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.
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September 12, 2025
In GratitudeWe thank Peter Nagle and the Abiquiú Arts Council for renewing their sponsorships.
50 years ago I was 25 and married with 2 kids and another on the way. I met with an insurance agent because I only had group life and I knew it wasn't enough. The agent tried to sell me $25,000 of whole life, which I couldn't afford. What I needed was $500k of term. I knew nothing about the industry, but I knew this wasn't right so I basically told him to get lost and I went on a search for what I really needed, and eventually found it.
After this was all over I thought to myself: "You know that could be a good business if you just did the right thing for people." A few years later I went into the insurance and investment business, determined to do it right. I got all the licenses and education needed and embarked on a Financial Planning career. Within a few years, treating people properly, I had my own business. I developed financial planning software because I figured how could you recommend investments and insurance if the client had no plan in place? And that's how I conducted my business for over 40 years. I retired and sold my business 8 years ago. But then last year I realized I had all this experience and knowledge and could use it to help people in my community. So I started Thoughtful Income Advisory. I advise people as needed and just do fixed and indexed annuities where appropriate because they are good for part of your portfolio, are guaranteed principal, have superior interest rates, and are tax-deferred. So that's my story. We love it here. Joy does Yoga and Reiki and has a great following. I do this and also Spiritual Direction and I love both. Thank you for listening! Peter J Nagle Income Specialist Thoughtful Income Advisory Abiquiu, NM 87510-1321 505-423-5378
The Abiquiú Arts Council 501(c)(3) is devoted to celebrating the creativity, culture, and community that make our region so special. Through our programming, we create opportunities for artists to thrive while ensuring the public can experience the inspiration and beauty rooted in this remarkable landscape.
As a volunteer-run nonprofit, we rely on the generosity of our sponsors and donors to sustain this work year after year. Your support allows us to host cornerstone events like the Abiquiú Studio Tour, returning October 11, 12, & 13 from 10am–5pm. Now in its 31st year, the Studio Tour is our largest event, featuring 62 artists and galleries who will open their spaces to share paintings, pottery, jewelry, textiles, sculpture, and more. In addition to the Studio Tour, we are proud to have hosted the 2nd annual Abiquiu Gathering of Artisans, a juried mercado held in late spring that highlights artists from across Rio Arriba County, NM. We also host ongoing programs that support artists and community members in meaningful ways. Our annual raffle fundraiser is currently underway, with this year’s baskets filled with high-value treasures! Thanks to the generous donations of artists and local businesses, prizes include original art, gift certificates, lodging stays, and more. Tickets are available online through October 1, with the drawing held on October 3 at the Opening Reception of the Abiquiú Studio Tour Artist Showcase at the Abiquiu Inn from 6pm-9pm. We’re also excited to announce our new email newsletter, where anyone can stay up to date on upcoming events, programs, and opportunities to get involved. You can sign up through the form on our website here. We invite you to join us—whether by attending the Studio Tour, purchasing a raffle ticket, or subscribing to our newsletter—and help us continue supporting the vibrant arts community of Abiquiú. Sincerely, Abiquiú Arts Council Board of Directors Teresa McClure - President, Treasurer Becca Fisher - Vice President, Communications & Social Media Coordinator Sarah Pfisterer - Secretary Rick Hilsabeck - Fundraising Coordinator Elizabeth Inman - Events & Volunteer Coordinator 
Learn more at abiquiustudiotour.org
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
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News and Features
Release Date: September 5th, 2025 - final update for Laguna Wildfire
Acres: 17,415 Start Date: 06/25/2025 Location: Gallina, NM Personnel: 5 Fuels: Oak brush, ponderosa pine, Piñon-juniper Containment: 90%
SANTA FE — Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department announced a historic milestone on Monday: New Mexico will become the first state in the nation to guarantee no-cost universal child care starting Nov. 1
Three leading animal welfare organizations—Española Humane, Santa Fe Animal Shelter & Humane Society, and Felines & Friends New Mexico—have joined forces to launch Operation Meow, a collaborative mission to support the unsung heroes caring for community cat (sometimes called feral cat) colonies across Northern New Mexico
New Mexico environment officials on Monday gave permission for Los Alamos National Laboratory to vent a radioactive gas within the next six months
Local and tribal governments in New Mexico can expect to begin applying for state funding to support solar energy projects early next year, if not sooner, state officials told lawmakers on Wednesday
Green is not the color one expects to see in the cactus-and-yucca-dotted Chihuahuan Desert of southern New Mexico. But for more than a hundred miles along the I-25 corridor, between Truth or Consequences and the Texas border, a rich vein of greenery runs through the endless sea of beige
Culinary apple varieties are now ripening in our orchard. It's easy to make a good pie with most any store-bought apples, and most everybody has apples on their own trees this year in and around Abiquiu, but you might be surprised at the difference these old time apples make in your baking.
We had a brief moment of autumn the other day. That got me reminiscing about pumpkins, and also about my uncle, who was not (as far as I could tell) a pumpkin. I dedicated my first book of trying-to-be-funny essays to him: “For Uncle Bob, because I sure didn’t get this from my parents.”
Found in disturbed areas, waste places
Seen blooming in September in Ohkay Owingeh
Question from Marcus: I know that some websites can see my location when I visit them with Chrome. I know there are some sites that need to see my location (like Google Maps, for instance) but I’d rather keep my location hidden from the ones that don’t. Is there a way to see which sites can see my location?
Previous News and Features
Community Café
Join us if you have heart, commitment and willingness to support our local community.
Next Meeting Thursday, October 9 DATE: Second Thursday of every month TIME: 6:00 pm LOCATION: Rural Events Center Contact: abiquiucommunitycafe@gmail.com VOLUNTEERS NEEDED to help at the Farmers Market, both early and late shifts. Every Tuesday: Set up and take down 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm and Parking and closing: 5:00 - 6:00 pm Please email Jen Harrington to confirm: JanetMHarrington@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
Morning Walk - Courtesy of Amber Archer
Courtesy of Richard Bock
Courtesy of Ruth Ann
Courtesy of Erin Manzanares
Art, Music, Film, and BooksVisit our Arts sponsor page
Coiled Basket Workshop
Friday, October 3, (6:00 – 9:00 PM)
thru Saturday, October 4, (9:00 AM – 4:00 PM) Cost: $225 (Includes materials & lunch) To register, contact Carla Shipman Willis at 719-640-6869 or Email willisck@msn.comwillisck@msn.com Register now … attendance limited! For overnight accommodations contact Abiquiu Inn at 505-685-4378
El Rito Studio Tour Featured ArtistStop #3
Lucia Vinograd Lucia Vinograd is an exhibiting artist, illustrator, and designer, as well as an award-winning educator. She is the founder of Imaginal Arts, a center dedicated to exploring imaginal perception in art, education, and dreams. Her commissioned works have been exhibited at the Brooklyn Museum, the Whitney Museum, MOCA, and at the Stuart Collection at UC San Diego. At her studio you’ll find a wide variety of elegant styles, paintings, prints, and cards. 
Visit abiquiustudiotour.org for more information.
For the Birds
New Mexico Wildlife Center
This story doesn't have a happy ending, but we wanted to share it as a reminder to be careful about what you leave outside. Williamson's Sapsucker 25-873 was admitted to our hospital earlier this week after he had fallen into an open container of discarded oil. The oil had been left outside just for one night, but that was more than enough time for this bird to fall in and become completely contaminated. A neighbor discovered the bird in the container and immediately rescued him and brought him to us. 25-873 was alert and active upon intake, but we knew that he was in serious trouble despite his frantic behavior. We started with a quick exam and assessment, wiped some of the oil off his feathers and face, and gave him some time to stabilize before attempting a full bath under sedation. Bathing a wild animal is an extremely stressful process for the animal, so when we need to remove contaminants like this, we are careful about how and when we attempt a bath. Unfortunately, 25-873's condition declined rapidly over his first hours in care, and he passed away before we could attempt to wash away the oil. He may have ingested or inhaled some of it in addition to the complete saturation of his feathers and skin. We hope that this sapsucker's story can be a reminder to never leave open containers of oil, fuel, or other dangerous substances where animals can access them, even for a short period of time. Keep those containers securely closed and put away, and discard used substances immediately in a safe manner. This bird did not survive his encounter with oil, but if his story reaches a lot of people, it might prevent more of these unnecessary deaths. 
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
El Rito Library
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.
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?
Northen Youth Project UpdateDear Community of Abiquiu,
A big thank you to all who were able to attend our Pollinator Planting event last Saturday! We planted over 100 native flowering plants, engaging community members young and old in getting their hands in the dirt, enjoying some light evening rain, and exploring offerings from partner organizations including Breath of My Heart, McCurdy Ministries, El Centro Health Clinic, and Tewa Women United. A special thank you to Xerces Society and Plants of the Southwest Santa Fe for providing plants, and Defenders of Wildlife for helping make this event happen. Our youth interns harvested, packed, and distributed our CSA fundraiser bags that contained fresh produce/spices from our Farmer Mentors at Sembrando Amor Farm and remedios from Viva Vida Botanica. We sincerely thank all of the community members far and wide who contributed to the success of our Fall fundraiser and event by donating, promoting, or participating! Thank you, Northern Youth Project 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.
Tuesday & Wednesday: 11:00am to 7:00pm
Thursday, Friday, Saturday: 11:00am to 8:00pm Closed Sunday & Monday 
Join us for a Noria grief café⎯ Saturday, September 13th
at únashay sanctuary, 5 to 7pm in Abiquiu with Aimee Wilson. Norias are an attempt to bring collective presence to the grieving. They are brave holding grounds for All to share what hurts in these times. All are welcome. ᛘ• Free and welcoming of donations. Please rsvp at inquiries@unashayhome.com. 
Fall Equinox Dinner + Storytelling Night for Women at Owl Peak Farm
When: Wednesday September 24, 2025 at 5:00 – 7:30pm
Doors and bar open at 5:00pm Zach Weiss presentation and Q&A at 5:30pm Local Resource Fair and networking at 6:30pm Where: Amigos Locale, 330 Paseo Del Pueblo Sur, Suite A in Taos, NM All proceeds benefit the non-profit A.I.R.E. Programs (Agriculture Implementation Research & Education): Supporting Local Farms & Ranches, Producing 800 USDA Local & Organic School Meals Daily, Planting School Gardens and Offering Culinary Arts & Farm Internships. WaterStories.com Announcements and Classes
For beginners from 10am-11am, for Ongoing students from 11am-noon, every Wednesday & Friday at the El Rito campus.
Sept 3 - Oct 10 • A 6 week series ( NEXT UP: Oct 15 - Nov 21 ) $40 • El Rito campus, Alumni Hall Introduction to Tai Chi • 10am-11 am Ongoing Tai Chi Practice • 11 am-12 pm Register at: https://bit.ly/45bLMV5 The Chinese art of Tai Chi is a moving meditation and whole-body exercise for maintaining and building the health of mind and body. This class will introduce the long-form Tai Chi set as taught by Master May Lin-Sin, with a focus on basic principles. Intended for people who are new to Tai Chi; no experience is required. It is also appropriate for those who have completed this course before and wish further practice. Instructor Chris Ng is certified by the non-profit American Tai Chi Academy with more than 30 years of teaching Tai Chi. For more info: (505) 500-9201 • carolina.alegre@nnmc.edu 
Link to register: https://www.chamavalleyarts.org/programs
Ellen Zachos Presents Backyard Foraging Oct 7thPlease join us Tuesday, October 7th at 10am and learn all about backyard foraging from our own NM expert, Ellen Zachos. She will provide an engaging presentation on all those plants out in the wild you've always been curious about and the ones you already are familiar with and describe how they can be used. $5.00 per person at the door, located at the Rio Arriba County Extension Office, Hwy 544, House 144a, Abiquiu. Please RSVP at the phone number below or email Joy at jczmyrid@nmsu.edu. Presented with great thanks by the Rio Arriba Extension Club. Questions or RSVP at: Call 505-685-4523. View the PDF flyer here.
Yoga Basics - 4 week series $30
Tuesdays, October 7-28 • 9:30-10:30am NNMC El Rito campus, Alumni Hall Yoga teacher Joy Nagle will be conducting at the El Rito Campus (Alumni Hall Building) this four-week series which offers a supportive introduction to yoga, designed for beginners, those returning to their practice, or anyone wanting to deepen their foundation. Classes include essential postures, gentle stretching, balance work, breathing exercises, meditation and relaxation techniques. Relevant yoga concepts and principles will also be discussed. Students need to bring their own mat, block, strap and blanket. More info on Joy is @ soulfireyogawithjoy.com Register / Questions: Lina Alegre, carolina.alegre@nnmc.edu • (505)-500-9201 |
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MelShe may still have a few kibble crumbs on her chin and that wide-eyed “caught snacking” look, but Mel has more than earned her treats. This sleek, all-black beauty first came to us as a young mama transferred in from another organization with six kittens in tow. While her babies went off to foster, Mel stayed behind to heal—fighting through a tough upper respiratory infection. Now, for the first time, it’s her turn to be the one cared for, cherished, and chosen. Mel is one-year-old, 8lbs, and she is tender and sweet with both people and other cats; she’s ready for her new life to begin! We are open to walk-in adopters Monday - Saturday 11am-4:30pm and Mel goes home spayed, vaccinated, and microchipped.
WinstonWinston is a true unicorn in dog form. This one-and-a-half-year-old 56lb Husky mix has heterochromia, a rare condition that gives him one amber eye and one icy blue. It’s as if he’s carrying two skies inside him: one lit with golden sunset, the other cool as a mountain morning. Beyond his magical looks, Winston is sweet, social, and wonderfully well-mannered, which he has shown off at adoption events. He walks beautifully on leash, knows his commands, and loves both people and pups. Rare as a unicorn, real as your new best friend! We are open to walk-in adopters Monday-Saturday 11am-4:30pm, and Winston goes home neutered, up to date on vaccines, microchipped, and with six months of free heartworm prevention! www.espanolahumane.org
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