Music in the Canyon, Saturday, May 13th!

Sabino Canyon is truly a jewel and is a special place to visit here in Tucson. As someone said, "there is something about the beauty Sabino Canyon to set your heart to singing. Well, this is what happened today with the 15th annual "Music in the Canyon. There were performances held from noon into the evening from a wide array of talented musicians performing Native American Dance and Music, Calypso, Mariachi, Jazz, Western, Blues and everything in between. For the children there were also many activities planned including face painting, panning for garnets, creature encounters, and even a puppet show. What a wonderful day it was, and the weather was picture perfect.

Tucson Murals offer a glimpse of Mexican, Indian and Anglo Cultures!

Here in Tucson there are hundred of murals that predominate many different structures, including buildings, highways, park benches, schools, poles,etc. With a few gallons of gas, one can spend a worthwhile afternoon exploring Tucson's urban art. In Tucson, this means primarily on the south and west sides, where working class Hispanics and Native American populations predominate.

Murals are probably the most egalitarian of art forms; while not of museum quality, they are inexpensive to paint; free to view and available for all. Cruising to murals in Tucson affords the viewer a glimpse of many different cultures. In the photos, a small sampling of these murals are displayed. Please enjoy!

Revitalization of Tucson....Bringing people back to Downtown!

The idea for returning streetcars to Tucson came out of the University of Arizona's 1985 Centennnial celebration planning. Fundraising for a "bring back the trolly" campaign began in May 1983 and by 1992 a trolly line was up and operating.

In 2006, Tucson completed a major transit investment study for its urban core, and in January of that year the mayor and city council unamiously approved the concept of building a modern streetcar line. Just recently, the reality of this line was given a major boost when the city was awarded a grant of 63 million in federal funds to complete a 4 mile streetcar route.

This four mile route (using trackage embedded in street pavement) will ultimately take the line from the University Medical Center (University of Arizona's Health Sciences Center), through the University of Arizona campus, along University Boulevard and Fourth Avenue, westbound on Congress, eastbound on Broadway, and then would continue down Granada Avenue and Cushing Street to reach the Tucson Origins project, finally terminating at the Rio Nuevo redevelopment site (Congress Street and Avenida del Convento)

Streetcar stops will be located about one-fifth of a mile apart, with four major stations planned along the route –at Tyndall Avenue and University Boulevard, Helen Street and Campbell Avenue, and at Eighth and Sixth streets at Fourth Avenue. Each electric streetcar will have a capacity of about 125, including seats for approximately 35 passengers. There will be four or five streetcars traveling on this four mile route and it is hoped that average weekday ridership will be about 4200 paying passengers.

Hopefully, the building of this line will be a major step in revitalizing our city and bringing folks downtown once again!

Two varieties of Pack Rats-two legged and four legged!

Pack rats come in two varieties-two legged and four legged.The two legged variety is very common here in Arizona, but today is found all over the country and beyond. This human species of pack rat looks and acts like other human beings with the exception that they are compulsive collectors. These people thrive on junk and clutter. While their homes and offices will never make the pages of style magazines, they can be good people and many times have items that most people discarded ages ago.

Now the four legged variety of pack rat is less known and is confined to the Southwest and is noted for its habit of collecting bright, shiny objects and leaving other objects, such as nuts or pebbles, in their place; they are also called trade rat or wood rat. Most common in the southwest, the pack rat stores the objects it collects to decorate its nest. The rodent may reach a length of 18 in. (45.7 cm) including tail, has soft brown fur, and resembles a squirrel with large ears. It eats nuts, berries, seeds, twigs, and roots. Its nest is a large stick structure built in a sheltered area. The desert species adorns its nest with bits of cactus, turning it into an impenetrable fortress as you can partly see in one of my photos.

Today, pack rats are still a common desert dweller and, so long as people keep the doors to their homes closed, aren't much of a problem as far as theft is concerned. However, in recent years these little criminals have branched out into trespassing and vandalism and have even nested in automobiles and have eaten engine wiring as part of their meal.

Fiesta de Saguaro!

What a wonderful morning!! Just about a mile by the way the crow flies, I have a beautiful National Park near my home called Saguaro National Park East. Well today, the park management put on a fabulous event called "Fiesta de Saguaro", which was a wonderful celebration of Hispanic heritage here in Tucson. It was so much fun!! There were Mariachis, Traditional Folk Dancers, with both adults and children, Indian Potters and Weavers, Children's Pinatas and a variety of traditional food offerings. Hopefully, my photos catch some of the excitement of this event, but alas, I wish I could share some of the wonderful music played by the Mariachis!

Rediscovering cabbage is highly recommended!

Unfortunately, cabbage has not received the respect that it truly deserves as a vegetable!! Too many of us remember that plate of boiled cabbage when we were young, and yes the smell too!

This evening, with little effort, a new cabbage dimension was forged. A wonderful cabbage salad with pears and pecans was created that was both nourishing and refreshing to the palate. Additionally, this salad choice offered versatility that would go far in augmenting a variety of different dinner menus. So if your a cabbage hater, I would suggest, "get over it now!" and experience a kind "Bon Appetit!"

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 head red cabbage, cut in half, cored and very thinly sliced (4 cups)

2. 1 Bartlett pear, cored and sliced (may substitute pear type)

3. 1/2 cup toasted walnut pieces (may substitute pecans which I did)

4. 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

5. 2 tablespoons pomegranate syrup (may substitute prickly pear cactus syrup which I did)

6. 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon red vinegar

7. 1 tablespoon Grape seed oil

8. 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Directions:

1. Whisk together vinegar,oil, pomegranate syrup, and mustard in small bowl. Set aside.

2. Toss together cabbage, pear slices, walnuts and red onion in serving bowl. Add dressing and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Tumacacori and the missions established by Father Kino!

During the late 17th century for a period of 24 years, Jesuit Father Francisco Kino crisscrossed what is today Southern Arizona establishing missions, blazing supply routes and mapping the area for New Spain. Tumacacori was one of those missions, and was established in 1691. In the pictures, one will see a photo of the Tumacacori mission, which is today a National Historical Park.

The Native Americans this mission served were the Pima-or the O'odham as they called themselves. As a people they were agricultural, and raised corn, beans and squash in irrigated fields, supplementing their diet by hunting. They lived in sturdy, earthen structures made of bent saplings covered with brush and earth. A representation of their living structure is shown in one of the photos, along with Father Kino, the mission, and the altar of the church.