2015-10 5enses by 5enses

rants, raves, & recharges P. 10

Ty Fitzmorris

falls for changing weather, wilds P. 14

Jacy Lee

puts paraphernalia in his pipe and smokes it P. 20

Robert Blood

spies an unseasonal tsunami on the horizon P. 21

Celebrating art & science in Greater Prescott

Alan Dean Foster

And much2 more

AMPERSAND:

Prescott goes all out for National Coming Out Day OCTOBER 2015 | VOLUME 3, ISSUE 10 | 5ENSESMAG.COM

P. 16

WORLD BISTRO

4 Prescott’s 4th Friday

ART WALKS PRE S

COT T

’S

4FRIDAY EVERY

2015 January 23 February 27 March 27 April 24 Beginning at 5 PM May 22 June 26 July 24 August 28 September 25 October 23 November 27

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5enses In which:

Mara Kack

4 5 6 7 10 11

Doug Iverson

notes that the weather patterns, much like the times, are a changin’, and the wilds are calming down.

Robert Blood

spies an obvious, social butterﬂy that’s ready to be IDed by neophytes and not-so-newbies alike.

discusses National Coming Out Day plus family, friends, and allies with Rene Broussard and John Duncan.

Peregrine Book Co.

Paolo Chlebecek

Kathleen Yetman

Helen Stephenson

Alan Dean Foster

Jacy Lee

delves into identity, the underworld, travel, pizza, the American dream, family, skin care, and the ISS.

Plus

14 5/6 16 8 18 19 20 21

Ty Fitzmorris

plants little acorns, waits until fall, then reaps mighty trees that aren’t as easy to ID as you might expect.

October 2015 • Volume 3, Issue 10

Copyright © 2015 5enses Inc. unless otherwise noted. Publisher & Editor: Rev. Nicholas M. DeMarino M.A., P.M. Copy Editor: Susan Smart Read a new 5enses the ﬁrst weekend of every month. Visit 5ensesMag.Com, Facebook, & Twitter for more. Contact us at 5ensesMag@Gmail.Com & 928-613-2076. Ex falso quodlibet.

Flip Photo

A visual puzzle from the Highlands Center for Natural History

Left Brain/ Right Brain

Find out what’s going on in Greater Prescott

22 22

Oddly Enough Smart, quirky comics by Russell Miller

Not-as-holy-days

Enjoy some alternative reasons for the season(s)

stops the presses for a patient print job that breaks the second wall and brings production into your home.

acquires an annual edible plant that’s more peppery than it looks and packs a pesto pizza punch.

studies a strange case in which a multifaceted miscreant manifests and exercises his inner demons.

carries science’s charge for tech power that’s neither chained to the wall nor beholden to old-fangled cells.

butts into a ﬁery conversation and discovers that where there’s smoke, there’s antique-related memorabilia.

James Dungeon

Robert Blood

discusses the majesity of places and the process of processes with landscape painter Russell Johnson.

waves hello to a familiar favorite of the Prescott arts scene that hasn’t seen the light of day for two years.

“Winter Sunrise at Bright Angel Trail.” Painting by Russell Johnson. See Page 11 for more.

COVER: “Fossil Creek Radiance.” Painting by Russell Johnson. Courtesy image.

Adorn Your Lifestyle

@ Snap Snap

brating Cele

Buy | Sell | Trade •

UNIQUE APPAREL & EXOTIC GOODS

133 N. Cortez, Historic Downtown Prescott

ea es rs i n busin

928-776-8695

OPEN DAILY 10AM-5PM •

5ENSESMAG.COM • OCTOBER 2015 • CONTENTS • 3

Plant of the Month

Oaks Emory Oak (Quercus Emoryi). Photo by Sue Smith, Cals.Arizona.Edu/yavapaiplants. By Mara Kack

Think

Highlands Centerforfor Natural History Highlands Center Natural History

Fall is the perfect time to enjoy the woods!

Free Naturalist City & Field Walks Continue - Time change from 8 AM to 9 AM Free Evening Forest Walk, Friday - October 9 7:00 PM r Book You Bring the whole family for an evening adventure exploring the forest. r a ties Holiday P Insights to the Outdoors: Raptor Diversity and Ecology Now! evening presentation and morning demonstration with Liberty Wildlife Raptor Diversity and Ecology - Friday, October 23 6:00-7:30 PM

Join us for a presentation on raptor diversity and ecology in the Central Highlands Friday evening. Registration Required: $17 (10% discount for Members)

Liberty Wildlife Raptor Demonstration - Saturday, October 24 10:00-11:30 AM Get up close and personal with live raptors in the outdoor amphitheater. $10 adults $5 children under 13. Both events for $20 for adults.

Halloween Happening - Friday, October 30 5:30 - 7:30 PM

Dress the whole family up for an adventure! Scavenger hunts, mazes, Bat Caves, face painting and more! $5 for adults, $2 for children under 13.

Check our website for details on these and many other upcoming events.

928-776-9550 • highlandscenter.org

Wonder • explore • discover 4 • FEATURE • OCTOBER 2015 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

of a tree. What comes to mind? A simple image of a tall plant with a trunk and branches? Maybe one that you climbed as a kid, or one that you look at on your morning walk each day? Now think of an oak tree. Does your image change? Maybe now the branches of your tree are twisted … and bumpy … and there are acorns peaking from beneath the leaves. At least 400 species of oaks have been named in North America, and more than 20 species within Arizona (not including subspecies or varieties). Some landscapes are decorated with impressive oaks that dominate the horizon and others with oaks that take a more patient eye to appreciate, not growing past one’s waist. All forms occur within the Central Highlands of Arizona, with the most common around the Prescott area being Emory Oak (Quercus Quercus emoryi), Arizona White Oak (Q. Q. arizonica), Scrub Oak (Quercus Quercus turbinella), and Gambel Oak (Q. gambelii).

The

leaves and bark are the initial structures to look at when trying to identify an oak (though for true identification the growth habit, flowers, fruits, elevation, and community are also crucial). For example, the Arizona White Oak has soft margined, fuzzy white leaves spreading off the light gray, rough bark, while the Emory

Oak has emerald colored, smooth, shiny, toothed margined leaves spreading oﬀ the dark grey smooth bark. A trained eye may pick them out of our landscape, but confusion can easily occur. Oaks are proﬁcient at hybridization, so when they hybridize any kind of complicated combination may occur. The complication and uniqueness of oaks does not stop with hybridization. Many of these species are also spring-deciduous (Emory, Arizona White, and Scrub Oaks). That means in spring, when our Box Elders and Cottonwoods are displaying newly bright green leaves, our oaks are turning yellow and dropping old leaves. This time of new leaf generation is short. After a month or two, fresh new leaves will be displayed and continue through the winter. Next time you are out, let a tree catch your eye. Feel the leaves. Find its fruit or seeds. And listen. Each tree has its own uniqueness and even a story to share. ***** Mara Kack, education director at the Highlands Center for Natural History, grew up in Prescott surrounded by its natural wonder and now teaches through science and nature to inspire new wonder in current and future generations. Visit the Highlands Center for Natural History at 1375 Walker Road, 928-776-9550, or HighlandsCenter.Org.

Bird of the Month

Bringing Wild Birds To Your Backyard!

12 Year Anniversary Celebration & Party!

Bridled Titmouse Bridled Titmouse. Illustration by Diane Iverson. By Doug Iverson

The

very social Bridled Titmouse is sometimes thought to be a jaunty character of a bird with attitude. The black and white or “bridled” face pattern and black crest are unmistakable field marks. Look for his species in oak and mixed oak-pine woodlands. You may also find it in oak-sycamore or cottonwood-willow riparian areas in winter. The Bridled Titmouse forages for insects, seeds (more so in winter when insects are scarce), and acorns, and will come to seed or suet feeders. Because of strong leg muscles, they can hang upside down on tree branches, thus finding insects and their larvae missed by other birds. These acrobatic foragers hold food under their feet and pound it with their short, conical bill. They frequently travel in mixedspecies foraging groups (alongside chickadees and nuthatches), especially in winter. They are non-migratory, with a range limited to Arizona, Mexico, and Southwestern New Mexico, although higher elevation birds will move to lower elevations in winter.

Bridled

Titmice are cavity nesters and use nest boxes. They don’t

excavate a nest hole but, instead, use existing structures. The male escorts the female to a potential nest site, feeds her a few tidbits, and if he’s Mr. Right (0r Mr. Right Now), they’ll produce four to eight plain, white eggs. The male feeds the young while they’re on the nest. The nest is lined with grass, leaves, spider webs, lichen, catkins, and animal hair. Unlike other titmice of North America, the Bridled Titmouse does not hide food for later use. Not unlike some of us older birders looking for our glasses, its small hippocampus gives it poor memory of spatial locations and it wouldn’t be able to find secreted food. The Bridled Titmouse will participate in mobbing behavior if its young are threatened, joining with other species to drive off predators. While this specie’s numbers are stable, it’s vulnerable to habitat destruction as forests within its range are cleared. The Prescott area has fine habitat for this approachable and easy to identify bird species. ***** Doug Iverson, a retired English teacher, is secretary of the Prescott Audubon Society and a board member. Visit Prescott Audubon Society at PrescottAudubon.Org. Contact them at Contact@PrescottAudubon.Org.

OCTOBER IS FALL SEED SALE MONTH! All 25 lb. Bird Seed Products are on Sale!

Combine Sale Price with Your JBB Punch Card Pre-buy for the Months Ahead* Lock in Seed Sale Price and pick up your seed as you need it We store the bird seed for you—guaranteed to be fresh *Some exclusions may apply, see store for details Sale Starts Thursday, Oct. 1 and Ends Saturday, Oct. 31

www.jaysbirdbarn.com

1046 Willow Creek Rd, Suite 105 Prescott

(928) 443-5900

Highlands Center for Natural History’s

pilF Photo

Why do magniﬁcent mycorrhizae generate gills and spread spores?

5ENSESMAG.COM • OCTOBER 2015 • FEATURES • 5

Peregrine Book Co.

Staff picks By Peregrine Book Co. staff “Further Out Than You Thought” By Michaela Carter “Further Out Than You Thought” is a story of searching for that tenuous place where dreams and reality intermingle to create wonder and poetry. It is a joy to read, often funny and sometimes heartwrenching, but always beautiful, even when looking unﬂinchingly at diﬃcult and dark things. — Ty

Highlands Center for Natural History’s

Flip otohP

To formulate future fungi, of course! These

sometimes colorful, sometimes smelly, and sometimes delicious mushrooms we all know have an exceptional lifecycle and role in an ecosystem. The mushroom is actually just the fruiting body (i.e. the reproductive structure) of fungi that produces millions of spores that spread to grow new fungi. The main structure of fungi, termed mycorrhizae, are hidden beneath the ground. Mycorrhizae spread throughout the soil breaking down dead organic material (these are that spider web-looking stuﬀ under moist dead logs and masses of leaves) and forming symbiotic relationships with various plants. Mycorrhizae grow into roots ﬁ xing nitrogen for the plant, which do not have the ability to acquire nitrogen without help. In return, the plant will supply the mycorrhizae with sugars made from photosynthesis (because fungi are not photosynthetic). In fact, the vast majority of plants have symbiotic relationships similar to this.

6 • FEATURE • OCTOBER 2015 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

“Secondhand Souls” By Christopher Moore In this hilarious sequel to “A Dirty Job,” the soul merchants of San Franciso continue their ﬁght against the underworld. Be ready for a shrieky banshee, meat puppets, ghosts, and the usual confusion. What makes this novel great is an older, sassy-ascan-be Sophie. As in its prequel, you will giggle all the way through, interrupted only by regular outbursts of laughter. I highly recommend it for the “notso-easily-oﬀended.” — Veri “Pocket Atlas of Remote Islands” By Judith Schalansky Limitless daydreams wait within. These remote islands are Schalansky’s fascination, and her miniature essays reveal something queer, chilling, or lovely about each one. With its numerous maps and wealth of historical oddities, this book is a treasure for insatiable travelers and dreamers. — Reva “Slice Harvester” By Colin Atrophy Hagendorf This punk memoir captures the struggle of an alcoholic in a big city, the angst of punk and rock and roll, and the importance of pizza. Read this book, eat some pizza, and remember: “Real New York-

ers fold their slices in half.” — Emily “Mislaid” By Nell Zink Funny and unconventional in most every way, Zink turns our assumptions about race, sexuality, and the American dream on their sides, and spins a tale of missteps and surprises toward a rather Shakespearean zenith. “Mislaid” is a truly entertaining read. — Michaela “Louisa Meets Bear By Lisa Gornick A quirky little novel, “Louisa Meets Bear” is a look at the web of connections between people as it depicts families and couples who are linked loosely by simply a friend or family member over five decades of living, loving, and losing parts of themselves and each other. — Sarah “Skin Cleanse” By Adina Grigore Adina Grigore is amazing. This book is amazing. If you hunker down and commit to working towards healthier, cleaner skin, that is exactly what you will achieve. Adina’s humor and honesty only makes this cleanse that much easier to be a part of. — Lacey “Seveneves” By Neal Stephen What if the moon suddenly blew into seven pieces? What if the International Space Station were the new hub of all civilization? What if our hope for having any kind of a future lay in the hands of a few scientists floating around an Earth that will last only two more years? What would we create? Who would we become? Read to find out. — Jon

***** Visit Peregrine Book Company at PeregrineBookCompany.Com and 219A N. Cortez St., Prescott, 928-445-9000.

Vegetable of the Month

Arugula Arugula. Photo by H. Zell, Creative Commons 3.0. By Kathleen Yetman

Arugula,

Eruca sativa, is a leafy green in the mustard family (Brassicaceae) that has only become popular in the United States during the past few decades. It’s native to the Mediterranean and has been grown as an edible plant since the Roman times. Arugula has many names around the world including rucola, rucoli, rugula, colewort, roquette, and rocket in countries of British inﬂuence. Arugula grows well in dry soil, which makes it a great crop for home gardeners in Yavapai County. If the plant is left to bolt, ﬂower, and then make seed pods in a bed, it’s guaranteed to reseed and come back for seasons to come. Often, if left unchecked, arugula takes over a garden. It grows well in warm, cool, and cold temperatures, but tends to bolt quickly in the height of summer. Because of its adaptability, it can be grown nearly year-round in Yavapai County.

The

green leaves of arugula are rich in vitamins A, C, and K as well as iron, calcium, and potassium. The Romans thought arugula was an aphrodisiac. While the leaves are most often used in the kitchen, the plant’s ﬂowers, seedpods, and seeds are also edible. Arugula is best eaten raw and commonly used in salads. The leaves range from a mild peppery taste to pungent and spicy. Usually the younger tender leaves have a milder taste. Larger leaves can have a bitter taste and beneﬁt from having the stems removed before eating. In addition to spicing up lettuce salads, arugula makes an excellent pesto and adds a pleasant spiciness when added atop a freshly baked pizza.

Prescott’s finest submarines since before downtown traffic 418 W. Goodwin St., 778-3743 M-F 10:30-2:30, Weekends closed

Open Monday thru Saturday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. 928-778-1223 802 Valley Street Prescott, Arizona 86305 RusticPieCompany.com & introducing Prescott’s newest antique shop @ your favorite pie place

***** Kathleen Yetman is the Managing Director of the Prescott Farmers Market and a native of Prescott. Visit the Prescott Farmers Market every Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to noon from May through October at Yavapai College.

The Old Prescott Emporium 5ENSESMAG.COM • OCTOBER 2015 • FEATURE • 7

Left Brain: October’s mind-full events Events

10 & 11

Recharge Ponds bird walk • 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 3: Local, guided bird walk at Recharge Ponds. (Jay’s Bird Barn, No. 113, 1046 Willow Creek Road, 928-443-5900, RSVP) LAN party • Noon Saturday, Oct. 3: Play multiplayer computer games like “Quake,” “Counterstrike,” and “Tribes.” A monthly Local Area Network party via Western Sky PC. (Game On, 1957 Commerce Center Circle Suite C, Prescott, PPCGG.Com)

7 8

Evening forest walk • 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9: Monthly evening forest walk. (Highlands Center for Natural History, 1375 S. Walker Road, 928-776-9550)

Audubon bird walk • 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 10: Monthly Prescott Audubon Society bird walk. (Highlands Center for Natural History, 1375 S. Walker Road, 928-776-9550)

“Indian Labor Camps in WWII” • 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10: John Westerlund discusses Indian Labor Camps during World War II. A Second Saturday lecture. (Smoki Museum, 147 N. Arizona Ave., 928-445-1230)

11 13 15

“History of Chocolate” • 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11: Learn about the secrets and history of chocolate with Lee Perrotta Fityo, who won the distinguished honor at the 2008-09 New York Chocolate Championship at the New York food Festival. (Prescott Public Library, 215 E. Goodwin St., 928-777-1500)

“Earthquakes in Arizona” • 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13: Ramon Arrowsmith, of Arizona State University, discusses earthquakes in Arizona. A monthly Central Arizona Geology Club meeting. (Prescott Public Library, 215 E. Goodwin St., 928-778-6324)

Aspen Spring bird walk • 8 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 15: Local, guided bird walk at Aspen Spring. (Jay’s Bird Barn, No. 113, 1046 Willow Creek Road, 928-443-5900, RSVP) Kevin Hearne • 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15: American urban fantasy novelist Kevin Hearne discusses his work, including books in The Iron Druid

Prescott Orchid Society • 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24: A monthly Prescott Orchid Society meeting. (Prescott Public Library, 215 E. Goodwin St., 928-777-1500)

Prescott Astronomy Club at the Highland's Center • 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24: Dr. David Viscio, Prescott Astronomy Club member, discusses astronomy then introduces a star party. A Prescott Astronomy Club Star Party. (Highlands Center for Natural History, 1375 S. Walker Road, 928-776-9550)

“Astronomical League” & “Astrophotography: Automating Your Observatory” • 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7: Fred Arndt and Jeﬀ Stillman discussions. A monthly Prescott Astronomy Club meeting. (Prescott Public Library, 215 E. Goodwin St., 928-778-6324)

Cottonwood Peninsula bird walk • 8 a.m. Friday, Oct. 9: Local, guided bird walk at Cottonwood Peninsula. (Jay’s Bird Barn, No. 113, 1046 Willow Creek Road, 928443-5900, RSVP)

Raptor demonstration • 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 24: Liberty Wildlife lets you get up close and personal with live raptors. (Highlands Center for Natural History, 1375 S. Walker Road, 928-776-9550, $5-$10)

“The Sawtooth Complex” • 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24: Local author Susan Lang discusses her newest novel at this book launch celebration. (Peregrine Book Co., 219A N. Cortez St., 928-445-9000)

“Starry Nights” • 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3: See the Andromeda Galaxy, Dumbbell Nebula, Albireo, Ring Nebula, Keystone Cluster, and Wild Duck Cluster. A Prescott Astronomy Club Star Party. (Vista Park, 1684 Saraﬁna Drive, PrescottAstronomy Club.Org)

“Your Local Resource for Plants: The NHI Herbarium” • 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8: Lisa Zander, of the Arizona Native Plant Society Prescott Chapter, discusses the Natural History Institute herbarium collection that was recently donated by Yavapai College. (Natural History Institute at Prescott College, 312 Grove Ave., 928-350-2280)

several birds of prey in the Prescott Area. (Highlands Center for Natural History, 1375 S. Walker Road, 928-776-9550, $17, RSVP)

26 28 30 31

“The Hour of Land” • 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26: Award-winning naturalist author Terry Tempest Williams and her husband, Brooke Williams, discusses her forthcoming book about America's national parks. (Prescott College Crossroads Center, 220 Grove Ave., 928-350-2280)

Prescott's Great Outdoors • 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday & Saturday, Oct. 10 & 11: The city of Prescott's fourth annual outdoor recreation festival and expo event featuring Saturday classes with Cody Lundin (founder of Aboriginal Living Skills School, LLC and star of Dual Survival), live music, Arizona Game & Fish Dept. displays and exhibits, 300-foot zip line, four-person climbing tour, ﬁshing in a scenic netted cove with more than 2,000 rainbow trout, live creatures, sporting equipment displays, food, rappelling, kayaking, disc golf, camping, booths and exhibits, boats, RVs, and ATVs, all in the scenic Granite Dells. Saturday's music lineup is The Cool Water Band, Mogollon, and Road 1 South. Sunday's music lineup is Small Change, Shri Blues Band, and Filabusta. (Watson Lake Park, visit Prescott-AZ.Gov to ﬁnd out more) IMAGE: Cody Lundin. Photo by Amanda Fenton. Chronicles and “Heir to the Jedi,” set in the Star Wars universe. (Peregrine Book Co., 219A N. Cortez St., 928-445-9000) “My Favorite Comets” • 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15: Prof Steven R. Coe, retired, discusses images and observations of the brightest and most interesting comets including the Halley, Hale-Bopp, and Holmes comets. Via Prescott Astronomy Club’s Third Thursday Star Talks. (Prescott Public Library, 215 E. Goodwin St., 928-778-6324)

“Cavalrymen” • 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 17: Find out more about the Arizona cavalrymen. A Frontier Arizona Experience event. (Fort Whipple Museum, No. 11, 500 N. Arizona 89, 928445-3122)

“Firefighting in Territorial Prescott” • 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17: E. Conrad Jackson discusses the challenges of fighting fires in early Arizona and across the 130-year history of the Prescott Fire Department. (Phippen Museum, 4701 Arizona 89, 928-778-1385, $3-$7)

8 • EVENTS • OCTOBER 2015 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

“Daughters Unto Devils” • 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17: Teen horror novelist Amy Lukavics discusses her debut book. (Peregrine Book Co., 219A N. Cortez St., 928-445-9000)

22 23

“Recent Seasonal Distribution & Status Changes of Arizona Birds” • 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22: Troy Corman, Arizona Game & Fish Department bird biologist, discusses the status of Arizona birds. A monthly Prescott Audubon meeting. (Trinity Presbyterian Church, 630 Park Ave., Prescott Audubon.Org) Willow Lake South bird walk • 8 a.m. Friday, Oct. 23: Local, guided bird walk at Willow Lake South. (Jay’s Bird Barn, No. 113, 1046 Willow Creek Road, 928-4435900, RSVP) “Raptor Diversity & Ecology” • 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23: Felipe Guerrero, Highlands Center education coordinator, delves into the ﬁner points of raptor identiﬁcation and explores the ecological role of

White Spar Campground bird walk • 8 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28: Local, guided bird walk at White Spar Campground. (Jay’s Bird Barn, No. 113, 1046 Willow Creek Road, 928-443-5900, RSVP)

“Halloween Happening” • 5:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 30: Dress the whole family up for an adventure including scavenger hunts, mazes, bat caves, face painting, and more. (Highlands Center for Natural History, 1375 S. Walker Road, 928-776-9550, $2-$5) Jay's Bird Barn anniversary party • Saturday, Oct. 31: Celebrate Jay's Bird Barn's 12th anniversary with live birds of prey, photo contest winners announced, Swarovski Digiscoping demo and ﬁeld trip, EL Swarovski products on sale, and free lunch from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (Jay’s Bird Barn, No. 113, 1046 Willow Creek Road, 928-4435900, RSVP)

Halloween ComicFest Day • Noon Saturday, Oct. 31: Celebrate Peregrine Book Co.'s third annual fest with a comic book giveaway and costume contest. (Peregrine Book Co., 219A N. Cortez St., 928445-9000)

Multi-day Prescott Area Boardgamers • 5 p.m. Wednesdays, Oct. 14 & 28: Play board games. (Prescott Public Library, 215 E. Goodwin St., 928-777-1500) Naturalist City & Field Walks • 9 a.m. Wednesdays & Saturdays: Discover more about local insects, birds, geology, plants, and more. (Highlands Center for Natural History, 1375 S. Walker Road, 928-776-9550) Summer Prescott Farmers Market • 7 a.m. Saturdays: Enjoy local organic produce and goods from local farmers. Yavapai College, Parking Lot D, 1100 E. Sheldon St., PrescottFarmersMarket.Org)

October’s art-full events :niarB thgiR

Events

“Ignite” • 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3: Human Nature Dance Theater performance about ﬁre, the essential element and metaphor for life, following the troupe’s 22nd annual week-long Arcosanti residency. (Arcosanti, 928-6327135, $10-$20)

10 & 17

Contra Dance • 7 p.m. lesson, 7:30 p.m. dance Saturday, Oct. 3: Contra dancing. Via Folk Happens. Calls TBA, music by open band. (Grace Sparkes Activity Center, 824 W. Gurley St., 928-925-5210, $4-$8)

9 14 22 23 24

“The Rocky Horror Show” • 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9: Prescott Valley Performing Arts presents Richard O’Brien’s cult classic tale of a mad transvestite scientist and his new creation. (Elks Theatre, 117 E. Gurley St., 928-777-1367, $18-$25)

“Ghost Feast” • 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14: Enjoy a sneak peak of the annual “Prescott Ghost Talk” while enjoying family-style tapas and ghostly beverages and desserts on the patio. (El Gato Azul, 316 W. Goodwin St., 928-4451070, $30, RSVP)

“The GMO CRISIS: Living the Solution” • 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22: A presentation about genetically modiﬁed organisms including a screening of “Food For Thought, Food for Life,” and presentations in celebration of Non-GMO month. (Prescott Public Library, 215 E. Goodwin St., 928-777-1500) 4th Friday Art Walk • 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23: Monthly art walk including more than 18 galleries, artist receptions, openings, and demonstrations. (ArtThe4th.Com)

Arco Tsunami Festival • 9 a.m. Saturday Oct. 10: “The Symposium of Spectacle Based Drama” including stilt and site responsive theater workshops, artist demonstrations with GSC faculty, panel discussion hosted by Rachel Bowditch, and keynote address by Laura Anderson Barbata. $85. • 7:30 p.m. Saturday Oct. 10: “Callings” by The Carpetbag Brigade and “Flexion” by Wise Fool, with guest appearances by the Sky Kissers. $35. • 5 p.m. Saturday Oct. 17: Global Stilt Congress presents “The Legislation: Food & Shelter” plus DJ Logan Dirtyverbs. $25. (All events at Arcosanti, visit CarpetbagBrigade.Com to ﬁnd out more) IMAGE: “The Legislation” by Global Stilt Congress at Arconsanti in 2014. Photo by Karel Moonen.

Multi-day

“Tsunami on the Square” • Noon Saturday, Oct. 24: The new incarnation of the performing arts and culture festival featuring circus acts, ﬁre dancing, and much more. (Yavapai County Courthouse Square, TsunamiOnTheSquare.Com)

“Fool for Love” • 7:30 p.m. Oct. 1-3, 8-10, & 15-17, 2 p.m. Oct. 4, 11, & 18: Sam Sheppard’s work of searing truth and dark humor. Directed by Paul Epoch. (Stage Too!, North Cortez Street alley between Willis and Sheldon streets, 928-445-3286, $15)

“Talking With” monologues • 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24: Actors from the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute of Yavapai College portray characters from the Jane Martin play “Talking With.” (Peregrine Book Co., 219A N. Cortez St., 928-445-9000)

Prescott Area Artists’ Studio Tour • 10 a.m. Oct. 2-4: Eighth annual free artist studio tour featuring demonstrations and works by 56 juried artists at 38 studios. (PrescottStudioTour.Com, 928-445-2510)

“Copper Wind” • 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24: Set in 1881 and billed as “Arizona’s ﬁrst full length Western,” this explosive, action-packed ﬁlm centered on love, hate, vengeance, and discovery. (Elks Theatre & Performing Arts Center, 117 E. Gurley St., 928-777-1366, $20)

“Prescott Ghost Talk” • 6 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23 & 6 p.m., & 7:30 p.m., & 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24: See the legends and mythos of Arizona as the ghosts, ghouls, and goblins of Prescott retell their haunting tales. Written and directed by Karen Murphy. (Prescott Center for the Arts, 208 N. Marina St., 928-445-3286, $15)

Contra Dance • 7 p.m. lesson, 7:30 p.m. dance Saturday, Oct. 24: Contra dancing. Via Folk Happens. Calls by Archie Maclellan, music by Chupacabras. (First Congregation Church, 216 E. Gurley St., 928-925-5210, $4-$8)

“The Secret Garden” • 7 p.m. Oct. 22-24, 3 p.m. Oct. 25: A musical presentation of the story of an 11-year-old orphan in Yorkshire. (Yavapai College Performing Arts Center, 1100 E. Sheldon St., $8-$36)

25 31

“Voice in Action/Body in Revolt” • 11 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 25: Workshop with Jay Ruby and Christopher Mankowski. (Flying Nest Movement Arts, 322 W. Gurley St., 928-432-3068, $65-$90 sliding scale)

“Fayettenam” • 7:30 p.m. Oct. 30 & 31: Solo performance by Jay Ruby, founder of The Carpetbag Brigade and Tsunami on the Square. (Flying Nest Movement Arts, 322 W. Gurley St., 928-4323068, $12-$15)

“Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde” • 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31: The Prescott Film Festival’s annual Halloween event, featuring the 1920 classic version of “Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde.” Live music by Jonathan Best. (Yavapai College Performing Arts Center, 1100 E. Sheldon St., 928-776-2000, $6-$12)

Yoga classes • Mondays, Tuesdays, & Thursdays: Yoga classes including Ayurveda yoga, gentle yoga over-50 class, mindful and gentle yoga, and dynamic ﬂow yoga. Visit FlyingNestStudio.Com for schedule. (Flying Nest Movement Arts, 322 W. Gurley St., 928-432-3068, prices vary)

Social dance classes • Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, & Sundays: Learn the Argentine tango, West Coast swing, tribal belly dance, Lindy hop swing, ﬂamenco, and Latin dance. Visit FlyingNestStudio.Com for schedule. (Flying Nest Movement Arts, 322 W. Gurley St., 928432-3068, prices vary) Mindfulness meditation • 7 p.m. Tuesdays: Meditation group. (First Congregational Church, 216 E. Gurley St., PrescottVipassana.Org) Modern-day meditation • 7 p.m. Wednesdays, Oct. 7 & 21: Open. Calm. Think. Act. An active, four-part practice. (Flying Nest Movement Arts, 322 W. Gurley St., 928-432-3068, ﬁrst class free) Performance/movement arts classes • Wednesdays & Thursdays: Learn contemporary dance, movement for life, and normative movement. Visit FlyingNestStudio.Com for schedule. (Flying Nest Movement Arts, 322 W. Gurley St., 928-432-3068, prices vary)

Art

“Change the Rules … and YOU Change” • From Oct. 15: Fiber art and jewelry by Mary Kaye O’Neill, Carole Hunter-Geboy, Linda Scott, and Becky Kyhl. (’Tis Art Center & Gallery, 105 S. Cortez St., 928-7750223) Southwest Regional Exhibit • Through Oct. 17: Traveling exhibit with works by contemporary Arizonan artists. (Prescott College Art Gallery at Sam Hill Warehouse, 232 N. Granite St., 928-350-2341) “The Eyes Have It” • Through Oct. 20: Annual photography show. (’Tis Art Center & Gallery, 105 S. Cortez St., 928-775-0223) “Music to My Eyes … ‘Tis Marvelous” • From Oct. 22: Art from the ﬁnest artists of the SWAA. (’Tis Art Center & Gallery, 105 S. Cortez St., 928-775-0223) “Layered Cadences’ • Through Oct. 23: Rhythmic works ranging from bold punctuation to ﬂuid continuity by Sandy Abrams, Carolyn Buck Vosburgh, Nicola Lamb, and Nancy Mooslin. (Yavapai College Prescott Art Gallery, 1100 E. Sheldon St., 928-776-2031)

Cothern • From Oct. 1: Silver, copper, and brass jewelry by Kimberly Cothern. (Arts Prescott Gallery, 134 S. Montezuma St., 928-776-7717)

Lume • From Oct. 23: Minnesota installation artist Charles Matson Lume works with light. (Prescott College Art Gallery at Sam Hill Warehouse, 232 N. Granite St., 928-350-2341)

“Fiber & Glass” • Through Oct. 13: Transparency and transformation-themed art by Jo Manginelli, Cindi Shaﬀer, and Judy Book. (’Tis Art Center & Gallery, 105 S. Cortez St., 928-775-0223)

Thomas • From Oct. 23: Photography by Linne Thomas. (Arts Prescott Gallery, 134 S. Montezuma St., 928-776-7717) “Day of the Dead” • Through Nov. 1: Eld Dia de los Muertosthemed art. (Prescott Center for the Arts Gallery, 208 N. Marina St., 928-445-3286)

Alan Dean Foster’s

Perceivings

Charge!

Additional battery-related commentary not ‘not included’

the Navy has them), the newest smartphone or laptop or music player. Focus your creative efforts on the humble battery. Because every technological leap forward that I’ve alluded to plus thousands more rely on batteries in order to function as something other than elaborate paperweights. Even solar and wind power, intended to help free us from our long-term dependency on fossil fuels, ultimately rely for their efficacy on batteries. By Alan Dean Foster The actual impetus for this month’s column is an electric airplane. We love our electronic devices. We’re Not the fragile gossamerwinged Solar Impulse a gadget-obsessed society. Fact is, that recently attempted a round-the-world flight, many of us don’t know how to surbut a real, functional aircraft. Developed by vive without them. Don’t believe it? Airbus Industries, it’s called the e-Fan, carries two, Try taking a cell phone away from a and has a flight time of two hours. A pair of ducted fans are powered by teenage girl. Easier to draw blood. two electric motors driven by 250 lithium-ion polymer batteries. Phones, tablets, razors, info backups for your That’s right. Variants of TV, laptops, cordless leaf blowers, yard trimmers, the same li-ion batteries that alarm clocks, watches, emergency camping gear, power all those home gadgets I even full-sized lawnmowers: just go through your referenced earlier. Illustration house or apartment and count the number of An e-Fan and a competitor portable electronic gadgets. A thousand years ago, just completed crossings of people would have thought that such devices were the English channel, France powered by magic. to England. Airbus plans to produce the e-Fan in That’s why it’s so easy to forget about or overtwo- and four-seater versions. On the company’s look their simultaneously most basic and most drawing board is the e-Thrust, a 90-seat regional important component — their batteries. aircraft. Powered by … batteries. to make a couple of billion dolAs big an EV booster as I am, I thought we were lars? Invent a better battery. 50-100 years away from being able to power any Leave to others the further development of the kind of commercial aircraft with electricity. Aviaelectric car, the electric bus, the electric ship (yes, tion fuel, kerosene, even fuel derived from the jojoba bean, yes. But batteries? Now it looks like that in the near future, smaller airports (like Prescott’s) will no longer have to worry about dealing with storage tanks brimming with volatile, dangerous aviation fuel. They’ll just have to worry about chipmunks and pack rats chewing through Antiques • Household • Estates • Buy • Sell • Consign • Transport charging cables. Pilots will fly in, park, and recharge instead of refueling. It will make

Want

JACY’S AUCTION Reuse, recycle, re-make-money 928-443-0911

10 • COLUMN • OCTOBER 2015 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

for slow-going on long-distance travel, of course. Until we have … better batteries.

I’m

always amazed at how commercial science fiction films, in their haste to try and render believable starships and laser cannon and aliens, invariably manage to overlook the small things. The items of everyday future use. And what could be smaller and more everyday than the power source for all those high-tech devices? What, for example, powers the lightsabers in the universe of Star Wars? Are they AC or DC? And is the Force lithium-ion based? Remember the scene in “Alien 3” where Ripley and another character soon to be alien chow are seated atop a mountain of batteries, digging through them in hopes of finding some that aren’t quite dead? What kind of batteries are they? Even though it’s hundreds of years in the future, it looks like they’re hunting for useable D cells. Heck, we’ve by 5enses. moved beyond that already. I mean, when was the last time you needed D cell batteries? It’s all AA and AAA now, and hearing aid-size batteries, and smaller power sources still.

Today,

scientists and engineers are talking about ﬂexible batteries that can be bent, about increasing the energy density of existing batteries (same size battery but holds more power), about batteries that employ exotic materials or that charge in a tenth or twentieth the time. Recently, I’ve been seeing ads for wireless chargers for Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt electric car batteries. Tesla has a serpentine charger that uncoils itself, automatically ﬁnds the charge port on the car, opens it, and plugs itself in. Better batteries mean better charging systems that when combined cram more power into less space. I don’t know how you feel about such an increasingly battery-powered future, but our Roomba is delighted. ***** Alan Dean Foster is author of more than 120 books, visitor to more than 100 countries, and still frustrated by the human species. Follow him at AlanDeanFoster.Com.

Chasing the sublime Russell Johnson learns, relearns, and re-relearns to paint, see

By James Dungeon

Russell

Johnson was hiking the Grand Canyon with a friend in 2001 when he detoured under an overhang. “I took a step and there was this sheer drop off. Rocks went tumbling into the water,” Johnson said. “It was scary. There was nothing beautiful about it in that moment.” But there was a singularity that arrested his attention. He didn’t know it then, but that was something he needed to evoke in his landscape paintings. That moment has since become a touchstone. “It’s close to what’s called ‘the sublime,’” Johnson said. “I’m trying to transport you to an experience or a place in my paintings. Often, those places are beautiful, too, but I’m trying to balance that place and that moment.” Johnson’s paintings are a dynamic, refreshing beacon in an otherwise crowded field of Western landscapes. Refining that style, however, has a been a journey that’s been neither singular nor entirely linear. “For a long time, I wasn’t sure what I was trying to articulate with my artwork,” Johnson said. “I needed some purpose and contextual background for what I was doing. … I needed some help.”

Outside pursuits Growing up in Prescott, a middle child among 10, Johnson had two favorite places — his room and the great outdoors. “I was able to get lost in the shuﬄe,” Johnson said. “I could kind of go missing and no one would care. Usually that meant doing artwork in my room … but I always spent a lot of time outside, too.” In fourth grade, he caught the drawing bug. Johnson credits teachers like Mrs. Norris at Dexter School, Mrs. Chartier at Mile High Middle School, and Mr. Murphy at Prescott High School with encouraging his artwork. (Johnson’s the kind of guy who still calls his teachers “Mr.” and “Mrs.” He’s also the kind of guy who mentions the inﬂuence and support of his mom and dad at both the beginning and end of an interview. Ditto about his wife, Denise, and son, Skyler.) “Looking back at those early years, things were more just self-exploration of identity, of who and what I was — what all of us do during those years,” Johnson said. “I started getting away from photo-realistic portrayals and got into really loose, introspective drawings.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 >>>

TOP: “Monsoon Sunset From Point Royal.” Painting and fine art photography by Russell Johnson. BOTTOM: Russell Johnson poses for a photo at The Frame & I. Courtesy photo.

5ENSESMAG.COM • OCTOBER 2015 • PORTFOLIO • 11

... FROM PAGE 11 Johnson was 13 the first time he backpacked in the Grand Canyon, though he didn’t start drawing and painting landscapes until he was a senior in high school. This coincided with his budding interest in photography, the medium that would dominate the next few years of his artistic life. Three vital things happened in succession. A couple months before he graduated from high school in 1999, he got a job at The Frame & I. Next, he earned an associates of arts degree from Yavapai College. Then he earned a bachelor of fine arts degree from the University of Arizona. “I was still drawing and painting, but I was distracted by photography for four or five years,” Johnson said. “There’s a tradition of serous blackand-white landscape photography. I liked the crispness and contrast you get with it.” His mode and subject matter had been established, but he still had yet to make a distinct mark within a medium.

The next level During breaks from school, Johnson continued working at the Frame & I and returned full time after college. (This is the part when he mentions how supportive shop owner and artist Ida Kendall has been.) He eventually became manager and displayed his paintings, which caught the eye of noted painter Robert Knudson. “What struck me about his work was the honesty of it, first of all,” Knudson said. “You can see his determination and commitment.” The two struck up a friendship in part fueled by their mutual love the of the outdoors. By this point, Johnson had thrown himself full-force into painting, but something was amiss. “I wanted to express what I felt when I was hiking,” Johnson said. “I wanted to transport the viewer to that place and to that experience … but I realized I wasn’t communicating what I wanted to.” He decided to go back to school at Prescott College in 2009 and enlisted

12 • PORTFOLIO • OCTOBER 2015 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

Kudson’s help as his practicum supervisor (i.e. mentor). “We went back to the basics, to what constitutes good painting,” Knudson said. “The anchor points are always the basics, and you need to go back to them periodically and renew yourself in them.” Johnson was hesitant — He already had those skills, didn’t he? — but ultimately capitulated. “Those exercises got me to look at structures, values, and shapes in a different way,” Johnson said. “They helped me see the abstraction of making artwork, of simplifying things down to their essentials.” After lots of sweat and academic work — plenty of Thomas Moran — Johnson’s artwork changed in ways both tangible and intangible. Knudson admired his commitment. “You run into a lot of people interested in art but who don’t have the determination to see it through,” Knudson said. “Russell has seen it through. “He loves color and he as a sense of abstraction in what he does that’s very

important to his art. He has the ability to see beyond the surface of things, to get at the core of a subject, and he’s built on that.” Seen & scene “I’m walking by one of those things on the Courthouse Square and all of the sudden I see Russell’s work and it just slaps me in the face.” That’s Bob Koppany. He was walking by the Phippen Museum’s “Western Art Show & Sale” in 2012. “His paintings are vibrant. They’re alive. They’re stuff you never see,” Koppany said. “It was like seeing a Monet landscape for the first time.” Koppany and his wife, Margi Harning, visited Johnson at The Frame & I and bought a painting. Then they bought another one. And then they bought another one. To date, they’ve purchased six and commissioned another eight — two sets of seasonthemed pieces. “We try to support people in the community who are doing world class art,” said Koppany, who once commis-

LEFT: “Spring Melody” and “Fall Melody.” Paintings by Russell Johnson, fine art photography by Bob Koppany. RIGHT: A photo, sketch, and paintings culminating in “Zion Overlook.” Photo, sketch, paintings, and fine art photography by Russell Johnson. sioned two Batman pieces from comic great and late-in-life Prescott resident Dick Sprang. “Russell’s art, somehow it makes you feel how alive things are.” Johnson said having such a patron is a rare treat. “It’s been a great encouragement, and I’m really grateful,” Johnson said. “I’d never gotten commissions like that before.” Moving forward, Johnson said he’ll continue to refine his style and revisit the fundamentals per Knudson’s tutelage. “I’ve been pushing the abstract quality to give people a more dream-like experience,” Johnson said. “Now, I’m not even working from photos. That way I’m bringing my own memory to it, which includes feelings as well as details.” And while Johnson’s branched out and experimented with different techniques and subject matter, he’s finding the familiar less-so these days. “(This approach) has changed the way I see,” Johnson said. “Nature’s an endless source of possibilities and

inspiration, and I’m connecting with it differently now than I have before — and probably differently from how I will in the future.” The way forward may not be entirely clear, but he trusts the approach. “There wasn’t ever a moment I thought I was on the wrong path,” Johnson said. “These are my talents, and this is what I want to do with my life.” ***** See more of Russell Johnson’s art at RussellJohnsonArt.Com and The Frame & I, 229 W. Gurley St., 928445-5073. His paintings range from $300 to $14,000. James Dungeon is a ﬁgment of his own imagination. And he likes cats. Contact him at JamesDungeonCats@ Gmail.Com.

News From the Wilds Skyward

By Ty Fitzmorris

October

in the Mogollon Highlands is one of the great turning points of the year — the warmth and activity of summer drops into the lower deserts and valleys as the cold of the coming winter (borne by heavy, cold air) slithers down the creek beds from the uplands. The evening air carries a sliver of ice, and brings smells of woodsmoke and high mountains, while the days are filled with dried grasses and the last of the year’s butterflies, native bees and flowers. The monsoon showers have finally passed, leaving a wave of activity in their wake — insects laying eggs, plants setting seed, birds migrating, and mammals preparing winter stores and putting on fat for the coming time of scarcity. The second dry season of the year typically begins in October as the heat-driven summer monsoon pattern, which draws moist air masses north from the Gulf of California, shifts to the storm-driven winter pattern based in the Pacific Ocean, where massive storm-systems catapult smaller moist low-pressure troughs across our region, bringing snow and rain. And it is this winter pattern that could therefore be strongly influenced by the developing El Niño weather pattern in the Pacific Ocean, which formed over the summer. When the equatorial belt of the Pacific, which receives over 50 percent of the Earth’s incoming equatorial solar radiation, increases in temperature by 5 degrees over its average, both the trade winds and the jet stream are disrupted, sending the usually westerly storms into our region. This pattern is called El Niño, and the coming winter has been forecast to be one of the stronger such patterns on record. The consequences for the Mogollon Highlands are not entirely clear — winter precipitation tends to increase (sometimes dramatically) during El Niño years, though decreases in rain and snow are not entirely uncommon. And after the recent monsoon season, which brought just under half the average rainfall, a heavy

Young Bobcats disperse now into new territories in search of rodents and winter dens. Photo by Ty Fitzmorris. snowpack could mean the diﬀerence between life and death for many of the denizens of the Mogollon Highlands.

October

reliably brings our first frosts, and temperatures become increasingly intolerable for many of our insects and spiders, who utilize a range of winter adaptations in response. The tarantulas create dens in which to hibernate, ants gather provisions into large underground storerooms, and Monarch butterflies migrate south to the frostfree Mexican forest, though most simply conclude their egg laying and die, leaving their eggs, which are specifically adapted to extreme temperatures and drought, to bear their next generation in the spring. As insects diminish so do the creatures that rely on them as food. Many of the birds (most notably warblers and swallows) migrate south to areas with more prey, as do some of our bat species. Hawks, predators of insect predators, migrate through our region now in increasing numbers, mostly following broad valleys and grasslands, looking for rodents,

14 • FEATURE • OCTOBER 2015 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

who are, in turn, busy now gathering seeds and catching the last insects. For many animal species, this is the time when nearly grown offspring are leaving their parents to establish new territories. Young Bobcats, Badgers, River Otters, Gray Foxes, Abert’s Squirrels, Porcupines and several species of skunk will all be looking for territories now, and finding food for the first time by themselves. Among the birds, young Great Horned Owls, Roadrunners, Lesser Nighthawks, and Mountain Chickadees are all dispersing into new ranges.

Encounters

be-

tween humans and other species are more common during this time, since young are relatively unpracticed at avoiding humans. Of course, as with virtually all of our wild species in the Central Highlands of the Southwest, the only risk to humans in these encounters results from animals being harassed or aggravated. Generally, a quiet and respectful approach will be rewarded by some degree of trust and can lead to extraordinary observations.

• Oct. 9: Draconid Meteor Shower. The best viewing of this moderate shower is after midnight, with meteors appearing to radiate from the constellation Draco to the north, though two other meteor showers are also nearing their peak now — the Southern Taurids and the Delta Aurigids. Look for the most meteors from the Draconids on the night of Oct. 9. • Oct. 12: New Moon at 5:06 p.m. • Oct. 21: The Orionid Meteor Shower peaks. This is one of the year’s brighter meteor showers, with up to 20 bright meteors per hour (including bright ﬁreballs), made even better by dark skies. This peak is not only one night, however, but a broad period during which Earth passes through the tail of the Comet Halley. • Oct. 26: Conjunction of Venus and Jupiter. These two marvels, the second and third brightest objects in the night sky respectively, will be within one degree of each other in the morning sky, low in the east before sunrise. • Oct. 27: Full Moon at 5:05 a.m. This is the last of three “supermoons” this year. Because supermoons are closer to the Earth, they exert a stronger gravitational pull on the Earth, causing greater tidal swings. • Oct. 28: Rare, three-way conjunction of Venus, Jupiter, and Mars. The three brightest planets in the night sky appear in a tight one-degree triangle in the eastern sky before sunrise. ***** Ty Fitzmorris is an itinerant and often distractible naturalist who lives in Prescott and is proprietor of the Peregrine Book Company, Raven Café, Gray Dog Guitars, and is a founder of Milagro Arts, a community arts nexus, all as a sideline to his natural history pursuits. He can be reached at Ty@PeregrineBookCompany.Com.

News From the Wilds, too A very brief survey of what’s happening in the wilds ... By Ty Fitzmorris High mountains • Elk continue their “rut,” or breeding season, and the bugling of males can sometimes be heard in more remote areas, such as Woodchute Wilderness. • Porcupines (Erethizon dorsatum), which stay near to Aspen trees in our area, continue mating, while their adolescent young establish their own territories. • Pregnant female Black Bears search out winter dens, which are often in old mine shafts. In our area only the pregnant females will hibernate, during which time they will give birth, usually in January. • Gambel Oak and Aspen leaves change color and begin to fall. Visit: Dandrea Trail, No. 285. Ponderosa Pine forests • Young Abert’s Squirrels (Sciurus aberti) leave their parents and establish their own territories. These squirrels have a fascinating relationship with Ponderosas, eating the tips of the growing branches but also eating, and thereby distributing, the truﬄes and mushrooms that grow on their roots. These fungi help their host pines to gain nutrients that they otherwise couldn’t extract from soil. • Ponderosas continue to shed needles as they do every year around this time, losing 40 percent of their needles over these several months. • The leaves of New Mexico Locust (Robinia neomexicana), a pretty understory tree, change to a beautiful yellow, as do those of Arizona Walnut (Juglans major). Visit: Aspen Creek Trail, No. 48. Pine-Oak woodlands • Young tarantulas disperse into new areas and can sometimes be seen in large numbers. These large spiders are harmless unless harassed, in which case they release mildly irritating hairs from their abdomen, which can cause slight stinging. Their bite is non-venomous and not painful. • Acorn Woodpeckers, one of the very few social woodpecker species, gather acorns with alacrity, storing them in characteristic granaries —

our rivers. These gangly ﬁshing birds will sometimes migrate in large groups, occasionally up to 50 or 100 individuals, and are thought to travel as far as Venezuela. • Golden Columbines (Aquilegia chrysantha) bear their seeds. Visit: Bell Trail, No. 13.

Native bees, such as this Augochlorella species, are the single most important pollinators in our ecosystems. Right now, they’re winding down their year and provisioning their nests with nectar and pollen. Photo by Ty Fitzmorris. trees (and sometimes telephone poles) into which the woodpeckers have carved holes for acorn storage. Acorn Woodpecker colonies are composed of up to a dozen individuals, and usually have two granary trees, each containing as many as 50,000 acorns. Visit: Miller Creek Trail, No. 367. Pinyon-Juniper woodlands • Four-O-Clocks (genus Mirabilis), the most conspicuous of our postmonsoon plants, continue to flower. • Feathered Fingergrass (Chloris virgata), a distinctive, hand-like native grass, appears now in many habitats, bearing its seeds, though many have been eaten by finches. • Junipers still bear some of their blue-white seed-cones, which grow increasingly important in the diets of birds, rodents, and sometimes Coyotes as the weather turns colder. • Goldfinches, House Finches, and many species of sparrows forage in mixedspecies flocks, grazing grass seeds. Visit: Juniper Springs Trail, No. 2. Grasslands • Young Short-horned Lizards (Phrynosoma hernandezi) leave their parents and disperse in the early part of the month. This is the

best time for encountering the small young of this ant-eating species, though they should be handled with care, as they are capable of spraying a defensive toxin from their eyes. This defense is most often used on dogs and Coyotes, however, and the defense humans usually see is simply a flattening of the lizard’s body, which appears to be an attempt to look larger. • Several species of hawks migrate through grasslands, riding thermals (large rising columns of warm air) during the afternoons. Look for Rough-legged, Ferruginous, Swainson’s and Red-tailed Hawks, as well as Turkey Vultures, with several species sometimes in the same thermal. Visit: Mint Wash Trail, No. 345. Riparian areas • During fall evenings, river drainages are often colder than surrounding uplands, as cold air from higher ground flows down them. This is especially noticeable in the evening. For this reason some rivers that drain off of high mountains will be the first areas to freeze, and leaves might change here first, as well. • Young Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) disperse into new areas, and some will migrate south through

Deserts/Chaparral • Paloverdes, Velvet Mesquites (Prosopis velutina) and Wright’s Silktassel (Garrya wrightii) bear their seeds now, as do Southwestern Coral Beans (Erythrina flabelliformis), the poisonous seeds of which are sometimes used for jewelry. • Ocotillo leaves change color and fall for the second time this year. These strange plants have photosynthetic bark, however, so they will continue to photosynthesize through the winter. • The queens of our one species of bumblebee, Bombus sonorus, fly now in their nuptial mating flight, and shortly afterward will look for overwintering refuges where they will remained buried singly through the freezes of the winter. Bumblebees can produce propylene glycol, a natural antifreeze, within their blood, which prevents them from being killed by freezing. In the spring, these queen bumblebees will emerge and begin new colonies. Visit: Algonquin Trail, No. 225.

Weather Average high temperature: 72.1 F, +/-3.8 Average low temperature: 37.2 F, +/-3.4 Record high temperature: 92 F, 1980 Record low temperature: 13 F, 1935 Average precipitation: 1.05”, +/-1.23” Record high precipitation: 7.82”, 1972 Record low precipitation: 0”, 10.5 percent of years on record Max daily precipitation: 2.4”, Oct. 6, 1916

Families, friends, & allies Prescott celebrates National Coming Out Day

By Robert Blood [Editor’s note: The following interview was culled from conversations between the reporter and Rene Broussard, PFLAG Prescott chapter president, and John Duncan, local event organizer, about National Coming Out Day. The free Prescott celebration of National Coming Out Day is 5-9 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 10 (the actual holiday falls on a Sunday) at Granite Peak Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 882 Sunset Ave., Prescott.] What can you tell us about this year’s National Coming Out Day celebration? Broussard: Well, it’s 5-9 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 10 at the Granite Peak Unitarian Universalist Congregation. This is our second year doing it and we’re using the whole space there. The night has a carnival theme. There’ll also be an LGBTQ — Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer — timeline with panels and a multimedia component. PFLAG is hosting the event itself, which means we’re lending our personnel and organization. We’re an organization that’s connected to a national group. Duncan: The 12 timeline panels go through key moments in history and the 13th panel is everything current. That one will have video and snapshots from local and national news. There’ll be tickets for the carnival events and we’ll be selling food, too. Why host a celebration like this? Broussard: Especially in Prescott, we wanted to do something oﬀ the beaten path that’s not the same thing as a pride celebration. We felt this community is a little more open to the idea of being supportive. Those relationships are important. That’s a big part of our primary purpose with PFLAG, to establish support groups. That’s why we meet every third Friday. … Coming out is a lifelong process. It’s something that happens over and over again. And it’s a choice. You can choose to hide that part of yourself. We want to acknowledge that choice to come out and to support and encourage people. Duncan: Coming out is a three-tiered thing. First you have to come out to yourself, then you come out to your friends and family, then the larger community. That process can take a lifetime.

A September PFLAG game night at Granite Peak Unitarian Universalist Congregation. Photo by Rene Broussard. We’re also trying to make a space to nurture people that need to come out to themselves. There’s a disconnect for a lot of people. This brings people together so hopefully we can work as a community. … Part of being a safe space is that it’s a dry event. The drag shows I organized last December and this June were both sold out, dry events, so that’s not unheard of here. We want to give people the opportunity to experience diﬀerent things. Broussard: John’s been so successful with these things, which is why we wanted him on board for this. He’s done a lot of the leg work that’s going to make this a success. As an organization, PFLAG has had a couple of events, but we’re pretty much brand new. There was a chapter here before, but it shut down about three years ago. We’ve been active for around seven months now. It’s been a tricky transition. Duncan: The event is also just a reason for people to get together. It doesn’t have to be all support groups and meetings. This shows the conversation can be a fun thing. You may stop by and see someone you haven’t seen for 20 years. It’s about bridging those gaps. You mentioned this is the second year for the event. What did last year’s event look like? Duncan: Last year we had a pot luck theme and live entertainment, but we only used half the amount of space we’ve got this year. Last year we promoted it through Facebook and email, but we only had 40 people say they were coming for sure. It’s hard to plan when the majority of people are “maybes.” We ended up with between 140 and 170 people and way, way too much food. That’s Prescott for you. People are really supportive here. The participation was overwhelming. We had the paper part of the timeline last year. That

16 • FEATURE • OCTOBER 2015 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

was a huge accomplishment and it made for a nice introspective portion of the event. We also had Becky Dalke perform live music. There was no room for the stage, so the stage was the dance ﬂoor and the food took up the rest of the space. This year, we’ll have a DJ. It was just a nice community event. We were primarily focused on our own community to see if it was even possible to do something like that. This year we’re reaching out to Prescott at large. It’s been a big year for the LGBTQ community. Broussard: Just one year has brought a lot of changes. We wanted to be able to share that with people. That’s a big part of why admission is free. We want to make ourselves accessible to the community. … PFLAG used to stand for Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, but they dropped the acronym in recent years. They wanted to include more people — all advocates and allies, people who know and love or are struggling to love people they know who’ve come out in the community. Prescott is somewhat of a smaller town, so we want to make sure all the allies are included. We want to welcome everyone — and I mean everyone — as long as they’re not expressing hate. Duncan: It’s been a happy year for most of us, celebrating with our friends, going to weddings. There are people who’ve been together for 40 years who, only now, are able to get married. That’s unbelievable. Broussard: Obviously the same sex Supreme Court decision is a big deal. Court decisions are interesting. For instance, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 has been interpreted to include same-sex discrimination, but it wasn’t until very recently they decided to interpret that to include transexual and transgender discrimination. And not everyone

is happy with that wording, either. … It’s been a roller coaster of emotions. There’s celebration, tears of joy. All the rainbows on Facebook were really encouraging. There are hard things, too, like be rejected by a friend who says they’re happy about you getting married, but that they won’t come to your wedding. That’s a simplified example, but there are repercussions for everything. … A lot of people are still struggling for acceptance. Duncan: People are coming out of the woodwork to be supportive, too. What I’ve always found so interesting about all of this is that so many people are against a faithbased union between two individuals of the same faith. That’s what their parents and grandparents did. They want to be a part of that. They’re not fighting against the establishment; they’re trying to be part of the establishment. When you’re fighting that, you’re pushing out people that want to be a part of your faith and your church. Not wanting to give them that is, in a way, sacrilege. These people have been part of your community for years, there however many Sundays, giving offerings, and you’re saying they can’t partake in the faith. … That’s why we’re so excited to be doing the National Coming Out Day event in a supportive, faith-based church. That helps us get it out there that there is support in the community. Whether we’re doing a drag show or a pot luck, there’s no reason for us not to be inclusive. An older woman came up to me at one of the drag shows recently. She and her husband seemed to be enjoying the show, but she’d left her seat. I asked her if everything was OK. She was just using the restroom, but she told me that she finally got a taste of what she got when they lived in New York City. They’d always enjoyed this art and were so happy to see it in Prescott. Hearing something like that is great. The demographics here are primarily 55 or older straight couples. But, despite the relatively small size of Prescott, there’s entertainment out there for everyone. We’re careful not to cross the line, to do things responsibly

There’s definitely a divide here on that front. Duncan: It’s also important that a lot of people that have been coming to different events aren’t part of that acronym, LGBTQ-plus. They’re straight allies. They can come out, too. Everyone has an acronym friend, sibling, or some other relation. Coming out in that context is letting people know you have someone you love in that acronym who’s been an integral part of your life, who you support. It’s an affirmation and it’s an opportunity.

John Duncan and Rene Broussard. Photo by 5enses. and respectfully of the art form and to create an opportunity for people in our community to take part in something special. … I’ve been ranting for a while now, but the bottom line is that this has been a great year for everyone. How do you see the situation in Prescott vs. the national arena? Broussard: Prescott is live and let live. Duncan: Prescott has a Libertarian ideal. If you don’t push things in people’s faces and you’re not hurting anybody, they don’t care what you do. … And that’s kind of Arizona as a whole, really. It’s a good thing and it’s a bad thing. You’re always walking on egg shells, worried you’re going to piss someone off, but you have liberty and you can reach out and form communities. I also feel like there’s no need to emphasize any particular part of yourself if you don’t want to. I mean, yes, I’m gay, but that’s 10 percent of who I am. That’s who I choose to have relationships with; there’s a lot more to me than that. Broussard: There’s a lot of integrity here. There’s that definition of integrity of doing the right thing even if no one’s watching. But there’s another one, too, that integrity is when your insides match your outsides. That’s the integrity you see here. Back to what John said about faith-based communities. There’s a fairly intensified view of this here.

A lot of people in our communities have been going back to their faith-based churches in recent years. There was an abandonment of that, historically, but now there’s an upswing, and that’s nationwide. One of the things you see here in Prescott that you might not see in a bigger place is a division. There’s language, attitudes, and treatment in some churches during services that’s not very tolerant. And in other churches it’s something that never comes up.

***** Find out more about the PFLAG Prescott chapter at MeetUp.com/ Prescott-PFLAG or on Facebook. Visit MeetUp.Com/Prescott and check the 5enses calendar every month for LGBTQ-plus-related events including game nights and drag shows. Robert Blood is a Mayer-is-based freelance writer and ne’er-do-well who’s working on his last book, which, incidentally, will be his ﬁrst. Contact him at BloodyBobby5@Gmail.Com.

THRIFT STORE

Read the extended interview at 5ensesMag.Com.

CCJ Thrift Store 17

Diagnosis: Technology

Large print

It’s time to enter a new dimension

By Paolo Chlebecek

“So,

ya wanna buy a 3D Printer? I got a great deal on a used one, only printed a few hundred objects.” You might hear that with some frequency in the coming years. As 3D printer tech keeps improving, the old tech becomes the deal of the day. So, ya interested? Like most popular contemporary technology, 3D printing (or rapid prototyping (or additive manufacturing)) has been around in some form since the 1980s. Because of costs, mass productions, and availability, though, the printers haven’t hit every household just yet. If you really want one, you can pick one up for just under $400. Yes, a monocolor 3D printer can be yours for only … well let’s not get too pushy just yet. Why would you want one anyway? Isn’t that what they’re using on the International Space Station? Well, yes. Yes it is. When you think of it, that’s a perfect place for it. Out in space and no way to get what you need? Just print it. Realistically though, most terrestrial printers can only print a variety

of plastics. Still, I have seen some impressive metal printers in person that use special metal dust and a welding type of print head to print polished and usable metal gears and the like. Thanks, but I live on earth. OK, well back to our planet and our needs here for a moment. And perhaps we should take a step back.

How

does a 3D printer work anyway? It starts with a 3D modeling program that designs something totally new or a 3D scanner to copy an actual object. You can also just download an object plan from places like Thingverse, from the premier manufacturer of 3D printers, Makerbot. Once you have the digital ﬁle, the software slices the data into layers that the printer can then use to print one tiny, thin layer at a time. It’s a lot like thinly sliced ham, except in reverse order. Most 3D printers use a variety or combination of plastics, whether they’re liquid or coiled, cablelike solids. The plastic is then heated — usually with lasers — and very precisely melted into a fraction of a layer at a time allowing the plastic to cure in place. That means it can take hours or days to print an object. It depends on its complication and size. I’ve seen ARTISTS ARTI TIST ST TS CO COOPERATIVE OOP OPER E ATIV VE fully functional Sculpture | Paintings | Pottery gears and complicated mechanisms ready to Jewelry | Classes and more! be used as soon as the A gift buying destination printer is done.

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A 3D printer can print spaces. That means it just skips over the area not needed so that the tolerances or spaces between the gears are extremely precise. Such an object comes out fully formed and ready to be used or tested with, depending on the material. There are even ways of printing some electronics and other very complicated objects. This, of course, requires large, specialized 3D printers.

What

can you print? I’ve seen everything from jewelry to edible objects printed with sugar and/or flour. You can also make tools, artwork, watch bands, cell phone cases, wheels, and even shoes. Think about that — a perfectly fitting pair of shoes. After a 3D scan of your foot, you choose your design and in less than a day you have a prefect-fitting, one-of-a-kind pair of shoes. By extension, this technology has all kinds of uses including on-the-spot prosthetics, completely custom and perfectly printed to a person. Most of the more advanced models can print multiple colors and materials simultaneously. There are many, many different kinds, types, and ways these 3D printers can be used in any environment. Now, no matter where you live — provided you have the raw materials — you can printer what you need, given a little time and patience. Now what did I do with my glasses? ***** Paolo Chlebecek is founder and owner of PaoloTek, which he started in 2003. He loves dogs of all sorts and oddly finds himself driving around town between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. every weekday. Wave hi when you see him or contact him at Paolo@PaoloTek.Com.

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18 • COLUMN • OCTOBER 2015 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

Prescott Film Festival’s SCRIPT NOTES

Hyde & seek

Storied ﬁlm a storied treat By Helen Stephenson

It’s

time for Halloween and that means things that go bump in the night, Mt. Vernon decorated with spooky or fall-themed houses, pumpkin lattes at Starbucks, and a silent film with live accompaniment from the Prescott Film Festival. This year, the festival is screening the 1920 John Barrymore version of “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” This version of Robert Louise Stevenson’s 1886 classic tale is considered by many to be the first horror film ever made. It’s also the film that skyrocketed John Barrymore to stardom. Barrymore didn’t want to follow in his family’s footsteps — his father Maurice, mother Georgiana, sister Ethel and brother Lionel were all actors — but eventually he started working on the stage. His sister Ethel got him acting jobs, and occasionally supported him financially as well. He lived a life of, well, old-fashioned debauchery. Kicked out of many schools, many times for drinking. There’s a long-standing rumor that he was kicked out of one school for being caught in line at a brothel. That begs the question: Who else from the school was in the brothel line? He actually wanted to be an artist, and did illustrations for the New York Evening Journal. He was eventually fired for being drunk and turning in a poor quality illustration. He knew that the acting jobs paid more, and his family could get him parts to start his career on the stage, so he starting taking small roles. He worked his way up to larger roles and became well known and respected as an actor.

segued into films in 1912, acting in five short films before getting his first feature, “An American Citizen,” in 1913. One reviewer at the time said Barrymore

“delighted movie audiences with an inimitable light touch that made a conventional romance ‘joyous.’” Barrymore later landed the dual leading roles of Jekyll and Hyde in the 1921 film “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” This role is said by film historians to be the one that made Barrymore a star. His talent ranged from comedy to horror. He was very talented and his expertise in one of his methods is evident in this film. When Dr. Jekyll first transforms into Mr. Hyde, Barrymore doesn’t use make-up; that’s Barrymore using his unique ability to contort his face in a maniacal way. Throughout the filming, he was working two jobs — starring in the film by day, and starring in a stage play by night. Barrymore eventually collapsed from exhaustion and the play, “Richard III,” closed. He led a rancorous life. Married and divorced four times, he was an alcoholic and womanizer. He bought his third wife a heck of a house, though. The estate in Beverly Hills, Bella Vista, had 55 rooms, six swimming pools, a bowling green, skeet shooting range, extensive gardens that necessitated the services of a full time gardener and a totem pole from Alaska. (The last of those has since been repatriated back to the Tlingit village from whence it came.)

“Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” poster. Fair use. button. The lights went on and I stared into the face of Barrymore. ... They hadn’t embalmed him yet. I let out a delirious scream. … I went back in, still shaking. I retired to my room upstairs shaken and sober. My heart pounded. I couldn’t sleep the rest of the night.” Others deny the story. Come see Barrymore in the ﬁlm that made him a star, the way this ﬁlm was meant to be seen: on the big screen at the Yavapai College Performing Arts Center, with live

accompaniment from the inimitable Jonathan Best. “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” is playing 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31. Tickets are $12 and available at PrescottFilmFestival.Com. And, oh yeah, come in costume. ***** Helen Stephenson is the director of the Yavapai College Film and Media Arts Program and executive director and founder of the Prescott Film Festival, where her thirst for independent cinema is quenched.

Barrymore

is considered to be one of the ﬁnest actors of the 20th century. He never received an Oscar, or even a nomination. When he died suddenly while recording a radio show in 1940, it was said by Errol Flynn in his biography that Barrymore’s friends “borrowed” Barrymore’s body and propped it up for an astonished Flynn to discover sitting in a chair in his living room when he arrived home. Flynn writes, “As I opened the door I pressed the

5ENSESMAG.COM • OCTOBER 2015 • FEATURE • 19

Thank you for smoking

From paper to walnut, from Bakelite to sterling silver, tobacco makes its mark on the antique world By Jacy Lee Billions of people use tobacco products worldwide. Billions. Millions of those people are in the U.S.A. Millions. A dozen or so people read my articles. A dozen. Or so. I attribute

A vintage Kool cigarette ad. Fair, albeit silly, use.

this numerical trend to the fact that reading my articles is far worse for you than using tobacco products. Although an unfathomable number of cigarettes are sold each year in this country, we’re going to ignore that part of the tobacco industry and, instead, focus on the accessory industries that it creates.

Our

ﬁrst subject — which also generates billions of dollars a year in this country — is advertising. Early American colonists were not bom-

barded by big tobacco’s advertising. Native Americans said it was cool, so we accepted it. With the advent of the 20th century, tobacco companies saw the potential for huge profits, and the advertising onslaught began. Colorful magazine ads touted the virtues of particular brands. In the 1920s to the ’40s, Chesterfield claimed they were the preference of tobacco auctioneers. The Kool penguins were playing golf and offering coupons redeemable for merchandise with each pack purchased. Camels were good for the nerves of both cowboys and housewives. Even other products often have cigarette smokers placed in them. Framed vintage cigarette ads have become collectible.

-No Usage Limits-No Contracts Required-Free Install Options-Fast Local Support-

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20 • COLUMN • OCTOBER 2015 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

Cigarette cases were a popular item in the early to mid-2oth century. It was both convenient and chic for women and men to use them. They were usually ﬂat for easy pocket or pocketbook storage. They protected the cigarettes, no doubt, but they also had style. Most were made of metals: brass, chrome, silverplate, and even sterling silver. Some were very plain, others were fancily decorated, but many were monogrammed. Tiﬀany and Bradley & Hubbard even got in on the action.

the home front, there were ashtrays, boxes, and smoking stands. Did you ever notice how many ashtrays are in antique booths these days? Ashtrays can be small, and made of glass, metal, or porcelain. Or they can be as big as a small end table. Some of the larger crystal ones can weigh several pounds. Both Baccarat and Orofers signed some of these. During the teens into the 1930s, ﬂoor ashtrays were made of fancy iron and marble. During the deco era, they might’ve been adorned with gazelles or greyhounds. Smoking stands were used for cigarettes and pipes. In the 1920s and 1930s they were usually walnut, and often lined with copper. About the size of a small end table, the top usually had a depression in the wood for a glass or metal ashtray to ﬁt in.

The storage of cigarettes at home became quite diverse, everything from used cigar boxes, to tramp art boxes to fancy inlaid boxes with mechanical operation. And speaking of mechanical operations, the rage in cast iron toys and banks spurred mechanically operated ﬁgures which popped up a cigarette instead of taking away a penny.

The

artistic highlight of the smoking industry has to be the deco smoking stand. About three feet high, gleaming chrome and adorned with agate glass or swirled Bakelite, these are eye catchers. Accessories on them included ashtrays, cigarette cups, match safes and often electric lighters. The upscale electriﬁed versions had lighted bases in agate glass or alabaster. To see one of these in their full glory is breathtaking (no pun intended). It’s also enough to make you marvel about that golden age of cigarettes and mutter to the ghost who embraced it. … Indeed, “Thank you for smoking.” ***** Longtime Prescott resident Jacy Lee has been in the auction business for 37 years and is directly responsible for a fraction of a million pounds of minimally processed recycling each year.

By Robert Blood [Editor’s note: The following interview was culled from conversations between the reporter and Tom Von Deck, the executive director of the revamped Tsunami on the Square performing arts and culture festival. The new event is noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Yavapai County Courthouse Square. Find out more at TsunamiOnTheSquare.Com.] It’s been two years since the last Tsunami on the Square. Why bring back the festival now? The old organization dissolved in early 2014, but a couple of years before that, the director, Andrew Johnson-Schmit said that he was looking for a replacement, someone he could train to be the next director. After two years of looking, he and the board said let’s walk away from it. That’s how it ended. I’d been thinking about it the whole time, but didn’t think I had the time. A coupe of months after it dissolved, But why bring it back in the I had the intuition to set it up again first place? and figure out a way to make it I’ve been to eight of them since work. We started with a Kickstarter 2006, and I think it’s a very imthat failed. We were trying to raise portant event. It brings something $15,000 and only raised $1,000, so unique to this community and we got nothing. There was a meetenriches it. There are a lot of things ing in the middle of the Kickstarter that spill out from Tsunami, incampaign and it had sounded like cluding programs for kids, creative quite a few people were going to events, and just a mix of art and creshow up, but there were only eight ativity. As a patron, I thought it was people. Getting people just a creative, wacky, who want to help weird thing. You see hasn’t been a problem. things you’re not goGetting them to actuing to see very often ally help has been. So in a place like this in we decided not to go northern Arizona. forward with things. Bringing back TsuWe thought, maybe nami was something give it some more I felt in my bones. It time, and more people can’t die. It’s got to would want to particicome back. It took a pate. We decided in couple of months for Tom Von Deck. January of this year me to step up and that we were going to actually do it, even do it, that this year is though I didn’t have the revival. We’re going to do it, no the financial means or the time. I’ve matter what. And people are going gone beyond broke since then, and to be less trusting of us — wanting I’m a little jaded, but I know it’ll be to make sure we’re going to do it in worth it. We’re still trying to become the spirit of the classic Tsunami on a tax exempt organization with the the Square — despite the fact we’re IRS, but we’ve got a kind of nongoing to do it with a fraction of the profit status from the state for the budget. At its biggest, the event cost corporation. … I’m a big fan of the something like $40,000, but we’re spectacle, of the out-of-the-ordinary doing it this year for a few thousand and, to me, Tsunami on the Square dollars. ... This is our proving year. isn’t just about entertainment. It’s It’s our new foundation year. about providing variety in life. ...

Making waves

(A new) Tsunami on the Square returns to Prescott Creativity can be business friendly. What can people expect from Tsunami on the Square this year? Well, it’s Saturday, Oct. 24 this year. We weren’t able to do it in June because of the county’s concerns about the grass. We’ll have the Kid’s Cove as well as lots of activities and crafts and things like that. As for the lineup, there’s a one-man circus — Fantastick Patrick — who’s this crazy comedian who juggles things and does stuﬀ with Chinese yo-yos, things like that. There’s Pyroklectic, the ﬁre troupe, who people will remember from years past. There’s The Carpetbag Brigade, which includes Jay Ruby, one of the original founders of the festival, who’ll be doing a 15- to 20-minute experimental piece.

The Apache Crown Dancers are coming back. There’ll be belly dancers again, including people you’ve seen with Troupe Salamat who are in new groups now. A new act is Ballet Folklorico Sol de Mexico, a troupe of little girls who do folkloric dance. They’re based out of P.V. and you may’ve seen them dancing at the Smoki Museum for Day of the Dead. There won’t be circus camp, at least not this year. The focus is getting the festival up and running. … One thing that’s new this year is that people can buy VIP seating online for $50. There are 40 seats and we plan to have some rewards or surprises for them throughout the day. We want to treat them. The truth is that money is more important than ever this year. There are fewer grants available, though we were able to get $3,100 from the city. We’ve been on the edge for a long time, barely scraping by, which is why it took 15 months to make this happen. Even at the last minute, now, though, we’re still trying to drum up as much as we can. We’ll have skitmercials again, and they’re going to be more important than ever. We’re also adding rapmercials and songmercials. … Anyway, we’re bringing this back, we’re excited about it, and we want other people to get excited about it. ***** Tsunami on the Square is noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Yavapai County Courthouse Square. Find out more at TsunamiOnThe Square.Com. Robert Blood is a Mayer-ish-based freelance writer and ne’er-do-well who’s working on his last book, which, incidentally, will be his ﬁrst. Contact him at BloodyBobby5@Gmail.Com.

Jay Ruby, founder of The Carpetbag Brigade & Tsunami on the Square

“Voice in Action/Body in Revolt”

Workshop: Oct. 25, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. $65-$90 (sliding scale, co-taught with Christopher Mankowski)

“Fayettenam”

Performances: Oct. 30 & 31, 7:30 p.m. $12 online/$15 door

Presented by

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5ENSESMAG.COM • OCTOBER 2015 • FEATURE • 21

Not-asholy days As

an adult, you could wear a costume every day of your life if you really wanted to. As such, there’s no reason to limit regalia to one holiday this month. Consider celebrating ... Oct. 1: Vegetarian Day • Don’t have a cow, man. Oct. 3: Virus Appreciation Day • ... helping us evolve physically and digitally. Oct. 6: Mad Hatter Day • Mercury makes history interesting. Oct. 9: Moldy Cheese Day • It’s so tasty, too. Oct. 11: Take Your Teddy Bear to Work Day • Bear all today.

The

modern nautilus is about 1 foot long, but it had ancestors whose shells measured 15 feet across. Some of these animals have as many as 90 arms, and although they lack the suckers of some cephalopod tentacles, they do have ridges that adhere to prey. This odd creature migrates daily for food, ascending at night and descending in the early morning, traveling as much as 2,000 feet. An opportunistic feeder, the nautilus hunts by smell, ﬁnding carrion, small animals, or roe by its scent. ODDLY ENOUGH … Though rare, nautiluses have been known to secrete pearls.

*****

San Quentin inmate named William Kogut was sentenced to hang for killing a woman with a pocket knife. He swore to the judge that he would never be executed. True to his word, he concocted a bomb out of one of the metal legs of his cell bed, and laid it on the heater in his room. Placing his head on the pipe bomb, he waited until it exploded and quite literally blew his head oﬀ.

Oct. 12: Moment of Frustration Day • A -109 tracking adjustment?!?! Oct. 13: Skeptics Day • Wasn’t this in January? Oct. 16: Dictionary Day • Merriam, Webster, thank you. Oct. 18: No Beard Day • Peak beardage was so 2014. Oct. 28: Plush Animal Lovers Day • Don’t Google Image Search that.

Bellydance Classes with of New Moon Tribal Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced classes held at Lotus Bloom Yoga Studio

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22 • FEATURES • OCTOBER 2015 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

ODDLY ENOUGH … The explosive material Kogut used for the bomb came from some playing cards he was allowed to have in his cell. The explosive ingredients — nitrate and cellulose — were contained in the red ink on the cards in his deck. He carefully tore them and soaked them in water. Then he placed this explosive mixture in the hollow bed leg. ***** Russell Miller is an illustrator, cartoonist, writer, bagpiper, motorcycle enthusiast, and reference librarian. Currently, he illustrates books for Cody Lundin and Bart King.

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