mermaidcamp

mermaidcamp

Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water

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#WeekendCoffeeShare Wildflower Wanderlust

February 19, 2017 — 5 Comments

desert in bloom

desert in bloom

If we were having coffee today I would invite you to sit by the wood stove, which has been burning all night because it is cold, and raining again. This winter has been the best rainy time we have had in Arizona for years. The rain has fallen gently and steadily here this year. Erosion is minimal because the water sinks into the soil when it is not a big sudden chubasco. We are doing better than Southern California, where the terrain is steep, and the ground is saturated with water. The coast is land-sliding into the sea, which is a big freak out. For Arizona, we are recovering from major draught, but are still in it.   The African daisies are in bloom in people’s yards here in the city, and the desert will soon be completely in bloom because of the wet weather.

Please sit back and let me serve you some coffee or tea to keep you warm.  Tell me what is happening in your world and your writing.  Are you making progress on your writing goals?  I am keeping up with my once a week fiction writing, still threatening to break out into more than once a week.  I wrote a dream sequence this week which was fun.  I am also keeping up with my pen pal exchange in #InCoWriMo.  I was happy that some of you here gave me your addresses so I can send you real snail mail.  The month of February is not over, so if you want mail in your box please give me your address here.  I have no reason to share it or use if for any other reason, so your secret is safe with me.

Many of my pen pals have a common interest in gardening and botanical gardens.  I have received cute miniature water color of flowers, and other wonderful gardening themed correspondence.  One of my fabulous pen pals is the educational director of the Buffalo, NY Botanical Garden.  I am really enjoying this exchange.  It has made me think about botany around the country, and the arrival of spring.  Our wild flower and flowering tree season is a super quick flash of vibrant color that increases in intensity in direct proportion to the amount of rain in the winter.  I have both driven through and flown in a small plane over wildflower displays that have truly taken away my breath.  The California desert has some very exotic and super psychedelic plants that bloom when there has been rain, so this year will be a spectacular show of nature’s fashion.  Arizona will be very colorful also.  This has moved me to start checking into Air BnB availability, and think about itineraries.  My favorite spa is in Desert Hot Springs, right down the hill from Joshua Tree National Park, one of the most exotic landscapes in the world.  I love to be there in the spring when everything is blooming.  I have not decided if I will go, but I am starting to dream about it, so chances are good that I will do at least a short wildflower trip.  I could just go down the hill to Tempe, and I could catch a lot of seasonal color, as well as see what is up at the Desert Botanical Garden, which has plenty of blooms itself.

Do you go on botany excursions, for fall color, dogwoods, or wildflowers, gentle reader? You don’t have to be a botanist to enjoy them.

Our weekend coffee share has moved to Nerd In the Brain.  Please join this jovial and talented group of digital beverage guzzling writers who get together on the weekend to share our thoughts.  You are welcome to read, comment, or contribute to the movable feast here. Thanks for stopping by today.

#WeekendCoffeeShare

#WeekendCoffeeShare

Poetry at the Gardens

March 29, 2014 — 1 Comment

Today at the Tucson Botanical Gardens docents from the U of A Poetry Center offered a reading and workshop in Ekphrastic Poetry. This style of poem is a response to a piece of art, the Ek being from Greek and referring to echo. The group attending was a mixture of students, visual artists, and poets.  By far the most emotional poem of the day was read by a Nam Vet who sat behind me. He chose to read War Photograph by Kate Daniels.  His choked up emotions brought tears to his eyes which brought tears to the eyes of the audience.  The other poems were discussed and analyzed but we were all very touched and had nothing more to say after he read.  At the end of the session participants wrote poems about the photos in the gallery.  All were striking.  I apologize, gentle reader, for cutting off the very beginning of some of these gentle readings.  It was a well produced and very well appreciated poetry experience, and we all have beautiful handouts to finish at home.  There is one more session this spring of Poetry in the Gardens, Native poetry on April 26, 2014.  These programs are included with garden admission.  It is SUCH A DEAL!!

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Break with Butterflies

December 27, 2013 — 2 Comments

ornament
butterfly
orchids
orchids
moth
nature study
close examination

In the dark of winter I love to visit the tropics by going to the Butterfly Magic show at the Tucson Botanical Gardens.  We are fortunate to have such a special nature spot with a controlled environment.  Kids and grown ups are all delighted by a short stay in a world of unusual beauty.  It is also fun to be hot and steamy in a greenhouse when the wind is blowing cold outside.

Provide for the Future

April 17, 2013

We are always providing something. It can be waste and decay, or it can be brilliance. Usually it is both.  The buzzword-o-moment is provide value through content.  This blog, for instance, is intended to provide the gentle reader with some facts, entertainment, and history.  Unlike printed media, if the system does not crash this digital data will exist forever. We are now kicking out content of all kinds a mile a minute to be archived permanently in the cloud.  Value is not only in the eye of the beholder, but in the almost infinite ability to search and surf on this future cloud.  While we stuff this cloud with presumed value the earth itself requires more attention.

Bees and pollinators provide for the future.  Seed libraries leave a legacy to generations that follow.  Look down, gentle reader.  Wisdom resides in nature. Meditative attention to nature is healing and holistic.  Withdrawal from the seasons, the botany, and the wildlife of the land deprives the spirit and represses the soul.

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.

Tucson’s Butterfly Jungle

December 3, 2012 — 8 Comments

In Tucson we keep a small power packed tropical jungle full of exotic butterflies. We live in a draught filled desert, so besides the regular showing of of our local flora, our Tucson Botanical Gardens provides a little slice of steamy tropical heaven for visitors.

Visiting the tropics

Visiting the tropics

I support the gardens and enjoy visiting at all times of year. The contribution to our botanical heritage is important. This oasis provides a luscious environment in the heart of the city for those who treasure gardens.

strike a pose

strike a pose

The collection of butterflies is seasonal. They arrive in the fall and stay until spring.

Butterfly on stone

Butterfly on stone

We do not mind hanging out for a while in the mist.  They even play jungle sounds,  Here I am with an antler fern coming out of my head.

sitting in the butterfly jungle

sitting in the butterfly jungle

The star attractions are born and die constantly.  The butterfly tenders bring out new boxes of babies, born right next door in the nursery every day.

twice as lovely

twice as lovely

They are whimsical, friendly, and short lived.  They are kind of like a living sand mandala.  They brighten the world for a brief time.  They invite you to come on down to their jungle for a break from everyday cares.  They know the secrets to getting it while you can.

on my head

on my head