mermaidcamp

mermaidcamp

Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water

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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.

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.

Botanical Break

March 21, 2013 — 2 Comments

A trip to the botanical garden refreshes the spirit and gives a natural buzz to the day. I love to visit the butterfly house to see what they are doing.  Today the orchids made me very happy.

Saving Tucson’s Environment

March 17, 2013 — 3 Comments

This week I had the opportunity to take a workshop with Watershed Management Group. I am concerned about the use and abuse of our water resources in Tucson, so I was curious to learn what this group is teaching. I found the format to be very effective. Our 2 day workshop took place at the Ward 1 City of Tucson office near the Santa Cruz River.  A grant has been secured to improve the environment around the office.  The water harvesting techniques we learned to retrofit neighborhoods with green infrastructure are needed in all parts of the Tucson valley in order to preserve and repair our water table.  The city of Tucson Water, and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality sponsor and fund some of these storm water harvesting projects.  Others are created by neighborhoods and cities.  Lake Havasu City has been an active client, as is the city of Sierra Vista.

My fellow students came from as far away as Buffalo, New York.  There were several New Mexicans.  All were professionals in the fields of landscape design, civil engineering, architecture, permaculture, and real estate management.  I attended out of my general interest in water quality and health.  I have a specific interest in stopping the rape of the environment in my neighborhood by my own HOA board.  There is an insistence on as much water waste and plant destruction as possible, which has left us with a more and more barren urban heat island.  The value of our property as well as the quality of life around us has been destroyed, along with wildlife habitat, by simply following worst environmental practices for more than a decade.  If no steps are taken to stop the destructive practices we can expect our value to continue to drop and our crime rate to continue to rise.  Environment and greenery have a very direct effect on crime rates.

I learned more than enough to convince some of my neighbors to join me in turning the tide of waste and ghetto creation in our hood.  I look forward to participating in more projects with Watershed Management Group.

Benefits and techniques

Benefits and techniques

Costs

Costs

Healthy snacks

Healthy snacks

we assess the site

we assess the site

checking all deets

checking all deets

Parking lot project

Parking lot project

polenta pizza

polenta pizza

beets, greens, salad

beets, greens, salad

greens

greens

I am a huge fan of the entire process, about which I will tell you much more, gentle reader. Let it suffice to say that taking courses in watershed management will get you into the best lunch you have ever tasted. Incredibly tasty local ingredients were catered for us picnic style.  A good time was had by all.  The learning was fine, but the camaraderie and gourmet enjoyment put this experience over the top in my book.

Jessica Breton, L.Ac

February 18, 2013 — 5 Comments

Jessica Breton, L Ac

Jessica Breton, L Ac

Last week I had a treatment from Jessica Breton at my hospital/spa. She does acupuncture at the Supportive Care for Healing at U of A Cancer Center.  I recently overcame my fear of needles to try acupuncture and am now a huge fan. It has had a very salubrious effect on me.   I expect when one is very ill it might be super curative.  Jessica is like the other practitioners I have met at the hospital, extremely competent.  She has additional skills that she uses in her private practice that are not employed at the hospital. As my treatment progressed I already felt good, but when she commenced to to cranial sacral work while I wore my needles I just loved it.  It was noticeable  to me that this was only my third acupuncture treatment and I was relaxed and looking forward to the boost of euphoria that I now associate with it.   I had a big fear of needles that had existed since early childhood.  I still do not want anyone to give me a shot or take my blood, but these needles are really super friendly.

Jessica has a low key style that made me feel very relaxed.  In fact, at one point I asked if the needles were still in because I had no sensation of them.  The resulting effects were not subtle. I noticed a freeing and balanced feeling that I am starting to know comes from acupuncture.  In her private practice she does cupping and moxa as well as Tui Na. These modalities are similar in that they diagnose by reading pulses and your tongue.  They address the balance of chi in the meridians.  Tui Na works on the ligaments to restore balance and order.  Each can be powerful alone, but combined they make an effective treatment more beneficial for the body.

To reach Jessica for an appointment at Zylla Acupuncture in Tucson  you can call 520-221-6559 or reach her at  zhenpoints@gmail.com.  She is punctual, polite and professional.

New Age Chakra Dude Teaches Swimming

February 7, 2013

The New Age Crystal Healing People are in Tucson right now for the Gem Show.  There are magic wands and crystal bowls of every kind.  Miners party with geologists who party with aura photographers.  It is a gathering like no other. Between 80-90% of all colored gems in the United States at this moment are in Tucson, AZ this week.  Book venders, scarf sellers, and rock hounds are swimming in opportunity to connect at the right level with some merchandise.  To connect to the entire show would be like connecting with the entire chakra system in balance.  It would blow your mind, and may be impossible.  For a taste of all that is New Age travel on over to the Howard Johnson’s on the freeway and go to town.  Everything from ethnic clothing to crystal massage wands to magic amulets awaits the diligent shopper.