David Lindo (London, England), The Urban Birder at the Sabino Canyon Visitor Center — Image by kenne
As a blogger, I follow a lot of bloggers, mostly those into music, poetry,
and nature photography. One of my favorite blogs is Michael Stevenson’s “The Hobbledehoy.”
Yesterday (08/09/20), Michael reblogged “A month in the life of The Urban Birder, David Lindo.
” Right away, I thought, “I know who David Lindo is.” Why do I know him?
In February of 2013, David presented to the Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalists (SCVN)
in Tucson, Arizona.
I videoed the presentation, which was about 45 minutes. The idea was to make
it available in the SCVN library or on our website.
Well, without going into the details, it didn’t happen.
So, after Michael posted the article from Country Living,
I decided to reduce the length of his presentation and put it on YouTube.
This happening here in Tucson took place long before the Karens of the world were making news in Central Park.
Cholita Women In La Paz, Bolivia (08/19/19) — Image by kenne
City of the full moon & speckled dove, of breathlessness,
thin air spiked with smog & the clay-colored fingers
of La Cordillera Real cutting a serrated skyline
behind grey buildings. City of black-haired women,
stout cholas sharpening their eyes under
the curled brim of a bowler hat
tipped to one side, their shoulders swimming in shawls,
hips wobbling the hem of a bell skirt. City
of open-air markets where chilies spill from burlap sacks
wrapped around the vendors like colors in a palette
running from rust to buttercup yellow.
— from “Boarding an Overnight Bus – La Paz, Bolivia” by Marty Saunders
Perhaps instead of expecting things
Expecting everything to end the way you think,
It is better to leave them to the unknown.
To leave them empty so as you travel,
As you evolve…
And the pages will follow.
Yesterday (08/05/20), I drove up the Catalina Highway to Mt. Lemmon. The highway was opened to the general public last Saturday morning for the first time since the Bighorn Fire began in early June. The mountain town of Summerheaven, successfully protected from the fire, is now open for business, although still having to follow HOVID-19 business regulations in Arizona.
Oracle Ridge and Mt. Lemmon Fire Station
Before entering Summerheaven, there are two ridges going north; Red Ridge and Oracle Ridge. Both ridges were severely burned during the 2003 Aspen Fire that destroyed almost all the homes in Summerheaven. Over the years since the Aspen Fire, the forest canopy has still not returned on these ridges. However, a lot of ground cover containing some bushes and small trees had returned. On June 17th, the two ridges were again burned. On June 19th, I posted two time-delay videos of the fire coming through the area pictured in the above photo. The fire station and most of the pines behind it were spared — not true of the storage building and new growth since the 2003 fire. It has now been 50 days since the fire occurred. Note how green the scared area has become with the return of ferns on the mountain slopes.
Except for the highway and Summerheaven, the public is not allowed to go anywhere in the National Forest. From what I was able to observe from the highway, most of the hiking trails with trailheads near the highway are ok, at least partially. Parts of Lower Butterfly Trail and Green Mountain Trail don’t look good from a distance.
My guess is that the trails in the forest around Summerheaven were burned like the two ridges north of Summerheaven. From a review of burn scar maps, the Marshall Gulch area to the north and west, which would include Carter Canyon, has been badly burned. For those of you who hike this area, It’s possible a lot of the Marshall and Mint Springs trails were destroyed. We may not know until November.
Since Sabino Creek originates along the Marshall Gulch Trail, the monsoon rains can result in a lot of potential flash flooding coming down through Sabino Canyon. So far, the rain amounts are very below average, but we are still in the monsoon season.
David Lindo (London, England), The Urban Birder at the Sabino Canyon Visitor Center — Image by kenne
Palm Berries — Photo-Artistry by kenne
Golden Columbine — Image by kenne
Sunset — Image by kenne
Prickly Pear Art — Photo-Artistry by kenne
“Choices” Rufous Hummingbird Near Macromeria Blossoms — Image by kenne
Agave Fenceline — Image by kenne
Dead Tree In A Black And Gray Box Window — Image by kenne
Cholita Women In La Paz, Bolivia (08/19/19) — Image by kenne
La Paz Buildings (08/17/19) — Image by kenne
Oracle Ridge and Mt. Lemmon Fire Station
Olives — Image by kenne
Illimani As Seen from La Paz, Bolivia (08/18/19)– Image by kenne
Camphorweed (10/07/16) — Photo-Artistry by kenne
