5enses Magazine, September 2019

CULTURE • SCIENCE • IDEAS

SEPTEMBER 2019 NICK CANUEL 2020 CANNABIS INITIATIVE ARTISTS STUDIO TOUR DANCING IN THE CORN SAMOSAS ANYTHING GOES MORE

5enses • 2

Publisher: John Duncan Managing Editor: Ed Mickens Copy Editor: Abby Brill Design: Steven Ayres Graphics: Sylvia Wauters Contact us!

5ensesMag@gmail.com 928-421-1123; 5ensesMag.com All content ©2019 4am Productions Cover: Studio Tour participant Deanne Brewster raises a cup.

IN S IDE

Serving the Prescott region with local perspectives on culture, science and ideas.

7 Marijuana Initiative for 2020 8 News from the Wilds 10 What's on at YCPAC 11 Lifelong Learning at OLLI 12 12th Annual Prescott Artists Studio Tour 14 Prescott Indivisible Pledges Action 16 RhizHOME: A Cultural Feast 17 Eating Out: The Samosa Lady 18 Perceivings by Alan Dean Foster 19 On the Shelves: Book Tips 21 Anything Goes at PCA 23 Bird of the Month: Kildeer

3•5enses

Vol. 8 No. 8 • September 2019

4 Musician Nick Canuel

5enses • 4

Nick Canuel

All-Around, General Purpose, Jack-of-All-Trades Musician Guy 5enses: What do you do as a musician, specifically?

Nick Canuel: Well, I play a bunch ofinstruments. I play guitar, piano, bass and drums, and a little bit ofmandolin. I sing in whichever capacity is necessary. My stuff, obviously I sing all the lead and occasionally the backing stuff. I plug in wherever I'm needed.

5S: How didyou get people to pay you to play music?

NC: It's like with any job, especially when you first start working, I knew somebody. I got in because my parents were in a band and they needed a drummer. I was 13 and had just got my first drum set ofmy own, and went and learned every one ofthe songs. I requested an audition and got working professionally.

5S: Your parents hada band?

NC: Yeah, they played. There was just a bunch ofguitars, pianos, drums, violins, mandolins and everything in the house. We had this beautiful piano that Mom got refinished back in the mid-’90s. It was this old Baldwin baby grand piano. When that came back and looked all pretty, I decided that well, hey, that might be cool. I got started when my mom taught me …. Do you remember the Meow Mix cat-food commercials, the "Meow-Meow" song? That's the first thing I ever learned how to play. (laughs) 5S: You starting singing professionally when you were 16?

NC: My thought process was, ifI start singing, especially coming from a musical family, harmonies were everywhere, so I knew that singing lead would help, but being someone who could understand harmonies and do backup vocals — that would automatically get me in before the guitar player who couldn't sing.

And I was right. Ever since then I have had a fairly easy time finding a band ifI end up in between bands.

5S: Who were you listening to along the

way?

NC: Well, for piano influences, it was my parents. But for guitar influences, I always say John Fogerty started it and Stevie Ray Vaughan ended it. I got into this Aerosmith kick for a while, then Stevie came around and I heard "Scuttle Buttin'" for the first time and it was deafening. It was a worldchanging, just a stunning moment. I remember where I was the first time I heard it … I couldn't make sense ofit.

Each instrument has its own guys. On bass there's John Entwistle, Chris Squire and Geddy Lee. Drums, ofcourse, Neil Peart, who I can't even act like I can play that stuff. Abe Laboriel, Jr., and ofcourse Ringo. Oh! Brent Mason for guitar.

When I started playing country years ago, that's who I listened to and had to fundamentally change my entire style. He designed an entire type of playing. I did my best to copy it and failed, but did get close enough. (laughs) 5S: Who are you listening to now?

NC: Vulfpeck comes to mind because ofJoe Dart on bass. That guy is from a clearly different planet. I'll admit being an Adele fan since the first album. Tommy Emmanuel, geez, possibly the greatest acoustic guitar player who's ever lived. I can't even imagine someone else in his league.

Greta Van Fleet, I'm really getting into.

5S: You've got a project coming out soon?

NC: I just finished recording my first album, or EP. It's eight tracks, and it's going to be called A Look at a Fool. I recorded at Raven Studios with Dylan Ludwig, who is a local genius. It was a blast ofa time. We got through it pretty quickly, all things considered. I played most ofthe stuffon it.

Normally that takes a long time, but we sort of burned through about a song a day, sometimes two.

It came out great.

5•5enses

5S: So you wrote, recorded, sang, playedguitar?

NC: Pretty much, on nearly every track. I'm all ofthe drums except for one track. I'm all ofthe bass. I'm the rhythm guitar and all ofthe lead guitar except for two tracks, I'm pretty much all the vocals and I'm all the keys as well. I know what I'm looking for so I didn't need to bring someone else in when I already knew what I was going for.

There is one song that I didn't write the lyrics to, which is kind ofa cool one. There's a song that my mom had written the lyrics to years ago.

There was no music to it, so, a few years after she passed, I had the lyrics sitting there. I finally came up with something and wrote a song to it, and it's the only thing I can say I wrote "with" my mom. And it's, by far, cooler than anything else I've ever done.

5S: Are you playing aroundtown?

NC: Yeah, absolutely! I work with a few different outfits. You can catch me playing typically every other weekend at Jersey Lilly with Little Larry and the Drive. I've been with Larry going on eight years now. I have a duo with Sean McDermott; you can catch us typically every other weekend at The Point. We do various events and different venues and stuff around town as well. Then there's also my dad's band, Latigo, which I just recently rejoined. Now I'm on bass. I seem to like to hang around the rhythm section ofthat band. You can find me around town and you can find out that stuffon my Facebook page, NicolaiGuitar.

5enses • 6

2020 Marijuana Proposition in the Works

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by Toni Denis

ack in 2010, when Arizona’s medical marijuana proposition squeaked by with 50.13% ofthe vote, Colorado hadn’t yet passed its adult-use law,

and a lack ofinformation on the likely effects oflegalization kept public opinion in the middle.

In 2018, however, a Gallup poll showed that 66% ofAmericans supported full legalization. Media coverage ofthe positive aspects ofmedical marijuana and CBD oil, used by a growing number ofaging baby-boomers. and objections to harsh criminal penalties prompted the shift in opinion.

Despite a failed effort in Arizona for full legalization in 2016 (Prop 205), the 2020 proposition organizers are confident that a new voter initiative will pass because it addresses issues that were sticking points in 205.

The proponents also learned from other states’ mistakes to avoid errors in legal language and approach.

“I’m optimistic about the language ofthe initiative and about its chance ofpassage,” said Mikel Weisser, director ofthe Arizona chapter of National Organization for the Reform ofMarijuana Laws (Arizona NORML). “The public has moved our way and we have a more responsive campaign. Also, people like Sheila Polk and JeffSessions are losing their credibility daily.”

In 2016, Prop 205 failed by only 3% in Yavapai County despite an advertising campaign against it, according to Weisser, who said the group will target the county as a “battleground” area.

The Arizona marijuana industry, which in 2018 grossed more than $400 million Carry Nationin sales ofthe flower ofthe plant, its extracts and related products, be noise. a force to be reckoned with and won’t hesitate to counter madewilla big anticipated propaganda campaigns by anti-cannabis forces. One ofthe largest marijuana dispensary companies is located in Arizona, and owns dispensaries in several other Organizers are confident that states through joint partnera new voter initiative will pass. ships.The coalition ofdispensaries, called the Arizona Dispensaries Association (ADA), is working with other marijuana-related groups like NORML and Arizona’s Marijuana Industry Trade Association (MITA), while the Arizona ACLU is providing legal support.

“We need 270,000 signatures, approximately, and are aiming to get 340,000 total as a cushion,” Weisser said. “This will be a new experience when it comes to citizen’s initiatives and signature-gathering, because a state law now requires us to get signatures from each county proportionately. Paid circulators and the company Petition Partners, professional signature-gatherers based in Arizona, will be working with us.”

Demitri Downing ofMITA, which has 6,000 members, said he thinks the proposition will pass.

“Opposition to prohibition is so dead that a proposition to tax and regulate will win,” Downing said. “The citizens want peace. Groups like

ours are trying to structure a peace that promotes responsible use ofmarijuana, that allows for nutraceutical, medicinal and health benefits, including for stress. We’re not here to promote recreational marijuana, but the concept ofhow medical marijuana works as medicine is so unexplored by the government that people are ready for the government to move aside. Right now we don’t have reciprocity for cardholders from other states to buy here, and we need commonsense reforms.”

The ADA submitted its version ofthe Smart and Safe Arizona Act to the Secretary ofState’s office on August 8, and the state’s attorneys have until September 8 to comment on it or object to any ofthe language. The ADA is soliciting comments and questions from its membership and others in the cannabis community, too, to solidify support for the initiative. Approximately 130 licenses for recreational dispensaries would be issued unRodney Jones served 30 months. der the rules ofthe initiative, which allows one dispensary for every ten licensed pharmacies.

A 16% excise tax would be used to enforce the new regulations, but 31.4% ofthat revenue would be allocated to community colleges, 31.4% to municipal police and fire departments, 30% to the highway fund, and 7% to the Justice Reinvestment Fund. The fund will support initiatives or programs that focus on substance-abuse prevention, treatment and early intervention, as well as restorative justice and diversion, and work and Saturnprograms in naturalfor color as seen by Cassini in convicted July 2008, ofsubstance courtesy NASAabuse. training disadvantaged people It will also create programs to expunge the records ofpeople convicted of low-level possession crimes.

The proposition would allow people to grow cannabis plants at home, up to six per person or twelve per household, reducing the likelihood of black-market purchases among those who would be unable to afford to buy products at a dispensary.

For more information on the marijuana proposition’s progress, go to smartandsafeaz.com.

Part 1 of“Marijuana Wars” focused on law enforcement in Yavapai County, and was the cover story for our August 2019 issue. You can read it in our archive at 5ensesmag.com. For the fulltext of the proposed2020 initiative, scan the code at right.

Toni Denis, a journalist based in Prescott, is an editor and writer for her own company, Seeflection.com, and a correspondent for Weedmaps, a marijuana app with 4.5 million users.

7•5enses

Marijuana Wars, Part 2

5enses • 8

News from the Wilds

by Ty Fitzmorris

S

eptember glows in golden light, rich with scents of late summer.

Its sunrises are heady with the fragrance of white sacred datura flowers, fading into the noontime butterscotch ofsun-warmed ponderosas, and then into the dusk sweetness ofbrickleThe floods from monsoon storms create idealsubstrates for observing the tracks of bush. In much ofNorth America, September mammals (such as these Raccoons) as wellas insects, reptiles andbirds. marks the beginning ofthe colder part ofthe year, with last harvests and cold nights. But in the lower latitudes, such as the is the creation ofgalls, structures created by plants in response to an inMogollon Highlands ofArizona, September is still summer, though with sect laying an egg in the plant’s tissue.

Galls can look like pine cones (on juniper trees, which bear no visible hints and foreshadowings ofautumn. The monsoon rains usually continue into the early part ofthe month, tapering offeventually into glorious cones), or like apples on Emory oak trees, like smooth, blushing tumors on Gambel oaks, or even like furry, curled leaves on Arizona white oaks. sunny days, with extraordinary flowering ofpurple four-o’clocks, asters Oaks, in fact, have the highest diversity ofgalls, with over 300 different and morning glories, red penstemons and scarlet creeper, yellow suntypes found on them. Many ofthese galls will appear now, as specialist flowers and daisies, and the tall, strange tree-like Wright’s thelypody wasps, moths, and flies lay their eggs in the growing tissue oftheir coe( Thelypodium wrightii), with its white flowers.

Insect diversity, too, continues to grow and change, with some ofthe volved host-plant.

Our most water-dependent creatures, such as snails and mushrooms, largest insects ofthe year making their debuts. Look for the large brown abound now — species one rarely associates with the desert Southwest. rhinoceros beetle (Xyloryctes jamaicensis), the great ash sphinx moth (Sphinx chersis), and the gigantic leaf-mimic katydids ofthe genus Mi- Arizona is home to at least 200 species ofnative snails, most ofwhich are completely unstudied, though they can easily be seen consuming rivercrocentrum, as well as the harmless (though somewhat alarming) giant side vegetation during this wet season. Our species offungi number in crab spider (Olios giganteus), often seen in houses as temperatures fall.

In this time ofextraordinary plenty, many creatures begin to prepare the thousands (just in Arizona!) and, again, are substantially unstudied, but they present a bewildering diversity from now until the fall, from for the coming cold season. Most ofour woody plants are setting seed, which woodpeckers and squirrels are storing away in granaries, the young brittlegills to puffballs to earthstars. Their fruiting bodies are the only ofmany mammal species are leaving home to establish their own territ- parts ofmushrooms that we typically note, but this is a small part ofthe organism. The real fungus is a network offilamentous mycorrhizae inories, and insects are laying eggs, their unique adaptation to climatic stress. One ofthe most unusual egg-laying techniques in the insect world terlacing (and often enriching) the soil.

The mammals ofthe Central Highlands are, for the most part, at the peak oftheir year. Food is abundant, and most species are not under any real food or water stress, so it is now that the contests for mates begin.

Coyotes, foxes and porcupines are also finding mates and breeding.

Sensing the shortening days, other mammals, like squirrels and chipmunks, are stashing food for the coming cold season.

Some bird species will start to migrate into our area from the north toward the end ofthe month, and we will see species that we haven’t seen in large numbers since spring. Violet-green and northern rough-winged swallows can be found in flocks during this time, though they will have continued their travels southward by mid-October. Teal, hummingbirds and warblers, mostly in fall plumage, will pass us as they fly south. Look also for the earliest migrant hawks from the north, including ferruginous, Swainson’s and some very early rough-legged hawks.

Greater Short-hornedLizards (Phrynosoma hernandesi) have given birth, andthe young begin hunting ants for the first time during the endofthe monsoons.

Ty Fitzmorris is an itinerant and often distractible naturalist who lives in

Prescott and is the Curator ofInsects at the new Natural History Institute at Prescott College. Reach him at Ty@PeregrineBookCompany.com with questions or comments.

High Mountains

• Coyotes begin courting and can be seen running in pairs.

• Elk breeding season begins, and sometimes the resonant bugling of male elk can be heard in wilder areas.

• Porcupines begin their breeding season (with substantial care) in the aspen groves in higher elevations.

Example: Dandrea Trail, #285

Ponderosa Pine Forests

• Black walnut leaves begin to turn yellow as cold air flows down river drainages from the higher mountains, and the husks ofwalnut seeds litter the ground.

• Large patches ofvegetation under ponderosas turn bright red toward the end ofthe month. These wispy, near-leafless plants are Dysphania graveolens, a type ofgoosefoot that emits a pungent, resinous smell when touched. (Thanks to Lisa Zander at the Natural History Institute for the ID help.)

• Some needles on ponderosas start to turn orange, and are shed toward the end ofthe month, as new, soft green leaves replace them. Healthy ponderosas lose nearly 40% oftheir needles every autumn, and while this type ofneedle loss can be rapid, it does not necessarily indicate health problems. Also, the wonderful vanilla-butterscotch aroma ofthe ponderosa is at its peak now, from furrows in the bark.

Example: Aspen Creek Trail, #48

Pine-OakWoodlands

• Emory oak and Arizona white oak bear their nutrient-rich acorns, providing one ofthe year’s biggest crops for acorn woodpeckers, rock squirrels and cliffchipmunks.

• Mule deer begin their rut. Males can sometimes be seen sparring, and territorial markings, such as rubbed spots on saplings, are easily found.

• Mushrooms ‘flower’ in great diversity, especially in areas with downed, wet wood. It is during this time that most wood decomposition takes place, with their aid.

• Fendler’s ceanothus continues to flower. The Navajo use this plant as both a sedative and an emetic (to cause vomiting), and the berries are an important food source for many animals.

• Mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus) bears its seeds. The long, spiral seeds burrow actively into the soil when they fall, both as a method for self-planting and fire-avoidance.

Example: Miller Creek Trail, #367

Pinyon-Juniper Woodlands

• Goldenrods (Solidago spp. ) and bricklebush (Brickellia spp. ) flower. The latter has arguably the best aroma ofany ofour flowering plants, releasing it at dusk to attract moths.

• Butterflies fly in great diversity, drawn to the flat, open flowers ofthe aster family, including the fleabanes, sunflowers, asters and groundsels.

Example: Juniper Springs Trail, #2

Grasslands

• Pronghorns begin their short breeding season. During this time the males fight for dominance, and winners gather harems offemales.

• Yellow and purple asters abound, along with sunflowers.

• The grasshoppers, our primary grass herbivores, reach their final, winged life-stage, and many species can be found in different microhabitats.

Look especially for the massive, though wingless, plains lubber grasshopper (Brachystola magna), which can often be found crossing roads like State Route 69 east ofDewey-Humboldt.

Example: Mint Wash Trail, #345

Riparian Areas

• Canyon treefrogs (Hyla arenicolor) conclude their mating season and finish laying eggs, even as some eggs hatch into tadpoles.

• Young river otters leave their parents and their home territories, dispersing into new habitats. This species is slowly reoccupying habitats from which it was extirpated by trapping, declining water quality, and habitat loss, and now can be found throughout the Southwest.

• Monarch butterflies appear toward the end ofthe month, beginning their long migration south, following creeks and drainages.

• Katydids, large-winged relatives ofgrasshoppers, fly in riparian galleries. These are some ofthe best leaf-mimics ofthe insects.

• The fruits ofcoffeeberry (Rhamnus californica) continue to ripen and provide a valuable food source for many species ofbirds.

Example: BellTrail, #13

Deserts/Chaparral

• Paintbrushes (genus Castilleja) bear their beanlike seed-pods. These beautiful plants are unusual in that they are hemiparasites, drawing nutrients from other plants but also performing some photosynthesis oftheir own.

• Seep willow (Baccharis sarothroides) flowers in desert washes. This plant was used extensively by the Tohono O’odham to make arrows and brooms, as well as to brew a tea for coughs.

Example: Algonquin Trail, #225

Climate Note: The 2019 monsoon season is currently the sixth driest in

the 120-year data set maintained by the NationalWeather Service station in Prescott, which has caused a major decrease in flowering and insect activity and will continue to play havoc with the ecosystems ofthe Mogollon Highlands and beyond. It is impossible to predict the effects ofthis aberrant weather pattern except to say that in many ways it will differ dramatically from the norm. The above is accurate for a usual September, and is printed here both out ofoptimism and because it clarifies which species and ecosystems will be affected by this and other years that vary dramatically from the historical average, as it seems many will in the future.

Skyward

• 13th: Full moon at 9:34pm • 23nd: Autumnal equinox at 12:50am. The sun will set almost exactly to the west this evening (on the 22nd as well, given that the equinox falls near midnight), and everywhere on Earth day and night will be of equal length. Today also marks the first day ofautumn in the northern hemisphere, as well as the midpoint in the period ofgreatest daylength change, when the days are shortening at the year's highest rate.

• 28th: New moon at 11:26am

9•5enses

A very briefsurvey ofwhat's happening in the wilds

5enses • 10

Down Home and Far Away at YCPAC

by Michael Grady

T

he best parts ofany performance season are the hidden gems, the acts and events ofsurprising quality that everyone claims to have seen after the fact.

At Yavapai College Performing Arts Center, two big names — LeAnn Rimes and Clint Black — are drawing most ofthe attention. But there are some excellent autumn gems lingering in the shadow ofthose big names that you won’t want to miss.

Steep Canyon Rangers

Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass album. Alternately described as “traditional bluegrass,” “progressive bluegrass” and “country,” they are simply “Where have I heard ofthem?” is a phrase often heard when Steep too inventive as musicians to slot neatly into any category. Steep Canyon Canyon Rangers are mentioned. Within the recording industry, this Rangers have covered The Grateful Dead and performed with everyone Grammy Award-winning North Carolina sextet is regarded with reverfrom Paul McCartney to the Dixie Chicks. ence. Within the country/bluegrass world, with awe.

For all that flexibility, Steep Canyon Rangers developed a sound The name you’re probably looking for is Steve Martin. The legendary uniquely their own. Listen for a dancing fiddle and a catchy, banjo-driven banjo-playing comedian first hooked up with SCR in 2009. They backed energy that catches the ear quickly and delights the listener all the way to him on the albums Rare Bird Alert and Long-Awaited Album in 2017. the encore.

In between, the comedian and the Rangers became touring partners.

But it says something about SCR that Steve Martin is only part of YCPAC Satellite Series (Oct. 12–May 9) their story. In 2013 their solo album Nobody Knows You won the Local art aficionados have very little to whine about. Northern Arizona practically bristles with art. But those who pine for big-name artists and the latest dramatic performances need to be dragged by the hair to the Yavapai College Performing Arts Center. There they’ll find the best ofthe British stage, the balletic grace ofthe Bolshoi, and a livestream from the Metropolitan Opera waiting, all by the miracle ofsatellite.

YCPAC’s Satellite Series is the undiscovered gem ofthe local arts scene. Just steps from downtown Prescott, viewers can enjoy the best work from the world’s preeminent dancers, actors and opera stars, for barely more than an Angry Birds sequel. The Performing Arts Center will offer 22 productions via satellite this season. By October those satellites will be giving offsteam.

Two Met simulcasts, a Bolshoi ballet and a classic Broadway musical will all pipe onto YCPAC’s big screen in glorious high-def. For those who like their opera fresh, the Met’s latest production ofTurandot, Puccini’s masterpiece about a brutal and enigmatic princess, will livestream on Saturday, October 12 at 9:55am. Then 42nd Street, the classic “You’re gonna be a Star!” Broadway musical, will be presented in a gorgeous production by London’s Theatre Royal on Thursday night, October 24 at 6pm. Manon, another Met Opera simulcast, will fill the PAC with its tale ofpiety, lust and love on Saturday October 26 at 9:55am.

Then the Bolshoi will close October with Raymonda, a story oflove, temptation and regret, on Wednesday October 30 at 6pm.

Tickets for Steep Canyon Rangers start at $32. Tickets for London Theatre Live and the Bolshoi Ballet are $15, and for the Metropolitan Opera Live are $24 (seniors $20). All shows are on sale at the Yavapai College Performing Arts Center, 1100 E. Sheldon St. in Prescott. For more information, please call (928) 776-2000 or visit ycpac.com.

Steep Canyon Rangers (Sept. 28)

by DeeDee Freeman

I

t’s that back-to-school time ofyear, which, depending on what stage we are at in life, comes in many flavors, ranging from sweet, bittersweet or salty, occasionally to sour.

OLLI members volunteer for committees that set policies, provide tech support, plan social events, do outreach, welcome new members, monitor the budget, recruit new facilitators, partner with other organizations, and provide the leadership to set goals for OLLI’s future.

As a facilitator I much appreciate the opportunity to teach in a well equipped college classroom, with the complete support ofthe OLLI staff. I chose a topic, in this case basic meditation, that I wanted to learn more about to improve my own practice. Who knew that interest in something for myselfwould have such a profound effect on others? I learned at least as much from them as they did from me.

There are 122 OLLIs nationwide. Yavapai College is one ofonly four community colleges in the country hosting an OLLI, which is a contributing factor in it being one the most successful. Prescott OLLI averages 1,000 members per year. Taken together with sister programs in Sedona and Cottonwood, YC-OLLI has over 2,000 members and offers 300+ classes and workshops each year, along with social events, field trips, special interest groups and one-time events during the summer and winter breaks.

Prescott OLLI memberships are oftwo types. The first day ofkindergarten, excitement about new clothes, apprehension about fitting in and $165 Deluxe membership includes up to 20 no-cost who we’ll sit with at lunch, organizing our binders, praying to pass our exams, and that fi- classes annually, plus free workshops. The $65 Basic membership includes free workshops, with a $30 fee for nal walk across the stage with our diplomas. While there are indeed similarities for younger and older folks when it comes to ‘back-to-school,’ the main difference that stands each class. A $10 Try Me membership is also on offer, out for retirees is the joy oflearning for learning’s sake, without the pressure ofhomework which includes one six-week session and a fee of$30 for or tests. As one OLLI member puts it: “I go “back to school” every day. I’m always learn- each additional class, and scholarships are available as ing something new. The day you stop learning is the day you’re either God or you’re dead!” well. OLLI’s fees stay low because the volunteer facilitatOLLI offers a wide range oflearning opportunities in a relaxed college environment, ors are members.

As a peer-directed membership organization within without the pressure ofhomework or studying for tests. OLLI also provides a variety of Yavapai College, OLLI’s mission is to provide lifelong opportunities for socializing throughout the year, either formally in organized events, or learning and social interaction opportunities. Talents, exinformally, by encouraging members to get to know one another and form friendships perience and skills are shared in a relaxed environment to based on common interests.

OLLI recently celebrated its 25th anniversary and is going stronger than ever, offering explore new interests, discover latent abilities, engage in intellectual and cultural pursuits, and contribute to our five six-week sessions yearly, with classes, workshops and other offerings ranging from tech topics, world events and finance to fine arts, literature and film. The current session, rapidly changing multicultural, multigenerational society.

Fall 1, runs September 3 through October 14, and the Fall 2 session runs October 28 DeeDee Freeman is an OLLIstudent and facilitator. For through December 13, with the schedule available online on September 23. information about OLLIand how to join, contact the OLLI functions as a “knowledge exchange”, with members not only attending classes, more OLLIoffice at 928-717-7634 (M-F8am-5pm), or visit the but also, depending on individual interests and talents, serving in other capacities as well. OLLIwebsite: yc.edu/v6/lifelong-learning/olli-prescott.

For some ofus, these three simple words promise new backpacks, school supplies and reunion with friends, while for others, streets packed with school buses, intense multitasking, and wondering where summer went. For people ofretirement age in the greater Prescott area, it means back to the friends, staffand activities that support lifelong learning — that is, the Osher Life-Long Learning Institute, better known as OLLI. Young or old, regardless ofwhere we fall on the back-to-school spectrum, we are either going through or have had similar back-to-school experiences: getting ready for the

11•5enses

What Does ‘Back-to-School’ Mean to You?

5enses • 12

Learning Art, As It’s Made 12th Annual Prescott Artists Studio Tour

W

by Lynn Schmitt and Carlos de Gonzalez

hen you select a mug in the morning, admire a painting on your wall, or put on jewelry, do you think about how it was made, and who made it?

One way to explore these questions and more is by experiencing the Prescott Area Artist Studio Tour, visiting the artists in their private studios and seeing them at work. Art in a gallery setting is great, but the tour gives you a more personal connection with the artists.

It’s s a chance to take a journey, to become a part ofone ofhumanity’s oldest expressions, and to help support Arizona arts programs for future leaders and creators. The adventure is free and within your control. You can start at any location by looking for someone whose work calls to you, then explore other nearby studios, or stop by one ofthe Art Centers to see a variety ofartists in one place.

For the second year there’s an additional opportunity to research and plan in the Gala Pre-Tour Reception, an opportunity to meet artists, bask in visual delights and plan which studios to visit, while enjoying delectable hors d’oeuvres, beverages and great music. The Gala is free and open to the public.

Inspiration is in everything around me. My weaving is inspired by color and texture.

— Pennie Alexander, textiles/wearables at Eclipse Studio, Studio 41

This preview gives you time to delve into a wide variety of art. You can talk with the artists about what inspires them and how they bring their ideas to life. With this knowledge you can better select the studios you want to visit during the tour to see more ofeach artist’s expressions. Throughout the evening the organizers will raffle twelve great pieces furnished by participating artists. You just may end up taking something special home.

This year there are 75 artists, selected by jury, in 51 private studios throughout Prescott, Williamson Valley, Chino Valley, Paulden and Prescott Valley. Maps are available now on the tour website (below). At each studio the artist will demonstrate how they create, showing the tools oftheir trade and giving you a glimpse oftheir creative process. All the while you’ll be able to purchase distinctive, local art wherever you go.

As a Native American Artist, Ipaint culturally inspiring portraits and images Iam drawn to on a daily basis. Come by and visit!

— Karen Clarkson, oil painting at Clarkson Art Studio, Studio 28

My art reinterprets steel into forms that will make you question what you are looking at and, hopefully, find humor in the discovery process.

— Dale Andress, sculpture at Andress Studio, Studio 29

13•5enses

Isearch constantly to see the impressions ofcolor in nature, present them to the viewer and share with them the magic and beauty that Istrive to see.

— Srishti Wilhelm, oil painting at Falcon Nest, Studio 21 At my very core I'm a storyteller, and I strive to infuse my paintings with the spirit and stories ofthe American West.

— Steve Atkinson, oil painting at Steve Atkinson Studio, Studio 34

Ienjoy creating works ofart using the finest exotic hardwoods available and am now experimenting with new technologies such as fractal wood burning to give my designs an even more unique visual appeal.

— Richard Kerrell, furniture at RMKDesigns – Fine Woodworking Studio, Studio 25

The primary fundraiser for the Studio Tour is an end-of-tour raffle, featuring works

by most ofthe participating artists. Raffle tickets may be purchased and used at any tour location.

Proceeds from ticket sales will be used to fund next year’s tour, as well as art programs for children in the quad-city area. The winning tickets will be drawn after 4pm on October 6.

In addition to the artists displaying their talents in private studios, 26 other artists will be exhibiting and sharing personal stories about their art at three Art Center locations: Mountain Artists Guild, Prescott Center for the Arts, and the ‘Tis Annex Art Education Building.

Itry to create pieces that people are going to want to use every day. It’s all mugs, bowls and platters.

— Abby Brill, ceramics at Abby’s Pots, Studio 11

During the tour each artist demonstrates — no, involves you in — some aspect of how they bring their mindscape into reality, providing insight on what it takes to do what they do. You’ll get to see some of the tools and processes they use to create their art.

These presentations are what makes the Studio Tour a truly unique event. Many studi­ os will be offering you chances to express yourself artistically as well.

Meet more ofthe talented artists on the Tour at PrescottStudioTour.com. This year’s tour is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday October 4-6, 10am-4pm daily. It’s free and self-guided; you can start at any studio. The Pre-Tour Reception is on Wednesday October 2, 5-8pm in the third-floor ballroom ofthe Elks Performing Arts Center, 117 Gurley St., Prescott.

5enses • 14

Indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for All Perspective by Lesley Aine McKeown and Jeff Daverman

Nearly everyone in America learned the Pledge ofAllegiance in school and can recite it by heart. But how often do we really stop and think about what the Pledge means?

Its strong, moving words outline fundamental principles, compelling us all to defend and honor the right ofevery American to liberty and justice, together as one nation, indivisible.

With the 2016 elections, congressional staffers Ezra Levin and his wife Leah Greenberg found themselves, like many ofus, shocked and angry over the advancement ofa radically different vision for our nation. Both longtime activists, they did not sit idle. What started as a small group offriends brainstorming in their living room became the Indivisible Project, a nationwide movement empowering groups across the country to achieve legislative and electoral victories through advocacy and political action. Recognizing that our nation was founded with racial injustice built into its very framework, Levin created the Racial Justice Platform as a key component.

These ideas inspired many Prescott-area residents to commit to addressing the racial climate here and in Arizona more generally, among them Rosemary Dixon, who today chairs Prescott Indivisible. Throughout the region PI hosts political action and teaching events, and serves as an active network for democratic advocacy.

Dixon focused immediately on the corrosive effects ofracism. “We all have a lot to learn when it comes to the issue ofrace. By raising the profiles ofmarginalized groups, and by instead valuing, honoring and celebrating their contributions, we enrich the tapestry ofour community.”

Especially pertinent here in northern Arizona is expanding consciousness around our Native communities, and PI is undertaking initiatives designed to broaden and deepen understanding ofNative cultures and their value in our diverse, multicultural nation.

PI’s first community-outreach event this year was the Pow Wow Etiquette Training on August 24, sponsored by Smoki Museum Director Manuel Lucero ahead ofthe annual Prescott Pow Wow September 20-22 at Watson Lake Park (prescottpowwow.org).

Moved by the climate ofdivisiness and fear, Dixon and PI member and activist JeffDaverman conceived the Neighborhood Summit for Equity, a full weekend ofevents advocating the values and cooperative practices that are our most important legacy as Americans.

Says Daverman, "Our aim is to shift the consciousness around this issue in our community and throughout Arizona by creating solidarity through honest dialogue. Greater understanding ofracial and cultural equity is a path to harmony in every neighborhood. We hope this event creates connections that contribute to organizing and influencing our political discourse in an impactful way.

“We’re determined to push back on the rising toxic surge ofwhite nationalism with a clear alternative: Love Your Neighbor. We do this by encouraging curiosity, and by asking, ‘who is my neighbor?’ and, ‘How can I best love my neighbor?’”

Neighborhood Summit for Equity Friday, Sept. 20, 6-7:30pm • Keynote address by Indivisible Project co-Founder Ezra Levin • Presentations and performances • Wisdom invocations with local religious leaders Sunday, Sept. 22 Workshops with Lexi Coburn, Indivisible Senior Training Associate and Southern Organizer, National Indivisible Registration is limited to 40 participants.

9am-noon: Racial Equity Workshop for Visitors 2-5pm: Racial Equity Workshop for Locals

• Collective Action 12-2pm Walk from Mile-High Middle School to Courthouse Square with Dr. Ernesto Todd Mireles, Prescott College Prescott Indivisible: prescottindivisible.org Contact: Rosemary Dixon, rdixon2@sbcglobal.net Neighborhood Summit for Equity facebook.com/NeighborhoodSummitForEquity/ Invisible Project; indivisible.org

5enses • 16

RhizeHOME: A Cultural Feast

I

by Molly Beverly

t's early fall and the garden is exploding with life.

This makes me want to sing and dance, make music, cook, write poetry and weave flowers into trellises. At Delicious Earth Farm, a one-acre urban garden in Prescott, the corn, beans, squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, onions, herbs and flowers are bursting with abundance, and a particular group ofPrescott artists is playing along.

Twenty-two artists, including dancers, musicians, poets, composers, actors, photographers, sculptors, painters, flower artists, gardenscapers (and chickens) draw inspiration from the earth, the garden, and each other. They're swelling with creativity to produce an enchanted garden experience on Sunday evening, September 15.

The evening commences at 4pm with an introduction to the garden gallery and historic farm buildings. Guests will wander through film, photography, sculpture and music installations, with music played on vegetable instruments and farm equipment.

Guests will also enjoy their first nibble: local watermelon sprinkled with mint and Arizona dates stuffed with Hassayampa Farm cheese, mild chilies and Verde Valley pecans.

At around 5pm attendees will be guided through a roving performance that will travel through the vegetable and sunflower gardens. The entertainment will include dance, original music compositions, spoken word, and more. The flow follows to the corn circle for more dance and music.

Following this performance, there will be a blessing ofgratitude and celebration with the eating ofblue corn tamales. At this point the full tasting-menu experience will open. Guests can settle into garden seating, socialize and circulate among the artists and performers. The vegetarian menu, inspired by the garden and drawn from local and heritage sources, includes tepary beans with roasted red peppers, leek and potato tart, garden tomato-basil salad

Delisa Myles on the farm and fresh peach cake. Beverages include hard cider made with historic apples, beer brewed with hops grown on the property, and Delicious Earth iced herb tea.

RhizeHOME is the brainchild ofAshley Fine, artistic director, gardener, teacher and mom. Co-conspirators are Earl Duque (head gardener, dancer and rocket scientist) and Delisa Myles (garden dancer and artist).

Delisa describes the experience: "Hosting RhizeHOME at Delicious Earth Farm has been a big, beautiful convergence ofartistic practice mixed with tending a season ofgrowth in the garden. It’s been a different way to approach cultivation ofcrops, with an eye toward the aesthetic as well as the utilitarian. Growing food and making art nourishes the soul in different and essential ways, and it’s good to feel the processes as one connected whole.

"This blending ofdifferent modes ofcreation, that ofthe garden and that of the theatre, has stretched my concept oftime and art. Instead ofa performance happening in human time and human speed, I've experienced RhizeHOME as a season-long, seamlessly connected art process, starting with putting seeds in the ground and witnessing the incremental changes on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. It’s been exciting to see how the farm has inspired and influenced the artists. It seems magical and yet so natural to have dances and sculpture, poetry and music, photos, paintings and prints all come to life, all intertwined with the growth ofthe garden. It’s been a delight to have this bounty ofcreativity gifted to the farm by the participating artists."

ChefMolly Beverly is a food activist, teacher, and chair ofSlow Food Prescott.

RhizeHOME: A Cultural Feast ofLocal Food, Art and Performance

Rebecca Asay-Davis andRoger Asay

Sunday, September 15, 4-7pm at Delicious Earth Farm Advance tickets only: rhizehome.eventbrite.com Artist bios and more at facebook.com/rhizehome RhizeHOME is co-sponsored by Slow Food Prescott, El Gato Azul, Whipstone Farm, Delicious Earth Farm and Flying Nest Movement Arts, and funded by the Arizona Commission on the Arts.

by Abby Brill

I

t wasn’t hard to spot the open door in the alley, and hear the light, bouncy beat of African music filtered through a small radio.

I had found her: Priscillah Finney, aka The Samosa Lady. Tall and long-limbed, with a don’t-get-in-my-way-I’m-working vibe, she will stop on a dime and give you one ofher broad smiles and generous hugs.

Priscillah is the owner, creator and chefde cuisine ofSafari Samosas.

For those ofus who patronize the Prescott Farmers Market, Priscillah’s samosas are epic. Some folks visit the market for the sole purpose of getting their weekly samosa fix. Yes, they’re that good.

Originally an Indian food, samosas were brought to Kenya by the British. The Kenyans found the imported dumplings rather bland for their taste, and added additional ingredients. Priscillah grew up in Kenya, where every household makes its own samosas. She studied culinary arts there and can make amazing food happen.

In 1994 Priscillah came to the US with her boyfriend, Dean Finney, whom she met in Kenya, where he worked for the State Department.

After stints in Washington DC and California, Dean retired. They decided to move to Prescott, and bought a house in Hidden Valley. One day while out shopping, Dean suggested they stop by the courthouse.

There he asked her to marry him and not return to Kenya. Much to her surprise, she agreed.

Priscillah worked at several jobs and attended Yavapai College before she started seriously cooking again. She started bringing Kenyan food to potlucks at her church, then friends began asking her to cater small parties. By 2008 she was getting very busy cooking. By 2010 Safari Samosas was an official business. In 2015 her husband died, leaving Priscillah in financial straits. After some time adjusting, she realized that her salvation lay only in her own initiative. She loved the creative process ofcooking great food that made people happy, so she redoubled her efforts to build her business.

Safari Samosas can be found, most predictably, at the Prescott Farmers Market. Sometimes you’ll find the samosa stand at a street fair in Prescott or in Flagstaff, and more folks are discovering how good Priscillah’s catered food is. She can prepare authentic African food for up to 100, plus she can take orders for larger quantities ofsamosas, including custom options like wild salmon and lamb.

There are ten samosa varieties that she makes regularly, including spicy chicken, kale and spinach, traditional Indian spicy potato, veggie, apple, mung bean, mushroom (my favorite) and chorizo. Someone recently gave her a bushel offresh apricots, so we can expect some amazing apricot samosas in the near future.

She also makes a mint chutney for the samosas, with fresh mint, mangoes, ginger, garlic, spinach and kale. She sells the sauce by the jar, and it is fabulous on sandwiches, pasta, rice, vegetables or any meat or fish. After the Farmers Market on Saturday mornings I often treat myselfto a samosa before heading home with my veggies.

While Priscillah admits it’s been tough making a go ofit as a streetfood vendor, she is grateful for all the support she’s gotten from the community, especially from the Chamber ofCommerce, which she says was helpful in navigating the complex system oflicensing. City regulations are still very restrictive regarding street-food vendors. (There is a natural tension between local restaurants and mobile food vendors.)

But with the growing influx oftourists through the summer and around the holidays, restaurants can get crowded, so food trucks can help keep those hungry bellies happy.

Priscillah’s greatest wish is to have her own Safari Samosa truck.

Regulations for food trucks are not as onerous as they are for food stands (a food truck gets a Health Department-certified kitchen), so selling her samosas from a truck would provide her with more opportunities.

Perhaps this community ofsamosa lovers can pull together a campaign to help make the food truck dream a reality. In Durango, there’s a French guy who has a food truck downtown where he sells crepes.

People know to go to the crepe guy when they visit there. Wouldn’t it be great if, when visitors come to Prescott, they made sure to visit the Samosa Lady?

To order Safari Samosas for pick-up or to inquire about catering, go to safarisamosas.com, or follow on Facebook.

Abby Brill, peregrinacious polyglot and potter, social justice activist and sometimes writer, has lived in Prescott for nearly ten years.

Prescott Farmers Market:

Saturdays 7:30-noon at Yavapai College thru October, or Saturdays 10am-1pm at Prescott High School starting in November

17•5enses

Dumpling Migration: India to Kenya to Prescott’s Finest

5enses • 18

Farewell to the 17th Century: Class Is in Session

P

Perceivings by Alan Dean Foster

ublic schools in the United States have been operating more or less the same way since the first one, the Boston Latin School, opened in 1635.

present, that fear goes away. Students who need more attention and help receive it, while the brighter students are free to go their own way and learn far more than they ever would in a crowded Back when students used to walk to school. Everyone remembers a class. favorite grandpa who used to regale the grandkids with tales ofhow he In my stories (Montezuma Strip) I had to walk ten miles to class every day through a blinding blizzard (only proposed that kids physically attend “school” two days a week. Not for efficacious ifyou plan on a career in meteorology) and then ten miles academics, but to enhance and develop social interaction (which is why I home on 100-degree afternoons — sometimes even on the same day. called them socis (“sewshes”). Socis would be where kids interact with one Okay, so maybe gramps exaggerated a smidgen here and there. The another, whether through sports, mutual hobbies ofinterest, expeditions only difference today is that most kids are dropped offat school by their out into the wider world. Zoos, museums, universities, factories, banks (if parents, or ride a school bus. they still exist in physical form) — “real life.” With children only attendIt’s all such a waste. ing a site once or twice a week, the need for expensive physical plant paid Parents who have to drive their children to school and pick them up for by taxpayers would be greatly reduced. again sacrifice valuable time. School districts required to provide bus serAn experimental study needs to be done on the cost ofproviding vice spend thousands ofdollars that could be every student who cannot afford one on better put to use paying for infrastructure and their own with a tablet/computer and staff. Which leads to the question: just how much basic internet service. I bet it works out Surely we can do better now. does supplying loaner tablets or computers to cheaper than having to provide every students cost vs. the current arrangement?

15-20 kids with a live teacher for every I originally contemplated our antique educaclass plus the cost ofcommuting them tional system some decades ago, when alternatives to a physical location. I don’t think to the present, inefficient setup started to become there’s any question that children would practical. Essentially, school hasn’t changed since do better academically. Instead ofwast1635. Surely we can do better now. ing time being driven or having to For example, ifyou have 20 teachers in a large trudge to and from school, they can be school teaching the same course (English, say) at home learning. Class hours can be set and one teacher is clearly head and shoulders according to every individual student’s better than the other 19, you are automatically needs. Early risers can start at 6am depriving 95% ofthe students taking English of (okay, kids like that don’t exist, but still the best available education in that subject. If ....). It has been shown over and over students take that class at home from that best that to do their best, children need their instructor, via tablet/computer, they then receive sleep. Imagine starting school at the the best possible instruction in the relevant subsame time as currently, but without ject. Secondary teachers (as many as the school having to rise an hour or so earlier just district deems necessary) are then made available to get there. online to interact with students and answer So, you say kids will just ignore their questions. This frees the top instructor from having to spend time in class lessons and goofoff. Not as long as there are tests (and there are alresponding to queries and the interactive-answer teachers from having to gorithms that can ensure against cheating). Relaxed at home, without fear prepare and deliver lectures. ofhaving to run to the next class or answer questions in front ofone’s This allows students to receive better instruction as well as the oppor- peers, every student will do better. And physical bullying will be a relic of tunity for more personal interaction with a teacher. Advanced students the past. will research and find answers to their questions on their own, while stuSome school district, somewhere, ought to give it a try. I think we can dents struggling with a subject will have access to far more time with an do better with today’s technology than we did using the same methods we instructor. Remember how in class the good students always answered the used in 1635. teacher’s questions while their uncertain and less secure friends sat in the Prescott resient Alan Dean Foster is the author ofmore than 120 books. back and kept quiet for fear ofsaying something “stupid?” When a stuFollow him at AlanDeanFoster.com. dent is one-on-one with an instructor and no giggling classmates are

On the Shelves

by Peregrine Book Company staffi Boy, Snow, Bird

by Helen Oyeyemi This postmodern fairy-tale retelling ofSnow White is brilliantly written, an exploration ofthe meaning ofrace and identity. Perilous and quietly magical. —Ty Movie Night Menus

by Teraya and Andre Darlington I'm a sucker for any book published by TCM, and this is their classic dinner-and-a-movie book.

Pick one ofyour favorite classic Hollywood films and see what drinks/entrees pair well with them. Perfect for a romantic night in with a loved one! — Josef Sounds Like Titanic

by Jessica Chiccehitto Hidman Hindman's account ofworking for a fake composer in a fake orchestra is weirder than fiction. A story that studies the nature ofmemoir, reality, growing up in the nineties, and the unreliable narrarator in our own heads.

Hindman's story is vulnerable, candid, and relatable. — Susannah The Wrenchies

by Farel Dalrymple This graphic novel is written, lettered, pencilled, inked and watercolored by the incredible Farel Dalrymple. It is an adventure story about kids, good and evil, and having the self-reflection to face yourselfwhen you don't get what you want out of life. — David

Ecotopia

by Ernest Callenbach Twenty years after California, Oregon and Washington secede from the United States, an American reporter is the first outsider let in to learn more about this mysterious green society. — Jasper

5enses • 20

Art Walk Participants

Artist receptions, openings, and demonstrations at more than a dozen galleries Arts Prescott Co-op Gallery 134 S. Montezuma St., 928-776-7717 Art2 120 W. Gurley St., 928-499-4428 ButiFULL 211 N. Granite St., 928-848-4767 Hotel Vendome 230 S. Cortez St., 928-776-0900 Huckeba Art Gallery 227 W. Gurley St., 928-445-3848 Ian Russell Gallery 130 S. Montezuma St., 928-445-7009 Kriegers 110 S. Montezuma St. Ste. F, 928-778-4900 Mountain Artists Guild 228 N. Alarcon St., 928-445-2510 Natural History Institute 126 N Marina St., 928-863-3232 Prescott Center for the Arts Gallery 208 N. Marina St., 928-445-3286 Random Art 214 N. McCormick St., 928-308-7355 Sean GotĂŠ Gallery 702 W. Gurley St., 928-445-2233 'Tis Art Center & Gallery 105 S. Cortez St., 928-775-0223 Thumb Butte Distillery 400 N. Washington Ave., 928-443-8498 Van Gogh's Ear 156 S. Montezuma St., 928-776-1080 Weir Gallery 110 S. Montezuma St. Ste. 1, 307-371-1910 Yavapai College Art Gallery 1100 E. Sheldon St., 928-445-7300

21•5enses

Anything Goes at PCA Set sail on the SS American, where Billy Crocker has stowed away on a mission to stop the marriage ofhis mystery muse, heiress Hope Harcourt, to millionaire Lord Evelyn Oakleigh.

Prescott Center for the Arts (PCA) is proud to be opening its 50th season with the classic musical Anything Goes, directed by Sandy Vernon.

PCA’s version is a perfect night out at the theater with contagious laughter. Executive Director Robyn Allen says, “who doesn’t love music and lyrics by Cole Porter? The audience will definitely want to dance and sing along.”

Over 30 people are putting together Anything Goes for the community, by the community. Actress Zoey Ross says, “being able to take audiences out ofday-to-day ordinary life and bring them to the magical experience ofa 1930s cruise ship is rewarding. Every aspect ofthe ship was over-the-top and extravagant, and our cast and crew are working hard to recreate a captivating experience with sets, music, costumes, and lighting! It’s inspiring to see the enthusiasm and dedication ofeveryone wanting to convey an enjoyable fantasy to others.” Community theatre gives you the opportunity to share with your friends and family.

Choreographer Pam Cannedy is enjoying teaching the tap-dancing on a new stage floor: “PCA is my heart and I treasure working with the performers to bring the joy ofmovement to everyone involved. I love what I do.” Cast member Sue Ewy says, "the choreography and tap dancing are awesome!”

The characters bring the ship to life, and each was cast perfectly for their role. Some actors are new to theatre and some have experience;

each brings their own personality and skills. Director Sandy Vernon reminds them to have fun and be themselves while trusting the process.

This is Sandy’s third production as a director at PCA; her first was last year's opening musical, Guys and Dolls, followed with the spring Gala Variety Show. She also acts, directs music, and even helps paint offices and hallways.

Live entertainment for the community is affordable at “your home for the arts,” and there's nothing more special than seeing your friends and neighbors give their talent and passion back to community. Tickets range from $14 to $28 depending on the show. Discounts are available for veterans, teachers, first responders,and seniors. For more information call the box office at 928-445-3286, or visit pca-az.net.

by Russ Chappell

K

illdeer are graceful plovers that frequent lawns, golf courses, sandy areas, athletic fields, and parking lots, often near water sources.

Excellent swimmers, adults can cross swift rivers, while chicks can navigate smaller streams.

They are striking birds, with brown backs, white bellies and orange rumps, plus white collars, two black bands on their upper breasts, and white stripes on their wings. They have round heads and short dark bills, long legs and slender wings. They can reach eight to eleven inches in length and weigh from 2.6 to 4.5 ounces, with the males larger than the females. Parents and chicks look similar.

The name comes from the shrill “kill-deer” call they freely vocalize, especially during breeding season. In the 18th century they were referred to as “chattering or noisy plovers” because oftheir loud, frequent calls. They are carnivorous, feeding on earthworms, beetles, snails, crayfish, larvae and grasshoppers.

Killdeer bond for years and breed in the spring, both parents building nests and incubating the eggs. Several nests are constructed on sandy, gravelly soil, using one nest for the eggs and the others to confuse predators.

Four to six brown- and black-speckled eggs are laid in a shallow depression on the ground, surrounded with pebbles, sticks, shells and trash as camouflage. Chicks hatch in about four weeks, covered with plumage, one black bar on their breasts, and able to leave the nest shortly after hatching.

When predators such as mice, rats, skunks, foxes, cats and hawks appear, killdeer first use their long legs to run away, but will fly ifnecessary.

Being superb actors, they fake a broken wing and pitiful cries to draw predators away from the nest. They are also courageous, challenging cattle or horses that approach the nest by fluffing up their plumage, raising their tails above their heads and charging the much larger animals, driving them away.

Killdeer are not threatened, living as long as ten years, and ranging from southeastern Alaska to Central America.

Check eBird.com for current sightings in the Prescott area, and enjoy their entertaining antics!

The Prescott Audobon Society is an official chapter ofthe National Audobon ociety. Check it out online at PrescottAudobon.com.

23•5enses

Bird ofthe Month: Killdeer