This photo’s a true blast from the past. I took it back in 1981, while I was bicycling around the United States. While heading down the California coast, I stopped for an overnight in a state park south of Big Sur. The park offered many things to explore, including giant redwoods that I couldn’t begin…
Tucson Meet Yourself marked its 36th anniversary this past weekend. This annual festival bills itself as “a celebration of authentic cultural foods and the living traditional arts of Southern Arizona’s folk and ethnic communities.” Because of the emphasis on food, the festival has also earned the moniker “Tucson Eat Yourself.” Since my digestive system was…
Tucson, AZ – Martha Retallick, local photographer, community activist, and volunteer, just launched a stock photo website for ad agencies, photo editors, businesses, and organizations. BicycleStockImages.com features photos of the bike culture, including bicycle racing, bicycle touring, utilitarian cycling, and artistic close-ups of bicycles, bike tools, and bike parts. A practitioner of “bike-tography,” Retallick, who…
I just returned from another Homecoming weekend at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. And, just as during my student days, I got to experience Ann Arbor’s weather in all its glory. In other words, if you like variety in your cloud cover, Ann Arbor is your kind of place. It seemed as if…
I’ve been blogging about the weekly Meet Me at Maynards Social Run/Walk through Downtown Tucson since it started back in April. The event has grown quite a bit, and if you haven’t tried it yet, you should. If for no other reason than to enjoy some live music in Downtown Tucson. Entertainment at the start…
Every year on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Habitat for Humanity Tucson begins construction on several homes, building them from the ground up, to not only memorialize the victims, but to celebrate hope, community and the American dream at its annual Building Freedom Day. This past Friday was Habitat Tucson’s eighth annual Building Freedom…
My recent visit to Vermont included an afternoon in Montpelier, the state capital. It’s more like a small town than anything else. Population’s just over 8,000, which makes Montpelier the smallest capital city in the United States. My Montpelier afternoon centered on the Vermont State House, where my Aunt Jean is a volunteer tour guide……
I just returned from visiting family in northern Vermont. While there, I attended U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ health care reform town hall in the tiny (pop. 600) town of Peacham, VT. The event attracted around 600 people to the Peacham Congregational Church… Since there have been disruptions at similar events held elsewhere, the security presence…
On the lighting front, we’re getting to an interesting part of the year. Tucson’s days are getting shorter, but we’re not seeing the weak twilight of the winter months. In the hour before sunset, the sun’s still showing strong light while casting long shadows. Here’s a bicycling example…
The Marist College building used to house a Catholic boys school. After 1968, the Diocese of Tucson used it for office space. These days? Well, let’s just say that it’s just sitting there. What’s worse, the Marist College building is in danger of collapse. There is exterior bracing, not shown in this photo, but no one…
Although I’m a big fan of renewable energy, I’m not thrilled with the price tag. Take solar power, for example. The equipment and installation costs of a household photovoltaic system can run well into the five figures. Or higher. Yes, I know that there are rebates and tax credits, but you still have to front…
When I bought this property in November 2004, it had no landscaping. There was crushed rock in the front yard and a formidable infestation of Bermuda grass in the back yard. I’ve done most of the landscaping work myself. This includes the landscape design, planting, weeding, and other maintenance tasks. To learn how to do…
This past Saturday morning, representatives from 10 Tucson neighborhood associations rolled out of bed at dawn and converged on the Ward 3 City Council Office. The Ward Office hosted a free breakfast and workshop on a very timely topic: graffiti removal. Sorry to say, but Tucson is under heavy attack by taggers. And, with city…
Tucson’s summer monsoon season is in full swing. This is rendering swamp coolers ineffective and that’s bad news for some of us. (I have a swamp cooler.) However, the plants are welcoming the rain the only way they know how. They’re getting very green. And the cactii are plump again. Here’s how the plant life…
Since mid-April, I’ve been blogging about Tucson’s weekly Meet Me at Maynards Social Run and Walk. And here I go, I’m doing it again. This past Monday marked the 14th running (or walking) of MMM. And, once again, I went walkabout with my camera. I’m not going to be one of those Downtown Tucson cheerleaders…
This past Saturday was Tucson’s hottest day of the year — so far. The temperature topped out at 107 degrees. But the sultry weather didn’t stop more than 500 people from attending a health care reform rally at the Tucson Convention Center. The event was hosted by Congressman Raul Grijalva’s office. It drew young and…
Tucson’s summer monsoon is in full swing, and that means thunderstorms. Big ones. They form quickly, and they can really pack a wallop. Yesterday afternoon, a real thumper rolled into town. Dumped .58″ of rain at my house, and that made my plants very happy. It also made for some interesting photographic opportunities. The festivities…
Since mid-April, a group of walkers and runners has been exploring Downtown Tucson. The weekly Meet Me at Maynards Social Run/Walk has proven to be a big hit. Even during this summer weather. Last week, the festivities were cut short when a giant windstorm came roaring into town. The wind was blowing so hard it…
This past Saturday was our nation’s 233rd birthday. This All-American event was celebrated with parades, speeches, picnics, and fireworks. Here in Tucson, it was a great day to take Old Glory for a bicycle ride. And that’s just what I did. Taped a small flag to my tire pump, then stowed the pump and flag…
This three-day weekend includes Independence Day. It’s a day for picnics, parades, cookouts, concerts, and fireworks. The last item is what I’m going to elaborate on here. While fireworks are fun to watch and listen to, your dog probably has a different opinion of them. Many dogs find the sound of fireworks terrifying. Some of…
From the “I’m not making this up” department comes this road sign from western Pima County in Arizona. You can find it along state highway 86, and, yes, both towns do exist…