potent energy of the New Moon to renew, seed your intentions and connect to your deep wisdom. Dates: 1/29, 2/27 Time: 6:30–7:30 PM In-Person Only | $20 each This sacred ceremony includes: ● Candlelight meditation ● Yoga Nidra journey to plant your intention ● Reiki Energy to elevate and fortify our collective vibration Empower your divine intention. Call forth your inner moon power. Reserve your spot by payment. ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ Movement to Strengthen and Invigorate Winter invites us inward for reflection but also calls for balancing warmth and energy. This class offers a fun mix of yoga postures and inspired movement focused on physical strengthening, conditioning, balance and ending with a feel good stretch and relaxation. All levels are welcome. Thursdays at Soulfire Studio or Virtually 9–10 AM ($10 per class) ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ Soul Deep 1:1 Immersion This is your time to receive, restore, and go Soul Deep. Indulge in a personal mini retreat designed to renew and empower you. This sacred space blends self-care with authentic connection, helping you realign and leave feeling deeply refreshed and inspired. Your Immersion Includes: Sacred Ceremony & Intention Setting: Begin with clarity and purpose to guide your experience. Personalized Yoga Practice: Tailored movement to meet your unique physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Guided Yoga Nidra: Deep, conscious rest to plant intentions and cultivate manifestation. Reiki Energy Session: Energy healing to balance, bring integration and empowerment across all levels. 3 Hours | $225 (In person or virtually) ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ Contact Joy for details or to reserve your spot at 802-855-3003 or joyousOM@gmail.com Soulfire Studio is located at 247 NM 554 in Abiquiu |
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Friday and Saturday Bistro Dinner
January 31 and February 1 Steamed Whole Artichoke with Truffle Aioli $8.50 Sweet Potato, Carrot, Coconut Soup With leeks and Feta Cheese Bowl with Bread Cup. $7.00 Bowl $13.50 Winter Salad Arugula, Crisp Apples, Candied Pecans and Blue Cheese With Balsamic Vinaigrette Small $6.50 Large $13.50 Entrée are served with your choice of house or special salad Chicken Marbella Leg and thighs marinated and roasted with Spanish olives, prunes Red wine vinegar, and capers Served with creamy polenta $23.00 Shrimp Canelones 3 fresh pasta rolls filled with shrimp, ricotta cheese, fresh herbs, and Manchego cheese with buttery herbed cream sauce $23.50 Greek Pizza Feta and Fresh Mozzarella with sliced tomatoes, Kalamata Olives and caramelized red onions $21.50 Dessert Pecan Tart with vanilla iced cream $7.25 
NatuNalu is a pint-sized dynamo with a heart as big as the sky! This 31-pound, 2-year-old heeler mix is a perfect mix of joy, energy, and endless affection. Don’t let her small size fool you—Nalu is a mighty-might marvel, always ready to turn every day into an adventure-packed delight! With a sparkle in her eye and a wag in her tail, Nalu’s as outgoing as they come, and she lives to be the center of attention. Smart as a whip and twice as charming, she’ll wiggle her way right into your heart before you can say “best friend forever.” If you’re searching for a loyal companion who will love you with her whole being, look no further—Nalu is here to brighten your days and keep you smiling! This spunky little spirit is bursting with love, and she’s ready to be the apple of your eye. She goes home spayed, vaccinated, microchipped and with six months of free heartworm prevention!
www.espanolahumane.org 505-753-8662 
SprinklesMeet Sprinkles, a tiny cupcake of cuteness! This 4-month-old confection of purrfection is part explorer, part snugglebug, and all magic. He zips around like a sugar rush, then melts into your arms like frosting. With a purr as sweet as vanilla and a heart full of glittering love, Sprinkles is ready to be the cherry on top of your family! He goes home neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped.
www.espanolahumane.org 505-753-8662 Found Cat
Sparrow isn’t just a name—it’s a promise. This dashing 3yo tabby is ready to swoop into your life and make himself at home, not just on your couch but perched right in the coziest corner of your heart. With his perfectly striped coat and his soulful gaze, Sparrow is the kind of cat who lands softly in your world and stays forever. He goes home neutered, vaccinated and microchipped! We are open to walk-in adopters Monday-Saturday 11am-4:30pm.
www.espanolahumane.org 505-753-8662 Found Cat. Are you missing your medium-size long haired ginger with slight tabby markings? Given our remote home 7 miles from El Rito, we are almost certain the kitty was a stowaway and came to our land in a truck with workmen from Coyote on January 21st. The kitty seems to be outdoor savvy so we think maybe indoor/outdoor. One defining mark - his/her tail is a bit raggedy, light orange blending into white. The kitty is being well cared for – if this sounds like yours, call or text to 505-231-9206
Wanting to rehome our friendly and well mannered 2-year old female Mastiff/Shar Pei cross. She is a loyal pet who likes people and gets along with other pets but has a tendency to go on walk-abouts looking for adventure. She is a good watch dog and will bark at strangers but is not aggressive. She is paper trained if kept inside but she spends most of her time outside. She knows how to sit, shake paw, down, roll over, and likes her belly rubbed. A forever home with a fenced area is best for this big girl. She is spayed, vaccinated, and chipped. To the right home we will offer her very large Igloo doghouse for a small cost. Located in Abiquiu. Call 505-412-8220 if you want to come meet this sweet pup.
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