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The Abiquiu News is brought to you by Carol and Brian Bondy
Image Courtesy of Geraint Smith
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Image Courtesy of Geraint Smith
See more of Geraint's work
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April 25, 2025
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Burn Ban Still in EffectNews and Features
IT’S NEARLY 4 A.M. in the Chama River Canyon, which means it’s time for the morning vigils at the Monastery of Christ in the Desert, near Abiquiu. I launch myself out of my cozy guest chamber, bundle up, and shuffle down a moonlit dirt road toward a stately adobe chapel.
In advance of an expected executive order on Tuesday, New Mexico’s federal delegation, led by U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), the top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, sent a letter on April 21 to U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum requesting the federal government leave the state’s monuments intact.
On April 20, 2025, the New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau was requested to investigate the off-duty death of Rio Arriba County Sheriff Billy Merrifield at 4759A NM Highway 96 in Abiquiu, NM.
Two new cases of measles were diagnosed in southern New Mexico this week, pushing New Mexico’s total caseload to 65, according to the Associated Press.
Lea County is the hardest hit in the state’s outbreak, with Chaves and Doña Ana counties reporting one case each, the news service reported.
The average daily flows yesterday at La Puente were 374 CFS. The river has been dropping approximately 16% per day for the last 5 days. At this rate, without precipitation events, we will begin pre-curtailment cuts in the upper Chama approximately April 29 with basin curtailment beginning May 2. There are currently no curtailment-related restrictions in place for the Upper and Lower Chama Basin.
“First We Bombed New Mexico” film screening and a discussion about “New Mexico’s Nuclear Weapons Boom” are free and open to the public.
April is National Poetry Month, and I am touched to be the one reintroducing this lost art form to the masses. This includes people like you and me! Because odds are, we don’t understand poetry.
“Think of a desert and you probably picture dry, dead dirt. If so, surprise! Much of the world’s most arid ground is alive with a tiny ecosystem, no more than a few inches thick. It’s so tiny, in fact—so thin and delicate, so apparently parched and lifeless—that this “secretly living” layer of soil is called a cryptobiotic crust.” https://www.newmexicology.com/the-blog/2016/1/26/dark-secrets-of-the-cryptobiotic-crust
Found in sandy openings
Seen blooming in April in Plaza Blanca
On April 22, Indivisible Abiquiu-Youngsville had our first meeting. Twenty-four committed, energized folks showed up. What is Indivisible? This is from their web page: “Action by action, day by day, group by group, Indivisibles are remaking our democracy.
There are so many scams involving texts and emails. Between Carol and I, we get something every day. I get more texts from mysterious people asking how I’m doing, or wanting to get together as it’s been a long time. I have no idea what that’s about, I just delete them and select report as junk.
Previous News and Features
Community Cafe and Community Pot LuckCommunity Cafe Meetings will always be on the second Thursday of the month, 4PM at the Rural Event Center. Next meeting May 8th
- RSVP magoon007@gmail.com - How many people and what are you bringing. A card with ingredients would be lovely. My email is correct on the flyer but not in last week's Abiquiu News.
- Weather looks great and I have enough volunteers to set up and clean up. - Can you donate paper goods? Plates, silverware, and napkins please? - Invite friends and neighbors! We get letters
Do you have a story to tell, a history to share?Whether you have been here ten years or your family hundreds of years, you have a story to tell about your connection to Abiquiu. Email us
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 Art, Music, Film, and Books
Click here for event details & application. Deadline to apply is May 2nd.
Learn more about Abiquiú Dome Gallery & Shop or follow @abiquiudome on FB & IG
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. Library News - Abiquiu Library
Colcheras de Abiquiú will meet Sunday, April 27, at the Abiquiu Library. This group is dedicated to learning and doing the Spanish Colonial embroidery art of COLCHA. All are welcome to attend and learn.
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.
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 at the Abiquiu Library. Books are recommended by the members. All are welcome to join. Please call Analinda 927-6220 if you have questions El Rito Library
Thank you to our friends at Casa First for inviting our awesome Lead Interns to dream up some exciting 2025 gardening projects! We had a lot of fun facilitating a pollinator friendly native seed ball activity with their youth and families last weekend. We appreciate the opportunity to learn and grow together with our youth leaders.
We’re always accepting donations of gently used books that meet the criteria listed. 1227 N. Railroad Ave. Suite B-2, Española, N.M.
Phone: (505) 303-6437 Email: read@raalp.org 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.
The team: Dave, Rae, Caro, Amber & Andrew
Early Birds can watch the changing colors and character of birds of the Northern Rio Grande Valley at Los Luceros Historic Site. Take a guided bird walk with staff from the Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC) at 7 a.m. Sign-up ahead of time online at https://peecnature.org/events/. These walks will take place on Sundays: May 4 and June 1, 2025. Los Luceros Historic Site is located at 253 Co Rd 41, Alcalde, NM 87511. Read more here.
We are once again hosting a rattlesnake relocation workshop at NMWC this spring! As reptiles emerge from their winter brumation, you may start to see more of them, including our local venomous snakes, out and about. This workshop is a great opportunity to learn how to safely and non-lethally relocate rattlesnakes away from people and pets. Local snake expert Tom Wyant will be leading the workshop at NMWC on Saturday, May 10th from 9:30am-12:30pm. Advance registration is required, and participants must be at least 18 years old. Registration is $35 per participant. Send us an email by Wednesday, May 7th if you want to get on the list - these workshops usually fill up fast, so reach out as soon as you can! Email info@newmexicowildlifecenter.org to register.
Saturday May 17 10 - 3 and Sunday May 18th noon - 3
142 just off 554 - Look for signs We have eleven households participating this year. Plus our section for Northern youth project. We are full for vendors. Drop off for items for Northern Youth Project So clear out those closets and garages and support a good cause. Drop off items for the NYP May 10 from 10 - 4. Email Carol to make other arrangements for drop off. HUGE Yard Sale May 16, 17, & 18HUGE yard sale May 16th, 17th, and 18th from 8 am-4 pm, Fri and Sat, and Sun 8 am-12 pm. Sale includes antiques, furniture, sporting goods, electronics, household items, books, and clothing. Cash, Apple Pay, Google Pay, accepted. I DO NOT do Venmo or PayPal. 2 Gooseneck Cr, Abiquiu. Call or text 405-590-5611 anytime.
This one-hour presentation/class, will be practical. As we all know, walking is good for us. It can regulate weight, improve sleep, elevate mood, transform stress, and boost creativity. Most people want to walk more but often don't. But what if the key isn’t just to walk more, but to walk better?
Over the past 50 years of teaching thousands of people around the world how to move well, I have evolved a method for teaching people how to walk naturally, freely, comfortably, and powerfully. I will begin teaching this to you. I will also introduce you to six kinds of walking: Hatha Walking, Transportal Walking, Empathic Walking, Inspirational Walking, Transformational Walking, and Metaphoric Walking. Announcements and Classes
Drawing From Nature: Bones and Blooms with Helen Byers at Ghost Ranch, May 4th-9thAt Ghost Ranch, Georgia O’Keeffe found inspiration in the desert around her. Flowers and animal bones were among her favorite subjects—often in combination. Here is your chance to explore how the same subjects inspire YOU. Refine your realistic drawing skills with a week in residence at historic Casa del Sol, amid the spectacular landscape where O’Keeffe lived and painted. We will draw desert bones and blooms from life. Instruction with daily demos will cover drawing techniques in charcoal (for the bones) and colored pencil with watercolor (for the flowers). Afternoons will offer free time to rest, explore the Ranch or sites nearby, or take a horseback ride or tour. Evenings will include guided nature walks, stargazing, and camaraderie around the courtyard fire. Space will be limited to 9. Some drawing experience required. Join us! Please call 505.685.4881 or 505.685.1019 to register for this workshop. Program details here.
Join us in immersive workshops and or plan to visit us this end of April for Photo Week
Photo Week* April 27 - May 4 Portrait Photography Amid Nature’s Beauty with David Rider Photo Fundamentals with Sandy Kaplan Cyanotypes: Photography with the Sun with Carol Schrader Immersive Photography and Darkroom Workshop with Kent Bowser Ghost Ranch Astronomy Experience with Wayne Hicks, Wayne Brasure and Philip Mahon *Annie Leibovitz was previously scheduled to present a keynote presentation at the culmination of Photo Week. This has been rescheduled for December 2025. Please visit GhostRanch.org for updates. May 2-4 Introduction to Social Media and Photography with Alex Ignacio May 3-8 Environmental Storytelling with Katie Orlinsky May 4-9 Drawing from Nature: Bones and Blooms with Helen Byers May 4-10 Eco-Poetry: Hike + Connect = Write with Carrie Nassif Hike the ‘Ologies with Connie B. Burkhart Intermediate Landscape Watercolor with Patsy Welch May 9-11 Hoo Are You? (Owling) with Raymond VanBuskirk High Desert Watercolor with Sean Hudson Day of Geologic Exploration with Albert Schultz and Peter Barkmann May 11-17 Drawing from Nature: Bones and Blossoms with Helen Byers May 18-24 Birding at Ghost Ranch with Raymond VanBuskirk May 26-June 1 Plein Air with Natasha Isenhour June 16-19 Community Camp 1 June 22-27 Church Youth Week with Loye Troxler and Connie B. Burkhart June 22-28 Painting the Ghost Ranch Desert at Casa del Sol with Michelle Chrisman June 23-28 Be Still, My Soul: Sabbath Rest and Wonder with Larry Goleman and Carol Bechtel June 27-29 Mindful Birding with Holly Thomas Contemplative Astronomy with Wayne Hicks “Look Closer” Watercolor Cloudscapes and Botanical with Jean Cate June 29-July 4 Family Week 
Learn more at https://drkarinlubin.com/intro-to-strength-movement/
Soulfire was created as a sacred space to receive—whether that means rest, renewal, well-being, or simply a moment to reconnect with yourself. It is a place to explore movement, energy, and the deeper rhythms of life, all while being held in a field of presence and possibility.
See more of Joy's offerings here. ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ 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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McKrackenMcKracken: Three Legs. Zero Quit. All Heart. He may be missing a leg, but don’t you dare call him broken. This absolute legend came to us looking like he walked out of a war zone — a grotesque, dirty old compound fracture of the femur, wounds that screamed “ambush,” and a leg so mangled it made even our toughest techs look away. But McKracken? He just purred.
Humans would’ve tapped out. McKracken powered through. With one swift amputation, expert gnarly wound care, and more guts than a superhero origin story, he transformed into a three-legged powerhouse of love and swagger. He’s got no time for big dogs, but endless patience and love for people. Animals like McKracken remind us: they don’t need pity — they need admiration. They’re tougher than we’ll ever be. He’s not looking for a home, he’s looking for a fan club! Available to walk-in adopters Monday-Saturday 11am-4:30pm Monday-Saturday. www.espanolahumane.org 505-753-8662 
RogerRodger has one ear to the heavens and one mission on earth: be awesome. Rodger arrived preloaded with the good stuff: house-trained like a gentleman; leash-trained like he read the manual; knows “sit” and “lay down” like he’s been doing TED Talks on obedience. He’s playful but composed, affectionate but not clingy, and he’s always listening—with that one majestic, sky-bound ear and a heart tuned to your every emotion. Feeling down? He’ll nudge your hand. Feeling great? He’ll do a celebratory spin. He’s a therapist, best friend, and sidekick all in one heckin’ handsome package. This 3-year-old 62lb speckled & special pittie mix with his one gravity-defying ear seems to be receiving signals from a galaxy where good boys rule and treats fall like rain. If you think you’re worthy of The Ear, come meet The Rodger, giver & receiver of love, distributor of joy, one ear up always ready for anything—and ready for YOU! We are open to walk-in adopters Monday-Saturday 11am-4:30pm and Rodger goes home neutered, up to date on vaccines, microchipped, and with six months of heartworm prevention.
www.espanolahumane.org 505-753-8662 
Puppy in search of a young family to play with and be a part of! Australian Cattle Dog, male, 11 weeks old, blue merle coloring. Call or Text
505-901-6208 
Looking for someone to take my dog on a short walk in Santa California 2-3 days a week. Fee negotiable. 505-603-0820
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