“Moon Glow” — Image by kenne
Sunrise desert hikes
birds sing near the creek
honey bells at their glory.
— kenne
Archive for the ‘Arizona’ Tag
“Moon Glow” — Computer Art 1 comment
Lyside Sulphur Butterfly 1 comment
Lyside Sulphur Butterfly — Image by kenne
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Monitoring Hummingbirds In Sabino Canyon 2 comments
Broad-billed Hummingbird in Sabino Canyon Recreation Area — Images by kenne
Sabino Canyon participates in the southern Arizona Hummingbird Monitoring Network. Volunteers trap, record and provide feeder assistance at monitoring stations in the Sabino Dam area. 2015 is the 14th year of the Hummingbird Monitoring Network’s multi-year investigation of the distribution, migration and diversity of hummingbirds. Information collected is used to assist in the preservation and protection of hummingbirds.
kenne
This hummingbird has already been banded.
Click on images to larger view.
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Mushroom Galaxy 2 comments
Mushroom Galaxy — Image by kenne
Not too long ago
in a underground galaxy
not too far, far away . . .
kenne
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Yarrow Wildflowers 1 comment
Yarrow Wildflowers — Computer Art by kenne
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Hiking and Partying Equal One With SCVN 1 comment
Having begun back in June, the Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalists (SCVN) summer hikes in the higher elevations of the Santa Catalina Mountains now has two hikes remaining on Mt. Lemmon before starting our trek down the mountain in October, offering our Friday hikes in the desert. This year our summer Friday hikes have experienced a good turnout, no storms and no injuries, and as usual fun has been had by all.
As an organization, SCVN is always ready to party, so in the middle of last Friday’s hike a spontaneous (plan by some) surprise birthday party for Rick and Maribeth took place in the Marshall Gulch picnic area. It was also an opportunity for some who have not been able to hike regularly this summer, to make it out and spend time together.
kenne
SCVN (and invited public) party in Marshall Gulch (August 14, 2015) — Images and video by kenne
(Click on any of the images for a larger view in a slideshow format.)
“SCVN has the best people in the whole world,
and anyone who hangs around with SCVN
are the best people in the whole world.”
— Rick Mensching
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Saguaros Under Attack — A Photographic Essay 2 comments
Saguaros are a very slow-growing cactus. A plant two feet in height may be 16 years old on its way to 25 feet and over 175 years old.
In the early years of life they are more susceptible to heat, drought and freezing temperatures. By the time they are five feet or more they have endured many harsh conditions, and in some cases, mistreatment by humans.
This is a photographic essay of saguaros along a popular trail in the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area. For some strange reason, some people like to cut the tops off, or in general slice these beautiful icons of the Sonoran Desert. As you can see, most are survivors, continuing their slow growth.
It is not easy to stop aggression toward nature, but through education human aggression can be better channeled. The more people can experience nature, the more likely they will develop positive feeling toward the natural environment. Most people, when asked who they are, will answer by talking about the landscape from which they come, which reflects positive feeling of familiarity and security in that environment.
When I talk
about Sabino Canyon
I mean myself,
my home,
my state of mind.
Some don’t get what I say,
maybe it’s because
we don’t talk the same language.
All I can say to those I meet:
“Try and make it to Sabino Canyon.”
kenne
Damaged Saguaro Cactus in Sabino Canyon — Images by kenne
(Click on any of the images for larger view in a slide-show format.)
Nature should be respected if it is part of the home of humans.
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Honey-Bells Grange Art Leave a comment
Viceroy Butterfly on a Honey-bell — Grunge Art by kenne
honey-bells grunge
in words and art, should it be
honey-balls grunge?
— kenne
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Viceroy Butterfly on Buttonbush 2 comments
Viceroy Butterfly on Buttonbush — Images by kenne
I went for a walk in Sabino Canyon early this morning to check out the Sabino creek flow over the dam. Above the dam near the creek I found a lot of buttonbush in bloom, with a lot of insects swarming over the flowers. One of the many insects was this beautiful viceroy butterfly.
With all the insect interest, I can see why another common name is “honey-bells.” They may be honey to insects, but this plant contains the poison CEPHALATHIN. Cephalathin will induce vomiting, paralysis, and convulsions if ingested.
kenne
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ALL SOULS DAY Photographic Composition Leave a comment
All Souls Day Photographic Composition by kenne
Let’s go our old way
by the stream, and kick the leaves
as we always did, to make
the rhythm of breaking waves.
This day draws no breath –
shows no colour anywhere
except for the leaves – in their death
brilliant as never before.
Yellow of Brimstone Butterfly,
brown of Oak Eggar Moth –
you’d say. And I’d be wondering why
a summer never seems lost
if two have been together
witnessing the variousness of light,
and the same two in lustreless November
enter the year’s night…
— from All Souls Day, by Frances Bellerby
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The Three Arches 3 comments
The Three Arches — Image by kenne
“Problems that remain persistently insoluble
should always be suspected as questions
asked in the wrong way”
– Alan Watts.
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Mushroom Tapestry — “. . . I lay hypnotized in the tapestry” 4 comments
Mushroom Tapestry — Computer art by kenne
“Every kiss I blow towards you drifts
like a myriad of small ships sailing
each night under starry light towards
your lips, begging to fall deep into your
skin and drown in your body…
I lay hypnotized in the tapestry
of satin winds saturated in brushed
silence of empyrean love spells,
dressed only in the light of the moon”
— from Oceans of Delirium by Arthur Crow
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Black Carpenter Ants At Work On Old Log Leave a comment
Black Carpenter Ants (Camponotus pennsylvanicus) at Work on Old Log — Images by kenne
these ants
who do they think they are?
what do they think they’re doing?
working at 6:30 on Sunday morning
on such a fine July Sunday morning
what treasure are they seeking
in the shade of the dandelions and moss
and sequoia golden rod?
and what makes them think they can place their sandy condominium
in the cracks of my patio stones?
what gives them the confidence
that I won’t set down my cup of black Russian tea (laced with anis)
and pulverise them?
it’s strange how they know
that five feet from my back step
I will tolerate their projects
and preoccupations older than man
— these ants by DogFace
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Common Mullein Wildflower Leave a comment
Common mullein, also known as wooly mullein, is an erect herb. (August 7, 2015)
— Image by kenne
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Hiking The Upper Box Camp Trail Leave a comment
View Down Through Sabino Canyon
Hikers on Box Camp Trail
View Toward Cathedral Rock
View Toward The Rincon Mountains
the Upper Box Camp Trail In The Santa Catalina Mountains — Images by kenne
(Click on any of the images to see a larger view in a slideshow format.)
This past Friday the Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalists (SCVN) led hike was down the Box Camp trail for about 2 1/2 miles and back. This trail is one of several connecting trails leading down to the base of Sabino Canyon, and before the highway up to Summerhaven, was the main supply trail to Mt. Lemmon. The Box Camp trailhead is in a thick ponderosa forest at 8,000 feet and our planned hike took us down to a more open oak woodland area providing beautiful vistas of the Tucson basin. Later the fall, some of us are planning to hike the Box Camp trail and connecting trails to the Sabino Canyon Visitor Center (approximately 14 miles).
kenne
