Sonoran Desert Plants as Sculpture ~

The beauty of the shadows - the light and dark contrast - drew me to this impressive metal sculpture by award-winning artist, Jerry Harris. Jerry is a 3rd generation sculptor and runs a studio in Tucson called The Village Blacksmith. This photo of the century plant was taken at the Tucson Botanical Gardens.

http://www.rogowaygalleries.com/uploadImages/artistDisplay.asp?artist_ID=90
Tucson Botanical Gardens
www.tucsonbotanical.org2150 N Alvernon WayTucson, AZ 85712-3199(520) 326-9686Get directions

We've got to get ourselves back to the garden...

As Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young say, "We've got to get ourselves back to the garden." At the beginning of this month I posted the first of the Tucson Botanical Gardens' exhibit, "Scarecrows in the Garden." Every one is hand made and unique. So now after 3 days of images to celebrate Tucson's famous All Souls Procession, we're getting ourselves back to the garden for another image of these great sculptures!

This enchanting purple creature with gossamer wings is named "Matilda." She definitely looks like a friendly fairy, wouldn't you say?

Tucson Botanical Gardens
tucsonbotanical.org
(520) 326-9686

What has the lovely Lucretia been up to?

On September 2nd I posted the first photos of the lovely Lucretia, a desert tortoise who had just been adopted. Here's a follow up to how she is doing ~ you can see her in her bunker habitat.

According to Jerry, one of her human caregivers, Lucretia is ready to settle in for a 4-5 month hibernation. Her favorite food is prickly pear cactus fruit. She also loves Lancito kale and eats it right out of his hands. Lucretia's next favorite snack is Bermuda grass. Jerry says, "She's a good reminder to us to slow down and be in the moment...she does that so well!"

To learn more about how you can adopt a Desert Tortoise, click here:
http://www.desertmuseum.org/programs/tap.php

And if you have an extra minute, do also check out the posting of August 10 for a photo of a HUGE Desert Tortoise in Tucson - a remarkable creature indeed!

Photo courtesy of Jerry Weinert.

Third and final act of Tucson's All Souls Procession ~

Here are the final photos for this year's All Souls Procession in Tucson. Please scroll to the photos posted in the last 2 days for many more photos of this marvelous procession of strange and wonderful costumes and rituals!

From the top we have Celtic Harpist on Bike, Smiling Skull Mask, Belly Dancers, and Red Bull w/Dreadlocks. Enjoy!

Photos courtesy of Mark Wight.
http://www.allsoulsprocession.org

Tucson's All Souls Procession continues!

As a follow up to yesterday's All Souls Procession photos I am posting 4 additional images that give you even more of a feel of the energy, imagination, and surreal quality of this fantastic event. From the top we have Pushcart Drum w/Yellow Skeleton, Sombrero Skeleton Hombres, Crowd Approaching 4th Avenue Underpass/Overpass, and Crowd Inside the Underpass.

I hope these give you a good idea of this parade ~ enjoy! I will post a few more tomorrow and then we'll revisit this parade NEXT year.

Photos courtesy of Mark Wight.

http://www.allsoulsprocession.org

Tucson's All Souls Parade, Flam Chen & more...

Tucson's All Souls Procession is now in its 20th year! What started as a performance piece by an artist who was mourning the death of her father has now grown to a creative celebration that attracts tens of thousands of participants, revelers, and spectators.

It was very hard to choose which photos to post! The 4 shown here are: Flam Chen, Blue Bison Head, VW Peace Van, and the Giant Skull Twins. Tomorrow I will post more so check back!

A 2-mile long human procession winds through downtown Tucson and ends with a ritualistic burning of a large urn filled with written wishes, hopes, and prayers and a finale by the fabulous Flam Chen troupe. The All Souls Procession is a celebration and mourning of the lives of our loved ones who have passed.

Many Mouths One Stomach (manymouths.org), a non-profit arts collective based in Tucson, AZ, organizes the event.

Photos courtesy of Mark Wight.

http://www.allsoulsprocession.org
http://flamchen.com

Breathtaking Tucson sunset!

With Tucson's beautiful sunsets all year round, you might think we get used to them. Not me. When I left my house and saw this display of sky color, I pulled my car over and grabbed my camera - hoping that I could capture some of this fiery beauty. The last bits of yellow look like molten gold in the sky. Not bad for just a little digital camera, huh?