mermaidcamp

mermaidcamp

Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water

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Poetry and Plants

April 7, 2013 — 9 Comments

New this year at the Tucson Botanical Gardens is a collaboration with the U of A Poetry Center, bringing poetry to the gardens.  I attended the class next to the iris garden yesterday and was surprised at the depth and education they packed into the experience.  We learned about the Poetry Center’s history and the very good luck we have to live in a city with a center such as this. We learned about the botanical gardens and the history and meaning of the iris plant.  An enthusiastic docent from the Tucson Botanical Gardens opened the readings with a poem of her own about iris and the field of everyday glory we can find in nature.  We then read together a selection of poems, all in some way referring to the iris.  Our favorite reader was dressed like an iris and has a British accent that enhanced her interpretation.  It was an exceptional experience on all levels for me.  I enjoyed the crowd, and had time after the class to get some technical growing advise from the lady who represented the Iris Society.  Poetry and gardens do go together very well.  Next month the group will meet by the cactus garden….a thorny subject.  I am encouraged to use my poetic voice more often, and listen for stunning stories to tell.

Cactus in Bloom

April 5, 2013 — 1 Comment

Cactus bloom quickly and with amazing flourish. The colors are often so bright they look almost shocking. The current cactus blooming color splash is a delight to the eye. There is little scent, but lots of pollen for the insects to enjoy and move. Our Sonoran desert environment is rich with diversity and beauty.

Iris

April 5, 2013 — 1 Comment

Iris means rainbow in Greek, the name of a messenger goddess . The flower has been used in medicine and perfumery for many centuries.  The symbolic fleur-de-lis is a stylized iris used in many coats of arms, and by the New Orleans Saints. In healing the essence of iris is used for seeing. Notice that the iris can only look up.

Turbo the Desert Tortoise

April 4, 2013 — 4 Comments

Turbo the Tortoise has been asleep all winter in his cozy tortoise den.  His very small fellow tortoise, Teenytiny Turbo, slept the winter in a big box on the balcony to protect him from the cold.  He is too little to be on his own.  They started moving around slowly about two weeks ago, and now they are both warm, hungry, and on the move.

They both came from Wildlife Rescue here in Tucson.  Do not pick up a tortoise out of the desert and take it home because it is not legal to do so.  If you want to care for this cute pet, you need to inquire at Wildlife rescue for those who need homes.  They are independent, but do know their people and ours even likes the dog, who is polite to him.  He is very hungry now, so he really enthusiastically devours his romaine.  He had green on his lips when I came to see him, so he had been munching wild plants, but he does prefer the wet juicy romaine leaves when he can get them.  He doesn’t actually drink any water, even if you leave it out for him. He gets all his water from plants.

Easter Gourmet

April 1, 2013 — 3 Comments

We had the best time at brunch yesterday with our neighbor Mindy.  We arrived as service began and enjoyed wonderful attentive wait staff, a great ambiance, and most of all, delicious food.  The Lodge on the Dessert is our new total favorite place to celebrate holiday meals.  Christmas was good, and Easter perfect.  I do not enjoy all you can eat buffet, or anything that resembles it.  I don’t even want to see other people eating like that.   Tucson’s Iron Chef, Ryan Clark, rocked the a la carte cuisine for the omnivores and also for me, a nice lacto-ov0 vegetarian girl.  We were too full to finish our desserts, so we packed it to take home.  As we headed out many families were arriving with eggs, baskets, kids and some darling fashion.  We will be back..hungry.

Wealth

March 29, 2013 — 3 Comments

Andrew Carnegie wrote an essay he called  The Gospel of Wealth.  This idea came to him after Carnegie had become the wealthiest man in the world.  As we check the biblical Gospel for Easter, we should check the reality gospel that is practiced in our nations and neighborhoods. The most disgraceful have been hogging the assets of society, and ultimately of the planet. Symbols of power and politics today are all about over consumption. It does not matter which one— fraud, health care scandals, or useless government busy work are the source of the waste. The point is that our wealth is being used to destroy the general good of the entire society. Our assets are spent to promote shameless partisan destruction of our best interests. We are going morally broke. In 1889 Carnegie wrote:

Thus is the problem of Rich and Poor to be solved. The laws of accumulation will be left free ; the laws of distribution free. Individualism will continue, but the millionaire will be but a trustee for the poor; intrusted for a season with a great part of the increased wealth of the community, but administering it for the community far better than it could or would have done for itself. The best minds will thus have reached a stage in the development of the race in which it is clearly seen that there is no mode of disposing of surplus wealth creditable to thoughtful and earnest men into whose hands it flows save by using it year by year for the general good. This day already dawns. But a little while, and although, without incurring the pity of their fellows, men may die sharers in great business enterprises from which their capital cannot be or has not been withdrawn, and is left chiefly at death for public uses, yet the man who dies leaving behind many millions of available wealth, which was his to administer during life, will pass away ” unwept, unhonored, and unsung,” no matter to what uses he leaves the dross which he cannot take with him. Of such as these the public verdict will then be : “The man who dies thus rich dies disgraced.” ~Andrew Carnegie

Digital Ticket/Digital Driving School

March 28, 2013 — 5 Comments

It has been more than 10 years since I have been ticketed, but last week I was caught by a camera zooming on River Road over the speed limit. The ticket arrives in the mail and the options are basically the same. However, there is a wonderful new way to complete your bad driving pennance course…online. Hallelujah! I did not bother a cop to get the ticket and I will not have to go in person to take a class to do my duty. Even and fair, I think. I was techno trapped, but I am currently blogging on my iPad while a complete the required time on chapter 2 to go on to the quiz. The other much more efficient feature of the IMPROV driving school (for real) is the comedy clips in each chapter to help you use the extra time. If I have to be updated on my driving skills, I am happy to do it at home. I learned already that the knowledge of traffic rules in the US is decreasing. Younger people know less than their elders. I am not sure if digital driving school is a good or bad influence in this arena. There are just 2 questions at the end of each chapter, so a total of 20 questions. I have to keep the site live, but there is nobody who knows if I look at it. I am a little old lady with a nice car who has excellent habits, but the information in my class is making me increase my defensive feeling about all the drivers on the road. There are more of them and they know less than ever!

Garden Ideas from Grow Down

March 26, 2013

The final installations for the Grow Down design contest are all very impressive.  My favorite did not win the official competition, but I still love the water harvesting site built by Realm.  Here are the ideas from the other installations not centered around water harvesting and growing food, which is my personal bias.

The three other designs were also innovative and showed new ways to use small spaces to create privacy and shade.  The use of metal was popular with all four, but the winner constructed a full on room with a roof, couch and fireplace.  The full size tree and the water feature at the entrance clinched the deal with the judges I am sure.  The view from the comfy couch is really lovely, and would be great in cool weather with the modern gas fireplace.  If you live in Tucson I recommend that you see the grow down installations to pick up some excellent ideas to use at home in your garden.  I plan to try a few things I saw today.  There are lots of ideas that can be executed on an even smaller scale.

Grow Down!!

March 25, 2013 — 1 Comment

post modern deserts cape

post modern desertscape

Tucson Botanical Gardens hosted a demonstration weekend for local designers.  The Grow Down is intended to show ways to get big use from small gardens.  I attended on Saturday to see how they were doing and watch a demonstration on using shade cloth.  I will go back and see the finished designs as well as the winner of the prize.  My own prize goes to Realm, the group that was practically finished when the others were still working away on the installation.  They show a water harvesting method, bright green fake turf, and vegetables growing in raised beds.  This is exactly the kind of water use Tucson needs to cultivate.  Go Realm, Grow Down!! You have my vote.  The other designs were also very beautiful, but there was nothing to eat.

Realm design entry

Realm design entry

water harvesting

water harvesting

bridge over water retention

bridge over water retention

bench and fake grass

bench and astroturf

Tomates

Tomatoes

Citrus in pot

Citrus in pot

plants in bench

plants in bench

sitting area

sitting area

Spring Blooming in the Desert

March 23, 2013 — 2 Comments

When spring arrives in the desert it comes on quickly and leaves.  We have to get it while we can. The color of the blooms on cactus are extravagant and vivid.  The bees are busy and the livin’ is easy, for a very short time….then we sizzle.