Cooper’s Hawk and Prey — Image by kenne
Returning from a morning walk my eye caught a Cooper’s Hawk flying into a nearby Mesquite tree. After closer observation, I could see the hawk had captured a mourning dove. Since the tree was near my house, I quickly grabbed my camera and began shooting.
Predator and prey
Each seeking to win the chase
A daily event.
— kenne
We moved to Tanuri Ridge in June of 2010. In February Margarita Berg a resident of this neighborhood passed away. So we never met Margarita, but feel we got to know her through her husband, David.
David and Margarita would frequently walk their dogs on the trails down by the Tanque Verde Wash. Shortly after we moved here, I discovered the trails and the area designated initially by the Tanuri Ridge developer as a community park.
Anyone who has walked these trails is aware of Margarita’s memorial on a trail nearest the wash. Located at the base of a mesquite tree, approximately thirty feet from the washes edge.
During the winter of 2015, heavy rains in the mountains sent a current of water washing away some of the banks of the usually dry wash.
Then, last week heavy winter participation in the mountains overnight again sent a flash flood down the wash, rerouting the flow.
Noticing the flow of water from our patio that morning, I waited till the afternoon before going down to the wash.
As I walked the trail, I could see trail nearest the wash was gone, so too the mesquite tree with Margarita’s memorial.
The flow of the wash was now down about four feet from its early morning peak. The flooding had been so extensive, socking the land making it too dangerous to go looking for the tree.
I returned the next day to try walking west along the wash.
Looking across the wash, on the newly formed island a tree laid with large roots sticking up. Was this Margrete’s tree?
I wasn’t sure till I spotted a yellow plastic flower hanging in the debris.
Once I downloaded the images, I cropped the image of the downed tree. Over the years since 2011, the memorial has been maintained, adding plastic flowers and hanging trinkets from the tree.
In the early days of the memorial, David would visit the site, dropping rose petals on the memorial plaque.
— kenne
Adding Color to Sparrows — Photo-Artistry by kenne
— kenne
December Snow (View off Our Patio) — Photo-Artistry by kenne
— kenne
Vermilion Flycatcher On Christmas Day –Photo-Artistry by kenne
— kenne
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
New Year’s Day Morning with More Snow On The Catalina Mountains — Image by kenne
This is the first time the front range got some snow with much more on Mt. Lemmon — not visible from this location.
At this posting, it is still snowing at the higher elevations.
— kenne
