Archive for the ‘Tucson Arizona’ Category
Vermilion Flycatcher On Christmas Day –Photo-Artistry by kenne
Mid-morning on Christmas Day,
I walk the nearby wash.
The morning sun dissolves
An overnight dusting of
snow on the lower mountains.
There is little movement or sound
In the brush, the once dusty trail
Now packed by the winter rains.
Limbs of dead trees point everywhere
No longer making use of water.
— kenne
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Siesta Shadows Create Colors On The Wall — Image by kenne
When walls become art
The roving eye embraces
Siesta shadows.
— kenne
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Tanuri Ridge includes about 40 acres along the Tanque Verde wash,
which runs into the Rillito River.
Thirty-six years ago there were concrete picnic tables
under several big cottonwood trees.
Since that time there has been a flood washing away the tables
and a fire that destroyed many of the trees.
Now it is frequented by people walking their dogs and horseback riders,
and yes, photographers like myself.
When we moved to Tanuri Ridge in 2010,
I went for a walk down by the wash and discovered
different forms of nature sculpture alone the trails.
Someone was taking sticks and stones to create art.
Over the years, some of the art would be removed while new appeared.
I began to ask around and learned the art was probably the work of
David and Margarita Berg.
David was a resident of Tanuri Ridge when we move here.
During my first walk down by the wash,
I discovered a memorial to Margarita Berg.
Previously, I had met David in the community,
so I called him and asked if I might interview him
for a newsletter I was preparing for Tanuri Ridge — he agreed.
Click here for a link to that posting I wrote on David and Margarita, June 8, 2011.
Images by kenne
David no longer lives in Tanuri Ridge,
but it is evident that he returns to maintain Margarita’s memorial,
which has the same signature as the Tanque Verde wash art —
sticks and stones.
— kenne
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Image by kenne
About eighteen hikers took part in the Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalists (SCVN)
1st hike of the year (January 4, 2019) on the Pontatoc Ridge trail.
Pontatoc Ridge trail
A steep, rocky canyon hike
Beautiful vistas.
— kenne
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Early Wildflowers in Sabino Canyon (Bearded cryptantha) — Image by kenne
Often unnoticed
Small and scattered loneliness
More effort required.
— kenne
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Visual Artist, Malcolm Alexander — Image by kenne
When we moved to Tanuri Ridge in Tucson in 2010, one of our neighbors on the circle was Malcolm Alexander, soon to become one of my most unforgettable people. He was our neighbor for three years before he moved back to Santa Fe, where he passed away at 89 in 2014.
“What’s the latest gossip?” was a frequent greeting from Malcolm as he set outside his home smoking a cigar. The irony was I never knew him to gossip. He seemed to enjoy the still moments sitting along smoking a cigar, however, he required a lot of social stimulation.
Schooling was difficult for Malcolm, who suffered from dyslexia that so affected his life by providing many challenges he learned to overcome. As a poor reader, he disliked writing and public speaking. Yet, in addition to becoming a successful visual artist, he was a writer and public speaker. Malcolm wrote in his memoir, “To Reason Why:”
“Many dyslexics have not been as fortunate as I have been. Many spend much of their lives in severe depressions, struggling endlessly, like Sisyphus, to roll their stone uphill. Too often they are rolling the wrong stone, as I did, before fulfilling my dream.”
His story was not dissimilar from my own. We are able to overcome our difficulties only by the faith, the kindness and the assistance of exceptional people we have met along the way.
“Being an artist requires enthusiasm more than discipline. Enthusiasm is not an emotional state. It is a spiritual commitment, a loving surrender to our creative process, a loving recognition of all the creativity around us.
I am an inveterate collector, collecting experiences. As a collector, I have come in contact with many remarkable people, which I have come to realize is my great interest in life. It is not art that interests me most, but people.”
I shared more on Malcolm in a September 12, 2013 posting:
https://kenneturner.com/2013/09/12/artist-malcolm-alexander-moves-back-to-santa-fe-continuing-the-march-to-a-different-beat/
— kenne
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New Year’s Day Morning with More Snow On The Catalina Mountains — Image by kenne
