And who is “we”, you might ask? Well, I’m talking about Abiquiú’s very own and unique Northern Youth Project (NYP). NYP is a non-profit designed by and for Teens in Rio Arriba County, providing free programs and paid internships in the arts, traditional agriculture, community service and leadership projects that honor the past and look to the future.
 
To learn more about their background, here is a little blurb from their Facebook page:
“In the summer of 2009, a group of six kids, aged 13 to 16, along with the help of an adult sponsor, banded together and advocated for services for the teens of their community. They dreamt of a place to be together, feel safe and be themselves,  Surrounded by positive friends and role models with programs that supported the physical, emotional and academic needs of rural northern New Mexico teens. NYP serves youth ages 12-21 from Abiquiú, El Rito, Gallina, Cañones, and Medanales”.

​Doesn’t this sound absolutely wonderful? If you’re not an old-timer who grew up here or who has lived here for 20 years or more, you may not know that there is nothing to do for young people around here. No basketball or soccer field, no gathering place to hang out, no clubs where one can learn something – at least, not in 2009.  Leona Hillary, who is currently Director of Education at the Santa Fe Children’s Museum, was the founder and first Program Director.

One of the unique qualities of NYP is the fact that they offer internships to young people aged 16 to 21 who otherwise have limited job prospects or are seeking first time employment. The interns are responsible for garden care from start to finish, Spring-Fall and learn about various agricultural topics such as soil health, permaculture practices, safe tool use, plant identification, traditional flood irrigation and Acequia maintenance, growing / cooking /eating/seed saving of regional heirloom and other crops of their choosing, and community engagement at the Abiquiu Farmers Market. They explore a number of artistic media and farming styles via field trips and individual site-based apprenticeships with local mentors, and gain important leadership skills through these hands-on experiential learning opportunities.
 
A young person who commits to the full internship schedule will earn $17 per hour in 2024. Think about it: this is an invaluable arrangement which prepares teenagers and young adults for the future. They acquire skills, learn to cooperate and be responsible community members, plus – they have fun and get paid!

Since its beginnings, NYP has become a strong presence in Abiquiú and the surrounding communities. Their annual events include the Plant Sale and Seed Exchange, which even made it through the pandemic in 2020 when it was entirely online. There were several Harvest Brunches, Art Exhibits, and Teen Salsa Contests. From 2020-2023, NYP facilitated the Bridge Program to include youth under 12, providing a safe outdoor learning environment and support for siblings of Interns and their families during a challenging time.

And then there is the amazing film, THE LOVE OF LAND PROJECT. It started with a trash cleanup day in 2017, when a number of NYP teens organized and cleaned up local acequias. What to do with all the rubbish they collected? Well, they decided to turn it into an art project. And they made a film of the whole process. 

Watch the Preview Below

​Every week at the Abiquiú Farmers’ Market during the Spring & Summer internship (May-July), NYP mans a booth where they offer seedlings and produce for a donation. I recently spoke with one of the interns who help out there, Samantha, or Sam.

She told me  that they’ve been doing a lot of  fundraising recently. The land where NYP was growing their garden and operating from is likely to be sold, and they need to find a new home.

“We could always come here and hang out and have fun. It was so calming, a different environment. I've come here for about five years. In the summer when school is out and there’s nowhere to go,  something  is planned for the day here.

 We do so many different things, and a lot of it is community-based. We're a community-based  program for teens”.
 
What are some of the activities you do here, I asked Sam.

“We have different workshops. For example, a couple of weeks ago, we did a soil workshop. Our soil in New Mexico is still really brittle, and it's mostly sand. It's not very nutritious, it doesn’t have many enzymes.Our instructor had brought us some soil that she had bought at another farmers’ market, and it was really rich. We soaked it in water, and we added nutrients and minerals, and poured it all over the plants. They bloomed in a couple of days!”
​
They are planting and harvesting many things right now: various medicinal plants and perennial herbs including rosemary, sage, and thyme, and annual vegetables such as greens, carrots, eggplant,corn, beans, squash, tomatoes, potatoes, and  melons​

“We were doing a whole bunch of dye plants in one row so that we can have another workshop”, Sam continued.  “We take all those plants and flowers  and we turn them into dyes, and then we bring our T-shirts and tie them and just tie dye them in all kinds of different colors”.
​
They also offer the flowers they have grown at the Farmers’ Market to get donations.  And I see bags filled with rosemary that had just been picked and was really fresh. Plus, they had lots of cherries. I hope people will be generous with their donations. If NYP has to buy a plot of land or adjust their programs so they can continue to exist, they’ll need an enormous amount of money.

Their current Executive Director, Ru Stempien, has this to say: “I came on at NYP to work in collaboration with our youth because there is no other program like this available in the County. To give our young people a chance to stay local, we need to provide meaningful opportunities economically via job & leadership skill development, as well as through the way we as adults connect with them by building trust and support through our mentorships. Most folks in the community probably don’t know about our broader positive impact beyond our programs, but most of the money we bring into the organization goes to running programs by employing local interns, staff, and mentors. NYP in 2024 alone has brought in $160,000 and a total of $900,000 in funding since 2015, that has gone almost entirely back into the local economy. We are grateful to our long time grantors and donors for making this possible! The most impactful way the community can support NYP at this time is to become a recurring donor today and share with your networks this opportunity to support the future of this work.”

Here is the link to donate:
Your Gift Supports Our Mission.

You may also show your support by taking a brief survey made by the Teens to gather information on NYP’s community impact here:
Share Your Northern Youth Project Story!
​
I hope they’ll find some generous sponsors who will help. It’s unthinkable to lose such an effective and useful program. What better way for the community to guarantee a bright future than to invest in our young people. The skills they learn at NYP benefit all of us.

Wildfire risk reduction restores water—Co-stewardship is the key
Tracy Farley and Zachary Behrens
Office of Communication and Carson National Forest

I’m the project overseer,” said Mayordomo Vicente Fernandez humbly when asked specifically about his mayordomo title. Vicente is the community manager of a 71-acre parcel in the Carson National Forest near Taos, New Mexico, where he and a group of volunteers are reducing hazardous fuels while improving water quality and quantity. Like his distinctive title, the project itself is unique. It’s called the Rio Don Fernando Cañon Leñero Project, which has been in existence for centuries, if not longer.
It’s all about the approach. The project is modeled on acequias, pronounced “uh·say·key-ah,” which are communally managed irrigation ditches. Spanish settlers brought the tradition into the area in the late 1500s and adopted enhancements influenced by the local Indigenous peoples from the local Pueblo tribes, who were already using irrigation methods to farm the arid land. Acequias are legally recognized subdivisions and are as much alive today as they were centuries ago. Now, an elected mayordomo oversees annual maintenance and water allocation.
The Rio Don Fernando project takes the acequia model and applies it upstream to a forest thinning unit. “Our watershed is our life. This project, our watershed here is so important because a lot of people's lives depend on it,” said Vicente. “We are the smallest watershed in the valley and it's very, very important to us and what we're doing here, thinning out the forest.”

The volunteers, or leñeros, which means “woodcutters” in Spanish, work in Vicente’s mayordomo unit, which is located in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy’s Enchanted Circle Landscape. They thin trees under a prescription to reduce the threat of wildfire and make more ground moisture available. In the short term, the leñeros keep the thinned timber as personal fuelwood for cooking, or to heat their homes in the winter, while also earning a modest stipend. Long term, the leñeros’ thinning work improves the forest and watershed health that ultimately benefits their farms downstream. Their work also ensures they can carry on their traditional ways of life for generations.
“Having local community members, or government leaders such as our acequia mayordomos, managing projects like this, gives them the stewardship of that ground most critical to their values,” said Camino Real District Ranger Michael Lujan. “This type of stewardship by the community is going to help to keep that portion of the watershed sustainable for years to come, regardless of changes to mission or funding.”
“It just makes sense to have them steward that piece of ground that's going to connect that water to the communities like it has for the last 200 or 300 years, into time immemorial,” Lujan added.

Snowpack feeds water into the acequias, which frequently begin on the national forest. A gate or a diversion directs the flow of water in the irrigation ditch. Many ditches branch off into different areas of the community, and each one may have a mayordomo that manages each one. It eventually becomes a neighborhood or community acequia.
​
Many acequias provide a primary source of water for farming and ranching, and more than 700 acequias in northern New Mexico continue to function. In New Mexico, by state statute, acequias are registered bodies and as such must have three commissioners and a mayordomo.
This Rio Don Fernando project is part of the larger Pueblo Ridge Project, which is just under 10,000 acres of restoration work for watershed improvement, forest health management and ultimately reducing wildfire risk.

“This is really exciting because the Pueblo Ridge Project is critical to protecting tribal lands and providing clean water. The water that you see running down the canyon and into the community of Taos, is critical to the lifestyle and the traditional uses here,” said Lujan.

Vicente and his leñeros work directly with the Forest Service to manage this portion of the forest.

“The collaboration between the executive, the leñero, and the Forest Service is there. It’s tight,” said Vicente. “We couldn't have started this program without their help. We have had their foresters out here. They've helped me walk the whole perimeter of the area. We've marked the trees. As you can see, they’re all marked and it's a good education for me that I can give to my leñeros.”

“We were born in these mountains. We were raised in these mountains. And we want to keep these mountains not just for us, but for our grandchildren and for people to enjoy,” Vicente said, “Because when you look at it, it's all our responsibility, not just the Forest Service. It's the community’s. It's our responsibility to take care of this.”
Definitions

• Acequia-Acequias, or community ditches, are recognized under New Mexico law as political subdivisions of the state. Many of the state's acequia associations have been in existence since the Spanish colonization period of the 17th and 18th centuries. Pronounced uh·say·key-ah.
• Enchanted Circle – a geographic region in Northern New Mexico and also the 1.5-million-acre designated Wildfire Crisis landscape, where a special emphasis has been placed to increase the pace and scale of wildfire risk reduction. The landscape covers land managed by the Forest Service, tribes, state government and thousands of private landowners. Much of the landscape is within some of the highest risk firesheds in the nation.
• Mayordomo – The mayordomo plays an esteemed role in the acequia and has traditionally been a highly revered community member. He or she displays a distinguished knowledge of their acequia and its surrounding community. The mayordomo is the “ditch boss” who works to ensure equitable water distribution and makes him/herself available to address issues that come up throughout the growing season, as well as observing the activities of the surrounding environment during the off-season, such as snowpack, beaver dams, ditch repair and cleaning.

This is the first of two stories featuring the Carson National Forest’s Enchanted Circle Landscape, part of the USDA Forest Service’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy, which focuses on water restoration and wildfire risk reduction.   Read Part next week

​By Sara Wright

Images courtesy of Sara Wright

When My brother and I were little one of our favorite games was to guess at which butterfly we were seeing at a distance. Was it a monarch or a viceroy? We learned to note flight pattern differences. Monarchs flap and flutter while viceroys are more apt to glide. The latter also seemed to stay on a flower with wings spread out long enough to identify the single black streak on the viceroy’s lower wings. Because we had access to a large field, woods, brooks, marshes, and wet meadows that supported an old farm pond we also learned that in general monarchs liked open areas while viceroys seemed to prefer wet meadows around seeps brooks and ponds.  But not always! From a distance, these butterflies look exactly alike except that viceroys are smaller in size, the easiest way to identify one. The Viceroy's wingspan is 2⅝ to three inches, while that of the Monarch is 3½ to four inches.  
 
Here at home, I notice that monarchs and viceroys both are prevalent throughout July and into early August when viceroys seem to shine. I am not sure how much this has to do with food sources. Monarchs sail around through masses of milkweed until it goes by, sipping nectar from the wild bee balm that dominates my summer flower garden and everywhere else that’s wild. Viceroys (Limenitis Archippus) are drawn to the blue thistles, but I am also seeing them on my white phlox. When I meander through a nearby lowland sanctuary viceroys are feasting on wild clematis and Joe Pye weed making it easy for me to photograph them with their wings outspread.
 
While living in Abiquiu (Northern New Mexico) I saw what I thought were monarchs down by the river floating through the willows one summer and then realized they were probably viceroys because of their smaller size and general monarch scarcity. It wasn’t until one came into the yard and landed on my milkweed (which they aren’t known to gather nectar from) that I spied the crescent shaped wing stripe that also identifies this butterfly. I also noted that the ones I saw seemed to be a muted shade of orange – almost rust colored.  As I recall there weren’t that many, but I was delighted to see even a few. Some seemed attracted to my giant sunflowers. They also flocked to the lovely blue asters. Around here Viceroy adults feast on wild asters, goldenrod and shrubby willows. The willow family which includes poplars, aspens and cottonwoods is their primary food source. This butterfly is apparently found in most of the continental United States, southern Canada, and as far south as Northern Mexico.
 
It still amazes me that these two species are totally unrelated! I grew up believing that monarchs were toxic to most birds, so viceroys mimicked them to prevent being eaten. Now some sources suggest that both unrelated species are toxic to birds! It is information like this that keeps me grounded, trusting my own experience and citing sources as probabilities or possibilities. Good science is always evolving, so called ‘experts’ come and go.
 
The viceroy mates in the afternoon. The female lays her greenish white eggs with small protrusions on the tips of the leaves of one of the members of the willow family often preferring the shrubbier varieties of which I have an abundance here. The eggs (gall -like)  hatch within a week. After birth caterpillars eat their eggshells, then begin feeding on the catkins or leaves of the host plant. The young larvae sometimes construct a ball of leaf litter, dung, and silk which dangles from the leaf they are feeding on. Depending upon location there may be two or three generations of viceroys born each breeding season.
 
The caterpillars may be mottled brown or green with creamy blotches and have two knob -like horns. Caterpillars from a third brood may spend the winter rolled up in a leaf that they attach with silk to a branch ready to emerge the following spring. The chrysalis itself is a shiny bronze. In the past couple of years, I have seen a few viceroys in early June but the majority seem most active later in the season which lasts into September.
 
Viceroys, like other butterflies, regulate their temperature by basking in the sun to warm up. Early – to mid - morning (depending on temperature) are ideal times to photograph them for this reason.
 
Sources differ on the feeding habits of adult Viceroys. Some say the food source varies seasonally, with early brood Viceroys relying on carrion, decaying fungi, aphid honeydew and animal dung, later switching to flowers such as Joe Pye Weed, asters, and goldenrods.
It's almost mid – August. Because many of my garden flowers are drooping from repeated deluges some bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds have moved to the giant old - fashioned hydrangea that has just begun to bloom and will continue to do so throughout September/October. Others have taken to the field that is presently bursting with goldenrod and wild asters. Because I leave most of my land wild and make it a point not to remove leaf litter or mow (I do hay around the house and field after all flowers have died back) I have created a year-round sanctuary for butterflies of all kinds and have an abundance of them throughout the season each year.

Obsessing over the work that matters

By Zach Hively
​
​On the rare occasions I speak with people, they like to ask how I’ve been. “Busy,” I say. “But like, actually busy. Like, all the time.”

Sometimes these people don’t believe me. Usually when they are not themselves small business owners or entrepreneurs. I think people who run their own businesses understand being busy all the time. Your small business is not like a small child—you can’t just give it some whiskey to knock it out for the night. A business never lets you rest.

Business doesn’t explain my busyness lately, though. No, in lieu of doing work-work, I’ve been working on a playlist.

Sure, you might say this project is “only” a one-hour playlist. You might think that with 100,000 new tracks added to Spotify each day, identifying fifteen or twenty of them to fill an hour shouldn’t be so hard.

You, however, might be wrong.

The hopes of a nation rest on this playlist. Or at least the hopes of a few people who belong to some nation or other. Like, maybe ten of us.

But for those ten or so, the stakes could hardly be pounded further into the ground if I hit my head against them instead of against this cinder-block wall.

See, I was asked to throw together a little music for a post-workshop dance practice coming up. Wide open, free and easy, no pressure—people may not even dance to the music I play, unless they’re not quite tired out yet, in which case they’ll dance Every Song, and oh also they’re learning a style entirely new to them so this playlist will basically be their first-ever impression of it, so if they don’t vibe with the playlist they could decide they hate this particular dance style FOREVER and it all came down to my poor choice of a Fine Young Cannibals song.

Just a one-hour playlist. You might as well tell Chopin that he plays just the piano, or Maggie Smith that despite a long and accomplished career in theater and on screen that she will just be remembered as the Harry Potter lady.
​
This playlist matters. So, please excuse me. I have to return to it before my regular business realizes what I’ve been doing for weeks.

August 6, 2024 
  
SANTA FE — The New Mexico Department of Health (NMHealth) has confirmed a West Nile virus infection in a resident of Union County. The individual was not hospitalized and is currently recovering at home.  
  
In 2023, New Mexico had the third highest number of human infections of West Nile virus reported in the state since tracking began in 2002. In all, there were 80 infections and eight deaths. Over the last five years, New Mexico has averaged approximately 35 cases per year of West Nile virus. 
 
“Preventing mosquito bites is our first line of defense against West Nile Virus,” said Dr. Miranda Durham, Chief Medical Officer for NMHealth. “Protect yourself and your loved ones by using insect repellent and eliminating standing water.” 
 
West Nile virus is transmitted by mosquitoes. Residents are encouraged to take steps to reduce their risk of infection. To protect yourself from West Nile virus infection: 

• Use an approved insect repellent every time you go outside and follow the instructions on the label. Among the EPA-approved repellents are those that contain DEET, picaridin, IR3535 and oil of lemon eucalyptus/para-menthane-diol. 
• Wear long sleeves and pants at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active. 
• Eliminate water-holding containers where mosquitoes lay their eggs, such as old tires, empty cans, and other unneeded outdoor items that can hold water. Drain the water in birdbaths, wading pools, and saucers under potted plants weekly. 
• Make sure rain barrels are tightly screened. 
• Keep windows and doors closed if not screened. If you leave your house doors or windows open, make sure they have screens that fit tightly and have no holes. 

 
For more information about preventing mosquito bites, visit the CDC’s website. 
  
Also, for horse owners, it is important to vaccinate your animals to protect them from West Nile virus and Western Equine Encephalitis, which is also carried by mosquitoes. In 2023, 19 horses were confirmed to have West Nile virus; six of these horses died.    
 
“Don’t wait until it’s too late,” said Erin Phipps, DVM, MPH, NMHealth Public Health Veterinarian. “A single vaccine can make a difference and protect your horses from West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne diseases.” 
 
There are no medications to treat or vaccines to prevent West Nile virus infection in humans. People ages 50 years and older and those with other health issues are at highest risk of becoming seriously ill or dying when they become infected with the virus. If people have symptoms and suspect West Nile virus infection, they should contact their healthcare provider immediately.    
  
Symptoms of the milder form of illness, West Nile fever, can include headache, fever, muscle and joint aches, nausea and fatigue. People with West Nile fever typically recover on their own, although symptoms may last for weeks to months. Symptoms of West Nile neuroinvasive disease can include those of West Nile fever plus neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness and paralysis.   
  
For more information about West Nile virus, including fact sheets in English and Spanish, go to the NMHealth’s West Nile webpage. 
 
###

NMHealth
David Barre, Communications Coordinator | [email protected] | (505) 699-9237
 
NMHealth works to promote health and wellness, improve health outcomes, and deliver services to all New Mexicans. As New Mexico’s largest state agency, DOH offers public health services in all 33 counties and collaborates with 24 Native American Tribes, Pueblos and Nations.         

In line with its efforts to support arts programming in Abiquiu, Dar al Islam is hosting the world-renowned Adam Williamson’s sacred pattern educational retreat from September 5th to 9th, 2024. This is the second consecutive year that Adam Williamson will be offering its program at Dar al Islam.

Adam, the author of Profound Patterns (2022), and a contributor of chapters to the best-selling Thames and Hudson book Arts and Crafts of the Islamic Land, is a leading specialist in geometric and biomorphic (Arabesque) pattern, a traditional cursive art form that can be found universally. The visual crystallization of movement, biomorphs express the archetypal cycles inherent in nature, from plant growth, sound vibrations and oceanic currents to the expansion of galaxies. Adam is currently working on an extensive manual on biomorphic pattern. In 2022 Adam also wrote a series articles for Aramco World Magazine exploring Pattern’s from around the world.

Adam Williamson will be supported by renowned artists including John Martineau, Adam Tetlow, Aloria Weaver, David Heskin, Ricardo Hinojosa and Christopher Riederer. Local catering shall be provided by Kohinoor- Rehana Archuletta -, while enjoying local Sufi musical performance and campfire ceramic project.
​
The event will take place in Dar al Islam’s stunning vaulted adobe complex built in 1980 by the famous Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy. Enrollment is open to all.
The program consists of the following components:

Using the traditional tools of compass and straight edge we will a create a traditional geometric rosette and explore principles of tessellation.
 
Within the decorative canon of Islamic art, there are two interrelated modes of pattern: geometric and biomorphic, also known as arabesque. Geometry provides the underlying structure over which biomorphic patterns grow. Biomorphic patterns are visual crystallizations of movement, abstract depictions of the vital, dynamic life-force of Nature, which every culture around our spherical globe expresses visually using the shapes and materials most intuitive to them. These shapes describe the cycles inherent in the natural world, from the microscopic to the macroscopic: protons and neutrons spinning around an atom; sound vibrations passing through air; the uncurling of leaves on a fern; the whorls of fingerprints; the growth rings in trees, the currents that swirl the oceans; and the expansion of galaxies. In classical sacred art, symmetry exemplifies perfection and unity as reflections of divine qualities. The act of drawing can thus be undertaken as a meditation upon this harmony in the multiple orders of Nature.

​The Joyous Cosmology; An Introduction to Sacred Geometry The transcendental geometric domain may be glimpsed through the creative act of contemplative practice, using only the ancient geometer’s tools. The manifest natural world we inhabit continually exhibits geometric tendencies, ever striving toward the perfection of the ideal while never quite arriving. A universal human impulse to commune with the higher realms has given rise to magnificent works of sacred art and architecture worldwide, in the form of geometric symbolism that permeates and enriches our biological existence, bringing cosmic proportion down to earth. This relationship between the ideal and the material provides a continual anchor for a meditative geometric practice that proceeds from a single inherent point of creation toward ever-increasing complexity. Through a developing series of functions using compass and straight edge, we will unfold a series of principles that are echoed in diverse examples of traditional sacred architecture. This session emphasizes the geometer’s state of mind as an instrumental element in the creation of our drawings. We’ll examine and recreate exemplars of timeless beauty, aiming to behold their mysteries and contained geometric metaphors, partaking of the eternal as it is conveyed through the temporal.

Paper folding brings out qualities of spatial texture to the forefront via the magic of interchanging states; valley and mountain, yin and yang, off and on. The characters of interaction dancing in an endless, yet comprehensive variety of ways exhibit how nature converges.

Space is inherent with rich meaning and mathematical significance. To fold is to play a game with space, a game where space resolves itself invariably. Therein lay aspects relating the phenomena of space which can be used to favor our creative ambitions. If the material folds, it can follow the same principles as other folded materials. This is the bane and boon of the folding artist; figuring out how to project an idea on paper to ceramics, wood or metal, to name some common materials.

Folding is a consultation of God´s solutions. Laws, axioms and theorems exist to describe the differences between what is possible and what can be thought up. Take Islamic Patterns for example; we can use folds on the page as a tool, a way to mechanize space and turn it into an augmented compass, straightedge, protractor and T-ruler all in one. Through this lens we can virtually construct most any pattern in the Islamic Geometric Pattern canon. This is the task I will take on in the workshop: to empower you with this vision so that you too can fold patterns of many kinds and realize how much these are effectively Sacred Geometry.

​ by Adam Williamson

Biomorphic designs are structured around a spiral from which the motifs and leaves sprout. The curvilinear forms are created using a combination of straightedge, compass, and freehand drawing. The movement of nature inspires this unbroken spiral flow. There are no hard corners; the curves are sweeping and gentle. As the spiral advances, it radiates secondary spirals, which in turn radiate others, and soon the page is alive with movement. The spiral progresses from its source like a plant from a seed growing towards the light. This centrifugal movement reflects the progression of creation, moving toward infinity.

​ by Adam Tetlow

Celtic pattern is rooted in the practice of traditional geometry. The three styles of knotwork, key patterns, and interlocking spiral motifs blend a geometrical underpinning with freehand ornament. Join artist Adam Tetlow and author of Celtic Pattern: Visual Rhythms of the Ancient Mind to draw some intricate and beautiful examples of these ancient styles.

 by Adam Williamson

This session will focus on building patterns from medieval Persia and 5&10-fold symmetry.

 with Fabiola De la Cueva, Fire ceramics in campfire and Live Sufi Music with local musicians  ​

In solidarity with Olympian Sammy Sullivan

​By Zach Hively

A friend recently shared her summary of an article she read on the internet. The author was some old white dude with some old white-dude name. He posits, in a totally old-white-dude way, that animals cannot have thoughts because they do not have words to think them. I posit, respectfully, that he is an idiot.

As evidence to support my claim, I point to Legos.

Specifically, I point to the stack of Lego bins in my closet, which, yes, I still build with because Legos are timeless, ageless classics that I have justified moving to every new house and apartment I’ve lived in since pre-k.

If I don’t play with them, then they can’t bring me joy, and Marie Kondo will try convincing me to give them away to some child less fortunate, who would probably just lose the Lego pirates down the heater vent anyway.

[Side note: was anyone else an adult before they figured out “leggo my Eggo” had nothing to do with the greatest toy ever invented?]

Here’s the scene: you’re building, because why not, a Lego Millennium Falcon staffed by medieval knights on horseback. You need a certain piece. You know how many bumps it has on it, and how thick it is. You shuffle through your bin of Legos, calling out to this piece with your mind. Let’s name this concept a “thought.” Then your best friend, who does not judge you for building Legos on a Wednesday afternoon because he is imaginary, asks you what piece you’re looking for.

You freeze. You have no name for this piece. Leastwise, no name you can reproduce with your mouth. It just has a … a feeling. You balk at describing the piece, because there are so many complex facets to consider, all of which are encapsulated in that feeling but people would think you are crazy if you told them that a tall, straight, light gray, three-bumped piece with holes in it has a “feeling.”

So you try to articulate the string of adjectives to your friend, who finds a comparable piece but the wrong shade of gray. This is why it’s easier to play with Legos by yourself and not have any friends.

There is no word for that feeling. No word for that piece. Like, okay, maybe there’s a word for it at Lego World HQ deep in a hidden volcano where Danes get paid to design Lego sets—it has to, so Malthe’s boss Freja can ask whether or not that new Trebümpenblokdesijn will be ready before their three-month national summer holiday.

But in normal-people land, where no one recompenses our bright ideas for new collector’s edition sets (like—get this—a Lego steam engine staffed by medieval knights on horseback), it does not have a name.
​
This is proof: thoughts exist without words. Therefore, Mr. Old White Dude, my dog has thoughts. 

Sure, many of these revolve around going o-u-t-s-i-d-e, which is why I spend my days diligently avoiding any trace of a hint of possibly moving toward the back door. It’s also why I’ve had to remove from my vocabulary all those phrases that can be mistaken for o-u-t-s-i-d-e, like “mouse hide” or “owl slide.”

Soon, for lack of using language, these concepts will become Lego pieces in my brain: ideas without functioning words to express them.

This is not a new phenomenon for me. In fact, I spend a good deal of my writing time staring at the texture of the wall, trying to identify the right words—sometimes even in the right order—to articulate a thought. I can have this thought clear as any Lego piece. It can even have a more nuanced emotional arc than many contemporary movies.

But it has no words.

And I cannot be alone in this experience. If everyone had immediate words for every thought they had, we would all be terrified to learn what everyone was thinking all the time. I do NOT want to live in a world where the people I buy dog food from are privy to an eloquent, well-articulated, English-language interpretation of my thoughts as to how much dog supplements cost. (Hint: they cost even more than Legos.)

I’d much rather remain quiet, handsome, and mysterious—quite like my dog—so that the pet store people look at me and wonder what I’m thinking about deep in my soul.
Because, no doubt, I am thinking something deep in my soul. Old Mr. White Dude better believe it. I am thinking plenty of thoughts—I’m just all out of words to describe them. But I assure you, they are well-staffed by medieval knights. On horseback.

Get 'er done.
Zach Hively

I suspect we all struggle to Get Things Done. I know I do.

Thank goodness.

As a person with no external guiding structure in place, such as a trained manager or surveillance cameras, I also benefit from little to no internal motivation to Get Things Done, at least until they are due or a person (besides myself) is coming over. And that doesn’t happen every season.

I love things getting done. I just would, by and large, like other people to do them. This isn’t feasible for me—leastwise, not in this economy, and not with my chosen professions.

This means I end up every now and again creating to-do lists with sub-lists of ways to revamp my approach to life. However, doing so mighty quickly starts to feel like adding More Things to Get Done, Without Adding More People To Do Them.

So. Instead. I try a new brain hack.

By: Danielle Prokop
Source NM
 
Congress held a hearing on six historic water right settlements for tribes and Pueblos on four rivers in New Mexico last week, which would bring $3.7 billion dollars for water projects, restoration and more.
 
The settlements address the Rio San José, the Rio Jemez, Rio Chama and the Zuni River. There are also bills for technical changes to two existing agreements, and extending funding for the Navajo-Gallup water project.
 
Zuni River
H.R. 8951 would settle litigation between the federal government, the state of New Mexico and the Pueblo of Zuni regarding the Zuni River stream system in Western New Mexico. It is sponsored by Rep. Gabe Vasquez.
 
There are still outstanding lawsuits by the Navajo Nation in the Zuni basin.
 
The settlement would establish $655.5 million in mandatory spending for a Zuni Tribe Water Rights Settlement Trust Account.
 
–       $29.6 million will go towards a trust fund for maintenance, operation and replacement
 
–       $750,000 in state funding from New Mexico for water monitoring and $500,000 to mitigate non-Indian domestic groundwater rights because of tribal usage.
 
–       $50 million in funding for economic water development plans, environmental compliance costs, design costs and establishing a water resource department
 
Another portion of the settlement will establish a 217,000 acre sanctuary and the withdrawal of 92,364 federal land from entry, appropriation or type of mineral leasing. The land will be managed by Bureau of Land Management and prohibits new water wells, grazing permits, timber sales and fossil collecting.
 
Another 4,756 acres will be placed into a “Tribal Acquisition Area Trust” which will now be managed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
 
The remaining legislation is sponsored by Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández.
 
Rio San José and Rio Jemez
H.R. 1304 creates two funds, settling multiple lawsuits.
 
–   The Rio San José Settlement allocates 7,982 acre-feet per year for Acoma Pueblo and 12,263 acre feet per year for the Laguna Pueblo from both groundwater and surface water sources. The settlement establishes a $850 million.
 
–   The state of New Mexico will provide $36 million for non-Indian water users.
 
–   The Rio Jemez Settlement allocates 6,055 acre feet per year to Jemez Pueblo and 3,699 acre feet per year to Zia Pueblo. It would establish a fund for both tribal governments with $490 million. In addition to federal money, the state of New Mexico will provide $20 million for non-Indian water users.
 
Ohkay Owingeh Rio Chama water rights settlement
H.R.8685 adjudicates the Rio Chama for the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo.
 
There are outstanding water rights claims on the Rio Grande that are not settled in the legislation. $745 million goes to the Ohkay Owingeh Water Rights Settlement Trust Fund. The state of New Mexico would contribute $131 million for water development projects.
 
The settlement agreement codifies Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo’s water rights for additional irrigation, using water for watering livestock and wildlife, use for drinking water and wastewater and groundwater uses.
 
Rio San José Navajo Nation
The bill H.R.8945 will settle the Navajo Nation water rights in the Rio San José Basin
 
in New Mexico. It is the counterpart to H.R. 1304. It creates a settlement trust fund of $223 million in mandatory funding. The state of New Mexico would contribute $5 million.
 
 Technical corrections
H.R. 6599 offers technical corrections to the settlements with Taos Pueblo and the Aamodt  litigation.
 
 The federal government made a mistake and incorrectly invested funds in settlement accounts. After the mistake was found the federal government was required by law to send any interest on those funds to the Treasury. This bill would return the $18.5 million in interest to the tribes.
 
–       $7.79 million would go to the Taos Pueblo Water Development Fund
 
–       $4.3 million for the Aamodt Settlement Pueblos’ Fund
 
–       $6.35 million to the Navajo Nation Water Resources Development Trust Fund.
 
 
Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project
Finally, H.R. 3977, extends the deadline for the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project to 2029. The project consists of two pipelines, two water treatment plants and several pumping stations to bring San Juan River water to Gallup, the Navajo Nation and surrounding communities.
 
The project is a key provision in a Navajo Nation water rights settlement on the San Juan River Basin in New Mexico, and that settlement will not take effect until construction is completed.
 
 The bill will provide another $725 million to finish the project, putting the total bill to $2.1 billion.
 
Those new funds include:
 
–       $689.45 million to address a gap in how much the project costs
 
–       $30 million for Navajo Nation connections on the water transmission line
 
–       $6.25 million for renewable energy features
 
 H.R. 3977 also establishes $250 million for operations, management and repairs for the Navajo Nation and $10 million in a similar trust fund for the Jicarilla Apache Nation.

By Jessica Rath​​

For about eight years now, the Abiquiú News has provided us with the Bloom Blog. From April through October, Marilyn Phillips helps us to identify the many wildflowers growing around Abiquiú  and informs us of the various uses Native Americans have for these plants: as remedies for ailments and diseases, as dyes, as skin lotions, and as food.

​It’s always nice to put a face to the name, isn’t it. And I always like to learn a bit more about a person with an obvious mission, who is passionate about what they do. When I asked her, Marilyn agreed to meet with me and take me on a flower walk, telling me a bit about herself while  helping me to identify the various wildflowers that had popped up in early June.

​Because I learned British English at school when I grew up in Germany, I could spot Marilyn’s accent:  she must be from the United Kingdom. Sure enough, she grew up in London. Her father was a gardener who  planted delicious vegetables and beautiful flowers. While she feels that she didn’t inherit his green thumb, she credits him and his garden for her love of flowers. Although she was a city kid and clearly didn’t have many wildflowers growing nearby, she was always interested in the outdoors and nature. As a Guide – the equivalent to a Girl Scout in the U.S. – Marilyn  spent a lot of time outside, went on camping trips and hikes, etc.

But her involvement with wildflowers got really serious after she moved to Crested Butte, the Wildflower Capital of Colorado – they even have an annual Wildflower Festival which lasts for ten days!

“It's just a stunningly beautiful place”, Marilyn told me.  “And I got involved. I went on a wildflower hike with the Wildflower Festival that they have every July. And I realized that I really liked this. That’s why I did another one. And then eventually, long story short, I got involved with the Festival and ended up leading hikes myself within a couple of years”.

​I once spent a few days in Crested Butte and totally understand Marilyn’s enthusiasm. It is indeed striking. Nestled near the 12,168-foot summit of the Crested Butte Mountain, it has become a popular ski resort with lots of fun activities for the short snowless season: there’s an International Film Festival, a yearly Arts  Festival, there are live concerts, and endless offers for outdoor pursuits such as mountain biking, river rafting, and horseback riding.
Did you know that Crested Butte was a coal mining town in the late 19th century? When the coal mines closed, the town declined somewhat, until the construction of a ski area in the 1960s. Ever since then, the tourism business has guaranteed a booming economy.

​​“This was in the mid-90s, and all the pictures I took were on slides. There was nothing digital yet. My background is in computer science, and so I made a CD. Its purpose was to identify the flowers,  so you could do a search. It looked very similar to the  website that exists now. I haven't changed it much  from that original CD, which I think was published in the early 2000s. When the Internet came out, I got a website, and that's the one that's still going”.

​In 2012, Marilyn moved to Abiquiú. And in 2016 the Bloom Blog was added to the Abiquiú News as well as to Marilyn’s website: Wildflowers of the Southern Rocky Mountains. Check it out, it’s really useful if you want to find a particular flower: one can search by name, both common and Latin, by descriptive words, and – the easiest way – by color.

“It is different here from Colorado”, Marilyn explained to me. “In Colorado, you'll get one hundred blooms a week. Here, you'll get one or two or three or five, at the peak, in May and June. It would be impossible to do something like the bloom blog in Colorado because there are way too many flowers. It's stupendous, the flowers there – but the growing season is very short. We're talking about elevations above 9,000 feet. So there’s lots of moisture from the snow melt because a typical winter brings dozens of feet of snow”.

​“Everywhere I go I take my camera with me. I still go out hiking on trails, but there's not anywhere near the diversity of plants here that there is in Colorado. Of course we still have a huge number of flowers. I think there are over 200 that I found in this area. I start in April and go through September. I used to go through October but there's not much left then, just the odd sagebrush”. 

I mentioned to Marilyn that I used to live in Coyote, and there it's again very different from here. When I went on hikes there, I always found lots of wildflowers.
​
She agreed.  “Sure, there would be more flowers. What we have here around Abiquiú is called a piñon sagebrush environment, plants that grow in a hot and dry climate. But Coyote is about 1,000 feet higher, and that would make a huge difference”.

​“So, have you ever done any kind of guided tours here,  walking tours like you did in Colorado?” I asked.

Marilyn’s answer makes sense, of course: “No, there aren’t enough wildflowers. And I'm older as well. In Colorado I used to do major hiking in the mountains but I couldn't do that anymore. Also, I’d say the area here doesn't really lend itself for hiking tours because when the flowers are blooming, which is mainly in May and  June, it's too hot during the day. There are no trees like you had in Coyote;  you could go hiking during the day and you’d have shade, right? Well, when you have the piñons and the junipers there’s no shade. Piñon and juniper trees are too short. Along the river here we've got the cottonwoods and that's lovely. But often you can't really walk next to the river, there are no trails”.

“When I first moved to Abiquiú I walked down my road, and found lots of flowers just growing by the roadside. But there are few trails here, and they're not the sort of places where you would take a group of people”.

I was curious: “Did you ever get into mushrooms?” I asked.

“No way. In Colorado, there's tons of mushrooms, but it's a very different activity. And it's kind of dangerous, I think. Even in my blog:  I often talk about medicinal uses that the Native Americans had for flowers. But hopefully people realize that those were traditional Native American uses, and they won't go off and try some of these things. Although they've researched it a bit. But mushrooms – they can be deadly”.

“And the other thing is that they grow for only a short period, and this  varies depending on the weather. They need  the right rain. There was actually a mushroom festival in Crested Butte, which  was held towards the end of August, which makes sense. But then one year the mushrooms all came out in July because we had an exceptional amount of rain. So by the time the festival came around, there were no mushrooms!. They had to cancel the festival.
​
Mushrooms are a bit unpredictable”.

​And then Marilyn mentions something I had never thought about, but it has stuck with me ever since.

“There is  one special thing I love about flowers: it is their continuity. I'm going to the same place every year to meet the same flower. They are so reliable! It gives me faith to know that Mother Nature can keep going, despite all the craziness around us. ‘Oh, look, there's that flower that was blooming last year!’  Most of the flowers that survive here have to be perennial, meaning that they come back year after year. Their roots have to be really deep to reach what little moisture there is. So consequently, the same plant will be in the same place next year. And so, you know, they become like friends”.

Isn’t that a lovely thought! I hope we’ll all walk around from now on, greeting the many faithful friends all around us, that we so easily overlook. And let’s include all the trees as well in our new and larger circle of friends. Thank you, Marilyn, for an enjoyable and inspiring conversation.