fall color

the trees in new jersey and pennsylvania were

in serious gorgeous color. 

one thing tempe does not have

fall color

it also doesn't have the cold, drizzle, damp days that 

kept me from getting outside much while in scranton

here is a shot i took on the way to a day in manhattan

13 days...

*college & broadway*

do it

serendipity

*petsmart, elliot & hardy*

what a happy accident that i was shopping for pet

supplies tonight and found the store overrun with canines

and their leash holders. dachshunds dressed in buns with 

mustard and bulldogs dressed in pink tutus. a halloween 

dog parade. i'm so glad i'm 

in the habit of carrying a camera. 

i'm off to scranton, pa tomorrow for the big annual 

bat conference -   

nasbr (north american society for bat research)

 and may have to post a few postcards from my trip 

to get me through til my return next week. 

Buffalo Theory

In an episode of "Cheers," Cliff is seated at the bar

describing the Buffalo Theory to his buddy Norm. 

For your enjoyment:

"Well, you see Norm, it's like this...

A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest 

buffalo. And when the heard is hunted, it is the slowest and 

weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural 

selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the 

general speed and health of the whole group keeps 

improving by regular killing of the weakest members.

In much the same way, the human brain can only operate

as fast as the slowest brain cells. Now, as we know, 

excessive intake of alcohol kills brain cells. 

But naturally, it attacks the slowest and 

weakest brain cells first. In this way, 

regular consumption of beer eliminates the

weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and 

more efficient machine.

And that, Norm, is why you always feel smarter

after a few beers." 

sailing

*tempe lake*

sailing on a sunday evening, what a great way to 

wind down the week

pass the hommus...

the phoenicia mediterranean cafe

*6th Street and Forest*

a great place for a gyro

fall plant sale

*desert botanical garden*

the annual fall plant sale (there's also one in the spring) 

is a big hit. members and volunteers get a special 

day to buy, and the public sale begins tomorrow. 

i found some fantastic additions 

for my desert landscape. 

to the victor goes the nectar

*my house*

what a fabulous fall day today was. downright chilly 

 morning, nice warm afternoon. the agitated squeaky chase

 calls of two anna's hummingbirds caught my attention 

around 1:00; buzzing, swooping, flaring tails, suspending 

animation in a stare off; one flies to the palo brea tree 

while the other drinks in temporary victory. 

butterfly sticker

desert botanical garden

one last monarch shot, applying the tiny blue

sticker to the butterfly wing

butterfly garden

desert botanical garden

in the butterfly pavillion

also called choje

desert botanical garden, galvin parkway near papago park

quiver tree, indigenous to south africa and namibia 

tracking monarchs

*desert botanical garden, galvin parkway near papago park*

after sticking a tiny blue adhesive tag on the hindwing of this Monarch butterfly, 

an enthusiastic future scientist releases the colorful lepidoptera. the marked Monarchs are being released 

this fall in hopes that recoveries will lead to a better understanding of their migration routes.

 a few years back one of the marked butterflies was recovered in Mexico City. 

got milk?

the manufacturing facility for the united dairymen 

of arizona at hardy and broadway. it operates

 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to produce 

cream, butter, skim milk, 

condensed milk, lactose powder, 

and can process 10 million pounds of milk per day. 

it is among the few remaining full service dairy 

co-ops in the country, consisting of approximately 

90 producers who represent 90% of the 

milk in the state.

 

please forgive me

i've been in the field for 3 days and in need of an easy post.

pictured here, a texas short horned lizard, found in southeastern 

arizona. they are beautiful! three species of horned lizards, 

or "horny toads" as they are sometimes called, 

can be found in maricopa county. a hike 

at one of our nearby mountain park trails

 will reveal a ubiquitous lizard 

bounty. 

as of this morning at 11:00 pacific, black-tailed prairie dogs

have been returned to southeast arizona. 

extirpated (local extinction) in the 1930s, 

we have been without this component of our ecosystem for more

than half a century. after many years of paperwork and preparation, 

a team of biologists worked to prepare the site, 

capture prairie dogs from ted turner's ladder ranch in new mexico,

 and transport 74 to the release site near sonoita 

where they will hopefully thrive. 

good luck little guys!

bicycle friendly city

tempe has miles and miles of bike routes.

this month there are bicycle events each weekend.

the weather is perfect for pedaling.

beautiful vision

what's my line?

i happy cleaning windows

take my time

i'm a working man in my prime

cleaning windows

not Rudy's day...

go devils!

despite the encouragement of fans

asu just couldn't get it done today

zoom, zoom, zoom

cars zoom westbound on the 202, near downtown tempe

male grackle

with head held high and proud, in typical male grackle fashion

lines and columns

at arizona state university

bicycle galore

it's easy to see when school is in session

wind power

school for sustainability at arizona state

great blue heron

the largest heron in north america

in flight, it looks quite large and has a 6 foot wingspan

on a dock, it looks past its reflection for fish

this heron is a juvenile - gray overall and with a black crown 

as an adult it will have a yellower beak and during 

breeding season will have long black plumes on its head

moon rise

moon rising over tempe center for the arts - 

celebrating its one year anniversary this month 

on campus

arizona state university style

mayan snake

building decor at arizona state university

thirsty?

the new thirsty dog store - first convenience store to be built right downtown. 

off mill next to the post office.

comics and more

...at Pop Culture Paradise store near ASU. 

postings for the rest of the week are scheduled and without 

commentary - i'm headed to the field for a little 

black-tailed prairie dog reintroduction!

connect

artwork at arizona state university

i am a part of all that i have met (a. tennyson)

welcome

an open door welcomes muslims and visitors to the islamic community center just a block north of arizona state university campus. the mosque was established in 1984. it is beautiful, modeled after the dome of the rock in jerusalem with an eight-sided structure, minaret, and a gold dome.  

Eisendrath Center for Water Conservation

Local architect Robert Evans designed and constructed this Pueblo Revival - style adobe and wood structure in 1929. It was purchased by Rose Eisendrath, a wealthy widow of a Chicago glove manufacturer, after she was refused accommodation at Valley resorts because she was Jewish. The property is on Tempe's registry of historic properties and is being restored by the city for use as a water conservation center. 

red door

st. augustine's episcopal church at college and broadway

in flight at sunset

reflection

a great blue heron sits on a rental boat dock at tempe lake. kayaks and paddle boats are available to rent. lake reflections and ambiance are free. the lakeside area is a great place to run, walk, or ride a bike.  

desert zen

at Arizona State University campus, i came across a small garden with golden barrel cacti and several cairns. there is such peace and balance in the stones, their order, their smoothness, the horizontal lines, the way they lift the eyes to the capstone. the cairns (maybe 20) in this little garden, poised like downtown loiterers among cactus fixtures, offer no obvious clue as to what point of reference or navigation purpose they serve. however, i was so intrigued by their placement that i stopped to take a photo. and wanting to write something interesting i googled a few word combinations to see how common a cairn configuration like this one was written about or photographed. and in doing that, i came across a blog with photos of similar looking cairns. the blog had a very nice song playlist, including "the littlest birds" by the be good tanyas. a new song to enjoy - that's where this cairn led me.

even if you're on the right track you'll get run over if you just sit there (will rogers)

initiative (noun) self-motivation, resourcefulness, inventiveness, imagination, ingenuity, originality, creativity, enterprise, drive, dynamism, ambition, motivation, spirit, energy, vision, get-up-and-go, pep, moxie, spunk gumption. 

the power or opportunity to act or take charge before others do

so many flags

one more shot of all the flags. they were up all weekend, but will be taken down tonight.

green

a green lamp at tempe marketplace, near D'arcy McGees irish pub.

new corner store

recently opened, CVS/pharmacy on the corner of University and Mill. it gives the corner a very different look. I'm not a fan of CVS, but this corner store is certainly an improvement over the vacant lot and various gas stations that have cycled through. many Tempe projects are wrapping up, and others still have a few months to go, Tempe has been undergoing dramatic changes, evolving toward being more walker-friendly everyday... 

nine eleven

at tempe lake, a very moving tribute to those who lost their lives on september 11, 2001. 

3000 flags, row by row, each with a card bearing a name and photo. 

grand opening

Tempe's first fresh & easy store opened today, on the corner of kyrene and baseline. i have been anxiously awaiting this store, a pleasant half mile walk from my home. don't forget to bring your own bags! 

i'd be remiss if i didn't also mention that the clouds in the background brought us incredible rains shortly after this photo was taken. i happened to be at carver dog park walking around the track with my dog, baloo and looked up when i heard a commotion coming from the nearby soccer field. i saw parents and young girls who'd been at practice scramble as a wall of hard rain and hail moved swiftly toward us. it was amazing! i was frozen for a split second, mesmerized by the sight, before yelling "run!" and crossing the field to get baloo's leash and get out. the first drops began to hit and when i reached the leash and unclipped from the fence the downpour was full force. it was chaos as 15 people and their dogs all tried to exit. soaked. then the hail began. i was parked close, but couldn't get my keys out of my pocket (trying too hard!). baloo was quick to jump in the car (that's a first!) and the hail continued for about 5 minutes. 

waiting in line...

a line of black t-shirted 20 somethings wrapped the side of Zia Record Exchange (university west of mill) tonight. i remember the days before ticket lotteries and online brokers, when we'd wait out over night for concert tickets. turns out, these folks were a couple hours early to a signing by someone called "head" - used to be in the band KoRn.  

ode to the supremes

strange sight

it is strange to see a large tree fully uprooted and resting on the side of a house. one of many large old trees that were uprooted in the storm that came through a week and a half ago. lots of damage in the neighborhoods near ASU and at tempe lake where giant trees and rows of mesquite that had just begun providing decent shade were victims of heavy winds.

money may not grow on trees, but bicycles...

i can say with certainty, this is the first time i've come upon a bicycle in a tree. 

warm sky on a friday night

the big arizona sky provides a perfect showcase for our lovely sunsets 

crossing green

a dog running off leash is a beautiful thing.

somewhere in tempe, a man in a fedora hat walks his yellow lab...

...they wait in the cross walk, watching for a break in traffic that would allow them to move safely across. the light changes; the man and his dog cross the intersection. they continue down college street past green lawns. a man riding a bicycle passes the man walking his dog; the cyclist arrives at the light and unclips from his pedals; waiting for the light to change. 

Timbuktu - Sister City to Tempe

Timbuktu - the very name conjures a far-flung and mysterious place. A city smack in the middle of the Sahara desert of Mali, Africa, and I was excited to find that it is one of Tempe's 7 sister cities. Timbuktu has been our sister since 1991 when both city councils approved the affiliation. Timbuktu has 30,000 residents and was founded around 1100 AD as a camp for its proximity to the Niger River. Today, Timbuktu is threatened by encroaching desert sands of the Sahara - desertification - which is destroying vegetation, many historical structures, and the water supply. It was named to the UNESCO world heritage list because of these threats. Because of the threats to the precious water supply, Tempe has committed to providing 7 wells for the city; 4 have been completed. 

Special thanks to Galen Frysinger for the use of this image from his adventure travels (www.galenfrysinger.com/index.htm) 

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