Arizona Sycamore against an impossibly blue Arizona sky (Photos by Narca) Fall comes late to southern Arizona. Up north, trees are bare by now and shrouded in ice. Here Indian Summer has drifted into fall, and shifted bit by bit into chilly winter, yet any venture out-of-doors … Continue readingImmersion
Yesterday the Chiricahua Gallery in Rodeo, New Mexico, opened its holiday show. We’ve come to the 25th year––the silver anniversary––of our art guild’s founding. We’ve been around for a quarter of the time that Arizona has been a state! The gallery is a not-for-profit cooperative … Continue readingCelebrating the Silver
Ordinarily, if Alan and I chase something it has feathers. This morning we rose early and headed up to the Interstate to watch the Union Pacific’s historic steam locomotive No. 844 chug from New Mexico into Arizona. At least “chug” was what I expected, but … Continue readingSteamin’ Along
What builds, what informs our sense of a place? Fresh from yesterday’s late-season rain, South Fork in the Chiricahua Mountains is entering autumn. Today I hike up the road, now inhabited by winter birds: the chittering small flocks of Chipping Sparrows, kinglets and titmice. The … Continue readingAutumn Comes
Are you thinking it’s high time for an adventure? This next spring, after winter’s deep snows and deeper thoughts, why not join me in Jamaica? Jamaica: seabreezes, sun, misty forest, calypso––and those spectacular hummingbirds, the streamertails! Red-billed Streamertails commonly visit Jamaican gardens. (Photos by Peg … Continue readingThe Island of Streamertails
Recently Armando (“Mando”) called a meeting in Rustler Park of 21 professionals from the US Forest Service, Arizona Game & Fish, and other agencies to assess the condition of Rustler after the Horseshoe Two Fire and to decide on the best way of encouraging its … Continue readingRustler Park after the Burn
Our friend John Roser, in his nightly patrols to see what’s happening in his yard, discovered that giant Five-spotted Hawkmoths are visiting his massive flowering Datura. Since that discovery, several folks have held nightly vigils in John’s yard, starting at dusk, to witness the show. … Continue readingDatura-Diving
Okay, this post departs from all my normal topics (unless we pull in Emily Dickinson’s famous poem, “Hope is the thing with feathers…”). I’ve been thinking about hope, considering it, tasting it, turning it over. For a long time I haven’t let myself hope for … Continue readingHope
The greater Portal-Rodeo community will no doubt be delighted to learn that our famous tame Gambel’s Quail, Sir Poopsalot, who lived the good life in Portal before hurling himself into someone’s window, has been given to Gene Cardiff, a museum ornithologist. Gene is taking Sir … Continue readingThe Fate of Sir Poopsalot
Our immersion in Huachuca Canyon, emerald-green and moist in this monsoon season, was a balm. One of the morning field trips at the Western Field Ornithologists’ annual meeting explored this beautiful canyon, which is less often visited than neighboring Garden and Sawmill Canyons. Tony Battiste … Continue readingHuachuca Canyon with WFO