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January 03, 2014

Chemtrails in Arizona?


For years I listened to a late night radio talk-show hosted by Art Bell. At its zenith, the Art Bell program, Coast to Coast AM, had more than ten million listeners across the Excited States and into Canada too. Impressive numbers for a program that aired after midnight throughout most of the continent. Art mined the paranormal, conspiracy theories, UFOs, time travel, and... chemtrails.


The chemtrail theory suggests that some of the trails left by jet aircraft are actually chemical or biological agents sprayed at high altitudes for purposes undisclosed to the public, and directed by the usual suspects, including the US government and its various agencies.




The theory further suggests the reasons for the chemtrails might be solar radiation management to help cool a warming planet, or psychological manipulation, human population control among other things. Judging by the callers to Art Bell's show, an increase in chemtrails in a region of the country, almost always brings an increase in respiratory illnesses and other problems, which could be almost anything when we're talking about mass mind control. It was always great entertainment.


Art Bell disappeared from the airwaves on a couple of occasions, which always provoked a theory or two, and I left its audience long ago, but driving up Interstate 17 the other day, I couldn't help but look at what began as a cloud-free blue sky and wonder... chemtrails or contrails? And have I suddenly developed a wheezing cough and sore throat?


Photos by Jim Murray.  Copyright 2014.

January 02, 2014

The Saguaro





The saguaro cactus has been called the monarch of the Sonoran Desert. In its old age, it is has majesty and personality, with odd, somewhat human shapes ~ shapes that inspire all kinds of imaginings, especially in such a harsh climate.











The Sonoran Desert is a surprisingly lush region, full of life: cacti, animals, birds, trees and shrubs. Still, it is one of the hottest and driest places in North America. During most years, less than 30 cm of rain falls here annually. Summer temperatures often exceed 40 degrees. It is not unusual for several months to go by without a drop of precipitation. Temperatures during winter nights often reach freezing.


Life for a saguaro is difficult. It begins with a seed no bigger than a pinhead. One saguaro cactus can produce tens of thousands of seeds every year; as many as 40 million in its lifetime, which could be 200 years.



Out of the millions of seeds produced, only a few survive to adulthood. In most cases, young saguaros have the best chance for survival if they grow under or near other trees, shaded from intense sunlight, blanketed from the winter cold, and hidden from rodents, birds and humans.

Saguaros grow slowly, and mostly in spurts during the summer rainy season. After one year, a seedling may measure only 5 mm. After 15 years it may be 25 or 30 cm. At about 30 years saguaros begin to flower and produce fruit. At 50 years the saguaro can be 2 metres tall, and after 75 years it might begin to produce its first branches, or arms. These branches begin as balls, then extend out and upward.




At 100 years of age the saguaro could be 8 to 10 metres tall. The grandest sizes are reached after 150 years when they tower over most other things in the desert, at a stately 15 metres. Give or take.













Woodpeckers and flickers drill nest holes in the trunks or branches. Sometimes they make and reject several cavities in one season before settling in one to raise their family. This  provides holes for other birds and honeybees, unable to drill holes in the cactus. Insulated, the holes are up to 10 degrees Celsius cooler in summer than the outside.


























Saguaros die naturally of old age. They also die of other causes. Animals eat the seeds and seedlings. Lightning and wind kill large saguaros, and droughts weaken and kill all ages. Humans have been a problem for the saguaro too. Livestock grazing, widespread for one hundred years beginning in the 1880s, devastated some cactus forests. Poaching has been an issue with the theft of saguaros for use in landscaping the yards and driveways of the wealthy.

All photos by Jim Murray. 
Copyright 2013.

January 01, 2014

Sunrise over Saguaro National Park



It is cold at night in the desert and when we awoke before dawn on December 30 we saw heavy frost on the car's windscreen and a air temperature of minus two Celsius.




We were not alone as we walked along one of the trails of the Saguaro National Park. Others were walking, some jogging and still others on horseback.





The air was still and cold. To the north and north-west the mountains reflected the first rays of the sun. We were still in the shadow of the Rincon Mountains to the east; the sun not yet above the peaks.









The colours were beautiful, but we were waiting for the sun to warm our faces and hands, and thoughts. When it came, the sun bathed us in its light, and smiles came to all present.














Photos by Jim Murray.
Copyright 2013.

December 31, 2013

Raging Sage Coffee in Tucson



It took time and effort but we found a great little coffee shop here in Tucson. It's not an easy thing to do, as this city is designed around the automobile; there is little action in the downtown and few people walk, so finding a good coffee here relies on Google and trial and error.






Raging Sage is located along busy Campbell Avenue, not too far from the university. It has an inviting atmosphere, with inside and outside seating (under some orange trees no less). 







Raging Sage features its own small batch roastings, and it shows in the taste and quality of the coffee. The baristas know how to make a proper macchiato and their go-to preference is to put the coffee in a proper mug or cup, not in a paper cup.



Opened in 1998, the coffee shop is a family owned and operated business. The staff is friendly, helpful and so are the customers; there is a sense of community at Raging Sage and we overheard conversations about politics, religion and the environment. I'm guessing football comes up in discussion, but not this day. Absent too are phones and big screens. We've been here twice and will be back again.



Raging Sage Coffee Roasters on Urbanspoon


Photos by Jim Murray.
Copyright 2013.

No weapons allowed...

Arizona has some of the most "liberal" firearms laws in the entire Excited States:
  • No permit is required to purchase a weapon.
  • There are no restrictions or prohibitions on assault weapons.
  • No magazine capacity restrictions are in place.
  • Proof of ownership of a gun is not required.
  • In Arizona, any person over age 21 may legally carry a concealed firearm or deadly weapon without a permit. As well, the same such person may openly carry a firearm or deadly weapon, as in a holster on the hip, or stuffed into the front of his or her jeans I suppose.
Of course not all Arizona citizens agree with the gun laws, or the lack of gun laws in their state, and there are probably many people who never take their handguns out of the car's glove compartment, or from the dresser beside the bed. Still others probably don't even have guns.

A law has been passed in Arizona allowing people to display a "no weapons allowed" sign at the entrance to their business or institution. This will alert those with guns to perhaps find another restaurant, a different church, or maybe a new coffee shop. In fact, we have seen few of these signs, and what does that tell us I wonder.


Photos by Jim Murray. Copyright 2013.