2016-02 5enses

FEBRUARY 2016 | VOLUME 4, ISSUE 2 | 5ENSESMAG.COM

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5enses

February MMXVI • Volume IV, Issue II

Nichole Trushell

In which:

4 19 20 5 21 6 7 10 + 11 5/6 14 8/9 16 16/20 18 22 Markoff Chaney

adores a little apple-bearer that caters food & shelter in the chaparral

Felipe Guerrero

autofills an article with unitentionally hilarious search prognostications consumes an all-consuming trade show that trades on digital drives

Peregrine Book Co. staff

Delisa Myles

reads punk poets, fantastic fantasy, & other potentially alliterative editions

reflects on a dance community that straddles a wide breadth of experiences

cultivates a culinary darling that, technically, is a species of sunflower

Alan Dean Foster

refuses to play coy & calls out a hereand-there-wolf in dog’s clothing

James Dungeon

Thursdays 7-8 pm Class 8-9 p.m. Practica Cost: $10 Discount packs@ www.flyingneststudio.com/tango

Visit flyingneststudio.com & Facebook for more

| info@flyingneststudio.com | 928-432-3068 | 322 W. Gurley Street |

Left Brain/Right Brain

Discover events around Greater Prescott via a pop-sci metaphor

Word Herd

discusses frames of mind and, well, ontic frames with Francine Hackerott

Robert Blood

w/Earl Duque & Delisa Myles

A visually stimulating puzzle by the Highlands Center for Natural History

wonders & wanders about the wilds come exceptional rain or shine

Robert Blood

Argentine Tango

Flip Photo

discusses art, family, & whimsy with illustrator Beth Neely

Ty Fitzmorris

COVER IMAGE: “Heartfelt Javelinas.”

Watercolor by Beth Neely.

See pp. 11-13 for more.

Paolo Chlebecek

spies an avian hunteress who, despite a false expression, is truly nocturnal

Kathleen Yetman

Copyright © 2016 5enses Inc. unless otherwise noted Publisher & Editor: Rev. Nicholas M. DeMarino M.A., P.M. Copy Editor: Susan Smart Contact us at 5ensesMag@Gmail.Com & 928-613-2076 Visit 5ensesMag.Com, Facebook, Twitter, & ISSUU for more ~ FAMILIA SUPRA OMNIA ~

whimsical wordplay & imaginative etymology by Brian Lemcke

Oddly Enough

discusses the nature of books & the books of nature with Marilyn McCarthy

Smart, quirky comics about the strange-but-true by Russell Miller

Adorn Your Lifestyle Buy | Sell | Trade •

UNIQUE APPAREL & EXOTIC GOODS

928-776-8695

133 N. Cortez, Historic Downtown Prescott

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5ENSESMAG.COM • FEBRUARY 2016 • CONTENTS • 3

Plant of the Month

Manzanitas Highlands Centerforfor Natural History Highlands Center Natural History

Nestled in the Lynx Lake Recreation Area, two minutes from Costco, The Highlands Center for Natural History invites you to experience the wonder of the Central Arizona Highlands.

Community Nature Study Classes

New to the area or just have an interest in learning more about the amazing nature that you enjoy in Prescott? Take a class or the series.

Every Tuesday and Thursday in February

Details and registration at highlandscenter.org.

Sign up for Spring Camps!

They fill fast, register online today.

Knee-High Naturalists, Saturdays, March 19-April16, 3 & 4 year olds W! Spring Sprouts, March 7-11, Kindergarten and First Grade NE Spring Break Camp, March 7-11, Second through Fourth Grade

928-776-9550 • highlandscenter.org

Wonder

•

explore

•

discover

For all your Valentine’s gift-giving, shop at JBB

Give meaningful gifts to nurture the love of nature

www.jaysbirdbarn.com

1046 Willow Creek Rd, Suite 105 Prescott

(928) 443-5900 Bringing Wild Birds To Your Backyard!

4 • FEATURE • FEBRUARY 2016 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

A bee lands on a Manzanita.

Photo by Mara Kack.

A

By Nichole Trushell rguably, some of the most beautiful shrubs in our Central Arizona Highlands are the Manzanitas. The name refers to the tiny apple-like fruit of these plants; in Spanish “Manzanita” translates to “little apple.”

Our two lovely species are unique to the southwest’s Central Highlands region.

Manzanitas are members of the interior chaparral plant community and are also found as understory in our woodlands and forests. “Chaparral” refers to the thick short-statured community of plants found on warm, sunny hillsides. Plants often grow so dense it is impenetrable for us, but this species rich community provides excellent cover and food for wildlife.

Pointleaf and the Pringle Manzanita are our local species. An easy way to tell them apart is that Pointleaf has leathery, shiny leavers and Pringle have fine hairs, making the color gray-green. Pringle Manzanita also grows to a greater stature with a sturdy trunk. Large, dramatic specimens can be found in the hills around Prescott.

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ointleaf Manzanitas give us the first glimpse of spring. They may flower as early as January. Why flower in winter? Early winter brings warm days in the Highlands, warm enough for small pollinators to emerge. The closed, pendulous, bell-shaped flowers encourage some insect pollinators and discourage others. If you stay and watch carefully, you may see some tiny visitors coming and going.

Pollination studies have shown that more than 40 different insects visit the flowers. Most act as pollinators and many also do some nectar or pollen robbing. If you look closely at the flowers you can frequently find a small hole on the side of the flower where a robber has been at work.

Interestingly, the Pointleaf Manzanita blooms first. Then, the Pringle Manzanita, which has similar flowers, takes over. Pollinators can just shift from one species to the other, assured of precious late winter and early spring sustenance. ***** Nichole Trushell is a partner of Landscapes for Life and founding director of the Highlands Center for Natural History.

Visit the Highlands Center for Natural History at 1375 Walker Road, 928776-9550, or HighlandsCenter.Org.

A

By Felipe Guerrero

mouse headfirst into her mouth, and in an instant she swallows her captive whole. She’ll digest what she can of the field mouse and return the parts she cannot to the soil, in the form of a pellet composed of fur and bones.

Bird of the Month

band of coyotes yip and howl excitedly as the last reaches of light lift off the rounded peaks and icy corners of the Granite Dells. The winter sun lowers and or a moment longer she finally its glowing crown disappears remains standing in the from the western skyline. A pulse snow. Her head swivels of frozen air washes over the rocks fluidly from left to right, and the temperature sinks. A large surveying her surroundoak, anchored on the edge of a grassy ings. The evening is cloudy and frigid, cove, stirs with the first cold breath but she’ll continue to eat well tonight. of night, its branches waving stiffly in Nearby, a male Barn Owl betrays the breeze. his presence with a single, prolonged, In the tree, a Barn Owl shifts her rasping hiss. Come warmer weather position, awakened by the waning she’ll construct a nest from shredlight and the sound of wind through ded pellets on a ledge in his territory, the leaves. Her dark eyes open and he will bring her many more field A female Barn Owl. Photo by Tony Hisgett. widely and stare out on the field to mice than she can eat. For now, in sithe north through a small window lence, she sweeps her wings forward, Creative Commons 2.0. in the branches. A second icy breeze surges rises from the ground, and sets into a glide, through the old oak. Without a sound she vanishing into the darkness. is gone. Sailing silently on long, pale wings across the darkening sky, she appears ghostlike. Her body is white from be***** low, lightly speckled across her breast and belly. Above she is cloaked in soft Felipe Guerrero is the Education Coordinator at the Highlands Center for orange and beige tones, dappled with gray.

Natural History and serves on the board of directors for the Prescott AuduAs she flies, her outstretched head intently scans the earth below. Her bon Society. sharp eyes, fixed within a mask of fleecy white feathers, perceive even the Visit Prescott Audubon Society at PrescottAudubon.Org. Contact them at smallest features passing beneath in unimaginable detail. Banking left and Contact@PrescottAudubon.Org. right she turns her ears to the ground, listening for movement from her small, favored prey. She descends, gliding stealthily over shrubs and grasses in the direction of a familiar opening. Moving deftly, floating over rocks and grass with ease, she pauses and hovers momentarily upon detecting the Highlands Center for Natural History’s rustling of a field mouse. She directs her gaze precisely at the location of the distinctive sound.

She is a skilled auditory hunter, capable of using only her ears to locate prey buried deep inside layers of grass, and on this day, snow. Confirming the presence of her quarry she reaches forward swiftly, with talons spread, and drops silently into the grass. Standing motionless and looking to her feet, a moment passes before she leans forward and returns upright again with the rodent hanging lifelessly in her bill. She tosses her head once, skillfully flipping the

F

Barn Owl

pilF Photo

JACY’S AUCTION Reuse, recycle, re-make-money Antiques • Household • Estates • Buy • Sell • Consign • Transport

928-443-0911

Who has hair that helps protect from frost?

5ENSESMAG.COM • FEBRUARY 2016 • FEATURE • 5

Peregrine Book Co.

Staff picks Catered by Reva Sherrard “M Train”

By Patti Smith Composed of experiences and various adventures, this is an incredibly beautiful story of love, loss, and what can be found. In “M Train” you will discover Smith’s wit and undeniable strength as she faces life without her love Fred “Sonic” Smith and how she finds peace through grief.

A very personal look into Smith’s life, this book is just as special, if not more so, than her first novel Just Kids. — Lacey

Highlands Center for Natural History’s

Flip otohP

Plants!

T

he botanical term for plant hair is Trichome. Different types of trichomes can been found on most plants, including primitive plants such as, algae and lichens. There are more than 14 terms to describe specialized trichomes, each serving many different functions. Common functions are deterring herbivory (i.e. getting eaten), reflection of sun to reduce water loss, and protection of delicate tissues from heat and/or frost.

Photo by Felipe Guerrero.

6 • FEATURE • FEBRUARY 2016 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

“The Vorrh”

By Brian Catling If you love fantasy you must read this — however, if you don’t, this is your chance. This novel gave me the chills. — Veri “Ms. Marvel: No Normal”

By G. Willow Wilson & Adrian Alphona Don’t know what on earth the appeal of comics is? Curious, but turned off by the thought of scanty spandex, scantier plot lines and extreme graphic violence? Never fear: Ms. Marvel is here! This is exactly the kind of surprising, loyalty-inspiring comic that’s driving the genre’s renaissance. Starring Kamala Khan, a Jersey City teen who grapples with her newfound superpowers and villains alike as she tries to reconcile crimefighting with a 9 p.m. curfew, and featuring stellar writing (who doesn’t love a superhero costume made out of a burkini?), wildly

funny art, and a big heart, Ms. Marvel is a winner.

— Reva “Aviary Wonders Inc.”

By Kate Samworth This whimsical, colorful book takes a dark and satirical look at the gradual extinction of birds. “Aviary Wonders Inc.” markets itself as a build-your-own bird company, and during the process teaches some serious lessons about human impact on nature.

— Sean “Here is New York”

By E.B. White “It is a battered tree, long suffering and much climbed, held together by strands of wire but beloved of those who know it. In a way it symbolizes the city: life under difficulties, growth against odds, sap-rise in the midst of concrete, and the steady reaching for the sun.”

— Lacey “Yes Please!”

By Amy Poehler Amy Poehler has written a book. If you’re wondering if it’s funny, honest, and at some times a little shocking, you’re absolutely right. She had me laughing one minute and getting all teary-eyed the next.

She writes just as if she were sitting down with you telling you all of her crazy stories. — Lacey

***** Visit Peregrine Book Company at PeregrineBookCompany.Com and 219A N. Cortez St., Prescott, 928-445-9000.

Vegetable of the Month

Sunchokes Sunchokes. Photo by Kathleen Yetman.

W

By Kathleen Yetman inter is the best time to take advantage of sunchokes.

The sunchoke (Helianthus tuberosus), perhaps better known as Jerusalem Artichoke, is a species of sunflower native to North America cultivated for its tuber, which is eaten like a root vegetable.

Sunchokes grow well in many climates and are generally available from late fall to early spring. The sunchoke is a perennial that can produce more than 75 new tubers by the end of the growing season when conditions are ideal. The tubers are similar in appearance to ginger root.

They are generally a light brown, but can also be red, white, or purple in color.

S

unchokes are an excellent source of potassium — containing more than bananas.

They also contain vitamin C, phosphorus and thiamin, and are a very good source of iron.

Sunchokes are made of a carbohydrate, inulin, that many people have a hard time digesting. Certain eaters will find that the tuber causes gas

and bloating when eaten in larger quantities, so beware.

The sunchoke is making a comeback here in the United States thanks to gourmet restaurants and their adventurous chefs. While you’ll find the tubers at farmers markets and specialty grocers, they’re still not common in regular grocery stores. Sunchokes are a versatile tuber that can be eaten raw or cooked.

They have a nutty, sweet taste, and a crunchy texture when raw. The tuber is good grated or shaved in salads and makes a great addition to stirfrys. It can be roasted and pureed into a delicious soup either in place of, or along with, potatoes. Sunchokes also benefit from pickling, boiling, mashing, roasting, baking, and frying. No matter how they are prepared they’re bound to make a winter meal a bit more exciting. ***** Kathleen Yetman is the Managing Director of the Prescott Farmers Market and a native of Prescott.

Find out more about the Prescott Farmers Market at PrescottFarmersMarket.Org.

Have your next event at the zoo!

WEDDINGS • BIRTHDAYS • CORPORATE EVENTS Space for any size group, call today!

928.778.4242

1403 Heritage Park Rd.; Prescott, AZ 86301 • www.HeritageParkZoo.org 501(c)(3) non-profit organization supported by the community.

5ENSESMAG.COM • FEBRUARY 2016 • FEATURE • 7

Left Brain: February’s mind-full events Events

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“Inkjet Printmaking Workshop” • 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4.: Eric Joseph, of Freestyle Photographic Supplies, teaches basic image preparation techniques in Adobe Lightroom CC, Photoshop CC, and NIK Software Collection, discusses color management from monitor to printer, as well as inkjet paper selection for fine art photographic printers. (Milagro Arts Center, 126 N. Marina St., $25-$35, RSVP)

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“Did the Sixties Matter?”

• 2:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22: Historian Bill Weiss revisits the '60s through the lenses of the civil rights, anti-war, and women's rights movements. (Prescott Public Library, 215 E. Goodwin St., 928-777-1500)

“Paleontology in 19th Century England” • 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25: Jeb Bevers, of Yavapai College, discusses paleontology in 19th century England. A monthly Central Arizona Geology Club meeting. (Prescott Public Library, 215 E. Goodwin St., 928-7771500)

“Father Kino: Journey to Discovery” • 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4: Anthropologist Barbara Jaquay discusses Father Eusebio Kino, one of the two Arizonans recognized in the U.S. Capitol Hall of Heroes, who was a Jesuit missionary, mathematician, astronomer, geographer, mapmaker, and friend to the natives of the Pimeria Alta. An Arizona Humanities Lecture Series event. (Prescott Public Library, 215 E. Goodwin St., 928-7771500)

“A Series of Small Maneuvers” • 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25: Eliot Treichel discusses his debut novel about a father/ daughter river trip gone horribly wrong.

(Peregrine Book Co., 219A N. Cortez St., 928445-9000) “Tanzania” • 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25: Walt Anderson, professor at Prescott College, discusses his 2015 safari experiences and the status of animals and habitats in Tanzania. A monthly Prescott Audubon meeting. (Trinity Presbyterian Church, 630 Park Ave., Prescott Audubon.Org)

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“My Avant-Garde Education” • 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5: Memoirist Bernard Cooper discusses his coming-of-age story and chronicling of the era of conceptual art.

A Yavapai College Literary Southwest Series event. (Yavapai College Library, 1100 E. Sheldon St., 928-776-2261)

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Stricklin Park bird walk • 8 a.m. Friday, Feb. 26: Local, guided bird walk at Stricklin Park with Bonnie Pranter.

(Jay’s Bird Barn, No. 113, 1046 Willow Creek Road, 928-443-5900, RSVP)

“A Man Would Be a Fool to Take a Chance on Me: Violet M. Irving of Skull Valley, Iconic Arizona Woman” • 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6: Liz Warren discusses her grandmother, Violet M. Irving, who spent most of her life in Skull Valley as the postmaster and owner of the general store. (Phippen Museum, 4701 Arizona 89, 928-778-1385, $5-$7) “A Photographic Tour of 1916 Prescott, Arizona” • 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6: Nancy Burgess discusses her 2005 book which was recently updated with new pictures and information.

(Peregrine Book Co., 219A N. Cortez St., 928445-9000) “Star Party” • 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6: Star Party via the Prescott Astronomy Club. (Black Canyon Heritage Park, 33955 S. Old Black Canyon Highway, Black Canyon City, 928-778-6324)

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“The Legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen” • 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10: Bill Norwood, first African American pilot hired by United Airlines (1965-1996, retired), discusses the influence of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen on him as a young man as well as his own fascinating life and career. (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Davis Learning Center, 928-777-6985)

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“Death Cafe II” • 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11: People, often strangers, gather to eat cake, drink tea, and discuss death with the objective “to increase awareness of death with a view to help people make the most of their (finite) lives,” again.

(Peregrine Book Co., 219A N. Cortez St., 928445-9000)

Backyard Bird Count • 8 a.m. Friday, Feb. 12: Local, guided backyard bird count with Bonnie Pranter with Micah Riegner. (Jay’s Bird Barn, No. 113, 1046 Willow Creek Road, 928-443-5900, RSVP) Backyard Bird Count • 8 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 13: Local, guided backyard bird count with Eric Moore. (Jay’s Bird Barn, No. 113, 1046 Willow Creek Road, 928-443-5900, RSVP)

“Crossing the Line: A Marriage Across Borders” • 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27: Arizona Republic columnist and editorial writer Linda Valdez discusses her novel — a love story that raises questions about Arizona's place on the international border and how American perceptions of Mexican immigration will inform the ongoing debate over immigration reform. (Peregrine Book Co., 219A N. Cortez St., 928-445-9000) PHOTO: Linda Valdez. Courtesy photo.

Audubon bird walk • 9 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 13: Monthly Prescott Audubon Society bird walk. (Highlands Center for Natural History, 1375 S. Walker Road, 928-776-9550) Citizens Water Advocacy Group • 10 a.m Saturday, Feb. 13.: Monthly CWAG meeting. (Granite Park Unitarian Universalist Congregation building, 822 Sunset Ave., 928-445-4218)

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Watson Woods bird walk • 8 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 18: Local, guided bird walk at Watson Woods with Ryan Crouse.

(Jay’s Bird Barn, No. 113, 1046 Willow Creek Road, 928-443-5900, RSVP) “The Gentleman Doc Holiday” • 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18: Hear the story of the West's most famous dentist and his journey form one who heals to one who kills.

A Third Thursday Dinner & Program event.

Catered dinner included. (Phippen Museum, 4701 Arizona 89, 928-778-1385, $25-$30)

8 • EVENTS • FEBRUARY 2016 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

“Gravitational Waves From CoreCollapse Supernovae” • 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18: Marek J. Szczepanczyk, an Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University graduate student, discusses gravitational waves and what we can learn from those signals by focusing on core-collapse supernovae. A Third Thursday Star Talk via the Prescott Astronomy Club. (Prescott Public Library, 215 E. Goodwin St., 928-777-1500)

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“Braiding Sweetgrass” • 9:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 19: Discuss Robin Wall Kimmerer's “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants.” A monthly Natural History Book Club meeting. This meeting is in anticipation of Kimmerer's 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 1 talk at Prescott College. (Prescott College Natural History Institute, 312 Grove Ave., 928-350-2280)

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“The Baleful Owl” • 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20: Virgil Alexander discusses his latest mystery and how his intimate knowledge of small town culture, Arizona history, and exposure to rural law enforcement have informed his stories.

(Peregrine Book Co., 219A N. Cortez St., 928445-9000)

“History of Bellydance” • 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 27: Ustadza Azra, director of the New Moon Tribal School of Bellydance, discusses the history of bellydance, the cultures associated with the dance, as well as myths that follow it to this day, then gives a brief performance. A Prescott Valley Cultural Event Series event. (Prescott Valley Library, 7401 E. Civic Circle, 928-759-3040)

Multi-day “Community Nature Study” • 9:30 a.m. Tuesdays & Thursdays: Expert presenters share their love of nature while they guide you through the flora, fauna, and geology of the Central Highlands. Visit HighlandsCenter.Org for class schedule.

(Highlands Center for Natural History, 1375 S. Walker Road, 928-776-9550, $22/class or $145 for whole series, RSVP) Prescott Area Boardgamers • 5 p.m. Wednesdays, Feb. 3 & 17: Play European-style board games. (Prescott Public Library, 215 E. Goodwin St., 928-777-1500) Prescott Farmers Market • 10 a.m. Saturdays: Enjoy local organic produce and goods from local farmers. (Yavapai Regional Medical Center's Pendleton Center, 1003 Willow Creek Road, PrescottFarmersMarket.Org) Drop in chess • 2 p.m. Saturdays: Play chess, all ages and skill levels welcome. (Prescott Public Library, 215 E. Goodwin St., 928-777-1500) Prescott Public Library vieweries • February: Library vieweries from Prescott Creeks and Prescott Area Celtic Society.

(Prescott Public Library, 215 E. Goodwin St., 928-777-1500)

February’s art-full events :niarB thgiR

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Events

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“Behind the Beautiful Forevers” • 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4: Via satellite, The National Theatre Live’s presentation of David Hare’s take on the books of Katherine Boo, in which Boo spent three years in Annawadi recording the lives of its residents.

(Yavapai College Performing Arts Center, 1100 E. Sheldon St., 928-776-2000, $9-$15)

Art

“Bellydance Meze Plate” • 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 6: Ustadza Azra, director of the New Moon Tribal School of Bellydance, gives free mini bellydance workshops that give a taste of the various bellydance styles taught by New Moon.

(Lotos Bloom Yoga Studio, 777 W. Hillside Ave., 928-499-1553)

Sullivan & Morrow • From Feb. 1: Gourds and mosaics by Margaret Sullivan and Vickie Morrow. (Arts Prescott Gallery, 134 S. Montezuma St., 928-776-7717) “Issues in Print” • From Feb. 9: Illustrations and published works by Brian Stauffer, Prescott High School and Yavapai College alumni, whose work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Time, The New Yorker, and The New York Times, among others. (Yavapai College Prescott Art Gallery, 1100 E. Sheldon St., 928-776-2031)

Open mic poetry • 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10: Monthly poetry jam presented by Decipherers Synonymous.

(The Beastro, 117 N. McCormick St., 971340-6970)

“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” • 6:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 12: A Reader’s Theatre Performance of Lewis Carroll’s classic novel via the Lonesome Valley Playhouse.

Directed by Tamee NeiKamp. (Peregrine Book Co., 219A N. Cortez St., 928-445-9000)

“Visions of Silence” • Through Feb. 13: Images that prove silence can be more than serenity or calm.

(Prescott Center for the Arts Gallery, 208 N. Marina St., 928-445-3286)

“Chinese Brush” • 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13: Tommie Parcell teaches a Chinese brush class. (That New Gallery, Gateway Mall near Dillard’s, 3250 Gateway Blvd., 928-445-0788, $50, RSVP)

“Little Treasures” • Through Feb. 14: Art by SWAA members featuring works by Maureen Anderson, Bonnie Casey, Barbara Clatlin, Elisa Drachenberg, Doug Miley, Lilly Miley, Pum Rote, Deborah Salazar, Joe Tomasic, and Linda Umphrey. (’Tis Art Center & Gallery, 105 S. Cortez St., 928-775-0223)

“The Taming of the Shrew” • 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16: Via satellite, The Bolshoi Bolshoi Ballet’s presentation of William Shakespeare’s Shakespeare’s classic. (Yavapai College Performing Arts Center, 1100 E. Sheldon St., 928-776-2000, $9-$15)

“Polymer Clay Jewelry” • 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20: Mary Schulte teaches a polymer clay jewelry class. (That New Gallery, Gateway Mall near Dillard’s, 3250 Gateway Blvd., 928-445-0788, $50, RSVP) Open mic poetry • 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24: Poet Dan Seaman emcees monthly open mic poetry.

(Peregrine Book Co., 219A N. Cortez St., 928-445-9000)

4th Friday Art Walk • 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26: Monthly art walk including more than 18 galleries, artist receptions, openings, and demonstrations.

(ArtThe4th.Com)

“Experimenting with Water Color” • 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27: Karen Bush teaches a water color experimenting class. (That New Gallery, Gateway Mall near Dillard’s, 3250 Gateway Blvd., 928-445-0788, $55, RSVP) Contra Dance • 7 p.m. lesson, 7:30 p.m. dance Saturday, Feb. 27: Contra dancing. Via Folk Happens.

Calls by Archie Maclellan, music by Chupacabras. (First Congregation Church, 216 E. Gurley St., 928-925-5210, $4-$8)

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“Beginning Watercolor Class I” • 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 28: Karen Bush teaches a beginner watercolor class. (That New Gallery, Gateway Mall near Dillard’s, 3250 Gateway Blvd., 928-445-0788, $50, RSVP) Brian Regan • 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 28: Noted comedian Brian Regan performs. (Yavapai College Performing Arts Center, 1100 E. Sheldon St., 928-776-2000, $50)

“Saturday Day Night Talk” series • 7 p.m. Saturdays: Weekly talk series including “Timing is Everything,” “Creating Personal Sanctuary,” “Investigating the Mystique of Enlightenment,” and “Shadow on the Path.” (Vigraha Gallery, 115 E. Goodwin St., 928-771-0205. $5).

“Golden Age of Cowgirls” • From Feb. 14: An exhibit via Cheri Raftery highlighting a time when the cowgirl was America’s sweetheart. (Phippen Museum, 4701 Arizona 89, 928-778-1385, $5-$7)

“Feminine Appeal” • Feb. 26-March 24, with 5-8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26 4th Friday Art Walk debut: Oil painter Maryhelen Ewing caters paintings for her “Feminine Appeal” show as a guest artist at the cooperative.

(Arts Prescott Gallery, 134 S. Montezuma St., 928-776-7717) IMAGE: “Nuova Mona Lisa.” Oil painting by Maryhelen Ewing.

Courtesy image.

Multi-day “Educating Rita” • 7:30 p.m. Feb. 4-6, 11-13, & 18-20; 2 p.m.

Feb. 6, 14, & 21: Willy Russell’s comedy of wits about a disillusioned English professor and a working-class hairdresser. Directed by Julie Chavez Harrington. (Stage Too, North Cortez Street alley between Willis and Sheldon streets, 928-445-3286, $15) “Pastels” • 9 a.m. Feb. 16 & 17: Nancy Clauss shares her technique with pastels on sandpaper.

(Mountain Artists Guild & Gallery, 228 Alarcon St., 928-445-2510, $120, RSVP) “The Little Mermaid Jr.” • 7 p.m. Feb. 26 & 27; 2 p.m. Feb. 27 & 28: An adaptation of Disney’s 2008 Broadway production about the beautiful young mermaid Ariel who longs to leave her ocean home behind and live in the world above. Directed by Debra White. (Prescott Center for the Arts, 208 N. Marina St., 928-445-3286, $10)

Yoga classes • Mondays, Tuesdays, & Thursdays: Yoga classes including Ayurveda, over-50, mindful, and dynamic flow yoga.

(Flying Nest Movement Arts, 322 W. Gurley St., 928-432-3068, prices vary) Social dance classes • Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, & Sundays: Learn the Argentine tango, West Coast swing, tribal belly dance, Lindy hop swing, flamenco, and Latin dance.

(Flying Nest Movement Arts, 322 W. Gurley St., 928-432-3068, prices vary) Mindfulness meditation • 7 p.m. Tuesdays: Meditation group open to people of all faiths and non-faiths.

(First Congregational Church, 216 E. Gurley St., PrescottVipassana.Org) Performance dance/movement arts classes • Wednesdays & Thursdays: Learn contemporary dance, movement for life, and normative movement. (Flying Nest Movement Arts, 322 W. Gurley St., 928-432-3068, prices vary)

“The Shape of Things” • From Feb. 15: Line, shape, form, pattern, symmetry, scale, and proportion are the building blocks of these shape-focused art pieces. (Prescott Center for the Arts Gallery, 208 N. Marina St., 928-445-3286) “Photo & Paint” • From Feb. 16: Photography by Bonnie Dann and abstracts by Scott Heide. (’Tis Art Center & Gallery, 105 S. Cortez St., 928-775-0223) “Workshop Wonders” • Through Feb. 17: Art by instructors of the “Workshop Wonders” classes.

(Mountain Artists Guild & Gallery, 228 Alarcon St., 928-445-2510) McQuain & Watkins • From Feb. 19: New art by David McQuain and Marilyn Watkins. (Mountain Artists Guild & Gallery, 228 Alarcon St., 928-445-2510) “Alternate Terrain” • Through Feb. 20: Explore body and space, cultural identity, and mapping a sense of place through the installations, soft sculptures, and drawings of Phoenix-based Saskia Jordá.

(Prescott College Art Gallery at Sam Hill Warehouse, 232 N. Granite St., 928-350-2341) “A Piece & a Poem” • Through Feb. 23: Annual show featuring pictures and words. (’Tis Art Center & Gallery, 105 S. Cortez St., 928-775-0223) “Making Our Mark III” • From Feb. 25: Annual show featuring contemporary printmakers. (’Tis Art Center & Gallery, 105 S. Cortez St., 928-775-0223)

9

Planet of the coywolves

Mother Nature fathers some whimsical whelps Alan Dean Foster’s

Perceivings

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By Alan Dean Foster o, you haven’t heard of the coywolf yet?

You will. It’s just one more example of how Nature never sleeps, of how biology is always tick, ticking away while we’re not paying attention. Because time moves so slowly for we human beings, because we live such short, preoccupied lives, and because recorded history only goes back a few thousand years, we are rarely privileged to see her in action.

When we tinker with Nature, it’s called genetic engineering, and for some folks that’s not a good thing. When Nature does the tinkering on her own, that’s called evolution, and for some folks that’s not a good thing either. But the fact of the matter is that whether we start slinging genes around or Nature does it on her own, such change is as inevitable as the rhetoric of political parties.

Politicians may shout; Nature doesn’t. She goes about her business quietly, slowly, and with utter disregard for what we might think of the consequences.

Take dogs for example. Looking at the multifarious breeds, a visitor from another planet might easily presume that a poodle and a mastiff are two entirely different species. Both are canis lupus familiarus, the domesticated dog. Same with Chihuahuas, pit bulls, Rottweiler, and greyhounds.

Each and every one, good ol’ canis lupus familiarus.

But the Australian wild dog, which looks far more like the ordinary dog you might meet trotting down the street than any of the aforementioned, is classed as canis lupus dingo. Though subtle, the differences are sufficient to justify the distinction, we declare. So — a wolfhound and a cockapoo are the “same.” They’re just different breeds, right? We humans haven’t done any genetic engineering there, and it’s certainly not an example of evolution … is it?

Which brings me back to the coywolf. Alias

canis latrans. Midway in size between coyotes and wolves, these guys are the result of natural interbreeding between our familiar western coyotes and the eastern wolf (possibly also occasionally the more northerly gray wolf). Some half century or so ago, this interbreed started colonizing the northeastern U.S. and Canada, and now the mix is widespread in the area. Not only are coywolves intermediate in size, when young they have the deeper howl of wolves that gradually changes to more of a coyote-ish yip.

W

hat I want to know, and what researchers are puzzling over even now, is if Mother Nature has come up with a canine that has the size and power of a wolf and the wiliness of a coyote. Certainly the continuing spread of coywolf packs, whose members tend to be less aggressive toward one another, augurs well for the spread of the new species.

Did I say “species”? That would suggest evolution in progress. Or are coywolves simply another breed of coyote? Or wolf? Certainly they’re not “dogs” as we like to think of them. Confoosing, isn’t it?

Scientifically speaking, “the domestic dog allele averages 10 percent of the eastern coyote’s gene pool, while 26 percent is contributed by a cluster of both eastern wolves and western gray wolves, while the remaining 64 percent is mostly western coyote” (Wikipedia and elsewhere).

That’s right. There’s a dose of good old Fido in this interesting new critter as well. But that 10 percent doesn’t make the coywolf a domestic animal. It makes it … the jury is still out, I reckon.

Which leads to all kinds of speculation. Our property here in Prescott is full of squirrels and chipmunks. Same family, species divergence from there. Will we one day peer out at the seed feeder only to find ourselves staring at some humungous squirrel adorned with racing stripes? Imagine elk and deer getting together, prompting local hunters to go crazy searching for trophy delk (as opposed to whelks, which are sea snails, but I couldn’t resist the alliteration).

Horses and zebras can mate. So can, famously, lions and tigers (tigons, ligers). How many attempts does it take before the offspring qualifies as a new species, instead of just a sub-breed? We can no longer say nothing is certain except death and taxas, because those taxas appear to be in a constant state of flux even without the interference of meddling humans.

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ne thing, however, is for certain.

Appearances around us notwithstanding, Nature is never satisfied.

Instead of saying nothing ever changes, we should remind ourselves that everything always changes — albeit mostly very, very slowly. Me, I’m impatient. I want to see a big, dark-maned coywolf mingling with the coyotes in our yard.

Just wait until a jaguar or two starts getting it on with our local pumas. ***** Alan Dean Foster is author of more than 120 books, visitor to more than 100 countries, and still frustrated by the human species. Follow him at AlanDeanFoster.Com.

Coywolf hybrids also bond and form packs. Photo by L. David Mech, Bruce W. Christensen, Cheryl S. Asa, Margaret Callahan, Julie K. Young. Creative Commons 3.0.

10 • COLUMN • FEBRUARY 2016 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

Quiet as a mouse The art of Beth Neely

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By James Dungeon earch for Prescott’s Beth Neely on Amazon and you’ll net two children’s books: “Don’t Call Me Pig! A Javelina Story” and “Lizards for Lunch: A Roadrunner’s Tale.”

Originally published in 1999, they were written by Conrad J. Storad and illustrated by Neely and her then-husband, Don Rantz. (Kept scrolling? No, she wasn’t on “Survivor: Vanuatu” or the “Enchanted” soundtrack. Amazon is a fickle oracle.)

The books were hits. “Don’t Call Me Pig!” won several awards and, years later, was chosen for a statewide program that put special editions in some 93,000 Arizona first-graders’ hands. That credit alone could’ve opened up doors, but Neely never leveraged it into more illustration gigs.

“When you read a children’s book looking at all the pictures, reading it aloud to kids, it’s such a wonderful experience,” Neely said. “I thought it would be like that to make one, but it wasn’t. … I don’t know if I’d ever do another one.”

After decades as an illustrator, Neely started Spirit of Delight, a line of handmade greetings cards, in 2011. Most feature watercolors of whimsical animals. You can find them at Arts Prescott Cooperative Gallery and Jay’s Bird Barn.

“I’m not going to get rich making cards for a living, but that’s not my goal,” Neely said. “I’m really happy with what I’m doing right now.”

It’s a graceful explanation, but not the whole story. A survey of Neely’s past pulls taut an emotional through line in all of her artwork — nay, her life.

Punctuated narratives “Some kids have imaginary friends. I had an imaginary mouse family.”

Beth Neely, daughter of Bill and Sylvia Neely, grew up with her big sister, Lisa, in Prescott. Neely developed an active imagination early — something she attributes to her parents, reading lots of Ranger Rick, and being limited to half-an-hour of TV an evening.

“Sweet Dreams,” watercolor by Beth Neely. Courtesy image.

“Elf Owl’s Cozy Cactus Cavern,” watercolor by Beth Neely. Courtesy image.

She often told stories about an imaginary mouse and one day her kindergarten teacher, Dorothy Hindman (now Kellerman), transcribed it, had her draw pictures, then copied it for the other kids. Technically, that’s Neely’s first published work.

“I don’t know where the mice came from, but Beth wasn’t a typical young lady,” Bill said, recalling that Neely often split time between the outdoors and drawing. “She wasn’t antisocial. She just wanted to do what she wanted to do. She directed herself.”

Years passed. Neely was excited about junior high art class, but a classroom lecture admonishing bong-crafting and a kid going into convulsions after sniffing rubber cement muted that.

“I thought, ‘I’m not having anything to do with this,’” Neely said. “I didn’t do any art in junior high or high school. I did it on my own.”

And with others, too, as a counselor for a Girl Scout camp organized by her mother. Neely loved colored pencils and paint and dabbled in other mediums. Watercolors later became her favored medium.

Neely attended Northern Arizona University to study elementary education, but changed her major after an old friend from Girl Scout camp introduced her to art classes.

“I didn’t know I could get a degree in something that I loved so much,” Neely said. “I really felt at home in the illustration department.”

While attending NAU, she met Don Rantz, whom she’d later marry. She made her first greeting card for him, then for her family and friends in 1989.

“It didn’t have money, but I wanted to send them something special, so I made these caricatures, photographed the painting, then sewed that onto a piece of paper,” Neely said. “I’ve done a Christmas card every year since then.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 >>>

5ENSESMAG.COM • FEBRUARY 2016 • PORTFOLIO • 11

... FROM PAGE 11

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: “Felicity,” “Spring Harbinger,” “Cuddle Bunnies,” Beth Neely drawing by Bret Blevins, “Snail Mail,” a scan of “The Mouse With Babies” written and illustrated by Beth Neely, Beth Neely poses with her cat, “Tiddely-Pom Penguins.” Watercolors by Beth Neely. Courtesy images.

12 • PORTFOLIO • FEBRUARY 2016 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

An illustrative experience “I was really kind of scared to show people my artwork.”

After Neely graduated from NAU with a bachelor’s degree in fine art/illustration, she and Rantz moved to Seattle. She didn’t shop around her portfolio.

“I’ve worked a lot of restaurant and retail jobs over the years,” Neely said. “Art was on the side.”

They moved back to Prescott in 1996. Neely and Rantz had since stared making Christmas cards together. Impressed by the quality of their illustrations, a neighbor introduced them to Conrad J. Storad, who helped set up a meeting with a publisher.

“The idea was a science-based book for children that was user-friendly and cute enough that kids would want to pick it up,” Neely said. “Don and I collaborated on the illustrations. He did the majority of the landscapes, and I did the animals.”

(For those unfamiliar with the world of children’s books, publishers often pair first-time illustrators with established writers and vice versa.)

“Anthropomorphizing animals was second nature,” Neely said. “Still, we had to learn a lot about javelinas as well as every plant that’s in the Sonoran Desert.”

It was the mid-1990s, so that meant going to a library. Neely even borrowed a taxidermied javelina from her then-brother-in-law to get the nose, teeth, and hair right.

“They’re much cuter in the drawings than in real life, but I love them,” Neely said with a laugh. “It’s odd because we didn’t have a lot of javelinas in Prescott at the time, but now we’re overrun with them.”

Neely and Rantz had to finish both books’ illustrations in about a year, twice the speed of most such endeavors.

“I loved doing the artwork, but the business side of it was … well, business,” Neely said.

After a falling out with the publisher, the pair decided not to pursue similar work. They toured schools to promote the books — especially “Don’t Call Me Pig!” which won the Arizona Book Publishers Association’s Glyph award for best art book and best children’s book of 1999 — and continued to collaborate on cards. Years later, Governor Janet Napolitano chose “Don’t Call Me Pig!” as her Arizona’s first reader book for kindergartners for the 2005-06 school year.

“That was overwhelming,” Neely said. “I don’t know how to describe it, but we felt sort of validated.”

Her parents were elated.

“There are so many twists and turns to getting a book published, let alone getting recognized and appreciated like that,” Bill said. “Even to to this day, I could foresee Beth maybe undertaking something of that sort again but, regardless, we support her, whatever she does, and we’re very proud of her.”

Worth & sentiment “You think so?”

Neely was rarely comfortable sharing her artwork with strangers. Still, after arriving back in Prescott, she brought her portfolio to Arts Prescott.

“It’s illustration — it’s not fine art,” Neely said. “I didn’t know if it was gallery-worthy.”

(It’s more than a tad ironic to hear her describe her watercolors that way considering the craft and skill that go into them. Colorful washes yield space to sharp, stylized subjects that, on more than a handful of occasions, Neely has had to correct people about after they’ve ask her questions on the assumption she’d rendered them in pencil or acrylics.)

Neely showed at Arts Prescott for about a year while working full time at The Art Store. In the interim, a close friend fell ill, and she stepped back to help take care of her.

In 2010, Neely and Rantz divorced. She founded Spirit of Delight the following year and started branching out. She returned to the cooperative and eventually started marketing her cards to local stores.

“Jay’s Bird Barn was my first wholesale account, so they really gave me my start as far as selling my cards commercially,” Neely said. “Eric and Gayla (Moore, owners) have been wonderful.”

Neely’s handmade cards are $4 apiece. They’re blank inside, which adds a level of intimacy once they’re filled out.

“You can get cheaper cards,” Neely said. “But if you want something special, something that people will really care about and keep — that’s what my cards are for.”

These days Neely puts a full 9-to-5-day’s work in the studio unless she’s working at the cooperative.

Spirit of Delight is her primary job, and holiday cards — especially around Christmas — are her bread and butter and for at least half of her 100-plus designs.

Javelinas and other Southwestern animals sell especially well. Mice do not.

“One of my favorite cards that’s a terrible seller is a flying mouse, ‘Felicity,’” Neely said. “People don’t like mice, in general, and people don’t like things that have wings that don’t fly.”

The original is in her bedroom.

Reflections “I like to give the watercolors a feeling of family, love, or friendship. It sounds terribly corny when you say it aloud, but that’s what I’m trying to get across.”

Bonnie Pranter knows Neely’s artwork through her longtime friendship with her parents and her part-time work at Jay’s Bird Barn. At home, she’s got a pair of frames in which she swaps out seasonal images. Recently, Pranter’s been using Neely’s cards.

“My all-time favorite is a group of little penguins with an adult penguin, and each one is wearing a different colored knit cap,” Pranter said. “They’re just adorable.”

Bret Blevins knows Neely’s work because he and Neely have been seeing each other for a few years.

“She has the most sensitive, generous heart of anyone I know, and you can see that in her art,” Blevins said. “It’s not just cute, silly animals. Her characters have emotions, feelings, and personalities.”

Speaking as professional artist — if you didn’t know, Blevins is kind of a big-deal comic book artist — Neely’s watercolor technique is noteworthy.

“She takes a lot of care with the preparation of the paper itself, which definitely changes the texture and how the color is absorbed. It’s a jewel, almost like stained glass,” Blevins said. “Her colors aren’t loud or flashy. They’re subtle. They’re sweet and kind, and expressive.”

Incidentally, one of his favorite pieces by Neely is “Elf Owl’s Cozy Cactus Cavern.”

The original is in his bedroom. ***** You can see Beth Neely’s work at Arts Prescott Coop Gallery (134 S. Montezuma St., 928-776-7717), Jay’s Bird Barn (1046 Willow Creek Road, No. 105, 928-443-5900), and on Etsy (Etsy.Com/People/ BethNeelyArt). Visit her online at BethNeelyArt. Blogspot.Com. James Dungeon is a figment of his own imagination. And he likes cats. Contact him at JamesDungeonCats@Gmail.Com.

13

News From the Wilds Weather Average high temperature: 54.1 F (+/-4.4) Average low temperature: 24 F (+/-3.7) Record high temperature: 77 F (Feb. 27, 1986) Record low temperature: -12 F (Feb. 6, 1899) Average precipitation: 1.76” (+/-1.75”) Record high precipitation: 10.59” (1927) Record high snowfall: 37.5” (1932) Record low precipitation: 0” (7 percent of years on record) Max daily precipitation: 7.92” (Feb. 28, 1905) Source: Western Regional Climate Center.

Native bees, such as this Anthophora species, are hatching out of their nests now as the first flowers appear. Photo by Ty Fitzmorris.

I

By Ty Fitzmorris n most years February in the Mogollon Highlands of Arizona is still a very quiet time when mammals, birds, reptiles, insects and plants remain quiescent, waiting for the combined cues of increased daylength and higher temperatures to end their winter diapause and begin searching for mates and food. But in all years, the first glimmerings of spring’s vivacity begin this month in the deserts and the chaparral of our region. Over the next several months, the activity in the lowlands will grow from a hum to a roar and gradually flow up the slopes and into the highest mountains, carpeting the whole of the Mogollon Highlands with flowers, warblers, and butterflies. But for now, the uplands remain relatively quiet, leaving the naturalist to search for hints of spring.

Bird migrations begin to pick up steam now, as overwintering species such as Northern Goshawk

and Townsend’s Solitaire begin the months-long journey that will ultimately end in their breeding grounds as far north as the Arctic Circle.

Other species migrate through our region to points nearer to the north, while the last of the migrants will include the neotropical migrant warblers who have spent the winter in the rainforests and dry forests of Central America, and will breed and nest here. The overwintering waterfowl on Willow and Watson Lakes, as well as the many smaller bodies of water, will stay in our region for a while yet, since they need to wait for the lakes to the north to thaw before migrating.

A very small number of insects and their relatives begin to wake from their short winter torpor in February. On sunny days Mourning Cloak Butterflies (Nymphalis antiopa) begin claiming mating territories in riverbottoms and can be seen patrolling in lazy circles, chasing passers-by. The earliest flowers, such as some manzanitas and willows, draw honeybees as well as native

14 • FEATURE • FEBRUARY 2016 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

bees, which are extremely variable in size and color. Small longhorn bees, iridescent mason bees, and early bumblebee queens all can be seen at these blooms during sunny spells.

M

ost remarkable, however, is a phenomenon that is barely noticeable — astute observers will see a proliferation of spider silk blowing in the sunlight, and near cliffs and canyons these pieces of silk might be extremely abundant, lofting in the wind. These pieces of silk are actually “balloons” created by young spiders, who use them to catch upward breezes and disperse over vast distances. In fact, many will loft up to a thin band of the atmosphere called the Aeolian Zone, which wavers around 25,000 feet in altitude. This largely unstudied region is populated by pollen grains, fungal spores, and very small insects, all of which might be able to cross vast distances once they’ve reached this relatively stable atmo-

spheric zone.

February can bring amazing storms, and holds the record for both the most snowfall in a month and the highest rainfall in a 24-hour period. On the other hand, February’s precipitation is extremely variable and difficult to predict, with as many as 1 in 10 years receiving no or nearly no rain or snow. And predicting February’s weather is made more difficult by this year’s mercurial El Niño, which has so far failed to deliver its predicted snow and rain. A wet February can, by itself, usher in a glorious, flowering spring, while a dry one when there is no other snowpack can herald low fuel moisture and high fire danger. In high desert, such as the Mogollon Highlands, the abundance and distribution of water is the single greatest predictor of all activity in the wilds. ***** Ty Fitzmorris is an itinerant and often distractible naturalist who lives in Prescott and is proprietor of the Peregrine Book Company, Raven Café, Gray Dog Guitars, and is cofounder of Milagro Arts, a community arts nexus, all as a sideline to his natural history pursuits. He can be reached at Ty@PeregrineBook Company.Com.

News From the Wilds, too A very brief survey of what’s happening in the wilds ...

Skyward

By Ty Fitzmorris High mountains • Ravens begin nesting and laying eggs. Yearling Ravens have spent the winter in communal roosts and can be seen flying in large numbers, but these flocks begin to break up now as breeding pairs form.

• Northern alpine birds, including Red Crossbills and Pine Siskins, move into this area during extreme cold to the north. These finches follow the seed-crop of coniferous trees, including Douglas Fir, White Fir, spruces, and pines.

Visit: Maverick Mountain Trail, No. 65.

Ponderosa Pine forests • Peregrine Falcons return to our area from Central and South America to reoccupy nest sites. Most Peregrines are monogamous from year to year, with both partners migrating independently back to previous nest sites, and beginning courting and mating once there. This species is named for its extraordinary migrations, which can lead some individuals to migrate from Chile to Greenland.

• Abert’s Squirrels chew off the tips of growing Ponderosa branches to reach the inner bark, or cambium.

This is an important food source for this rare squirrel during the late winter after they’ve depleted other food stores, but they also perform a vital service. Ponderosas rely on a symbiotic root fungus to break down soil nutrients, and Abert’s Squirrels carry this fungus in their feces, transporting its spores from tree to tree.

Visit: Miller Creek Trail, No. 367.

Pine-Oak woodlands • Townsend’s Solitaires, relatives of the American Robin, begin migrating north to their breeding grounds as far north as Alaska. Solitaires subsist largely on the last of juniper berries from last year’s crop while in their wintering ground.

• Sharp-shinned Hawks, the smaller cousin of the Cooper’s Hawk, begin migrating north through the Mogollon Highlands. These small hawks

Some Mergansers are beginning their northward migration, while others stay and raise their young in rivers. Photo by Ty Fitzmorris. were once considered a threat to songbird populations, and so were hunted aggressively. Now “mesopredators” such as the Sharpshinned Hawk are understood to foster biodiversity by preventing one species from outcompeting another, and studies have documented increases in prey species where these types of predators are found.

Visit:Little Granite Mountain Trail, No. 37.

Pinyon-Juniper woodlands • One-seed, Utah, and Rocky Mountain junipers all release their pollen now, causing extraordinary allergies for many mammal species.

• Winter flocks of Western Scrub Jays break up as jays form breeding pairs.

Visit: Tin Trough Trail, No. 308.

Grasslands • Pronghorn begin giving birth after eight months of pregnancy. Young Pronghorn are able to walk after only about an hour and can outrun a human when they are several days old. Pronghorn typically give birth to twins who will remain in the center of their herd for several months.

• Toward the end of the month, broad-winged hawks such as Roughlegged Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk, and Swainson’s Hawk begin migrating north through the Mogollon Highlands following the open grasslands where they can see rodents.

Visit: Mint Wash Trail, No. 345.

Riparian areas • Beavers, after consuming most of their winter stores, are very active in chewing away the inner bark of riparian trees. Their breeding season continues through this month.

• The earliest wildflowers begin appearing now, led by Golden Corydalis (Corydalis aurea).

• Coyote Willow (Salix exigua) flowers and is mobbed by Honeybees (Apis mellifera) for nectar and pollen. Honeybees are native to Europe and are unlike most of our native bees in that they are social and live in massive hives of up to 80,000 individuals. North America is home to roughly 4,000 species of native bees, most of whom are either solitary or seasonally social, and so remain inactive during the winter.

• Newborn River Otters remain in their dens, and toward the end of the month will open their eyes for the first time.

• “Vagrant” bird species (birds dramatically outside their range) can be found in and around our region’s lakes. Some of these birds have been blown by storms, while others are simply exploring potential habitat.

These might include Common Loon, Ross’s Goose, Tundra Swan, and extremely rare species such as the White-tailed Kite.

• The first migratory songbirds, including spectacular breeding-plumage warblers, follow rivers and riparian corridors through our region to their

• Feb. 7: Mercury at greatest western elongation. The small planet closest to the Sun is at its highest in the morning sky.

Look for what looks like a bright star just above the rising Sun in the east, about an hour before sunrise. In fact, all five of the planets that are visible with the naked eye will be observable in a line pointing roughly from the zenith to the eastern horizon.

• Feb. 8: New Moon at 7:39 a.m.

• Feb. 22: Full Moon at 11:20 a.m.

• Astronomical highlight: When the skies are at their darkest early this month, the Andromeda Galaxy is visible with the unaided eye. Look for the galaxy as a smear of light next to Andromeda’s knee, to the northwest after twilight, or using a more direct method, draw a line between the two highest stars in Cassiopeia — Segin and Ruchbah — and the brightest star in Andromeda, Alpheratz (her head in most drawings), and then look for the galaxy 2/3 of the way from Ruchbah to Alpheratz. breeding territories to the north.

Visit: Willow Lake Loop Trail, off of Willow Creek Road in Prescott.

Deserts/Chaparral • Flowering begins in earnest, starting with Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa), which paints large swaths of the desert bright yellow. Some species of verbenas and anemones, as well as Desert Marigolds (Baileya multiradiata), begin flowering at lower densities. In some pockets, manzanitas begin flowering.

• Butterflies begin flying now, including the small Sara Orangetip (Anthocaris sara) and the tiny Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon), both of whom can be seen at patches of wet mud seeking out minerals and nutrients.

Visit: Aqua Fria National Monument.

15

The Frame & Her

Francine Hackerott collaborates on Larson-Juhl collection

By Robert Blood [Editor’s note: The following interview was culled from conversations between the reporter and Francine Hackerott, framer at The Frame & I, who won the Larson-Juhl’s third annual Design Star: Framing Edition Competition. See her recently released collaborative line with Larson Juhl, “Salon 1789,” at The Frame & I, 229 W. Gurley St., 928-445-5073.]

Let’s start with the contest itself, which was at the West Coast Art & Frame trade show in January of 2015. What’s your background and how did you end up entering the Larson-Juhl’s third annual Design Star: Framing Edition Competition?

I’ve been doing picture framing for 30 years.

I entered a couple of competitions for an art gallery about four years into it through the Professional Picture Framers Association. I’d actually done one for Larson-Juhls, and had done a really, really great one for it. It’s kind of exciting all these years later, after not doing competitions, for this to happen.

I had made a comment to Ida (Kendall, owner of the Frame & I), who’s been very, very supportive of this, about wanting to make a tabernacle frame. It’s a style of frame originally created as an altar piece, usually used in churches to hold iconic images. At first, they had doors on them because they traveled from place to place. They were literally portable altars. So I’d made this comment to Ida and the contest came up — I think we saw on it on their website — and I figured it’d be a good excuse to make that frame.

Among the categories, we decided the the mirror category made the most sense because what would you put in it that wouldn’t be distracting, especially when the religious aspect might put some people off. Ida said that if I wanted to do the

Detail from “Salon 1789,” a LarsonJuhl collection designed with Francine Hackerott. Photo by The Frame & I. whole idea, I had to go all-in with the water gilded molding, which is something that’s $60 a foot. It wasn’t about the competition at that point.

And you won the competition. Part of the prize was getting to do a collaboration with Larson-Juhl on a frame collection.

You hear about people winning contests like this, but what was the actual followup?

I got the award in January, but I didn’t hear anything from Larson-Juhl until March. I wasn’t that surprised considering they’d just finished up a trade show. They contacted me with regard to which collection I might work on. There were two different designers to work with — one in the United States that works with a factory in Indonesia and one in Europe that works with a factory in Europe. The collection I used for the piece I won the contest with was made in France. I spoke primarily with the European rep via Skype, and I flew out to the Atlanta factory in June, where I met their vice president of merchandise and

By Brian Lemcke

16 • FEATURE • FEBRUARY 2016 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

design. It was really cool to sit in on a marketing meeting via Skype. There was a lot of Skype. They also discussed the launch of collections coming up this year. It was kind of like being at Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory — I got to see all these cool things but couldn’t share them with anyone.

Anyway, they decided we weren’t going to use materials from Europe, that they didn’t need that in this line, so we shifted gears and basically started from scratch. I worked with Paula, who works with the factory in Indonesia. I still got to see their facility in France though. I’d already planned a trip with Ida and my son, Zach. That invitation was open to the two previous Design Stars, but they weren’t able to get over to Europe, apparently. It was kind of meant to be for me, though, as we’d been planning the trip to France for about a year. It was very educational seeing that facility. I got to see the whole process from a straight piece of wood to finished pieces. ... Anyway, once I visited the Atlanta factory, it was pretty constant communication.

There were some lulls here and there because they’re obviously busy putting out other collections, but there was a lot of communication.

What was the design process itself like?

And what exactly do you mean when you say “collection”?

It’s kind of like saying “style.” Within a collection there are different colored lines, and the one we did has two, gold and silver. Within the collection, there are six different profiles, which basically means shapes. And … well, let’s back up.

With Larson-Juhl being such a large company, they first decided what they needed in the collection. They had a need for a gold or silver frame, but they already had something modern, so they needed it a little more distressed — something that looked like it’d been hanging around since the 1700s or 1800s. After that point, the decision is whether to start completely from scratch or to use part of a design they already have. There’s also the size part, which has to take cost and sales into consideration. They originally wanted a really big molding but after running the numbers, the biggest size wasn’t going to be cost-effective. So much of what I learned was the financial aspect of this.

So, as far as considerations go, it was style, then once we settled on gilded, it was picking out sizes.

As far as my involvement, I was just giving input and working with one main designer, Paula Jackson. Everything we came up with went through the vice president so there’s a lot of back and forth. We would try one thing, she’d go and discuss it with him and find out yes, this part would work, or no, we couldn’t go this way with it. Once everything was decided, it was sent to the factory and they’d make prototypes of what the different profiles would look like.

“Salon 1789” frame collaboratively designed by Francine Hackerott with Larson-Juhl.

Photo by The Frame & I. Another part of the process was coming up with the name of the collection. That was really cool.

There were four or five people involved in that process. We thought we had the name, “Atelier,” but it had to be changed because the top brass thought people wouldn’t know how to pronounce it. We all eventually came up with “Salon 1789.” And, to be honest, Paula and I didn’t like it at all at first. The line itself is supposed to be from that time period, but how many people know what happened that year in the United States, let alone Europe?

Once everything was settled and we started calling it by that name, Paula would go to Indonesia to check out samples and send them back to The Frame & I here. They’d come practically overnight in FedEx boxes with chevron pieces, about 6” or so. They always seemed to arrive on my days off from the shop, so I’d get a call from Ida or Russell (Johnson, manager of The Frame & I) and I’d rush down to see them. It was like opening a box of treasure. There was a lot of fine tuning as far as the design went. It was coming out too distressed in some cases, or the finishing touches were too refined for production in Indonesia. ... Once things were complete, I got to create a display for the annual convention (which happened in Las Vegas in late January). I didn’t get to see the real finished product until we were figuring out the specifics for that display.

The image that’s in the frame, how did you settle on that?

We went around about that, too. Initially, they sent four images and asked for my input. I didn’t

really care for any of them. They were kind of French images, and the one we settled on was a prince holding a butterfly and a bird in a cage. I just didn’t understand what that kind of image would be doing in a tabernacle frame. During the course of all of this, Paula had been posting images to a private board on Pinterest, and there was this detail of Josephine, of the coronation, that was just beautiful. I asked Paula if that was an option, and she said they were going to use it for a different collection, but that we could probably get it. I said yes, yes, yes. It’s more similar to what you’d see in a frame like this. Even that part was indicative of how all of this went — it was a lot of back and forth, truly a collaboration.

Throughout the process, Russell pointed out how much work this was and what I was really getting out of it. I really think it was a privilege to be involved in it. I enjoyed the experience, but it also showed me how much I don’t want to be part of a corporate organization like that. There’s a lot of levels of administration and it’s so easy to get overridden and have to start over. It was kind of neat to see how Paula navigated all of that, though, how you can work with that and work through it.

The financial part of it was interesting. For “Salon 1789,” we originally had in mind really large, 5” to 6” profiles, but that proved unfeasible when they crunched the numbers, so the largest one in the collection is a 4” profile. One or two inches might not seem like that big of a deal, but when it comes to creating molding, you’re talking about different pieces of wood and different pragmatic things like that, as well as how many pieces have to be sold to make it worthwhile and what sizes sell at what rates. I did really push to make the frames stackable, though, so you can create something that big, profile-wise, if you want. Another surprise was where some of their test markets were. It’s no all L.A. There are also places in Minnesota and places you’d never think of.

Francine Hackerott stands beside her Larson-Juhl Design Star: Framing Edition Competition winning frame. Photo by Rich Charpentier. how they separate the art from the wall. It’s like the difference between putting books on a shelf or in a bookcase. Which one is more esthetically appealing? To me, it’s the bookcase. To bring it back around, that’s the same situation with the tabernacle frame. They’re fashioned after architecture. When I look at a frame like that, it’s like it houses the art. ***** See Francine Hackerott’s collaboration with Larson-Juhl, “Salon 1789,” at The Frame & I, 229 W. Gurley St., 928-445-5073.

Taking a step back from all of this and taking a wider view, why are frames important, anyway?

Robert Blood is a Mayer-ish-based freelance Because you need something to support your writer and ne’er-do-well who’s working on his art. Some people even having oil paintings they last book, which, incidentally, will be his first. don’t think need it and just leave it on the stretch- Contact him at BloodyBobby5@Gmail.Com. er bar. But a stretcher bar isn’t designed to support the weight of a painting hanging on the wall for a long time.

They’re also important because they enhance the art. That’s what we’re in the business of -No Usage Limits-No Contracts Requireddoing. There’s a famous quote, and I don’t re-Free Install Options-Fast Local Supportmember who said it, but a frame is like a halo for the art itself. So, frames are a structural thing and an esthetic thing.

What I really enjoy is

We will work with you.

17

Shoots & spines

Natural History Book Club plants a seed

By Robert Blood [Editor’s note: The following interview was culled from conversations between the reporter and Marilyn McCarthy, one of the facilitators of the Natural History Book Club, a program via Prescott College’s Natural History Institute. The club meets 9:30-11 a.m. the third Friday of each month at the Natural History Institute, 312 Grove Ave.] How did the Natural History Book Club get started?

I kept telling Lisa Zander (program coordinator and collections manager at the Natural History Institute) about a natural history book club I was part of at a local park in Indianapolis. I wanted to do something like that here. She ran into someone else, Susie Percy, who

wanted to do it, and the Natural History Institute, has been gracious enough to sponsor this and allow us a space to hold it. It made sense to me. I want people to see their facility, the things they do there, the free lectures, and the whole library they have. … My husband and I live close to the institute and had researched the area before moving here almost two years ago. I was a master naturalist in Indiana, and we try to take advantage of all the free things at Prescott College.

What do you hope to get out of the book club?

Well, I belong to two fiction book clubs at the Prescott Public Library, so this forces me to read non-fiction.

These books bring up issues about what’s going on in our natural world, which is really important in Prescott

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because we’re living in a place that’s full of nature. Hopefully it gets people more involved in “greening” the community, or whatever you want to call it, volunteering, and just being outside. … It’s strange, but my husband and I have encountered a lot of people here who’ve moved to the area and get upset with all the wildlife. We moved to the area because of the wildlife. We’ve got deer, javelina, roadrunners, and the occasional coyote on our property and we live in town. I wouldn’t change that for anything. We have to learn to appreciate what’s here and the beauty of the high desert.

have something like 10 participants initially, but it’ll be a lively discussion no matter how many people are involved. Everyone is welcome. We’ll talk about the writer, where they’re coming from, what their experience is, and how they put that into the book, as well as the history that informs the book and, of course, the topics that are covered, as well as the writer’s style, and what we learned from it.

Why read about natural history?

We should know what’s going on in the world around us. We need more viewpoints than the typical, one-sided news stories we see. People aren’t close enough to nature anymore. We, as human beings, have lost touch with how we fit into nature or the natural world. There’s nothing better than taking a walk in the woods to get your thoughts together, or just being outside, even when it’s snowing.

How did you pick the initial books and what’s the goal, participation-wise?

Lisa, Susie, and I compiled the first five books. I’ve drawn on my seven years in the Indianapolis book club, and everyone drew on their own experiences. Even Amazon has listings for natural ***** history books. The The Natural History three of us threw Book Club, a program around a few things via Prescott College’s and picked what we’d Natural History Intalk about. The Februstitute, meets 9:30-11 ary book, “Braiding a.m. the third Friday Sweetgrass,” (on Feb. of each month at 19) is timed because of the Natural History the fact the Natural Institute, 312 Grove History Institute is Ave. Find out more Marilyn McCarthy. hosting the author, at Prescott.Edu/ Robin Wall Kimnatural-historyPhoto by 5enses. merer, at Prescott institute.]

College on March 1. In the future we hope to do more Robert Blood is a Mayer-ish-based of that. … So we came up with the freelance writer and ne’er-do-well first five months for the launch of the who’s working on his last book, which, program, but it’s an ongoing, month- incidentally, will be his first. Contact to-month book club. We hope to him at BloodyBobby5@Gmail.Com.

... finish each other’s sentences

Google’s autocomplete is ...

I

By Markoff Chaney don’t mean to brag or anything, but I have the Internet at home. Not the whole thing, obviously, but I can check on it anytime I want via the same computer I’m typing at right now. Pretty nifty, huh?

Anyway, I just found out about this amazing digital oracle called Google (who names these things?) and, apparently, it knows what I’m going to research or “search” for before I finish typing it.

Here are some recent highlights. ...

4 Prescott’s 4th Friday

ART WALKS PRE S

COT T

’S

4FRIDAY EVERY

TH

2016 January 22 February 26 March 25 April 22 Beginning at 5 PM May 27 June 24 July 22 August 26 September 23 October 28 November 25

***** Markoff Chaney is an Earth-based whodunit pundit and (Fnord) Discordian Pope. He has lotsa bills and no sense. Contact him at NoisyNoiseIsNoisome@ Gmail.Com.

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5ENSESMAG.COM • FEBRUARY 2016 • FEATURE • 19

Diagnosis: Technology

T

By Paolo Chlebecek he lesson: Four days of walking and looking at tech can be wearing but rewarding. The teacher: Yet another week of thrills for the geek in all of us at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

This year’s show proved to be the largest yet with almost 2.5 million square feet to quench your thirst for all sorts of tech. It takes nearly 500,000 staff members, exhibitors, spokesmodels, and weary travelers from all over the world to make this show possible. Naturally, my crew and I enjoyed it immensely.

So, what’s new you ask? Well if you ask the CEA (ahem, the Consumer Electronics Association) it’s all new. More accurately, it’s many improvements on existing tech and some new innovation.

O

ne of the largest and growing segments to the consumer and professional field is UAV, i.e. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Most people just call them drones. But there’s a new category now: AAV — yes, another

New tech review

Commuter drones, wine by the glass, & the promise of privacy top CEA 2016 TLI (Three Letter Initialism) — Autonomous Aerial Vehicles. Leading the field is “EHANG 184,” a working prototype of what looks like a giant quadcopter with a pod big enough for a person to get in. I interviewed Colby Johnson, the Marketing Manager for Ehang. While there isn’t a price point or release date yet, the 184 is a commercially viable product. Once you get in, a Microsoft Surface tablet greets you and shows you your destination and the vitals of the flight. The tablet doesn’t control the vehicle. Rather, it has a separate computing system to get you from a set point to another.

There is no licensing category from the FAA, but the company is working closely with them to carve out a new segment just for them. The 184, a very plain (*cough*) name for such a revolutionary product, has four support arms that host two counter rotating propellers each. Theoretically, it could lose up to four props and still safely get you to your destination. It only has a 23 minute runtime as of now, but it can go up to 60 mph, making it perfect for cross city or suburb to work commutes.

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tion is for you. It’s called the DVine, wine-by-the-glass connected sommelier. The amazing little box is similar in concept 10 a Keurig. It prepares one serving of one on the spot for you. This could eliminate the need to have any wine cellar or even a wine fridge. One serving of wine is put into the top of the unit and in less than one minute D-Vine does all of the following: It reads the NFC (Near Field Communication, but don’t worry about that) chip on the tube and knows what temperature and aeration each wine serving should be; then it brings up or down the temp as needed; then it aerates the wine the equivalent of three hours. It even cleans itself between servings. I tested it, and it tasted great. Leave it to the French to come up with such an amazing wine product.

Another feat of wizardry found at Eureka Park — an entire floor of the Sands building dedicated to start ups — was “eBlocker.”

A German company makes this ingenious product that keeps all of your devices on the internet truly safe and private. The website EBlocker.Com sums it up best: “It’s a smart device that anonymizes your online behavior. It blocks all ads, stops all trackers, hides your IP – and lets

you surf truly anonymously.” Best of all, eBlocker is plug-and-play and requires no software installation or configuration. I tested it on random sites like Amazon and others and it actually works. So how does this work, functionally speaking? They wouldn’t tell me. Let’s call it magic.

I plan to be one of the U.S. Importers. It’s truly needed for schools, homes, and businesses as privacy seems to be a thing of the past.

This device could help us retain some of it, at least.

W

hat will next year’s CES reveal? If you can imagine it, someone is probably already making it and planning to show it off at the show in Las Vegas. ¡Viva las tecnologías! ***** Paolo Chlebecek is founder and owner of PaoloTek, which he started in 2003. He loves dogs of all sorts and oddly finds himself driving around town between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. every weekday. Wave hi when you see him or contact him at Paolo@PaoloTek.Com.

By Brian Lemcke

The potential of dance

Reflections on the Prescott College Dance Alumni Reunion Delisa Myles’s

Moving Arts

S

By Delisa Myles o many faces. So many dances. So many memories and emotions whirling around in the past and present.

It’s February, but I’m still thinking about the Prescott College Dance Alumni Reunion from November. It brought together people from 45 years of dance at Prescott College — from the early 1970s when Heather Starsong first taught dance classes, and up to students who are enrolled now.

It’d be a cliché to say that lifelong friendships began in those dance classes. And it’d also be true. The reunion, held Nov. 6-8 in 2015, was an opportunity for alumni and alumni-to-be to touch back into their strong roots at Prescott College, to meet new people and to celebrate dance.

Liz Faller, my colleague of 22 years in the dance program (who also coordinated the event) and I kicked off the weekend with “Coming Home,” a dance improvisation mixer. Alumni performed, took and taught workshops, and got to boogie altogether in an epic dance party with live music from Moving Edge Ensemble.

Throughout the weekend, I was impressed by the amazing range of approaches to dance that were shared. It was inspiring to see the diverse directions dance training at Prescott College has spanned out to. From Improvisation to Contemporary Technique, from Butoh to Physical Theater, and African Inspired to Gaga (look it up: GagaPeople.

Com), and to movement that defies categorization.

The common thread I felt was that we are all continuing to learn what we have inside and hone our ways to move the inner into the outer world.

There was a strong intent to listen to the intricacies of our own body as well as provide opportunities to connect with each other. That has been the unfolding beauty of teaching dance at Prescott

A moment from the Prescott College Dance Alumni Reunion in November of 2015. Photo by Edica Pacha.

College, to be a support and witness to so many people doing brave, true, wild and wonderful artistic and healing work through dance.

All the workshops and performances were open to the public, and it was rich to have a full circle of community support from people we have cultivated relationships with in our extended dance community.

Over the course of that reunion, I refilled my well with laughter and tears. In our closing circle many described their experience the same way: “My heart and body are so full from this weekend.”

T

hat’s the potential of dance. That’s the energy and community I’d like to share with you — yes, you reading this.

In this intermittent column, I’ll share my love of the moving body-what it feels like and what it transmits to those watching. I’d like to share how dance is life, how it communicates our existence as human beings.

I use the phrase “movement arts” as a way to be broadly inclusive of the myriad forms that movement can take, from performance to partner/social dance, from martial arts and yoga to hip hop and moving meditation.

Movement is an important and often under-

estimated component to health. It’s a type of cell-feeding nutrition that the body needs just like food. As Katy Bowman, biomechanist guru for restoring health through natural movement, states in her book “Move Your DNA,” it’s just as true that “you are what you eat” as “you are as you move.”

And I’d add that there’s also much health producing nourishment in developing our endless potentials of perception, imagination, and artistic expression. Sharing that expression and receiving support within our community is yet another layer of sustenance. The creation and appreciation of all kinds of artistry is food for our souls. Frederich Nietzsche had it right when he said, “We should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once.”

I look forward to sharing topics that explore the power that dance and other movement forms have to connect us to ourselves, to our community and to our living earth home. Stay tuned to Moving Arts. ***** Delisa Myles is a dancer, choreographer, and professor of dance who’s been central in creating Prescott College’s dance program since 1994. She is founder and creative director of Flying Nest Movement Arts in downtown Prescott. Find out more and contact her at FlyingNestStudio.Com, DelisaMyles.Com, and Info@FlyingNestStudio.Com.

5ENSESMAG.COM • FEBRUARY 2016 • COLUMN • 21

Not-asholy days

B

S

ponges come in a seemingly limitless variety of sizes, shapes and colors. One particular sponge is called Venus’s Flower Basket, and its skeletal structure is made of silica which the animal itself produces. This creature attaches itself to the deep ocean floor by way of these tough glass-like threads called spicules.

ODDLY ENOUGH ... As the sponge grows and develops its glass

etween groundhogs and naked babies, you’ve got plenty of celebrations, but there’s no reason to limit yourself to Bill Murray movies and rom-coms. Consider celebrating …

Feb. 5: Weatherman’s Day • Whether the weather or wether or not ...

Feb. 8: Kite Flying Day • Day, go fly a kite.

Feb. 9: Toothache Day • It’s a pain in the mouth.

Feb. 11: Make a Friend Day • Will you be my friend?

Feb. 13: Get a Different Name Day • May I suggest Baldrick?

Feb. 16: Do a Grouch a Favor Day • May I suggest me?

Feb. 18: Battery Day • Get charged.

Feb. 22: Be Humble Day • It wasn’t our idea.

Feb. 26: Tell a Fairy Tale Day • Once upon a time ...

Feb. 29: Leap Day • Forthright fourth night.

crystal network, many young marine animals (like shrimp, crabs, etc.) seek out its lacy shelter. Many become eventual inmates of this glass prison when they grow too big to leave the arabesque matrix.

T

*****

he Mantis Shrimp is a truly unique creature. Ranging in size from 4 to 18 inches in length, they are voracious predators, and have been known to eat any and all aquarium mates while in captivity. Their vision is tremendously refined. Each eye is capable of seeing in trinocular vision, meaning that even if the shrimp loses an eye, its depth perception is not impaired. Also, the visual information is processed by the eyes themselves and not by the brain as in humans. Remarkably swift, a strike from the fore-claws of a Mantis Shrimp is unlike any known animal. The blow of this animal has been likened to a .22 caliber bullet, shattering crab and mollusk shells, aquarium glass, and blasting fish into dismembered bits.

ODDLY ENOUGH … It has been discovered that the claw strike is so fast that it generates cavitation bubbles which produce shockwaves. This doubles the impact of the strike, hitting the prey with the claw, and with a follow-up snap of the shock-wave. Often audible underwater, this phenomena can also produce sonoluminescence, or a quick blink of light formed by the imploding cavitational bubbles. ***** Russell Miller is an illustrator, cartoonist, writer, bagpiper, motorcycle enthusiast, and reference librarian. Currently, he illustrates books for Cody Lundin and Bart King.

Lotus Bloom Yoga Studio 22 • FEATURE • FEBRUARY 2016 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

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