2016-03 5enses by 5enses

MARCH 2016 | VOLUME 4, ISSUE 3 | 5ENSESMAG.COM

5enses

March MMXVI • Volume IV, Issue III

Mara Kack

In which:

4 20 5 6 7 10 + 11 5/6 14 8/9 16 16/17 18 22 Paolo Chlebecek

turns a common deciduous shrub into an uncommonly delicious drink

Sharon Arnold

singles out a study that could yield many things, including The Singularity

takes to spotting a particular bird like a particular duck to water

Peregrine Book Co. staﬀ

reads about music, crows, polaroids, scientiﬁc love, and a hedonistic trifecta

Kathleen Yetman

claims a clustering cabbage that comes from a country that starts with a C

Alan Dean Foster

herds a Chesire cat who either sings for her supper or just plain caterwauls

James Dungeon

COVER IMAGE: “Eastern Lookout.” Oil painting by Adam Schrader. See pp. 11-13 for more. For every body that has ever wanted to dance ...

Dance Skills for Humankind Facilitated by

Delisa Myles & Breanna Rogers Wednesdays 5:30-6:45 p.m. Cost: $10 per session $30 for 4 sessions prepaid

Visit flyingneststudio.com & Facebook for more

| info@flyingneststudio.com | 928-432-3068 | 322 W. Gurley Street |

A visually stimulating puzzle by the Highlands Center for Natural History

Left Brain/Right Brain

reins in precipitously high predictions and willingly weathers wonky weather

Robert Blood

~ R’AMEN ~

Flip Photo

discusses experiences, inﬂuences, and places with painter Adam Schrader

Ty Fitzmorris

Copyright © 2016 5enses Inc. unless otherwise noted Publisher & Editor: Rev. Nicholas M. DeMarino M.A., P.M. Copy Editor: Susan Smart Contact us at 5ensesMag@Gmail.Com & 928-613-2076 Visit 5ensesMag.Com, Facebook, Twitter, & ISSUU for more

Discover events around Greater Prescott via a pop-sci metaphor

Word Herd

discusses place, characters, and place as character with Susan Lang

whimsical wordplay & imaginative etymology by Brian Lemcke

Prof. Werner Von Karmann

Oddly Enough

rationalizes his love of an irrational number with tasty homophones

Smart, quirky comics about the strange-but-true by Russell Miller

Adorn Your Lifestyle Buy | Sell | Trade •

UNIQUE APPAREL & EXOTIC GOODS

928-776-8695

133 N. Cortez, Historic Downtown Prescott

ea es rs i n busin

OPEN DAILY 10AM-5PM •

brating Cele

@ Snap Snap

5ENSESMAG.COM • MARCH 2016 • CONTENTS • 3

Plant of the Month

Three-leaf Sumac Three-leaf Sumac. Photo by Sue Smith, of Yavapai county Native & Naturalized Plants.

By Mara Kack ith longer days and increasing temperatures comes the anticipation of spring flowers. There are many factors affecting the emergence of flowers including day-length, but temperature and moisture play critical roles as well. In some years, spring starts as early as January, while in others, a long, cold spell pushes many plants’ response to late April. However, there are some early bloomers that are less affected by harsh winds and freezing nights. Rhus trilobata is one of many plants adapted with an early emerging flower. These common deciduous shrubs, also known as “Lemonade Berry Bush” or “Three-leaf Sumac,” among other names, can be found in the Prescott area, specifically the Chaparral and Pinyon-Juniper Woodland ecosystems. These shrubs start the spring as inconspicuous deciduous plants — only the most attentive eye catches the start of the Rhus’ yearly display. First, the newly grown branch tips become coated in fine yellowish trichomes (hairs); but it is best not to touch it. Those triJoin us for Breakfast with the Animals! Enjoy a continental breakfast while the keepers feed the featured animal, chomes’ function as a share facts and artifacts and conclude the program with a craft. Join usinteresting for Breakfast with the Animals! deterrent, and you might Enjoy a continental breakfast whileSaturday the keepersoffeed theMonth featured(see animal, Second each schedule) find yourself with a bit of share interesting facts and artifacts and conclude the program with a craft. 9:00 am — 10:30 am an itch. At the tip of each of Price: $15 adult member; $20 adult non-member; $5 child(see member (12 & under); $7 child non-member (12 & under) Second Saturday of each Month schedule) these stems, deep-red flower 9:00 am — 10:30 am 2015 Breakfast with the Animals Schedule Price: $15 adult member; $20 adult non-member; $5 child member (12 & under); $7 child non-member (12 & under) buds form prior to the development April 18: Tiger • May 9: Mountain Lion • June 6: Tortoises of any leaves. Slowly, the fragrant Sept. 12: Bears • oct. 10: Wolf 2015 Breakfast with the Animals Schedule yellow flowers emerge in small clusApril 18: Tiger • May 9: Mountain Lion • June 6: Tortoises ters. With the right conditions, wet Sept. 12: Bears • oct. 10: Wolf Pre-regiStrAtion iS required and warm, the Lemonade Berry Bush doesn’t stay inconspicuous for long, For more information or to register, call 778-4242

Breakfast with the Animals Breakfast with the Animals

Pre-regiStrAtion iS required Call today to reserve your space!

4 • FEATURE • MARCH 2016 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

For more information or to register, call 778-4242 Call today to reserve yourrd.;space! 1403 Heritage Park Prescott, AZ 86301 www.heritageparkzoo.org 501(c)(3) non-profit organization supported by the community.

Phone: 928-778-4242

and ﬂowers continue to develop until each stem is engulfed. On such years, the hillsides become speckled with bright yellow clumps, and the air is ﬁlled with their sweet fragrance.

fter the flowers are pollinated, bright green leaves finally begin to fill out the slender stems of the bush. Three deep lobes easily identify the leaves, and if you crush them between your fingers, they’ll release a pungent fragrance. After insects or the wind pollinates flowers, seeds develop within a bright red-orange fruit. These fruits are a treat to the eye and to the tongue. They’re sticky and slightly sour, like strong lemonade with a dash of sugar. You’d think that one plant could offer nothing else but there’s more. As the days grow shorter and the temperature cools, our Rhus treats us with one last show as her leaves turn, speckling the landscape once more — this time with brilliant yellow, orange and red fall leaves. ***** 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

Wood Duck. Photo by Doug Iverson.

Wood Duck

By Sharon Arnold ust a few riparian areas in Arizona support Wood Ducks, and Watson Woods along Granite Creek is a good place to spot them. Don’t be surprised if you see this colorful, distinctively marked duck — some might say, a gaudy bird — peering out of a nest hole. Wood Ducks nest in natural cavities or nest boxes in wooded swamps or in trees along creeks and lakes. They are the only North American duck to produce two broods a year. A clutch may have up to 10 or 11 eggs. Chicks are alert when hatched and covered with down. A day after hatching, the nestlings are ready to ﬂedge. The mother calls from below, and the ducklings jump down, sometimes from heights of 50 feet, without injury. Wood Ducks have strong claws that grip bark and help them perch safely on branches near their nest site. They do not excavate a cavity preferring instead to use a site where a branch has broken oﬀ and created an opening. Ornate, courting males swim speedily before an elegant female with wings and tail elevated sometimes with the head tilted back. Ritualized drinking, preening and shaking movements can be observed. Look for mated pairs in the

Watson Woods pond and in the shallow, swampy south end of Watson Lake. These ducks eat aquatic seeds, fruits, and insects by dabbling or by short, shallow dives and can sometimes be seen on dry land foraging for acorns or in ﬁelds seeking grain.

t one time, Wood Ducks were market hunted. They were almost extinct by the early 1900s. Due to improvements in wildlife management practices, they’ve made a strong comeback. The Arizona Breeding Bird Atlas shows Yavapai County as the primary location for Wood Duck nesting with Granite Creek being a preferred site. As a result, Prescott Audubon Society chose this bird to be its logo which was created by artist and Prescott resident Diane Iverson.

The primary shop for all of your birding needs

www.jaysbirdbarn.com

1046 Willow Creek Rd, Suite 105 Prescott

(928) 443-5900 Bringing Wild Birds To Your Backyard! Highlands Center for Natural History’s

pilF Photo

***** Sharon Arnold keeps her eyes and ears open for birds. She is a strong supporter of eﬀorts to preserve habitat for birds and other wildlife. Visit Prescott Audubon Society at PrescottAudubon.Org. Contact them at Contact@PrescottAudubon.Org.

Rummaging ruts are formed by ...

5ENSESMAG.COM • MARCH 2016 • FEATURE • 5

Peregrine Book Co.

Staff picks Catered by Reva Sherrard “Clapton” By Eric Clapton An autobiography that provides amazing insights into the lives of rock heroes of the ’60s and ’70s, all told ﬁrsthand from Slowhand himself. This is the story of the last living guitar god and the people who helped him become a legend. — Sean

Highlands Center for Natural History’s

Flip otohP

Javelina!

he Collard Peccary, known commonly by the Spanish term Javelina, are commonly attracted to our sweet gardens, compost, bird seed, and — of course, their favorite — jack-o-lanterns. These malodorous mammals commonly interact with us unintentionally. They’re often attracted to foods that, from their perspective, are up for the taking. With strong family instincts and short tempers, Javelinas can be quite aggressive. But, unprovoked, family herds are quite docile and even majestic as they follow perennial water and rummage for grubs, insects, fruits, roots, and even small mammals and reptiles. Photos by Felipe Guerrero.

6 • FEATURE • MARCH 2016 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

“Crow Planet” By Lynda Lynn Haupt Crows — whether you love or hate them, we must agree that these black beauties are brilliant. From dropping nuts in the road to be cracked by cars to playing in the snow, crows have certainly adapted to urban life while still remaining wild. Haupt connects crows’ adaptations with our own. As someone with an unquenchable thirst for wilderness, I love Haupt’s message that urban settings still offer us a sense of wildness we musn’t overlook. Crows certainly haven’t. — Emma “Instant: The Story of Polaroid” By Christopher Bonanos The biography of instant film and its founder Edwin Land. This book takes you on a photo tour of once state of the art technology that is now state of the art nostalgia. This was the closest we had to instant gratification prior to the digital era. Venture back to the ’50s and see how it all began. You may just find yourself considering that thrift store Polaroid next time you see it. — David

“The Rosie Project” By Graeme Simsion Imagine Dr. Sheldon Cooper (from “The Big Bang Theory”) attempting to find a wife by using a science-based questionnaire. Don Tillman is a genetics professor. He is socially inept and exceedingly punctual. Rosie, though, is not really any of these things. Do opposites attract, or is Don Tillman destined to be alone forever (though Don would argue not forever; we must all pass away at some point)? This is a hilarious book that will keep you reading through the night. Its only downfall is that it had to end at some point. But fret not! Book two is also available: “The Rosie Effect.” — Jon “Bread, Wine, Chocolate” By Simran Sethi “This is a book about food, but it’s really a book about love.” This book is truly about love. We must not lose our love or our gratitude for the foods we eat and the people that do everything they can to keep that food from disappearing. If you have no idea what or how important biodiversity is, you will after this book. Sethi turns a seemingly difficult subject to wrap your head around into something you’re striving to know more about. — Lacey

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

Prescott Sacred Beginnings

Vegetable of the Month

for Mom & Baby!

Bok choy Bok choy. Photo by Webvet~enwiki, public domain.

By Kathleen Yetman ok choy (aka pak choi), Brassica rapa, is a type of Chinese cabbage. Records show that the Chinese have been cultivating the vegetable since the ﬁfth century. It wasn’t introduced to the U.S. until early in the 20th century. Bok choy prefers mild to cooler weather and will bolt when temperatures are consistently colder than 50 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer than 75. It can withstand occasional frosts, making it a great crop for the early spring here in Yavapai County. Plants are generally ready to harvest 50-60 days after planting. Most of the bok choy found in grocery stores and farmers markets is “baby” bok choy, meaning it was picked while still immature and/or is a variety selected for its small size.

hen harvested, the plant is cut just above the roots, leaving a loose head of leaves attached by their stems to the base. All parts of the harvested vegetable can be eaten. When selecting bok choy, feel for stems and leaves that are still somewhat crisp. Store the

vegetable in the fridge and use within a few days to ensure that it still has its crunch. Bok choy is an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and K and is a good source of potassium, folate, vitamin B6, calcium, and manganese. It has a mild ﬂavor and slightly crunchy texture, and is fantastic in stir-fries. It is a great stand-alone vegetable when sautéed — the stems stay crisp while the leaves wilt, becoming silky. You’ll ﬁnd bok choy in nearly all Asian food cultures. Bok choy features prominently in soups: Japanese Udon, Vietnamese Pho (a noodle soup), Filipino pork sinigang, and Taiwaneese beef soup. It’s a popular ingredient in rice and noodle dishes across Asia. Bok choy is truly a delightful green to experiment with and mix up your greens intake.

This 8-week class brings women and babies in our community together to honor the right of passage into motherhood whether your first baby or integrating with siblings. Strengthened by the support of other mothers, we build our village during this time of challenge, beauty and growth. Through community, celebration and ceremony, we shine light on the many vibrant experiences of mothering; moments of unbound love as well as the raw vulnerable times. This series is open to all mothers, new & experienced alike! We cover many topics including: -The Journey of a Mother -Baby yoga -Healthy home using essential oils -Exploring baby's astrological chart -Connection & bonding -Releasing fears -Nourishment & body image

3-4:45 p.m. Saturdays, March 19th - May 7th For more info & pricing, please contact Valerie Wiesner ♥ 928-642-4671 ♥ sacredbirthguru.com

***** Kathleen Yetman is the Managing Director of the Prescott Farmers Market and a native of Prescott. Find out more about the Prescott Farmers Market at PrescottFarmers Market.Org.

5ENSESMAG.COM • MARCH 2016 • FEATURE • 7

Left Brain: March’s mind-full events Events

6 8 10

“Raptors in the Modern World” • 7 p.m. Thursday, March 24: Paul and Anne Schnell, of Arizona's Raptor Experience, showcase as many as ﬁve live raptors — most likely a Northern Sawwhet Owl, a Western Screech Owl, a Harris's Hawk, a Eurasian Eagle Owl, and a Swainson's Hawk — including an indoor, in-ﬂight demo. Flash photos are allowed during the presentation and photo opportunities are afterword for a suggested donation of $5-$10 to ARE. A monthly Prescott Audubon meeting. (Trinity Presbyterian Church, 630 Park Ave., 928-778-6502, PrescottAudubon.Org) IMAGE: A Eurasian Eagle Owl, photo by Brocken Inaglory, C.C. 3.0.

“Triple Threat Mystery Writers” • 2 p.m. Sunday, March 6: Patricia Batta, Susan Lanning, and S. Resler Nelson — a newly formed trio of local writers — discuss mystery writing. (Peregrine Book Co., 219A N. Cortez St., 928-445-9000)

“Dawn of the Dinosaurs” • 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 8: Christa Sadler discusses the late Triassic in the American Southwest. A monthly Central Arizona Geology Club meeting. (Prescott Public Library, 215 E. Goodwin St., 928-777-1500)

“Clawback” • 1:30 p.m. Thursday, March 10: New York Times bestselling mystery author J.A. Jance discusses her latest thriller, “Clawback,” in which Ali Reynolds attempts to solve the murder of a man whose Ponzi scheme bankrupted hundreds of people and left them seeking justice … or revenge. (Prescott Valley Library, 7401 E. Civic Circle, 928-759-3040) “Death Cafe” • 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 10: People gather to eat cake, drink tea, and discuss death with the objective “to increase awareness of death with a view to help people make the most of their (ﬁnite) lives.” (Peregrine Book Co., 219A N. Cortez St., 928-445-9000) “Designing With Nature” • 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 10: Tony Brown, founder and director of the Ecosa Institute, talk. An Arizona Native Plant Society presentation. (Highlands Center for Natural History, 1375 S. Walker Road, 928-776-9550)

Recharge Ponds bird walk • 8 a.m. Saturday, March 12: Local, guided bird walk at Recharge Ponds with Eric Moore. (Jay’s Bird Barn, No. 113, 1046 Willow Creek Road, 928-443-5900, RSVP) Audubon bird walk • 8:30 a.m. Saturday, March 12: Monthly Prescott Audubon Society bird walk. (Highlands Center for Natural History, 1375 S. Walker Road, 928-776-9550) “Star Your Own Organic Garden” • 9 a.m. Saturday, March 12: Local, successful organic backyard gardeners discuss how to grow organic, chemical-free food easily in diﬀerent size spaces. A limited number of Bucket Garden Kits are available for $10. (One Root Tea, 500 W. Gurley St., GMOFree PrescottAZ.Org, RSVP)

White Spar bird walk • 8 a.m. Wednesday, March 16: Local, guided bird walk at White Spar with Ryan Crouse. (Jay’s Bird Barn, No. 113, 1046 Willow Creek Road, 928-443-5900, RSVP)

“Signs of Spring” • 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 16: Paul Rusk, Highlands Center Naturalists leader, leads an exploration along Centennial Trail. (Centennial Trail, HighlandsCenter.Org) “Dreamland: Secrets of Area 51” • 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 16: Aerospace historian, author, and ERAU alum Peter Merlin discusses the infamous Groom Lake, Nevada-based base which has served as a secret proving ground for advanced aircraft and weapon systems since 1955. Throughout the Cold War, workers at this site have tested the U-2, A-12, Soviet ﬁghters, stealth aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles. (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Davis Learning Center, 928-777-6985)

“Through Compact Telescopes to New Research Realm” • 6 p.m. Thursday, March 17: Father Christopher Corbally, S.J. Vice Director of the Vatican Observatory, discusses space science discoveries derived from imagination, innovative technology, prime location, and persistence, coupled with compact telescopes. A Third Thursday Star Talk via the Prescott Astronomy Club. (Prescott Public Library, 215 E. Goodwin St., 928-777-1500)

“Creeks Connect Community” • 10 a.m. Saturday, March 12: Michael Byrd and Guy Whol talk. A monthly Citizens Water Advocacy Group. (Granite Peak Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 882 Sunset Ave., 928-445-4218) “Lil' Sure Shot: Annie Oakley” • 1 p.m. Saturday, March 12: Casey Davis discusses one of the best recognized but little known personalities to ever come out of the American West. (Phippen Museum, 4701 Arizona 89, 928-778-1385, $5-$7) Evening forest walk & star party • 6:30 p.m. Saturday, March 12: Explore the forest as it transitions from day to night, then, courtesy of the Prescott Astronomy Club, see the Crescent Moon, Jupiter, Cigar Galaxy, Great Orion Nebula, Pleiades Cluster, and double stars. (Highlands Center for Natural History, 1375 S. Walker Road, 928776-9550)

8 • EVENTS • MARCH 2016 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

18 31 19 Multi-day

“The Lost Grizzlies” • 9:30 a.m. Friday, March 18: Discuss Rick Bass's “The Lost Grizzlies.” A monthly Natural History Book Club meeting. (Prescott College Natural History Institute, 312 Grove Ave., 928-350-2280)

“Breathing Life into Character” • 2 p.m. Saturday, March 19: Susan Lang, author and faculty emeritus at Yavapai College, leads and workshop and teaches how to mine your imagination to bring life into your charcters. (Peregrine Book Co., 219A N. Cortez St., 928-445-9000)

“A Natural History of Sound” • 7 p.m. Thursday, March 31: Dr. John Hopkins opens with a 20-minute live sonic performance then discusses sound as a particular expression of energy that is present within the living global system. (Prescott College Natural History Institute, 312 Grove Ave., 928-350-2280)

“Origins of Whiskey Row” • 2 p.m. Saturday, March 19: Brad Courtney uncloaks the hearsay, legends, and myths of Prescott's “Whiskey Row,” focusing on such saloons as Diana, the Quartz rock, Cabinet, and the Palace. A Museum Lecture Series event. (Sharlot Hall Museum, 415 W. Gurley St., 928-445-2133)

Spring Zoo Camp • March 7-11: Children 6- through 12-yearsold can enjoy a week-long day camp. This year's theme is “Animals on the Edge.” Kids will do fun activities and study diﬀerent animals on the edge of extinction. (Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary, 1403 Heritage Park Road, 928-778-4242, $150-$175, RSVP)

Aspen Creek bird walk • 8 a.m. Friday, March 25: Local, guided bird walk at Aspen Creek with Ryan Crouse. (Jay’s Bird Barn, No. 113, 1046 Willow Creek Road, 928-443-5900, RSVP)

Prescott Area Boardgamers • 5 p.m. Wednesdays, March 2 & 16: Play European-style board games. (Prescott Public Library, 215 E. Goodwin St., 928-777-1500)

25 27

Easter Eggstravaganza • 10 a.m. Sunday, March 27: Easter Egg hunts and other family activities throughout the day. (Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary, 1403 Heritage Park Road, 928-778-4242, $6-$10)

25 &26 “Sheena's Kiss” • 10 a.m. March 25 & 26: The Purple Cat inaugural book signing event, featuring “Sheena's Kiss,” a true story of hope and love by Wendy Ratner, illustrated by Diane Iverson. (The Purple Cat, 3180 Willow Creek Road, Fry's Shopping Center, 928-776-0115) IMAGE: "Sheena's Kiss" cover by Diane Iverson. Courtesy image.

Naturalist ﬁeld walks • 10 a.m. Saturdays: Naturalist ﬁeld walks at the Highlands Center. (Highlands Center for Natural History, 1375 S. Walker Road, 928776-9550) Prescott Farmers Market • 10 a.m. Saturdays: Enjoy local organic produce and goods from local farmers. (Yavapai Regional Medical Center's Pendleton Center, 1003 Willow Creek Road, PrescottFarmersMarket.Org) Drop in chess • 2 p.m. Saturdays: Play chess, all ages and skill levels welcome. (Prescott Public Library, 215 E. Goodwin St., 928-777-1500)

March’s art-full events :niarB thgiR

Events

Performance dance/ movement arts classes • Wednesdays & Thursdays: Learn contemporary dance, movement for life, and normative movement. (Flying Nest Movement Arts, 322 W. Gurley St., 928-432-3068, prices vary)

Watercolor workshop • 9 a.m. Saturday, March 5: Learn color, value, and wet techniques in watercolors with Barbara Kimmel-Palmer. (Mountain Artists Guild & Gallery, 228 Alarcon St., 928-445-2510, $30-$40)

Art

“Manon Lescaut” • 10:55 a.m. Saturday, March 5: Via satellite, The Metropolitan Opera’s presentation of Giacomo Puccini’s opera based on the book by Abbé Prévost. (Yavapai College Performing Arts Center, 1100 E. Sheldon St., 928-776-2000, $20-$24)

Ewing • From March 1: Oil paintings by Maryhelen Ewing. (Arts Prescott Gallery, 134 S. Montezuma St., 928-776-7717)

The Improvitonians • 8:30 p.m. Saturday, March 5: Improv comedy. Nothing is scripted, so no one knows what will happen. (Stage Too, North Cortez Street alley between Willis and Sheldon streets, 928-445-3286, $5)

9 12

Open mic poetry • 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 9: Monthly poetry jam presented by Decipherers Synonymous. (The Beastro, 117 N. McCormick St., 971-340-6970)

“Beginning Water Color” • 1 p.m. Saturday, March 12: Karen Garley Bush teaches beginning watercolors. All materials supplied. (That New Gallery, Gateway Mall near Dillard’s, 3250 Gateway Blvd., 928-445-0788, $50, RSVP) Standup comedy charity event • 8 p.m. Saturday, March 12: A night of shenanigans and laugh-ery hosted by Freddie Fowler and featuring comedians James Wells and Ben McPhee. 18+ event. (Prescott Center for the Arts, 208 N. Marina St., 928-445-3286, $12-$15)

13 15 19

“Experimenting With Watercolor” • 1 p.m. Sunday, March 13: Karen Garley Bush teaches watercolor experimentation. All materials supplied. (That New Gallery, Gateway Mall near Dillard’s, 3250 Gateway Blvd., 928-445-0788, $55, RSVP)

“Spartacus” • 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 15: Via satellite, The Bolshoi Ballet’s presentation of Aram Kacaturian and Yuri Grigorovich’s signature piece set in ancient Rome. (Yavapai College Performing Arts Center, 1100 E. Sheldon St., 928-776-2000, $9-$15)

Navajo rug & Indian art auction • 9 a.m. preview, noon auction Saturday, March 19: 18th annual auction of Navajo rugs and Indian art featuring 100 lots of pottery, baskets, jewelry, ﬁne art, and 300-plus rugs. (Smoki Museum, 147 N. Arizona Ave., 928-445-1230) “Chinese Brush Painting” • 1 p.m. Saturday, March 19: Learn Chinese brush paintings from Tommie Parcell. All materials supplied. (That New Gallery, Gateway Mall near Dillard’s, 3250 Gateway Blvd., 928-445-0788, $55, RSVP)

21 30 23

“Women of Ireland” • 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 21: An all-female lineup of Irish step dancers including long-term lead dancers from “Riverdance” and “Lord of the Dance.” (Yavapai College Performing Arts Center, 1100 E. Sheldon St., 928-776-2000, $26-$56) Open mic poetry • 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 23: Poet Dan Seaman emcees monthly open mic poetry. (Peregrine Book Co., 219A N. Cortez St., 928-445-9000)

“Into the Woods” • From March 15: Photography by George Lewis and wood sculpture by John Hoyt. (’Tis Art Center & Gallery, 105 S. Cortez St., 928-775-0223) IMAGE: Wooden poppy by John Hoyt, courtesy photo.

25 26

4th Friday Art Walk • 5 p.m. Friday, March 25: Monthly art walk including 18+ galleries, artist receptions, openings, and demos. (ArtThe4th.Com)

Contra Dance • 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 26: Contra dancing. Via Folk Happens. Calls by JP Thom Gronachan, music by Granite Creek String Band. (First Congregation Church, 216 E. Gurley St., 928-925-5210, $4-$8)

Multi-day “Fiber Clay Sculpture” • 11 a.m. Thursdays, March 3, 10, 17, & 24: Mary Schulte and Patty Heibel teach a ﬁber clay sculpture class. (That New Gallery, Gateway Mall near Dillard’s, 3250 Gateway Blvd., 928-445-0788, $120, RSVP)

“A Grief Ritual for the Earth” • 4 p.m. Sunday, March 20: Joseph Paul McCaffrey, of Nature Based Wellness, leads a community gathering for people who “have felt grief, despair, or anger for a place in nature that’s been desecrated.” Bring a picture or an object that represents a place dear to you, as well as a rhythmic instrument. Via Sacred Earth Project. (Centennial Trail Head on Adams Street, Nature BasedWellness@Gmail.Com) “Loose & Direct Approach to Oil Painting” • 9 a.m. March 15-17: Learn to use color, value, and design composition in this threeday workshop with G. Eric Slayton. (Mountain Artists Guild & Gallery, 228 Alarcon St., 928-445-2510, $230-$250) “The Music Man” • 7 p.m. March 18 & 19, 3 p.m. March 20: Meredith Willson’s award-winning musical. The Yavapai College Spring Musical. (Yavapai College Performing Arts Center, 1100 E. Sheldon St., 928-776-2000, $10-$35) “And Then There Were None” • 7:30 p.m. March 24-26 & March 30-April 2; 2 p.m. March 26 & April 2 & 3: Agatha Christie’s classic tale of house guests and murder. Directed by Parker Anderson. (Prescott Center for the Arts, 208 N. Marina St., 928-445-3286, $12-$20) Yoga classes • Mondays, Tuesdays, & Thursdays: Yoga classes including Ayurveda, over-50, mindful, and dynamic flow yoga. (Flying Nest Movement Arts, 322 W. Gurley St., 928-4323068, 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. (Flying Nest Movement Arts, 322 W. Gurley St., 928432-3068, prices vary)

Local artists • From March 1: Pen and drawings by Brien Hawkes, oil painting by Susan Congdon, photography by Laurie Jackson, and photography on metal by Marti Huzarski. (The Purple Cat, 3180 Willow Creek Road, Fry’s Shopping Center, 928-776-0115) “Oliver the Earth & Sky” • From March 1: New art from Prescottbased Western landscape artist Doug Oliver. (Van Gogh’s Ear Gallery, 156 S. Montezuma St., 928-776-1080) “True Colors” • From March 1: L.A.-based Rachel Lachowicz turns her witty eye on the masculinecentric world of Modernism. (Prescott College Art Gallery at Sam Hill Warehouse, 232 N. Granite St., 928-350-2341) “Inspiration to Creation: The Hidden Life Behind Bronze” • From March 5: Artist and bronze specialist Erik Petersen, along with his cousin, photographer Willie Petersen, cater behindthe-scenes images. (Phippen Museum, 4701 Arizona 89, 928-778-1385, $5-$7) Dann & Heide • Through March 14: Photography by Bonnie Dann and Scott Heide. (’Tis Art Center & Gallery, 105 S. Cortez St., 928-775-0223) “Making Our Mark” • From March 15: Yavapai College printmakers showcase their unique skills. (Yavapai College Prescott Art Gallery, 1100 E. Sheldon St., 928-776-2031) McQuain & Watkins • Through March 16: New art by David McQuain and Marilyn Watkins. (Mountain Artists Guild & Gallery, 228 Alarcon St., 928-445-2510) “Vineyard” • From March 18: Invitational vineyard art show. (Mountain Artists Guild & Gallery, 228 Alarcon St., 928-445-2510) “Contemporary Print Makers” • Through March 22: Annual show featuring contemporary printmakers. (’Tis Art Center & Gallery, 105 S. Cortez St., 928-775-0223) “The Eyes Have It” • From March 24: Annual group spring photography show. (’Tis Art Center & Gallery, 105 S. Cortez St., 928-775-0223) “The Shape of Things” • Through March 25: Line, shape, form, pattern, symmetry, scale, and proportion are the building blocks of these shape-focused art pieces. (Prescott Center for the Arts Gallery, 208 N. Marina St., 928-445-3286) Iredel • From March 25: Jewelry and mixed media by Lee Iredel. (Arts Prescott Gallery, 134 S. Montezuma St., 928-776-7717)

Do android cats dream of electric mice? Another take on the taming of the shrewd

Alan Dean Foster’s

Perceivings

By Alan Dean Foster recent scientific study undertook to find out if cats developed purring as a way of subjugating (alright, that’s probably too strong a word) ... as a way of encouraging humans to keep them as pets. From the cats’ point of view, not specifically to keep them as “pets” so much as to provide them with free homes, free food, free toilet service, free snacks, and free objects with which to engage in play. Dogs do likewise, but dogs don’t purr. Neither do pet rabbits, pet snakes, pet gerbils, or any other household pet. Over the years, we have had many cats (and dogs). The current roster in our household totals two dogs and eight cats. All of our pets have been rescued animals; some from shelters, some from folks who physically can no longer care for them, one from a burning house, several from a barn. Each and every one eventually settled in comfortably, at his or her own speed, because cats are not predictable. Something they have in common is that they all purr, which put me in mind of the aforementioned study. While its conclusions were indecisive, there were some indications that felines do indeed purr to make themselves more attractive to potential suckers human hosts. I found this conclusion an awkward one, however, because of a personal encounter.

n 1993, I spent several weeks driving across Namibia from north to south. Except for the lack of traffic and the occasional troop of baboons or flock of ostriches dashing across the road in front of you, Namibia looks more like Arizona than any place I have ever been. Located well off the main highway between Windhoek and Otjiwarongo, Mt. Etjo Game Reserve was mentioned to me by a friend in the capital as a place I might like to visit that was

off the beaten track. Well-managed and not nearly as famous as Etosha National Park and the bigger game reserves in Namibia, I was to find it appealing and uncrowded. Namibia can also be every bit as hot as parts of Arizona. So it was when I dropped in at the Reserve’s lodge after the drive up from Windhoek (altitude 5436’ … Prescott, 5400’, depending on what part of town you happen to be in). I had no trouble securing a room for a couple of days and, after checking in to my room, immediately made the acquaintance of the Lodge’s swimming pool. It was not long after, while wandering the grounds, that I came upon an unassuming enclosure made of posts and chicken wire. The fence itself was about five-feet high and in no way intimidating. Staring hard into the afternoon sun, I thought I could make out something lying in the shade of a couple of scraggly trees. Then it moved. It was a full-grown male cheetah. “That’s Felix.” Turning, I found myself confronting one of the reserve’s rangers. “He is one of two cubs whose mother was killed by a car or truck. They were turned over to us. The other cub was killed by a cobra (I make a mental note that this is not a problem with which cats in Prescott are commonly afflicted).” I take another, longer look at Felix. Then at the fence forming his enclosure. I measure Felix’s length against the enclosure’s height. Something, needless to say, does not add up. “Can’t he jump this fence?” “Oh, easily,” the ranger informs me, not entirely reassuringly. “He just chooses not to.” A nod at the shady, well-watered enclosure. “That’s his home, and its been his choice to stay there.” Flash forward to the scientific study that prompted this reflection. Free housing, free food (no need to hunt), free water (no worries in the dry season), toys (yes, Felix had toys in his enclosure. None of them moving in frantic haste to get away, in case you’re wondering), no worries about competition from other predators, no food-stealing hyenas or lions, and plenty of personal attention. “If you want, you can go in and interact with him.”

this with all 10 fingers. When petted, Felix purred. It was a familiar, warm, friendly purr, exactly what you would expect from a house cat, except more Darth Vader-ish in tone. Back now to present day and that study. If cats developed purring to entice humans to take them in, of what use would that be to a cheetah? True, they were favorite pets of Egyptian pharaohs, but there are plenty of recordings of cheetahs purring out in the veldt and one has to assume they did so prior to the rise of bald Egyptian kings. Cheetahs also chirp. I therefore will state for the record that, while cats have evolved all manner of cutsey-wootsey techniques intended to make humans love them and share our homes and food with them, my personal experience is that purring is not one of these, and that it existed in small cats (nothing bigger than a cheetah purrs; not lions, tigers, jaguars, or pumas) long before teeming hordes of hairless apes came to dominate their environment. I can confess, however, that had Felix somehow indicated a desire for a bowl of milk, I would have embarked on an immediate search for one. Not a scientific reaction, perhaps, but that’s what a cat can do to you. Even one big enough to take your face off. ***** 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.

How many cans of tuna a day?

t this point I will refer you, if you wish to read about my encounter with Felix in more detail, to Chapter Three of my book “Predators I Have Known” (Open Road Media). Suﬃce to say, all went well. As proof, I am typing

10 • COLUMN • MARCH 2016 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

Images public domain. Illustration by 5enses.

By James Dungeon ou probably noticed it the first time you stepped foot in The Raven Café. There, on the wall above the bar. That big painting of a perched raven and another, in flight near Thumb Butte. But when was the last time you really looked at it? You know, gave it thoughtful attention. Both subject matters have been done to death, but there’s something different about their depictions in that mural. They’re more dynamic. More, well, alive. It might be the time of day or the light. It might be a certain mood or spirited whimsy. Whatever the catalyst, that piece of art yields endless novel experiences and singular moments. And, if you knew the artist who painted it, you might even notice a few more nuances. For your consideration, the artist behind that painting: Adam Schrader.

Foundations & Philly “You can hear six different stories about Adam and it sounds like six different people,” said Ty Fitzmorris, entrepreneur, owner of The Raven, and commissioner of the painting in question. “He can be a little reticent to talk about himself, and he’s a semi-mystical character as a consequence of that.” Schrader grew up on the Jersey Shore and got in trouble in school for doodling. Usually birds. He started surfing at age 10 or 11. (Remember that iconic roller coaster that was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy? That’s on Schrader’s home pier.) “Surfing helped me with my patience,” he said. “I learned how to read sky and weather patterns, which is something you bring into painting, too.” Schrader was always into art, but also found time to captain his high school cross-country team, surf at a semi-professional level, and pick up charcoal drawing along the way. “It’s different from painting,” Schrader said, adjusting his hand to grip a phantom piece of charcoal. “But it got me thinking about what painting can be.”

TOP: Adam Schrader’s initial mural is hung in The Raven Café. BOTTOM: “The Dells II” detail. Charcoal drawing by Adam Schrader. Courtesy images. Oh yeah, he was also a drummer, was into hardcore punk, and once got suspended for sporting “gang colors.” After graduating high school, Schrader spent a two-year stint at DuCret School of the Arts in Plainfield, N.J., then enrolled in the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, P.A. There, he fell in love with the French impressionists, semi-obscure Russians, and modern Americans like Eric Fischl. “It was school during the week and basically music every weekend,” Schrader said. “I’ve been balancing the brush and the sticks since I was young.” As a drummer — Schrader, who adjusted his gestures when discussing music to leverage invisible drumsticks, is about as kinesthetic as they come — he came into contact with a lot of musicians and, inevitably, tattoo artists. One common denominator among his varied friends was the influence of Japanese art. Specifically, they were into Ukiyo-e (浮世絵). That famous woodblock print of “The Wave”? That’s a primo example by Katsushika Hokusai. “You might not see it in all of the paintings and drawings,” Schrader said, “But that influence is there in that philosophy, that concept.” He had a house that hosted punk shows. He ran a house painting business. He kept painting.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 >>>

Unfathomable fathoms The art of Adam Schrader

5ENSESMAG.COM • MARCH 2016 • PORTFOLIO • 11

... FROM PAGE 11 Connections “After 10 years in Philly, I was feeling pretty burned out,” Schrader said. “I came to Prescott to heal.” There’s more to the story — he’d also been battling what was only recently revealed to be a misdiagnosed medical condition — but suffice it to say, his first longterm stint here was from January to March of 2005. “The whole time I was here, I talked to maybe two people, but the last weekend there was this art show at Sam Hill,” Shrader said, referring to Prescott College’s art gallery. It was Kristen Densmore’s senior thesis photography show. There, he met many of the people who would form his base of friends in Prescott, including Fitzmorris. Schrader drove across the country and moved in Prescott in May of 2005. Stepping outside one evening, he heard some people playing music across the street and thought of his friend Newt Lynn (who, incidentally, helped found The Raven, and is its music director to this day). “I called Newt to tell him about my cool neighbors outside picking bluegrass,” Schrader said. “He laughs, and tells me it’s him and Ty.” Lynn and Fitzmorris both recognized Schrader’s artistic skill almost immediately. “That was one of the first things I knew about him — that he had this extraordinary artistic style,” Fitzmorris said. “I hadn’t really seen that level of care, almost like a commitment to a piece.” “He’s more of a classically trained artist, someone who draws a lot of inspiration from landscape and from culture,” Lynn said. “You could see that urban influence in when he was in Philly, but the Southwest brings out something different in his paintings.” “And there’s the whole Native American thing,” Schrader said, nonchalantly, as if being accepted into Hopi culture and attending more than 40 dances were no big thing. “It was great for my transition and healing,” he continued. “It made me think about things differently.” Now in Prescott full-time, Schrader played drums in numerous bands. Some people knew he painted. Others didn’t. “A lot of people hadn’t seen his paintings because he was always out playing music and he didn’t carry them around with him,” Densmore said. “Still, once you found out, it wasn’t surprising. It seemed to reflect him as a person.”

12 • PORTFOLIO • MARCH 2016 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

Commissions Schrader painted his first mural with his tattoo artist, Erik Rieth, in Philly for an Aikido dojo. It was, fittingly, a Hokusai reproduction. When Schrader was approached by Fitzmorris to paint a signature piece for The Raven, he had significantly less to go on. “He wanted a raven,” Schrader said with a grin. “That’s all he gave me.” The vagary was intentional. “I think Newt was actually the first person I knew who’d commissioned artwork,” Fitzmorris said. “One of the big lessons I learned from him was to give minimal direction — just chose an artist you love and don’t tell them much.” After a few sketches and revisions, the result was the piece now above the bar — though it was originally supposed to cover the sound booth. “There’s a branch that’s meant to be coming out of the wall, not the pillar in the middle but it worked out,” Schrader said. During The Raven’s early days, that panel slid along rollers so cartoons could be projected on the wall every Saturday morning. If you didn’t know (and if you did know, too), Schrader’s piece was painted specifically to be displayed on a west-facing wall. “Ty’s all about the sunset,” Schrader explained, recalling Fitzmorris’s ritual of watching the sun set behind Thumb Butte. “If the wall wasn’t there, you’d see that the painting is basically the view west from there.” Years later, Fitzmorris commissioned a painting of Granite Mountain from Schrader that, after a month or so, ended up at another of Fitzmorris’s establishments, Peregrine Book Co. Unlike typical images of Granite Mountain, it’s painted from the south so it can be displayed on a north-facing wall. Its three ravens are its namesake, “Triad of the Gods.” “I was going up to the Hopi a lot at the time,” Schrader said. “The spirit world is up there, and there’s a lot of energy there. ... I wanted the birds to have life in them.” Lynn said Schrader paints particularly rich pieces that are more personal than catalog landscapes. “It’s not only the landscapes, but the other natural elements Adam puts in that create an ecology of those regions,” Lynn said. “With the piece at The Raven, he’d shown us some sketches, but I don’t think anyone was prepared for how great the finished piece came out.”

FROM LEFT: “Rocking Chair Blues”; “Solitude I”; “Clara Grace”; “Triad of the Gods”; Adam Schrader. Oil paintings and charcoal drawings by Adam Schrader. Courtesy images.

Hopeful horizons 2015 was a big year for Schrader. It was the year he married his now-wife, Shannon. It was the year he celebrated the first birthday of his daughter, Clara. And it was the year he quit the band Cadillac Angels, with whom he played more than 100 shows that year. “We’re in a very transitional phase,” Schrader said in early 2016, lamenting the fact that his family will likely move to Philly sometime this year. Schrader’s already boomeranged there once, back in 2010. It’s where he met Shannon, and it’s only a 60-mile ride back to his hometown. “I’ll miss our friends and I’ll miss the visuals — the open air and the sense of space,” Schrader said. “It’s the desert, the clouds, and the colors. You can’t beat it.” He paused and cracked a deadpan joke. “Having a baby that gets up before sunup gives you an appreciation of the sunrise, too.” Fitzmorris said Schrader’s paintings are a rarity. “Western landscapes are an art form that draws a lot of enthusiastic amateurs but not as many serious professionals these days,” Fitzmorris said. “There’s nothing out there that looks like any of Adam’s pieces; they’re painted and drawn so adoringly, lovingly, and reverently. … He’s also a really good friend. I don’t know how you’ll work that in, but I wanted to say that.” In part because of fleetingly rare time and in part because of patron practicality, a lot of Schrader’s recent work has been in charcoal drawings. (For larger images, think $400 vs. $4,000.) He’d like to work on a series based upon fatherhood in the future. “When you’re a dad you realize you have your old world and your new world of being a dad,” Schrader said. “When those worlds combine, it’s kind of interesting — you’re music guy and you’re dad guy.” Schrader’s spartan, neutral-colored décor is now populated by large, brightly colored objects. Picture a sleek iPod next to an oversized sippy cup. It’s lots of that. Only good can come from Schrader’s ever-growing range of influences, Lynn said. “From rockabilly guy, to Buddhist monk, to spirit guide — he embodies all those people and everything in between,” Lynn said. “Now Adam’s a husband and a father. I’m really excited for him and to see what that means for his artwork.”

***** You can see Adam Schrader’s work at The Raven Café (142 N. Cortez St., 928717-0009) and Peregrine Book Co. (219 N. Cortez St., 928-445-9000). Visit him online at AdamSchrader.Com. James Dungeon is a ﬁgment of his own imagination. And he likes cats. Contact him at JamesDungeonCats@Gmail.Com.

News From the Wilds Weather Average high temperature: 59.4 F (+/-4.6) Average low temperature: 28.6 F (+/-3.5) Record high temperature: 83 F (March 18, 2007) Record low temperature: 2 F (March 1, 1913) Average precipitation: 1.69” (+/-1.54”) Record high precipitation: 7.11” (1918) Record high snowfall: 34.2” (1973) Record low precipitation: 0” (5.4 percent of years on record) Max daily precipitation: 3.21” (March 3, 1938) Source: Western Regional Climate Center

By Ty Fitzmorris arch is an alluring but ultimately deceptive month in the Mogollon Highlands. Glorious sunny days abound, glittering with butterflies and migrant songbirds, and highlighted with the earliest wildflowers and luminescent leaves. But March is also one of our wettest months of the year, and most of that moisture comes in the form of snow. Large storm systems over the Pacific Ocean throw off snow storms that sweep into our area from the north, dropping anywhere from inches to feet of snow, and bringing us firmly back into winter. Because of its trickster nature, March one of the more dangerous times for the creatures in the wilds. Many mammals are bearing young now, some insects are emerging from creeks and pupae as winged adults, and birds are making nests or migrating back into the area from the tropics. The dramatic cold snaps can therefore cause many of these species severe temperature and food stress, and sometimes lead to their deaths.

Canyon Wrens begin singing their resonant songs now as they begin building nests. Photo by Ty Fitzmorris.

n spite of the warm temperatures and sunny days, most of the native plants of the Highlands, with the exception of the wind-pollinated trees, refrain from growing and flowering. They’ll wait until the days are reliably warm and frost-free — each species determining this through a unique combination of day-length, soil temperature, the number of accumulated days of cold, and other cues. Non-native plants, such as fruit trees and ornamentals, have no such mechanisms, and flower as soon as temperatures and precipitation allow. In the lower deserts, such as the western slopes of the Sierra Prieta mountains, the frosts have passed by now, and plants are emerging to greet their early hummingbird, butterfly, moth, fly, and native bee pollinators. The exuberance of spring is riotous in the deserts, and over the next several months it will climb up the riparian corridors and southfacing slopes into the Highlands. In our high desert landscape, water scarcity is the factor that determines what happens more than any other single thing. But water scarcity can take different forms — too little

14 • FEATURE • MARCH 2016 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

falling as precipitation, or too little available to plants and animals at the right time of year. Water is useful to plants when it’s liquid and when air temperatures are high enough for plants to perform photosynthesis. Much of the precipitation that falls in the Mogollon Highlands throughout the year is not able to be utilized by plants (or animals, for that matter) because the water falls in torrents, as in the monsoon season of late summer, and washes through the landscape in erosive floods, or because it falls in the form of snow, when air temperatures are too low for plants to perform photosynthesis. Snow, however, proves to be the more valuable source of water for our region. This is because it melts slowly from north-facing slopes, saturating soils and filling rivers slowly but continuously. Long after the lowlands and southwestern slopes are warm enough for plant growth and flowering, patches of snow remain in the shadows of the mountains, providing this precious, scarce resource.

he much-anticipated El Niño weather pattern that formed last summer has passed its peak now, and in spite of early forecasts that it would bring our region as much as a 50percent increase in snow, the recorded precipitation for the Prescott weather station from December through February was a paltry 65.4 percent of the 109-year average. While this is by no means unusual for our region (40 percent of winters are at or below this level), March is last month of the cold season that might bring substantial snowfall. But wet or not, March brings the growth and reawakening of our resplendent spring. ***** 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 cofounder of Milagro Arts, a community arts nexus, all as a sideline to his natural history pursuits. He can be reached at Ty@PeregrineBook Company.Com.

News From the Wilds, too A very brief survey of what’s happening in the wilds ... Skyward

By Ty Fitzmorris High mountains • Mountain Chickadees move upslope as the temperatures rise scrutinizing trees for insect larvae. As other bird species migrate through the region, they find and forage with chickadee flocks. Visit: Maverick Mountain Trail, No. 65. Ponderosa Pine forests • Bobcats give birth to two to eight kittens who’ll remain in dens until June. • Wild Candytuft (Thlaspi montanum), a perennial, blooms with brilliant white four-petaled flowers. Visit: Miller Creek Trail, No. 367. Pine-Oak woodlands • The leaves of our several species of oak begin to change color and drop as the soft, new leaves replace them. This “spring fall” usually begins somewhat later, but warm temperatures have moved it earlier. • Our several species of manzanitas continue flowering, providing the first major pollen and nectar crop for native bees, moths, and flies. Look especially for the stunning iridescent Manzanita Mason Bee (Osmia ribifloris). Visit:Little Granite Mountain Trail, No. 37. Pinyon-Juniper woodlands • Raccoon’s mating season is at its peak, and may be punctuated with nocturnal screeches as males fight. • Gray Fox give birth to (usually) four pups in their dens. This furtive fox is the most common fox in the higher Mogollon Highlands, though it’s rarely seen. Gray Foxes are unusual in that they can climb trees better than any other North American canid and have been seen as high as 60 feet up in trees. • Junipers and cypresses continue to release pollen in large, allergyinspiring clouds. Visit: Tin Trough Trail, No. 308. Grasslands • Bats reappear in the twilight skies, including Mexican Free-tailed Bats (Tadarida brasiliensis), which re-

Queen butterflies (Danaus gilippus), rare relatives of Monarchs, begin mating and laying eggs in the low deserts. Photo by Ty Fitzmorris. turn now from Jalisco, Sonora, and Sinaloa. All bat species are vital to the control of insect populations. • Female Badgers dig birthing dens and line them with grasses. Here, they will give birth to two to three cubs toward the end of the month. Badgers are rare in our region, but are important predators of rodents. • Broad-winged hawks, such as Swainson’s, Rough-legged, and Ferruginous hawks, continue their migration through the open grasslands in our region, and can often be seen sitting on power-line posts. Visit: Mint Wash Trail, No. 345. Riparian areas • Northern Rough-winged Swallows and Violet-green Swallows return from their overwintering grounds in southern Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula, and Guatemala. While some continue north as far as Canada, many will stay in the Mogollon Highlands and begin breeding, nestconstruction, and egg-laying. • River Otters tend their newborn young while beginning mating season. • Contrary to their name, mayfly swarms (order Ephemeroptera) fly from now through the summer above perennial streams. These swarms are short-lived, as the adult mayflies emerge, mate, lay eggs, and die, all within the space of a few hours.

• Antlions (family Myrmeleontidae) construct their cone-shaped funnels in riverside sand. The creatures themselves are very difficult to see, as they remain buried at the base of their funnels, but they are important predators of many species of ants. • Migrating warblers sweep into our region toward the end of the month through riparian corridors. Look for Yellow-rumped Warblers heading the northward charge, followed first by Orange-crowned, and later Wilson’s, MacGillivray’s, and Blackthroated Gray warblers. • Black Hawks (Buteogallus anthracinus), the rarest species of hawk in the U.S., return to the Mogollon Highlands to begin mating, nesting, and egg-laying in the high cottonwood and sycamore trees of our riverine corridors, the leaf-buds of which burst now, revealing brilliant green leaves that provide cover for the Black Hawk nests. Visit: Willow Lake Loop Trail, off of Willow Creek Road in Prescott. Deserts/Chaparral • Spring is in full regalia in the desert and lowlands, with extraordinary displays of wildflowers. Most ubiquitous are the yellow flowers of Yellow and Blue Paloverde trees (Parkinsonia florida and P. microphylla) and Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata). • The diversity and overflowing

• March 8: Jupiter at Opposition. The largest planet in our solar system is at its closest to Earth now, as the Earth moves directly between it and the Sun, causing Jupiter to appear “full.” This is the best time to observe both the red and white banding of clouds and storms on the planet’s surface and the four brightest of its 63 moons — Europa, Ganymede, Io, and Callisto. • March 8: New Moon at 6:54 p.m. • March 19: Vernal Equinox at 9:30 p.m. Today is halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Summer Solstice, so the Earth’s tilt is such that the Sun shines directly on the Equator, causing day and night to be of roughly equal length everywhere on Earth. • March 23: Full Moon at 5:02 a.m. and Penumbral Lunar Eclipse from 2:39 a.m. until moonset at sunrise. During this type of eclipse, the Moon enters the penumbra of the Earth’s shadow, but not the umbra, causing the Moon to darken somewhat but not completely. abundance of spring flowers offers pollen and nectar to the amazing diversity of native bees in the Sonoran Desert, which has the highest bee diversity on Earth at over 1,000 species, most of whom are unstudied. • In some years, the dayflying moth Litocala sexsignata flies in massive mid-day clouds of thousands in chaparral, while very few can be seen in other years. • Desert owls, including the minute Elf Owl, begin mating and nesting. • Desert Tortoises emerge from hibernation. Desert Tortoises are one of only four species of tortoise in North America, and the most threatened. They can live 50 to 80 years, and consume grasses, cactus, shrubs, and wildflowers. Visit: Aqua Fria National Monument.

People, places, & places as people Susan Lang reﬂects on ‘The Sawtooth Complex’

By Robert Blood

off. You have indelible human characters, as well, but it’s really about the land for me. I grew up on a homestead with no electricity and no water except from a spring so, to me, the land was always a companion. The plants, the animals — they were constant companions, so it wasn’t as hard for me to make the land a character who’s sort of in the background but who everything revolves around. The human characters are based on people I know, but they’re fictionalized and quite different than those people. When I go back and do a reading where I grew up, people might recognize who they are, but then look puzzled when they realize that’s not the way things happened. … The world of the book is its own world and it’s become hard to mesh what’s really happened with my own imaginary world.

[Editor’s note: The following interview was culled from conversations between the reporter and Prescott-based author Susan Lang. You can pick up her latest novel, The Sawtooth Complex, and attend her free writing workshop, “Breathing Life into Character,” 2 p.m. Saturday, March 19 at Peregrine Book Co., 219 N. Cortez St., 928-445-9000.] Your latest novel, “The Sawtooth Complex,” came out last October. Tell us about it. I’d been working on it for a long time. It sort of follows up on my earlier trilogy about a woman homesteading, but it’s set between 2006 and 2008. I won a project grant from the Arizona Commission on the Arts in 2007 and thought it was ready to go soon after, but the more I looked at it, the more I changed it. I’m never happy when I look at my own work, though. When I do readings, I’ll edit sentences ahead of time. … “The Sawtooth Complex” has a lot of emotional resonance for me. It’s about the place where I grew up and it was important to get everything right. It’s dedicated to the people of that area. The book is about a small group of people who are descended from a woman who homesteaded in the mountain — well, two of the four main characters are. Some of them care about the the land and how the climate’s changing and about the fires that are starting. There’s a utility group from L.A. that wants to run giant towers through the area, and a strip mine as well. So all of that’s going on and, in the background, there’s this idea that things are changing so much. This is an area that didn’t evolve with fire. It’s more of a desert, and fires went out after burning a few acres. Now there are invasive grasses and drought, so things have changed. “The Sawtooth Complex” is really about how to live on this

Susan Lang reads from her fourth novel, “The Sawtooth Complex,” at the Peregrine Book Co. Courtesy photo. changing planet. If you’re a person who’s in touch with the land, then what does a ﬁre and burned lizards or the skeleton of a burned deer really mean? Then something else happens at the very end of the book that really puts the characters in touch with the bigger picture of the planet spinning and how many changes have happened before as well as are happening now. We get rooted and attached to a place as it is in the moment, but there’s so much more to it than that. That’s the kind of thing these characters learn. Can you talk more about the land as a character itself? I think the main character in this book is actually the land, and that’s a very hard thing to pull

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After completing a trilogy set further in the past, what was different about writing about the same area in present day for “The Sawtooth Complex”? Well, it’s hard not to give away the book to answer this one. There’s a fire on the cover, so you know that’s coming, but the book is not about the fire. That fire played it’s role, but what happens to the land and the characters in the wake of the huge wound is the focus. It’s about how you redeem your existence. It’s sort of an existential question, and I’m not sure I fully answered it. So, to answer your question, this book is more existential. I had some of this book in mind when I was writing the trilogy, but I didn’t know there was going to be a fire and a lot else. The original idea was that the characters wanted to protect the land but they couldn’t because it’s a constant battleground. Also, I wasn’t sure how it was going to end. Then something happened to me and some others when I made the trip back there that gave me the ending. It was a gift that … well, I can’t tell you without ruining the whole book.

By Brian Lemcke

When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? And what was the process like getting published? It just kind of happened. For me, as a a child, I’d always write little things. I didn’t hang on to them, but I was always reading and writing. I didn’t have any thoughts about publishing or becoming a writer because that wasn’t the culture I grew up with. Writing used to be taught by copying. Writers would go through their Hemingway stage, things like that. … Navigating publishing and everything after that is interesting. For one of my upcoming readings in Phoenix, I was astounded to hear I’d be reading from my “latest thriller.” Thriller? I think I’ll play with that, though. I don’t have an agent because I don’t think my writing is commercial. ... I sent my first book, “Small Rocks Rising,” out to five small presses. All five read it and had good things to say, but only the fifth one called me up and wanted to publish it. I wasn’t just lucky. I knew the presses and only sent it to the ones that might want to publish it. You need to know those kinds of things. Distribution and getting books into stores was difficult with University of Nevada Press, which is why I approached someone else for this book. Working as the event coordinator at Peregrine Book Co., I’ve been watching how the small presses work with some of the writers we’ve brought in. I saw that Caroyln Niethammer had written a novel for Oak Tree Books, “The Piano Player, “I knew her from nonfiction books she wrote about wild plants and I’d been following her work since the 1970s. I called Oak Tree up about her books, and they told me to make sure I read the book myself. It’s about a woman in the mountains in Montana back in the 1800s. I was really impressed with how much attention the publisher was giving to her book and thought maybe they’d be interested in “The Sawtooth Complex.” And they were.

You’ve referenced your teach at NAU, but that “professor” mantle never background a lot. What’s really fit me. Even though they voted me Disthe short version of your tinguished Professor there. I didn’t have a Ph.D. life story thus far? so I’d never be on tenure track. Someone told I grew up mostly in the wild me about Yavapai College so I applied to teach. canyons of my books and ocI was one of 350 applicants, but I got the job. It casionally visiting the city near was never a perfect fit, but I loved the students West Hollywood, so I got to and the students loved me. Mostly. I started the see how different things could Southwest Writers Series with Prescott College be. I was more comfortable and then founded the Hassayampa Institute. I’ve in the wild world. We peed taught at Prescott College, too, lately, but when I behind bushes and I was bare- retired from Yavapai, I thought I was going to stay foot all the time just wearing home and write and gather plants in the forest for my underwear. We really were the rest of my life. Then Tom (Brodersen) called wild. I remember on my third — his wife and I have been very close friends for birthday, going to the city way too many years now — and he was telling me and taking a little diamond about Peregrine Book Co. I stopped by to see it ring I got as a gift, throwing it and asked him if they needed an event coordinadown the gutter, stripping my tor. And I’ve been doing that ever since. It’s not clothes off, and running into a an easy place to pull away from. It’s just amazing. field of milkweed. I could hear Ty (Fitzmorris) is amazing, and the staff is just everyone yelling and running incredible. Everybody works with such heart. after me as I ran deeper into my little forest. … I’ve never worked at a place like this. It’s a nice I was an idiot for a time. I’d been reading consurprise for me. I get to see a different side of the stantly but more seriously since I was about 17. I writing business and work with interesting books read the Great Book series, them Dostoyevsky, all and people. I love it. the great Russians, Sartre, all the Existentialists, and Freud and Jung, et cetera. I went to community college ***** to talk about these great ideas, Susan Lang’s next free workbut there was no one there shop, “Breathing Life into I could talk to about them. I Character,” is 2 p.m. Saturday, wasn’t going to apply to the March 19 at Peregrine Book University, but a friend told me Co., 219 N. Cortez St., 928to try, and I got a scholarship. 445-9000, where you can pick I went from driving 50 miles up her latest novel, “The Sawfor community college to 90 tooth Complex.” Follow her at miles for UC Riverside. The SusanLangAuthor.Wordpress. kids were all in school by then, Com and on Facebook. and I had a best friend who’d had kids at the same ages as Robert Blood is a Mayer-ishhers, and who was a babysitbased freelance writer and ter. I should really thank her ne’er-do-well who’s working for pushing me to do it. So, on his last book, which, incithrough there, I got my dentally, will be his first. degrees, and I went to Contact him at Bloodyteach on the Navajo ResBobby5@Gmail.Com. Susan Lang. Courtesy photo. ervation. Then I moved to

By Brian Lemcke

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2π in a pie

maticians noticed a universal ratio in every circle: When you divide the distance around the edge of a circle (its circumference) by the distance across its middle (its diameter), the value is always the same. That value isn’t a rational number; that is, the digits to the right of the decimal point doesn’t ever approach a consistent/ repeatable pattern. On the contrary, that value is irrational. So, instead of having to write down a gadziliion integers (to date, it’s been calculated to 13.2 trillion digits) they settled on the Greek symbol π sometime in the 1700s.

By Prof. Werner Von Karmann Apple Pie Recipe (Fannie Farmer Cookbook) basic pastry dough for 9” two-crust pie 3/4-1 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teasppon nutmeg 1 & 1/2 tablespoons flour 6 large, firm, tart apples 2 tablespoons butter Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a 9” pie pan with half the pastry dough. Mix the sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour in a large bowl. Peel, core, and slice the apples and toss them in the sugar mixture, coating them well. Pile them into the lined pan and dot with the butter. Roll out the top crust and drape it over the pie. Crimp the edges and cut several vents in the top. Bake 10 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 F and bake 30-40 minutes or until the apples are tender when pierced with a skewer and the crust is browned.

here was this apple tree that my parents planted when they bought their ﬁrst home. It was a large tree that dad nurtured over the years, carefully pruning and spraying it each season. Every fall, it yielded an abundance of fruit — bags and bags of fruit that he used to make apple pies and stock up the freezer, which provided us with luscious desserts for several months. When my father was dying, one of the last things he taught me was how to make an apple pie. His mind was clouded and he had a hard time talking, but he was able to guide me through his techniques of making crusts and Artists Cooperative ﬁllings. That last pie, A gift buying destination well, he carved his iniSculpture | Paintings | Pottery | Jewelry tials in it as vent holes. Photography | Classes and more! I kept that pie for about a year in the freezer March Guest Artist before I brought it out, Dale O’Dell - Photography heated it up in the oven, and had the last pie my Featured Member: dad made. Mary Schulte – Multi-Media Whenever I look at a pie, that memory Artist Reception always comes back to March 4th, 5 to 8 p.m. me as a time of endings and continuity — as the Refreshments & Music circularity of life. Now accepting new member applications. Look around; circles are everywhere. They’re Inside the Gateway Mall ~ near Dillard’s a part of our collec928-445-0788 tive consciousness and www.thatnewgallery.com also part of everyday tools and machines. As human civilization developed, the ubiquity of circles became more apparent. Early mathe-

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18 • COLUMN • MARCH 2016 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

ircles occur everywhere in nature and manmade structures alike. Look at the moon or a sunflower. Look at the cloud patterns of a hurricane or tornado — or even the little whirlpool that forms when water flows down your sink — and you’ll see a circular flow pattern know as a vortex. There are circles in the tools and machines we’ve devised. (The wheel is an obvious, but really, really, really important example.) In any combustion engine, electric motor, or generator, there are gears, axles, shafts, and cylinders — all with circles. It’s even in our language. How many times have you heard someone talk about things “coming full circle” or going “around in a circle”? When a cycle or pattern returns, like the seasons, the cycle of life, and even the circulation of blood in our bodies, we think of it as a circle. By definition, π is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. Let’s consider a circle with with a diameter of one. That could be 1 inch, 1 foot, 1 meter, or 1 whatzahoozit. It’s just one of any unit. If you then measure around the edge, you’d come up with the same value of around 3.14 for π. There’ve been a number of successively more accurate approximations of π using fractions: 22/7, 333/106, 355/113, 52163/16604, 103993/33102, and 245850922/ 78256779. Try solving these fractions using long division, common core, slide rule, or calculator and see what you get. In the modern era — that is, the era of computers and calculators — many researchers have taken on the task of computing more accurate approximations of π just for the fun of it. In 1942, π was known to about 1,120 digits and that figure grew from then on. We knew 7,480 digits in 1957; we knew 10,000 digits in 1958; we knew 100,000 digits in 1961; and we finally hit 1 million digits in 1973. The latest, greatest computation of π is by Yee and Kondo, who’ve got it up to 12.1 trillion digits (numberworld.org/misc_runs/pi-12t) This figure was computed on a few desktop computers and took 94 days to complete. Just saving the digits requires 9.2 terabytes of disk space. Now, like I’ve said, π shows up in other ways. Consider an actual pie, like an apple pie. Let’s

add up all those bits together right? That’s rδθδr + rδθδr + rδθδr + rδθδr + rδθδr … . When we do this, summing up from the center to the edge of the pie and for the angle of a pie or 2π. We’ll wind up doing what’s called an integral in calculus [Editor’s Note: Good luck getting a word processor to display that properly] which yields πr^2, which is the total surface area of a circle.

second, which is called a Hertz. The Hertz is often used to describe the frequency of some sort of vibration which is usually then most often experienced by us through sounds. The middle C note on a piano is around 261.6 Hertz.

A I

you can see, the number π appears in lots of places. Even on the auspicious π Day of March 2016, which, if you round the ﬁrst ﬁve digits of π, is 3/14/16. So, take a look around on Monday, March 14 and look for pi. Maybe even grab an apple 2π or a π/4 slice of pizza at your favorite bakery. Or, better yet, bake one yourself and share that moment with someone during your Nth 2π orbit around the Sun at π-noon.

n engineering and the sciences, we use circles to describe the physical phenomena around us to understand how they behave and to create mathematical models that can be used to design better widgets. Let’s ***** consider describing the lift over an airProf. Werner Von Karmann is literally a rocket plane wing. The lift comes from the difscientist. Send him questions at 5ensesMag@ ference of pressure between the top part of Gmail.Com with the phrase “ask a rocket scientist” the wing and bottom surface. The shape of in the subject line. the wing’s cross section, known as an airfoil, causes the air above to have a lower pressure than the surface on the bottom of the airfoil. As the airfoil’s angle of attack (i.e the angle at which the air stream approaches the airfoil) increases there, the forcing push up on the Pi pie. MumblingNerd.Com. Fair use. wing up (known as lift) increases. It’s kinda like when you put your hand outside the car window at top speed. Rotate your hand so it’s slice up that pie into even slices. Let’s also overlay that pie with the unit circle. Take a look at the im- at some angle to the ground, and the air pushes your hand up or down. age on this page. I’ve placed a coordinate system Mathematicians where the X coordinate axis points from the cenPrescott’s 4th Friday ter of the pie to the right and the Y coordinate axis noticed that if you took points from the center up. The coordinate location an air flow that moves in a straight line (rectiwhere the circle intersects the X-axis is equal to linear flow) and add to x=1.0, y=0.0 and the coordinate location where the circle intersects the Y-axis is equal to x=0.0, it a flow that moves in a y=1.0. If you were to draw an arc from the x-axis circular fashion (vortical counter clockwise, we’d describe that arc in deflow) that the resulting EVERY grees with units of radians. For this circle, going mathematical equation TH from the x-axis to the y-axis along the arc takes describes flow moving 1/2 π radian. To go half way around the circle, it over a circle. The velocity takes π radians. And to go all the way around, it can then be applied to takes 2π radians. So, as the picture shows, it takes the Bernoulli principle. 2π to scribe out a pie. The principle basically This way of describing a circle comes in handy in says … you know, this is many ways for science and engineering. Let’s take getting a bit too techni2016 surface areas for instance and use a different kind cal. Let’s move on. January 22 of pie as an example. So, you’re at a gathering and Another instance February 26 there’s one slice of pizza pie left. We’ve all done this: when π shows itself is March 25 April 22 “You take the last slice”/“No, you take the last one.” whenever we need to Beginning at 5 PM May 27 Then, there’s one brave, selfless person who cuts describe something that June 24 that slice in half. Then the next person takes another repeats. This happens July 22 half of the half. And then the next takes another half all the time. The Earth August 26 September 23 until there’s this really small slice with a sliver of an- spins on its axis one October 28 chovies on it. Hmm. Just went from apples to fish. ... rotation every day or 2π November 25 Anyway, what’s the surface area of that tiny little radians per day. It goes sliver when you take a tiny bite? The area of that around the Sun 2π radilittle bite looks like a rectangle with an area equal to ans per year. When we the distance from the center of the pie center, radius, look at a machine rotatSee Special Events times the scribed angle, which is really small, so we ing, we often look at the call it delta theta times the length of that small piece. quantities of revolutions So the area of that bite is rδθδr. We then need to per second or cycles per

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Thinking machines

Diagnosis: Technology

By Paolo Chlebecek f you Google “AI” or more specifically “artificial intelligence” you’d find approximately 29,600,000 results. That is certainly a wildly discussed, internet query and movie trope. Currently, we depend on a form of AI that helps us every day: smartphones. While your smartphone really is smart, all of the intelligence isn’t built in as of yet. When it comes to speech recognition and the like, it depends on sending that data to the cloud or internet to be analyzed and sent back a result. Right now, there is an ambitious, $12 million project that wants to “reverse-engineer” the brain. Why? Well, we lowly humans learn at an astonishing rate. For example, a child does not need to see thousands of labeled toy bears to identify one the next day, but a computer does. To date, those computerized neural nets depend on algorithms that were developed in the 1980s. Think of the 1983 film “War Games” with Mathew Broderick and WOPR (War Operation Plan Response). That was the thinking computer that eventually learned the only winning move in Global Thermonuclear War is not

How digital brains could revolutionize, well, everything to play. Well, if this ﬁve-year project to duplicate the way we humans think actually works, we hope that it can learn very quickly.

ow can we truly map and then duplicate how humans think? The project is funded by the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) through its Machine Intelligence from Cortical Networks (MICrONS) research program. They are working to advance President Barack Obama’s BRAIN Initiative. In short, it’s got government backing. The project is led by Tai Sing Lee, a professor in Carnegie Mellon University’s Computer Science Department. One goal is to improve neural networks — the computational models often used for AI in applications including self-driving cars, automated trading, as well as facial and speech recognition. As such, teaching computers to learn the same way we do is widely considered a critical step toward better artiﬁcial intelligence. Researchers working on this project will record the signaling of tens of thousands of individual neurons

in mice as they process visual information. The experiments deploy a clever method called two-photon calcium imaging microscopy while the mice are alive, and presumably unharmed. Here, they introduce a versatile approach for loading membrane-permeant fluorescent indicator dyes in large populations of cells. The results demonstrate this technique for real-time analyses of intact neuronal circuits with the resolution of individual cells. Basically, they can see the brain work and interact all the way down to the specific cellular level. Once that massive amount of data is recorded and analyzed it offers a detailed picture of how neurons in one region of the visual cortex behave — and even the entire brain. This isn’t the only project to study the brain and how we learn. But it is one of the most potentially impactful studies to date. It could revolutionize computing technology and even alter life as we know it. The true AI computer would potentially reach into every aspect of our lives — from information requests to car repair and even surgery. Will we be able to integrate that kind of technology in a safe manner, or will it turn out like “The Matrix”?

K, I know your next question: “How can this help me today and how do we know that the machines won’t achieve consciousness and execute a plan to destroy all humans?” Frankly, we don’t know. But we are only just now beginning to understand this method and our own brains. The human brain has been called the most complex structure in the universe by many scientists and neurologists. Every single person on the planet has over 100 trillion nerve connections that we carry around in our skulls. That’s 1,000 times more nerve connection than there are stars in our own Milky Way galaxy. Deciphering all of that will take some time. Until then, we have a more important question to ponder: Should we welcome or resist our new robot overlords? ***** 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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Not-asholy days

olidays are always a reasonable excuse to indulge — especially holidays that celebrate drinking, but there’s no reason to limit libations this month. Consider celebrating … March 8: Be Nasty Day • AKA: Every other day. March 9: Panic Day • Is this the right date? March 10: Middle Name Pride Day • Noxie moxie. March 14: Learn About Butterflies Day • Butterflies flutter by. March 14: Pi Day • This is only an approximation. March 16: Freedom of Information Day • FOIAct out. March 26: Make Up Your Own Holiday Day • A made up holiday. March 29: National Mom & Pop Business Owners Day • Local. Local. Local.

lennies are a small but colorful fish measuring 3 to 7 inches in length. They live primarily in shallow water, but have been found at depths of 60 feet. The males guard the eggs of the females for several weeks until they hatch. Some Blennies leave the water for short periods of time during low tide, navigating by use of their strong pectoral fins. Generally they eat small invertebrates and some algae. They can be extremely ioluminescence is the emission of light by a living organism. In territorial. sea creatures, these lights have been observed in shades of blue, green, red, yellow, and white along with a combinations of each. ODDLY ENOUGH ... Blennies Often the light is produced by a type of bacteria that lives in a are the only known fish with fangs symbiotic relationship with its host. The host animal provides that pack a venomous wallop. They food and shelter for the bacteria, while the bacteria provide light to lure prey don’t use their venom to bring to the host, or help confuse predators so that the host can escape. If the host down prey, however. They only bite wishes to intensify the light, it may pump oxygenated blood into the area where and envenomate in self-defense. the bacteria lives and, conversely, reduce the blood flow to extinguish the light.

ODDLY ENOUGH ... One type of deep sea stomiatoid ﬁsh uses its bio-luminescence like headlights. Lights near its eyes lure krill close enough for him to see them and snap them up. ***** 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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