Curded Goats and Frosty Cows

AlwayzReal

I know I’ve said this a lot, but, it’s worth saying over and over again,  I love this place so very much and often, can’t believe that I get to live here! This year is showing up to be one of the best years yet. The weather has been glorious, the river is high and the green green green is just great great great!

Yesterday is just one of the reasons that I love living here. My wife and I drove the sleepy mile over to the weekly farmers market, hoping to score a fresh loaf of her favorite bread, whole wheat miche, from Jacona Village Bakery. We found a shady spot to park, grabbed our shopping bag and eagerly cruised the long rows of bustling booths. 

Pop ups full of homemade goods. Aromatic soaps and beautifully crafted candles with embedded flowers and herbs. Giant, tempting cookies. Guadalupe’s hot tamales and Elotes slathered with mayo, Parmesan cheese and a subtle red Chile powder. There are jars full of homemade jams and jellies and the beautiful display of RZs Bees, from the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, of their locally harvested honey. It always looks like art to me. I was glad to see that Bill was back with his colorful hand made fishing lures. If my wife wore earrings, I’d buy her some of those delicately feathered hooks to dangle from her ears. The patience it must take to make these lures is bewildering. He uses so many creative materials. He told me once that some of them have bits of fur in them! 

And, of course, all the vegetables and herbs. Tables loaded with baskets overflowing with deep red beets and peppy radishes. Succulent spears of asparagus and strangely large chive bundles.

Heading back to our car, my wife spotted a new booth with a sign boasting, “free tarot readings.” I’m always up for any insight for my future, so happily took a seat in the comfortable chair across from Adriene Jenik, who for the first year in Abiquiu is offering tarot readings juxtaposed with the current climate conditions. She made her own deck from agave paper and hand painted each card with a unique ecological symbol. I can tell that she is gifted, but I have no idea what my reading means. Maybe I need a few more days to let it settle…
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Still being on a waistline reduction effort, I was hoping that we’d get out of the parking lot without succumbing to the unfeathered lure of ice cream from the Frosty Cow, but no, the wife couldn’t help it and said the forbidden words I’d asked her not to utter, “let’s get a milkshake”! Bad wife! Feeling defeated, but hoping for a surge of willpower, I entered the bright and chilly dining room of the Frosty Cow.

There is a huge chalkboard menu, colorfully listing all of their choices of scoops, shakes, sundaes and more. There are sandwiches, hot and cold. One day I hope to try the Turkey Bacon Melt. I was wishing they had a salad menu to help me with my waning willpower, but alas, tempting Paninis and ice cream it was.
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My wife ordered her favorite, the java chip milkshake, extra whipped cream please and I ordered…nothing!!! I did it! Well...maybe just one little sip. Feeling proud and strong, I made it out of that parking lot with a bag full of healthy veggies, a loaf of bread, some delicious looking brined goat feta from Malandro farms, but most importantly, my integrity!