Connecting People to Build a Stronger Community
Image courtesy of Mario Manzo
The Abiquiu News is brought to you by Carol and Brian Bondy
Image Courtesy of Mario Manzo
See more of Mario's work here.
Image Courtesy of Mario Manzo
See more of Mario's work here.
Subscribe
Subscribe to this free weekly newsletter and stay on top of area news and alerts.
Like us on Facebook
Having trouble subscribing? Email us
Email us with your news
Criteria for submissions.
Subscribe to this free weekly newsletter and stay on top of area news and alerts.
Like us on Facebook
Having trouble subscribing? Email us
Email us with your news
Criteria for submissions.
August 8, 2025
In GratitudeWe thank New Mexico Wildlife Center for renewing their sponsorship.
New Mexico Wildlife Center
Our nature center and DePonte Family Wildlife Walk are open to the public Tuesday through Sunday, 9am-4pm, and our on-site wildlife hospital accepts intakes of injured, sick, and orphaned wildlife 7 days a week.
NMWC's wildlife hospital is staffed by a full-time veterinarian and a team of professional Certified Wildlife Rehabilitators whose priority is providing top-quality care to 800-1000 injured, ill, and orphaned wild animals annually so that they may be returned to the wild. We treat all native wildlife that can be rehabilitated in New Mexico, from the tiniest nestling hummingbird all the way up to bobcats and Golden Eagles. Our hospital facility is equipped with a full surgery suite, a digital x-ray machine, on-site diagnostic testing, and outdoor pre-release enclosures that prepare our patients for their return to the wild. NMWC is also home to over 20 non-releasable Ambassador Animals whose role is to educate the public about their species and about conservation of New Mexico's native wildlife. Visitors can see our Ambassador Animals during self-guided tours Tuesdays through Sundays from 9am-4pm and during daily Animal Encounter programs on those same days at 11:30am. Our team also offers wildlife education programs throughout northern New Mexico. NMWC's educational programming highlights wild animals' natural histories, New Mexican ecosystems, and the importance of protecting and conserving our native wildlife and their habitats. New Mexico Wildlife Center is located at 19 Wheat Street, Española, NM 87532. You can find us online at www.newmexicowildlifecenter.org and on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor either at a basic or platinum level get in touch and find out how we can support your business. Email
Paid SubscribersJo Ann W
John U Brian R Jan R Arthur O Submitting to the Abiquiu News. Submit to our primary email info@abiquiunews.com or abiquiunewsimages@gmail.com
DEADLINE WEDNESDAY NOON Please follow the criteria.
News and Features
Acres: 17,415
Start Date: 06/25/2025 Location: Gallina, NM Cause: Lightning Personnel: 17 Fuels: Oak brush, Piñon-juniper, and mixed conifer Containment: 78%
Over the past several weeks, I’ve been vocal about my concerns regarding the decision by the Santa Fe National Forest to “manage” a naturally started fire that began with a lightning strike in late June. Rather than allowing it to burn naturally within a controlled area or suppressing it once it was clear the fire was moving toward structures, livestock, or heavy fuel loads, they chose to actively expand the fire by igniting an additional 13,000 acres by hand and air.
Guests arriving at the various programs at Abiquiu’s Dar al Islam mosque and retreat center are often made aware of potential hazards on the mesa and in surrounding areas. They’re warned of rattlesnakes, raging rivers that were dry riverbeds ten minutes ago, and the usual bugs and spiders to walk away from. But poisonous pigments?
New Mexico’s senior senator is leading national legislation to halt federal workforce cuts that threaten thousands of jobs at Los Alamos and Sandia national laboratories, which pump nearly $9 billion into the state’s economy annually and employ about 30,000 New Mexicans.
New Mexico’s arid climate means we naturally receive limited annual precipitation, but the effects of climate change have exacerbated these challenges. Rising temperatures have led to prolonged droughts, decreased snowpack, early melting, and reduced river flows, while higher evaporation rates have diminished our water storage in reservoirs.
In which I learn the ways of the world.
Did you ever hear the tragedy of Kaspar Hauser? Pull up a chair and I’ll tell you that Kaspar Hauser, the story goes, once wandered onto some Bavarian street as a teenager. This wasn’t in itself notable. Nor were the two letters he carried—one purportedly written by his birth mother in 1812, and the other purportedly written by the old man who had housed Hauser since infancy.
Found on rocky hillsides, in canyons
Seen blooming in August in Plaza Blanca
And by that, I mean old folks like me. While I’ve been using computers since the early 80’s, neither they, nor I are the same. While computers have gotten smarter, smaller, slimmer, and more powerful, the exact opposite has happened to me. Except for the smaller maybe, I think I’m shorter than I used to be.
Previous News and Features
Community Café
The Community Café is open to the Abiquiu community. Come meet your neighbors. Come to discuss local issues and creative programming. Be a part of the solution. We are here to support and collaborate with local organizations.
At present, we are working with our County Commissioner and the DOT to lower the speed limit to 45 mph from the Dollar Store to Bodes - 2.4 miles. Join us if you have heart, commitment and willingness to support our local community. DATE: Thursday, August 14 TIME: 6:00 pm LOCATION: Rural Events Center Contact: abiquiucommunitycafe@gmail.com 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
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 AbiquiúSend us your local images! Send to AbiquiuNewsImages@gmail.com. Please send images under 1mb. My inbox will thank you. ~Carol
Image Courtesy of Tricia Noll
Courtesy of Barbara Moore
Art, Music, Film, and BooksVisit our Arts sponsor page
Evening Tours of Georgia O’Keeffe’s Home & Studio
Tours begin at the Georgia O’Keeffe Welcome Center, 21120 US-84, Abiquiú, NM Spend two quiet hours exploring O’Keeffe’s Abiquiú Home & Studio! In this evening tour, experience an in-depth look at the artist’s home, and end your visit with light refreshments in O’Keeffe’s garden. Book an evening tour here. 
Call for Teaching Artist Proposals
Adult Studio Classes | O'Keeffe Welcome Center in Abiquiu As part of an ongoing initiative to collaborate with creatives based in Abiquiu and Rio Arriba County, the O’Keeffe Welcome Center seeks proposals from area artists for studio classes, and/or workshops for adults that can be hosted in the Center’s community spaces.
The Welcome Center is specifically seeking proposals for one-time class sessions that can be conducted in 3.5 hours or less on Saturdays or Sundays. Workshop proposals can be for any medium and should be described to reflect the appropriate level of experience expected from participants (i.e. beginner, intermediate, advanced). Proposed class topics should also connect with Georgia O’Keeffe’s artistic vision, philosophies, and/or themes that relate to the history of New Mexico and the New Mexican landscape. To submit a proposal for consideration, please review the following requirements and instructions. Proposal Format Workshop proposals must be one page and should include the following information: • Proposed Title or Topic • Brief Description • Proposed Program Length • Material/Supply Requirements • Facility Requirements Background and Qualifications • 2-3 Years’ experience teaching studio art making techniques - Required• 2-3 Years’ experience as a professional artist - Required • 2-3 Years’ experience designing, teaching, and facilitating art classes for adults – Preferred Skills and Abilities • Experience teaching adults; strong oral and written communication skills • Flexibility and adaptability • Arts-based creativity • Studio art experience • Strong interpersonal and problem-solving skills • Ability to connect with adult audiences To submit a proposal for consideration, please send your resume and a one-page proposed class to: mseymour@okeeffemuseum.org Additional Information: Teaching Artist proposals are being collected on an ongoing basis. If a member of the Welcome Center has a question about your proposal or would like to discuss the proposal further, you will hear from someone via e-mail. Teaching Artists who offer classes/workshops for the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum enter into an Independent Contractor Service Agreement with the Museum. 
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. Local Library NewsEl Pueblo de Abiquiú Library & Cultural Center
Abiquiú 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.
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 Looking for lodging near Abiquiú?
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.
Announcements and Classes
Join us for immersive workshops at Ghost Ranch:
August Living the Lord’s Prayer: God’s Revolution on Earth with San Williams | August 15-17 Ghost Ranch Community ASL Weekend with Joi Holsapple | August 15-17 Meditation in Motion: Mindful Hiking with Laurie Magoon | August 15-17 Indigenous Poetry featuring An Evening with Joy Harjo and Dg Nanouk Okpik | August 17-19 Writers Roundup with Lesley Poling-Kempes and Robin McLean | August 17-23 Painting the Ghost Ranch Landscape in Late Summer with Michelle Chrisman | August 24-30 Living with Hearing Loss with Dean Olson | August 25-29 Mindful Birding with Holly Thomas | August 29-31 Self-Discovery through Memoir with Deborah Taffa | August 29-31 Become a Great Storyteller with Judith Fein and Paul Ross | August 29 - September 1 |
Become a Sponsor
or email us for more information on advertising in the Abiquiu News or click on Pay Now Click on any of our sponsors below for more information.
Supporter
ArielLoved all her life by someone who no longer remembers her name, Ariel recently lost her home to dementia. She’s a 13yo torbie in her twilight years with fur marbled like an autumn sky and eyes full of memory, a tender and gentle soul quietly waiting for a soft place to land.
Ariel is a queenly girl at nearly 15lbs, and she also carries the quiet weight of early kidney disease—mild for now, but needing watchful love. She’s looking for someone who can guide her, gently and lovingly, toward a healthier rhythm—balanced meals, cozy naps, and care that honors her age. What she needs most is a home where she can be cherished, for someone to hold her through the golden years, for one last love story, for all the beautiful days still to come. We’re open for walk-in adoptions Monday–Saturday, 11–4:30. 
OsbourneOsbourne is sweet as a s’more. This melted-milk-chocolate-colored German Shepherd is a 1.5yo walking sundae swirl with oversized ears that defy gravity, and a derpy grin that will make you smile involuntarily. He’s sensitive, soulful, and just a little wobbly—mild hip dysplasia means he’s more “gentle stroll” than “mountain marathon,” but he’s game for any adventure if you’re by his side.
He walks well on a leash, loves a slow-paced sniffari, and once he trusts you, he’ll bloom into the kind of velcro goof who is heartbreakingly loyal. Come meet your lanky, caramel-kissed soulmate! He goes home neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and with six months of free heartworm prevention. www.espanolahumane.org Lost dog wandering Prado Valley Subdivision
The dog has been wandering around up above the mesa off of Buffalo Trail Rd. since yesterday. It has a limp and a collar but no tags and is in good shape. Is friendly and obviously has a home.
We watched it walk up Rocket Launch Rd. and continue on but has now shown up at our jobsite on Pinon Rd. If someone is looking for it they can call us at 505-929-7350. 
|
