2016-06 5enses by 5enses

ALAN DEAN FOSTER shocks readers with current car talk P.10

PROF. WERNER VON KARMANN takes flight seriously P.20

JUNE 2016 | VOLUME 4, ISSUE 6 | 5ENSESMAG.COM

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5enses

June MMXVI Volume IV, Issue VI

Nichole Trushell

In which:

4 19 5 20 6 21 7 10 + 11 5/6 12 8/9 14 ↗ 18 22 Helen Stephenson

flutters by a sappy plant that’s abuzz with summery fight-and-flight activity

Johanna Shipley

has an animated discussion with a YC professor who’s animated discussions

Prof. Werner Von Karmann

spies a lesser bird that’s a bigger deal than you may’ve previously thought

spots manmade, naturemade objects in the sky and considers their design

Peregrine Book Co. staﬀ

Brian Long

travels near and far to broaden the proverbial vistas of your mind

Kathleen Yetman

writes and wrongs a litany of selfactualized liturgies of selfullness

COVER IMAGE: Elisa Drachenberg and Pum Rote discuss each other’s art. Photo by 5enses.

cultivates the love of a much-maligned veggies that’s actually fairly fair

Alan Dean Foster

reveals shocking revelations that’ll drive you crazy, to your destination

Caroline Barlott

A visually stimulating puzzle by the Highlands Center for Natural History

Left Brain/Right Brain

discusses art, marriage, and more with Elisa Drachenberg & Pum Rote

Ty Fitzmorris

Discover events around Greater Prescott via a pop-sci metaphor

Word Herd

drinks in some dry days in the high desert but spies clouds on the horizon

Paolo Chlebecek

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

We will work with you.

Flip Photo

posts a card from a faraway land (well, Canada) with thoughts on Arizona

James Dungeon

By Brian Lemcke

whimsical wordplay & imaginative etymology by Brian Lemcke

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

Oddly Enough

carries on some extra tech to check it during ﬁeld conditions on the road

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

Visit flyingneststudio.com & Facebook for more

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

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 •

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5ENSESMAG.COM • JUNE 2016 • CONTENTS • 3

Heritage Par kZ

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Milkweed

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Plant of the Month

Exp lore

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Come Play in the Dirt!

Zoolittles is a new engaging program for preschoolers, ages 3-5, held in a garden setting with a focus on early educational activities. Wednesdays/Saturdays May through September 10 am - 11:30 am Pre registration is required. For more information or to register please call 928.778.4242 1403 Heritage Park Rd.; Prescott, AZ 86301 • www.HeritageParkZoo.org Phone: 928.778.4242 501(c)(3) non-profit organization supported by the community.

4 • FEATURE • JUNE 2016 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

A bee and insects visit a white twinevine milkweed. Photo by Bob Peterson, Creative Commons 2.0.

By Nichole Trushell lthough the milkweeds are more prominent in the tropics and subtropics, central Arizona holds half a dozen milkweeds of the genus Asplepias. If you possess a sharp eye, you might also find our two lovely species of Funastrum, the Twinevine or Matelea, the Texas Milkvine, curving their delicate stems up through native shrubs. These are also members of this group. One obvious characteristic of milkweeds is their milky sap, which gives them their name. This sap, together with hairs and toxins the plant produces, are defenses against predation. Other than the butterfly milkweed, which blooms vibrant orange or yellow in our forests and woodlands, the milkweed flowers are very light in color, creamy, white, or light yellow. But all the flowers in this family are spectacular. If you peer into a flower cluster with a hand lens, you’ll be amazed at their exotic beauty. Asclepias species produce flowers whose complexity rivals orchids. The outer five petals curl back and reveal a crown composed of five additional segments, the hood and their inner horns. This crown surrounds the flower’s fused male and female reproductive parts. Between these and on the side of the central fused

structure are slits that play an important role in pollination.

ollination in these plants is very specialized. Inside the slits are pear-shaped structures called pollinia, a mass of pollen with arms on a connector. When insect pollinators such as bees, wasps and butterflies land, their feet slip into the slits. The pollinia mechanically attach to the insect’s legs, and the pair of pollen sacs is pulled free when the pollinator flies off. If the insect isn’t strong enough, these may trap it. When the insect visits another flower, the pollinia reverse. Milkweeds grace us with beautiful seeds as well. When the fruits, called follicles, split open, the seeds inside can be seen; they bear a coma of long, silky white hairs. Once mature, these long strands elegantly carry seeds to new sites for germinating the next generation. If you’re lucky enough to watch these drift away, you’ll be enchanted.

***** Nichole Trushell is a partner of Landscapes for Life and founding director of the Highlands Center for Natural History. Visit the Highlands Center for Natural History at 1375 Walker Road, 928776-9550, or HighlandsCenter.Org.

Bird of the Month

Lesser Goldﬁnch Lesser Goldfinch. Photo by Johanna Shipley.

By Johanna Shipley hen is a LEGO not a toy? When it’s a Lesser Goldfinch! Bird banders (and many other birders) use four letter codes to abbreviate the name of each species, and the Lesser Goldfinch was given the acronym of the famous building blocks. As such, it’s not unusual to listen to a group of birders exclaim “LEGO!” at the sight of a tiny yellow and black bird. Not surprisingly, most commercial products that feature pictures of “Goldfinches” show the American Goldfinch, since that species is found all across the United States. Here in the Southwest, however, the most numerous species is the Lesser Goldfinch. An American Goldfinch is an uncommon winter visitor. The Lesser Goldfinch, aka LEGO, is a small bird, only 4.5 inches long. The males are bright yellow underneath with a black crown and wings and a greenish (sometimes black) back. The females and young are dull yellow with dark wings. Both sexes have a large white wing patch.

hat white wing patch is a good field mark, aiding in identification when the birds fly overhead. It is also prominent when a male displays for a female. He

spreads his tale and flies slowly with quickly fluttering wings, singing all the way. He will also give her food as a courtship gift. If the female is impressed, they form a pair bond and she builds a cup-shaped nest woven from plant fibers and lined with plant down. (LEGOs readily use human-provided fluff.) Soon four to five light blue eggs are laid, and the male feeds the female while she incubates. In about 12 days, the young hatch and the parents feed the babies with regurgitated seed pulp. The adults are fond of nyjer seed and sunflower chips in bird feeders, as well as wild seeds, buds and berries. During the summer, LEGOs stay in family groups, but come winter they flock up with other goldfinches and sometimes Pine Siskins. Flocks of several hundred birds have been reported. Summer or winter these bright little birds bring cheer to those who see them. ***** Johanna Shipley has been birding for more than 20 years. She’s a retired science teacher, biologist, and professional bird guide from the Midwest. She’s lived in Prescott for three years and is enjoying getting to know the western birds. Contact her at LaughingBird@Live.Com. Visit Prescott Audubon Society at PrescottAudubon.Org. Contact them at Contact@PrescottAudubon.Org.

Bringing Wild Birds To Your Backyard! www.jaysbirdbarn.com

1046 Willow Creek Rd, Suite 105 Prescott

(928) 443-5900

Highlands Center for Natural History’s

pilF Photo

See the striped legs? But what on earth are those spots?!

5ENSESMAG.COM • JUNE 2016 • FEATURE • 5

Peregrine Book Co.

Staff picks Catered by Emma Schneider “Beauty is a Wound” By Eka Kurniawan This Indonesian novel knocked my socks oﬀ. Eka Kurniawan carries the mantle of magical realism beautifully here. If you are a fan of Borges, Garcia Marquez, Murakami, or Rushdie this book will ﬁt nicely in your collection. It reads smoother to me than all the aforementioned, and is the best book I’ve read so far this year. — David

Highlands Center for Natural History’s

Flip otohP

Babies!

We have all seen it in spring time: little spiders running through the grass with funny looking white extensions to their abdomens. You’ve probably assumed, correctly, these are eggs all wrapped safely in a nest of silk that the mother spider carries with her until they hatch. It’s more unusual to catch the brief period after hatching, when some species of spiders (and other arachnids such as scorpions) actually carry their babies on their backs until they’re big enough to venture into the world on their own. Photo by Mara Kack.

6 • FEATURE • JUNE 2016 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

“A Sand County Almanac” By Aldo Leopold “A Sand County Almanac” stands as a cornerstone of American ecological thinking. Leopold underwent a transformation from just another wolf-killing employee of the Forest Service to a powerful advocate for a new ethical relationship with the natural world. — Mark “Where the Dead Pause, and the Japanese Say Goodbye” By Marie Mutsuki Mockett In the wake of profound personal losses and the cataclysmic tragedy of the 2011 tsunami, Marie Mutsuki Mockett searches for resolution amidst the broken landscapes and deepest spiritual traditions of her Japanese relatives. — Reva “A Good Man is Hard to Find” By Flannery O’Connor With some of the most monstrous characters in ﬁction, “A Good Man Is

Hard To Find” explores the hypocrisy and truth of human nature. Infused with a grotesque view of life and religious symbolism, O’Connor’s words are brutally honest and impossible to escape. With tragic comedy and apocalyptic possibility, O’Connor took the nightmares of men and women and crafted incredible works of ﬁction. If you prefer something bold, forthright, and with little comfort, look no further, you’ve found what you’re looking for. — Lacey “Jitterbug Perfume” By Tom Robbins “Jitterbug Perfume” is one of my favorite books of all time. Robbins creates an outlandish plot that simultaneously confronts real themes such as evolving culture, discovery of purpose, and inevitable death. Even more, Robbins showcases a sacred beet, an everlasting king, and a lusty goat-horned god. Intrigued? Well, don’t just stand here, for you may turn blue, as blue as indigo, “and you know what that means: indigo, indigoing, indigone.” — Emma “Everything and More” By David Foster Wallace I’m not a “math person” but I am a huge fan of DFW, and his raw writing talent made me love math for the time it took me to ﬁnish this book. — Jon

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

By Kathleen Yetman hard (Beta vulgaris, also commonly called Swiss chard) is a leafy green whose veins and stems come in a variety of vibrant colors. It belongs to the same subspecies as beets but has a slightly milder, less earthy taste than beet greens. Chard originated in the Mediterranean and was likely a popular vegetable in ancient Greece. It remains popular today in Mediterranean dishes. Chard seeds found their way to the United States in the 1830s and remained a specialty crop for several decades. Its cultivation became widespread following the Civil War. Chard is a biennial, which means that it grows for two seasons before producing seeds. When a chard plant bolts in its second season, it produces hundreds of seeds and is a sight to behold. Chard grows best in mild temperatures, but can withstand both hot days and near-freezing nights if given the right protection. Here in Yavapai County, farmers and gardeners can grow chard yearround. “Rainbow” chard is not its own variety, rather a mix of dif

Vegetable of the Month

Chard

ferent colored varieties: red, pink, orange, yellow, white, and green.

ike other leafy green vegetables, chard is highly nutritious. Chard leaves contain more than a dozen antioxidants. It is a fantastic source of vitamin K and is high in vitamins A and C. It’s also a good source of magnesium, copper, manganese, potassium, iron, and dietary ﬁber. Both the leaves and stems of chard are edible. Young leaves can be added raw to salads, but once the leaves reach about 4 inches long, they’re best when cooked. After cooking, the leaves have a ﬂavor similar to cooked spinach but taste almost buttery. Since its taste is similar to spinach, it makes a good substitution in the summer when spinach isn’t in season. Chard is a wonderful green for sautéing and/or steaming. It’s a great addition to lasagnas, omelets, burritos, and soups. ***** Kathleen Yetman is the managing director of the Prescott Farmers Market and a native of Prescott.

Photo by Kathleen Yetman.

Find out more about the Prescott Farmers Market at PrescottFarmersMarket.Org.

Highlands Center Natural History Highlands Centerforfor Natural History

Nestled in the Lynx Lake Recreation Area, two minutes from Costco, The Highlands Center for Natural History invites you to experience the wonder of the Central Arizona Highlands.

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

June-July NEW! Additional weeks added this year!

The Highlands Center’s F.U.N. camps are a wonderful way for children to spend a week of their summer while learning to wonder, discover, explore, and play. Registration required. Visit our website for dates and details!

3rd Annual Shakespeare in the Pines “All’s Well That Ends Well” Sat-Sun, June 24 & 25, 6pm reception, 7pm performance $60 per person (including reception)

Learning From Flowers: Colored Pencil Drawing Class for Beginners

Tuesday, June 7, 14, 21, 28, 9:30-11am. Registration Required. $20 (10% discount for members)

Moon Walk Friday, June 17 7pm. FREE!

www.highlandscenter.org 5ENSESMAG.COM • JUNE 2016 • FEATURE • 7

928-776-9550 • highlandscenter.org

Left Brain: June’s mind-full events Events

4 5 9 11

“Breakfast with the Tortoise” • 9 a.m. Saturday, June 4: Enjoy a continental breakfast while the keepers feed the featured animal, share interesting facts and artifacts, and conclude with a craft. (Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary, 1403 Heritage Park Road, 928-778-4242, $8-$20, RSVP) Antiques on the Square • 8 a.m. Sunday, June 5: Survey more than 50 vendors' glass, art, pottery, furniture, primitives, jewelry, and more. (Yavapai County Courthouse Square, 928-443-8909) “Death Cafe” • 5:30 p.m. Thursday, June 9: 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.” Hosted by Dani LaVoire. (Peregrine Book Co., 219A N. Cortez St., 928445-9000)

“Prescott Memories” •5 p.m. Thursday, June 16: Local historian and personality Mellisa Ruﬀ ner shares interesting stories of Prescott Past. A Third Thursday Dinner & Program event. (Phippen Museum, 4701 Arizona 89, 928-778-1385, $25-$30)

“Deep-sky Observing: The Astronomical Tourist” • 6 p.m. Thursday, June 16: Prof. Steve R. Coe discusses his four-plus decades of deep sky viewing from near his home in Arizona and shares photographs of star clusters, glowing nebulae, and distant galaxies. A Third Thursday Star Talk via the Prescott Astronomy Club. (Prescott Public Library, 215 E. Goodwin St., 928-777-1500)

Granite Dells bird walk • 7 a.m. Friday, June 17: Local, guided bird walk at Granite Dells with Ryan Crouse. (Jay’s Bird Barn, No. 113, 1046 Willow Creek Road, 928-443-5900, RSVP)

Granite Basin bird walk • 7 a.m. Saturday, June 11: Local, guided bird walk at Granite Basin with Bonnie Pranter. (Jay’s Bird Barn, No. 113, 1046 Willow Creek Road, 928-443-5900, RSVP)

“Gathering the Desert” • 9:30 a.m. Friday, June 17: Discuss “Gathering the Desert,” by Prescott College alumnus Gary Paul Nabhan. A monthly Natural History Book Club meeting. (Prescott College Natural History Institute, 312 Grove Ave., 928-350-2280)

Highlands bird walk • 8 a.m. Saturday, June 11: Monthly Prescott Audubon Society bird walk. (Highlands Center for Natural History, 1375 S. Walker Road, 928-776-9550)

Moon walk • 7 p.m. Friday, June 17: Enjoy the night's sounds, stars, and the moon at the Highlands Center. (Highlands Center for Natural History, 1375 S. Walker Road, 928-776-9550)

“Where is Western History Today?” • 1 p.m. Saturday, June 11: Panel discussion and Q&A with Paul Hutton, Robert Utley, Paul Hedren, and Bob Boze Bell. (Peregrine Book Co., 219A N. Cortez St., 928-445-9000)

“Unsolved Arizona Mysteries” •1 p.m. Saturday, June 18: Jane Eppinga does some sleuthing around unsolved mysteries and disappearances of regional interest, new and old. (Phippen Museum, 4701 Arizona 89, 928-778-1385, $5-$7)

“The Desert is Home: Insights from the Wetherills” • 2 p.m. Saturday, June 11: Harvey Leake, a Wetherill descendant and Smoki Museum Board trustee, discusses the Wetherills, a unique group among the settlers of the Four Corners Region with an enduring interest in Native Americans. A Second Saturday Lecture Series event. (Smoki Museum, 147 N. Arizona Ave., 928-445-1230, $6-$7) “On Being Stuck” • 6 p.m. Saturday, June 11: Laraine Herring discusses her book about writer's block and its hidden gifts. (Peregrine Book Co., 219A N. Cortez St., 928-445-9000)

“Dinner With the Doctor” • Saturday, June 18: Meet and dine with the zoo's doctor. (Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary, 1403 Heritage Park Road, 928778-4242)

“Zoo by Moonlight” • 8 p.m. Monday, June 20: See the zoo after hours, by moonlight. (Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary, 1403 Heritage Park Road, 928778-4242, $4-$6)

“Fade Out” • 3 p.m. Saturday, June 25: Freelance journalist and part-time Prescott resident Laurie Fagen discusses her debut crime ﬁction mystery novel, the ﬁrst of her “Behind the Mic Mysteries.” (Peregrine Book Co., 219A N. Cortez St., 928-445-9000)

IMAGE: Laurie Fagen. Courtesy photo.

Stricklin Park/Butte Trail bird walk • 7 a.m. Saturday, June 25: Local, guided bird walk at Stricklin Park/Butte Trail with Eric Moore. (Jay’s Bird Barn, No. 113, 1046 Willow Creek Road, 928-443-5900, RSVP) “The Fire Line” •1 p.m. Saturday, June 25: Fernanda Santos discusses her book about the elite group of men and women around the country who brave the elements and ﬁght summer wild ﬁres. (Phippen Museum, 4701 Arizona 89, 928-778-1385, $5-$7)

Aspen Creek bird walk • 7 a.m. Thursday, June 30: Local, guided bird walk at Aspen Creek with Bonnie Pranter. (Jay’s Bird Barn, No. 113, 1046 Willow Creek Road, 928-443-5900, RSVP)

Multi-day “Folk Arts Fair” • 10 a.m. June 4 & 5: Forty-third annual celebration with more than 75 activities and presentations featuring pioneer “Living History” activities. (Smoki Museum, 147 N. Arizona Ave., 928-445-1230)

Zoo Camp • 8:30 a.m. June 6-10, 13-17, 20-24, & 27-July 1: Annual summer zoo camp with weekly themes. (Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary, 1403 Heritage Park Road, 928-778-4242, $150-$175, RSVP) Prescott Area Boardgamers • 5 p.m. Wednesdays, June 8 & 22: Play European-style board games. (Prescott Public Library, 215 E. Goodwin St., 928-777-1500) Prescott Farmers Market • 7:30 a.m. Saturdays: Enjoy local organic produce and goods from local farmers. (Yavapai College Parking Lot D, 1100 E. Sheldon St., PrescottFarmersMarket.Org) Naturalist city & ﬁeld walks • 8 a.m. Saturdays: Naturalist ﬁeld walks at city trails and the Highlands Center. (Highlands Center for Natural History, 1375 S. Walker Road, 928-776-9550) Prescott Public Library vieweries • June: Library vieweries from Yavapai Scale Modelers and Prescott Wood Bee Carvers. (Prescott Public Library, 215 E. Goodwin St., 928-777-1500)

Drop in chess • 2 p.m. Saturdays: Play chess, all ages and skill levels welcome. (Prescott Public Library, 215 E. Goodwin St., 928777-1500)

Sat.s

IMAGE: "The Chess Players," an oil painting by Giulio Campi from the 1530s. Public domain.

8 • EVENTS • JUNE 2016 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

June’s art-full events :niarB thgiR

8 17 22

Events

Open mic poetry • 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 8: Monthly poetry jam presented by Decipherers Synonymous. (The Beastro, 117 N. McCormick St., 971340-6970)

“The Velveteen Rabbit” • 9:30 a.m. & 7 p.m. June 17: Free culminating performance of the Prescott Valley Performing Arts Center’s children’s summer theater workshop. (Prescott Valley Performing Arts Center, 2982 N. Park Ave, Suite G1, Prescott Valley, 928-583-4684) Open mic poetry • 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 22: Poet Dan Seaman emcees monthly open mic poetry. (Peregrine Book Co., 219A N. Cortez St., 928-445-9000) Open mic poetry • 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 22: Poets read their work aloud. A monthly Professional Writers of Prescott meeting. (Prescott Valley Public Library, 7401 E. Civic Circle, PrescottWriters.Com)

“Beginning Watercolor” • 1 p.m. Saturday, June 25: Begining watercolor class with Karen Bush. Supplies included. (That New Gallery, Gateway Mall near Dillard’s, 3250 Gateway Blvd., 928445-0788, $50, RSVP)

Contra Dance • 7 p.m. lesson, 7:30 p.m. dance Saturday, June 25: Contra dancing. Via Folk Happens. Calls by Michael Barroclough, music by Updraft. (First Congregation Church, 216 E. Gurley St., 928-925-5210, $4-$8) “Card Crafting with Watercolor & More” • 1 p.m. Saturday, June 25: Card crafting with watercolor and more with Karen Bush. Supplies included. (That New Gallery, Gateway Mall near Dillard’s, 3250 Gateway Blvd., 928-445-0788, $55, RSVP)

Multi-day “Glengarry Glen Ross” • 7 p.m. June 2-4; 2 p.m. June 4 & 5: David Mamet’s scalding comedy about a small-time, cutthroat real estate salesman. Directed by Rob White. A Readers Theatre production. (Stage Too, North Cortez Street alley between Willis and Sheldon streets, 928-445-3286)

Summer theater workshop • 9:15 a.m. June 6-15: Children’s summer theater workshop. (Prescott Valley Performing Arts Center, 2982 N. Park Ave, Suite G1, Prescott Valley, 928-583-4684, $60, RSVP) “South Pacific” • 7:30 p.m. June 9-11, 16-18, & 23-25; 2 p.m. June 12, 19, & 26: Rogers & Hammerstein’s musical tale of love on a U.S. Army base during World War II. Directed by Frank Malle. (Prescott Center for the Arts, 208 N. Marina St., 928-445-3286, $14-$23) 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) “Learning From Flowers” • 9:30 a.m. Tuesdays: Beginners colored pencil drawing class with Marjorie LedgerThomas. (Highlands Center for Natural History, 1375 S. Walker Road, 928-776-9550, $12, RSVP) 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)

Art VanGorder & Miller • From June 1: New painting and metal art by guest artists David VanGorder and Ron Miller. (That New Gallery, Gateway Mall, 3250 Gateway Blvd., 928-445-0788) “Four Seasons” • Through June 11: Take a visual journey through the diverse scenes and activities that characterize a year. (Prescott Center for the Arts Gallery, 208 N. Marina St., 928-445-3286) “All Creatures Great & Small” • From June 13: Animal-focused art. (Prescott Center for the Arts Gallery, 208 N. Marina St., 928-445-3286) “Function, Form Meets Urban Landscape” • Through June 14: Organic metal sculpture

“Hey, Did You See That?” • From June 23: Macrophotography by Christy Garavetto and Jody Miller. Artists reception is Friday, June 24, during Prescott’s 4th Friday Art Walk. (Arts Prescott Gallery, 134 S. Montezuma St., 928-776-7717) IMAGE: A photo from the Garavetto/Miller show. Courtesy photo.

and urban-themed mixed media and pastels by Jody Skjei, Cloud Oakes, and Julie Trainer. (’Tis Art Center & Gallery, 105 S. Cortez St., 928-775-0223)

105 S. Cortez St., 928-775-0223) “Prints & Paint” • Through June 26: New art by Betsy Dally and Maria Lynam. (The Raven Café, 142 N. Cortez St., 928-717-0009)

“A Show of Comrades” • Through June 15: Group show featuring art by Southwest Artists Association members. (Mountain Artists Guild & Gallery, 228 Alarcon St., 928-445-2510)

Hold Fast Tattoo • From June 26: Annual art exhibition. (The Raven Café, 142 N. Cortez St., 928-717-0009)

Lewis • From June 17: Oil paintings by Judy Lewis. (Mountain Artists Guild & Gallery, 228 Alarcon St., 928-445-2510)

“Kaleidoscope” • Through June 30: Art show featuring colorful art. (Mountain Artists Guild & Gallery, 228 Alarcon St., 928-445-2510)

“Journeys in Spirit 2016” • Through June 21: Annual Southwest American Indian traditional and contemporary art show. (’Tis Art Center & Gallery, 105 S. Cortez St., 928-775-0223)

Davis & Asay • Through July 2: Drawings focused on the ﬂow and energy of line by Rebecca Davis and leather and wood art by Roger Asay. (Prescott College Art Gallery at Sam Hill Warehouse, 232 N. Granite St., 928-3502341)

“Visions of the Southwest” • Through June 22: Mixed Media Jewelry by Ryanne Sebern. (Arts Prescott Gallery, 134 S. Montezuma St., 928-776-7717) “The Eyes Have It” • From June 23: Annual summer group photography show. (’Tis Art Center & Gallery,

24 & 25

“Immanence of the Ordinary” • Through July 22: New sculpture by Edie Dillon and photography by James Henderson depict “the ordinary.” (Yavapai College Prescott Art Gallery, 1100 E. Sheldon St., 928-776-2031)

“All’s Well That Ends Well” • 6 p.m. reception, 7 p.m. performance June 24 & 25: The third annual Shakespeare in the Pines fundraiser performance. This year’s performance is the story of a young woman who tries to win the acceptance of a man she longs for who’s refused her in marriage because of her rank. Via Lark Productions. Proceeds beneﬁt educational programs at the Highlands Center. Tickets include catered reception featuring food from El Gato Azul, beer from Lonesome Valley Brewery, and desserts by Petite Treats. (Highlands Center for Natural History, 1375 S. Walker Road, 928-776-9550, $60, RSVP) PHOTO: A still from “All’s Well That Ends Well.” Courtesy photo.

A few mild shocks

Power-full observations from an EV driver

By Alan Dean Foster s I’ve been driving an EV (electric vehicle) for three years now, I suppose it’s understandable that some folks keep asking, since this column is about art and science, why I haven’t written about the slow but steady rise of the EV. Partly it’s because I thought it too obvious, because there is simply so much being written about EVs. I didn’t see any point in being redundant when there seems to be at least one new media piece per day about the ongoing developments. I’m always happy to talk about EVs, both from a personal as well as academic viewpoint. Folks new to the concept invariably inquire about range, how long it takes to charge, where the batteries are located, how much your electric bill goes up vs. the cost of gasoline, and so on. But it occurs to me that a number of the advantages of driving an EV never make it into even lengthy related articles. Just as when you travel, the only way you really learn to appreciate the great ice cream at Glacial Sorbeteria in Manaus, Brazil, is to have some, or to figure out that the best food bargain in the busy tourist hub of York, England, is the local Chinese buffet. So I thought I’d point out a few of the benefits that arise from the experience of actually owning and driving an EV that only become apparent with time. These are rarely if ever pointed out even by the folks who sell them. Because they’re always being asked about range, cost, charging time … you know.

he first difference you notice is the acceleration. This is true of every EV, from the little Chevy Spark to the topof-the-line Tesla P90DL. It’s because with an EV you have instant torque. Unlike with an ICE (internal combustion engine) powered vehicle, in an EV all your power is available immediately and without having to ratchet through a bunch of gears. Imagine if, when turning on a flashlight, you had to wait for the light to slowly intensify before it reached full brightness. An EV is just like a flashlight. When it’s on, it’s on. I’m frankly surprised no manufacturer has come out with an EV named “Scoot.” It’s the kind of acceleration that changes the way you look at everything from merging onto a freeway to simply changing lanes. You never have to visit a gas station again. Ever. You’ll still find yourself looking at and comparing gas prices (I do). But after awhile, the exercise becomes meaningless. EVs are especially popular with

Alan Dean Foster’s

Perceivings

professional women because it means no more climbing out of the car into wind, rain, or snow to pump gas in a nice outfit and high heels. EVs are … quiet. With no engine noise, you can actually have a normal conversation even in a small car. EV’s don’t waste power. Sitting in backed-up freeway traffic, you don’t “idle.” When the motor isn’t delivering power to the wheels, it only operates a tiny amount to power the a/c, or heater, or radio, etc. Anyone who’s ever been stuck on the I-17 due to an accident ahead will immediately appreciate the advantage of this. There’s actually room for an adult in the middle in the back seat. This is because, since the motor in an EV is usually mounted directly over the axle, there’s no need for a driveshaft. It’s gone in front-wheel drive cars, too. The rear floor is flat. If the battery pack is situated, sensibly, directly underneath the car’s floor, the result is not only a hugely stable vehicle because of the resultant low center of gravity, but a very large trunk. In an EV hatchback, this can be enormous. In a Tesla, you get two trunks … one forward and one aft.

10 • COLUMN • JUNE 2016 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

hen there’s the refueling versatility. Everyone new to EVs always wonders where you can charge. The answer, generally speaking, is anywhere there’s a plug. Suitable adapters (and custommade ones) allow owners of an EV to plug into 110, 220, or specialized outlets. I’m always gently amused by skeptics who say, “Yeah, but how far is it to the nearest charging station?” I guarantee them that no matter where they theoretically might fetch up, it will be closer to an electrical outlet than to a gas station. All you need are adapters and an extension cord. If you’re visiting Uncle Mo’s cabin in the Bitterroots, and he has a generator, or solar, or wind, you can plug in. As far as not having access to any power whatsoever, people also tend to forget that in the absence of electricity, gas pumps don’t function. There’s no such thing as an “oﬀ the grid” gas station. I still remember the story of the guy in New Jersey who, during Hurricane Sandy, when all the gas stations were shut down, was able to power up his Nissan Leaf using a home generator.

o those are a few of the less-publicized advantages that come with the owning of an EV. They’ll all be EVs one day. BMW uses big EV trucks to move equipment between their plants in Germany. BYD and Proterra in California build emissionfree, quiet EV city buses. Airbus is ﬂying a prototype commuter airliner that uses rear-mounted props powered by batteries. I’d love to see one here in Prescott. No aviation fuel needed … just plug your plane in. Think of that, you youngin’s, when one day in the future your self-driving EV is taking you and your family on vacation and your smallest grandkid leans out the window, points, and inquires, “Daddy — what’s a ‘gas station’?” ***** 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.

Images public domain. Illustration by 5enses.

The past, present perfected

An outside insider’s view of Northern Arizona

By Caroline Barlott n a guided tour outside of Phoenix, my husband and I learned that the Saguaro cactus grows its ﬁrst side arm around 75 years of age. The tallest cacti are probably 200 years old, our tour guide said, as he pulled up to a looming saguaro with two arms and a gaping hole in its side. Our guide pointed at the hole with his walking stick, stating it was likely a bullet hole that may even date back to the days of the Wild West. And while those days are long gone, there is a small town north of Phoenix that feels like a real Wild West town retroﬁtted with a modern attitude. I’m not talking about a total replica or something touristy like Tombstone. I’m talking about Prescott. Prescott is more like a Wild West town melding the best of both worlds — beautifully restored historic buildings paired with the progressive attitudes of a town full of creative people. It’s a small town that was once the capital of Arizona that housed a stretch of 40 saloons on Whiskey Row. Now, there are antique shops, a stunning courthouse and excellent restaurants. Not to mention running water, antibiotics and equality — the Wild West can only be romanticized so much before modern reality sets in.

y husband Jeff and I are from Canada; but Jeff used to live in Arizona and I’ve been to the state several times. Murphy’s in Prescott is one of our favorite restaurants in the state. The restaurant’s rich history as a General Store starting in the late 1800s is still maintained through the interior décor. And the food is always excellent. Our server recommended a few hotel options on the outskirts of the town, but we happened to wander past Hotel St. Michael, an historic building right across from the courthouse and found that it would be hard to beat what they were offering. The hotel has more character in its tiny caged elevator than most hotels have on all their floors. It’s well maintained with beautifully detailed ceilings, majestic railings and cozy and comfortable rooms. There is even a small mall — that’s made to look like a historic street — on the main floor of the hotel with shops carrying local goods. Prescott has a strong artist’s community, just like many other areas in Arizona. And a unique side trip that’s about an hour’s drive from Prescott is Arcosanti, an artist’s commune that embodies the late architect

Paolo Soleri’s idea of arcology, which melds architecture with ecology and offers tours and workshops. Rounded buildings sprouted from the side of a canyon as our GPS directed us to approach what looked like a 1970s version of a futuristic movie set. Built in 1970, Arcosanti at the time was a cutting edge concept. Soleri, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, believed would in five years house 5,000 people in a sustainable community where food would be grown onsite, and funds would be generated through the creation of bronze bells that hang from the roof of the main building. Nearly 50 years later, only 50 people are living here, and things are far from sustainable — many of the plans for food grown on site and future buildings didn’t come to fruition. But the buildings and concepts that the volunteers did develop are as intriguing as they were when they were first built. Artists sell their wares inside the main structure, and visitors have a chance to tour the facilities, and learn about a really unique way of life. Jerome is another example of an artist’s community, this time with a different twist; it’s built on the side of Cleopatra Hill, which has an elevation of 5,200 feet. Many of the homes and shops cling to the side of the incline with steep stairs connecting the different neighbourhoods. Hill top towns are popular in places like Italy, but it’s rare to find a place like this in North America. The drive from Prescott to Jerome itself is incredibly scenic — as we drove through Prescott Valley, giant boulders created unique rock for-

FROM TOP: The road through The Dells; the author. Courtesy photos. mations on both sides of the road. While Google Maps said the drive would take about an hour from Prescott to Jerome, it took quite a bit longer since the winding road is challenging, and we couldn’t resist the occasional stop for photos of incredible vistas stretching down the side of the hill.

t was a bit of a relief to reach the end of our drive after the nausea-inducing twists and turns. But Jerome is worth a little car sickness. (Editor’s note: Dibs on the T-shirt and bumper sticker slogan.) Its history dates back to the late 1800s, when it was a copper mining town composed of just a group of tents before growing into a bigger town. When the mine closed in the 1950s, the town nearly disappeared until a group of artists started moving back in more recent years. The town still maintains its artsy vibe with many unique shops, restaurants and hotels. Leaving Jerome, we reminisced about all three places we’d seen — Prescott, Arcosanti, and Jerome were all diﬀerent in their community approach, and yet all had a similar vision of creating a place where creative people could thrive. ***** Caroline Barlott is a writer from Edmonton, Alberta whose work has appeared in magazines including Canadian Geographic, Discover, and Reader’s Digest. In her spare time, she practices yoga, travels with her husband and takes photos of her pampered cat. You can reach her by email at Caroline.Barlott@Gmail.Com.

5ENSESMAG.COM • JUNE 2016 • FEATURE • 11

Artistic reflections Elisa Drachenberg & Pum Rote discuss the art of Pum Rote & Elisa Drachenberg

By James Dungeon heir lives before emigrating to America could fill novels. But unless you directly ask Prescott’s Pum Rote and Elisa Drachenberg about their adventures, you’ll only catch cavalier allusions and isolated anecdotes. It’s not that they’re diffident. They’re welcoming but charmingly coy and self-deprecating. (Drachenberg’s artist statement begins with the phrase “cursed with” and concludes with her ambition to “trigger … something close to exuberance.” (Emphasis added.) A version of Rote’s begins with him offstage, instead focusing on his relatives’ courage as part of the Dutch Underground during World War II.) This story isn’t going to flesh out their backgrounds. It’s not focused on where Drachenberg and Rote have been or their many accomplishments. It’s about what they’re doing now. It’s about their current body of artwork. For the purposes of this story, Drachenberg is an abstract painter and writer and Rote is an abstract photographer and painter. Their art is interesting and rewarding for myriad reasons, but it’s less fun to tell you why than it is to show you through their interactions. Will the following snippets of conversations about each other’s art reveal insights into their creative processes? Surely. Into the depth of their characters and personalities? Hopefully. At the very least, their charged rapport illustrates as-well-a-matched couple of artists, nay human beings, as you’ll probably ever meet. They’re fun. And funny. That’s not a very subjective opening, but art isn’t a particularly subjective topic, now is it? Opposites attracted Pum: We are kind of pretty good together. Elisa: And not. Pum: Because we are absolutely totally different, because I’m a Libra and — Elisa: Well, that doesn’t mean anything. Pum: Well, it means a lot. Elisa: I guess you are always saying today this

and tomorrow that. Even with food. And my mind is not that flexible. For you, it balances out. For me ... Pum: What’s even stranger, is if you look at her art, and what I do, she doesn’t know what she’s going to do, and I know. Usually, for me, it’s already there and I just have to get to it. For her, she starts somewhere and says, “I don’t know what I’m going to do.” And it doesn’t matter, just do it, and it will evolve, and you get there. Elisa: For me, it’s a struggle. For Pum it’s just starting. Sometimes he’ll wake up and say, “Oh, I have an idea. Well, I thought …,” and he just starts. And I think, my god, because I see all the work he needs to do from there. You look at it, and it’s just weeks of doing all these things. If it were me, I’d look at it and think, Oh my god, I have all of this left, and I’d get so discouraged. When you look at things that I do, you might say, well that’s as much work as in that, but I don’t know beforehand. When he is here, he knows he has to do all of that. And he does it. I don’t know what I’m going to do, so it doesn’t scare me. Pum: With her, there’s an empty canvas, she has tons of paint, and she just starts working. Working, working, working. When the basis is finished, she comes with this tiny little No. 2 brush and starts working on the details. She says, “Oh, it’s nothing.” I say, “Oh, Elisa it’s wonderful. It has so much action in it and it flows. And she says, maybe, “Maybe we should turn it around. So, OK, we turn it around. And she says, “Now I like it better than I did before.” Constructing criticism Elisa: We never hold anything back. Pum: I’m colorblind, so she tells me I cannot put this by that. Elisa: It’s not that you cannot do that, it’s just that it’s dull. He thinks brown and grey and green are all the same. But you’d never know that by looking at his abstract photography. Pum: I don’t see red flowers in a green tree. Elisa: I’ll say, Look, Pum, outside, and he says, “What?” And he’ll put on a jacket and he’ll say it’s grey, and I’ll tell him that’s not grey, that’s green, and I don’t like green. And I don’t like his pieces that have green. There’s one on the wall, there, and I don’t like that one. It’s not my favorite. ... We butt

12 • PORTFOLIO • JUNE 2016 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

heads, but never about art. Pum may look at piece of my writing, and there will be a part in there that I’ve re-written, re-written, and re-written, and I think, OK, that’s good enough, I can’t get it any better. He’ll read it and say, “Yeah, I like this, but this paragraph here —” Pum: I’ve found it! Elisa: Here is the one I’ve been working on the most, and he knows that. He reads it and says, “Yeah, you need to work on that.” And I do the same thing to him when I say you are not finished. And he says, “But I want it to be finished.” But, anyway, he’s right, so I put it away and come back to it. I don’t know how I’m going to do it, but I know I need to do it. The resistance is not that he’s pushing for more; it’s that he’s putting his finger on the part I thought I had finished. Pum: She does the same thing with me with my doodling with photos and paint. Elisa: He does things differently. I have to work now and with patience. Pum: And I might say, Elisa, it would nice if you had this line here to get it more active. It’s not just putting paint on a canvas, it’s thinking about what to connect. When she has some yellow here and there’s no yellow there, I think maybe it needs to be brightened up there. Re-cycling Elisa: The orchids? I don’t know if I’ll give them a third run. Pum: I know for sure. You see this with anything with Elisa. You cannot throw anything away. Elisa: I’m not a hoarder, but … Pum: If there’s some creativity in it, “Maybe I can use it one of my paintings, maybe I can use it outside.” We have blue bottles because they have wonderful wine at CostCo in blue bottles. Now we have a planter with blue bottles over there, with blue

bottles on top there, because we can not throw them away. It’s, “They are beautiful.” Elisa: I’m not good at throwing things away. Pum: That’s why she’s been with me for 28 years. Whether or not Pum: I do abstract photography. When we send it to a gallery, it’s just one photo. It’s not an original; you can make more copies of it, and they don’t like that. They want something unique. So I started doing photo compositions of abstract photography. It’s getting bigger and bigger and more interesting. Elisa: He’s already taken the photos to be able to combine them. If you’re at a distance, you see different things, different lines. If you’re in front of it, it’s just this whole thing. But there are different patterns in there. … What I love about his abstracts is that you look at them everyday and see something different. Sometimes it’s your mood. Sometimes it’s the light. You keep looking, and you see more and more. I could never do that. If I started here, Oh, it needs so much work. I have to not know what I’m doing, then I can do that. Pum: People think they’re paintings, which is why we started calling them light paintings. And there’s no manipulation. It’s not Photoshopped. It’s what I see through the camera. I saw it and you can never ever see it again. You can never do it over. Elisa: You have to explain it, I think. It has to do with the sun, which makes all kinds of set ups where there is a reflection in a reflection in a reflection. And he gets that. Pum: There cannot be wind. It’s outside, usually in January or February or in the summer, typically very bright and there’s hardly and moisture in the sky. When it’s cloudy or there’s too much wind, it really doesn’t work. When I think I’d like to do this, then I wait for the right thing. Elisa: It’s a combination of weather and Pum.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 >>>

FROM LEFT: Pum Rote and Elisa Drachenberg discuss one of the latter’s paintings, photo by 5enses; a photo composition by Rote, courtesy photo.

News From the Wilds Skyward

Fires, such as the Doce Fire, which was started by gunfire and burned much of Granite Mountain in 2013, are important components of ecosystems, but are at their most destructive this month. Photo by Ty Fitzmorris.

By Ty Fitzmorris une can be a pretty tough time in the Mogollon Highlands of central Arizona. It’s reliably the driest month of the year, with nearly two out of five years receiving no precipitation at all, and most others receiving only the most minute amounts. If there is any rain, it comes at the end of the month with the first of the monsoonal storms. In fact, the drought of June is critical in bringing about the rains of July, because as the hot, dry air in the Sonoran Desert and the Interior West rises it draws the moist, humid air from the Sea of Cortez to our region. Whenever these wet air masses enter our area from the south they bring the possibility of rain, but without the heat that accumulates this month the rain will not fall. But it is possible to observe this large-scale, regional climatic pattern evolve by watching the movement and development of the different cloud species as they move across our skies — a pursuit known as cloudspotting.

June mornings tend to dawn clear and bright, but especially toward the end of the month, cumulus clouds appear and begin to build in the hot afternoons. These clouds may start as relatively small Cumulus humulis, wider than they are tall and uniformly white, and then turn to Cumulus mediocris, as tall as they are wide, and with gray bases, and eventually to towering, 30,000-foot-tall Cumulus congestus storm clouds. It is only this last species that brings with it the most precious of all resources in the high desert — water. And with those ﬁrst, massive raindrops the quiescent, drought-stressed landscape begins its exultant reawakening.

ntil that time, however, the wilds remain very dry, with most of the creeks of the Prescott area not ﬂowing at all, though the perennial spring-fed streams of the Verde Valley, such as Beaver, Clear, Fossil, Sycamore, Verde, and Agua Fria, do continue to run during this time. These few wet areas around the Central Highlands

14 • FEATURE • JUNE 2016 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

are burgeoning with life, and now is the time to see some of our most spectacular migrant birds, including the tanagers and orioles, as they finally come into our region from the south. Elk, Mule Deer, and Abert’s Squirrels are giving birth now while Otter kits are weaned and Badger kits and Bobcat kittens leave their dens for the first time. The eggs of many species of birds hatch, and adult birds tend their young in anticipation of the coming time of plenty, when the rains finally come. June is our single most dangerous month for fires, due to extremely low fuel-moisture (the water content in woody and herbaceous plants), the increase in lightning late in the month, the prevalence of dry grasses, and the number of people in the backcountry that mishandle fire. In fact, fuel moistures of live plants in deserts can sometimes drop below fuel moistures of dead wood, making live plants more flammable than downed deadwood. In the high desert of the Mogollon Highlands, as with most of western North America, it is profoundly important that we use fire

• June 3: Saturn at Opposition. The ringed planet is directly opposite from the Sun in the night sky, and its face is fully illuminated. Binoculars or a small telescope will provide excellent views of the rings and the brightest moon, Titan, while a medium-sized telescope might sometimes reveal five of the 62 other moons. • June 4: New Moon at 7:59 p.m. • June 5: Mercury at greatest western elongation. The planet closest to the Sun reaches its highest in the morning sky, before sunrise, at 22.5 degrees. •June 20: Full moon at 4:02 p.m. and Summer Solstice at 3:34 p.m. The northern hemisphere of the Earth is at its maximum tilt toward the Sun now, and the Sun appears to be at its furthest north in its arc across the sky, which places it directly above the Tropic of Cancer. This is the longest day of the year and marks the beginning of summer, though it’s also the moment after which the days begin growing shorter. • Astronomical Highlight: Venus, the brightest planet in the night sky, makes its return this month to the evening sky, but only barely, setting 45 minutes after sunset at the end of the month. with extreme caution, and not complicate the already difficult situation that our firefighters and land management agencies face through our sometimes catastrophic mistakes. While fire is a vital force in the Wilds, it must be treated with extraordinary caution. ***** 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 ... By Ty Fitzmorris

in the mountains, such as Butte Creek, Miller Creek, and Aspen Creek. • Young Botta’s Pocket Gopher (Thomomys bottae) leave their parents’ dens and establish their own. These gophers are fundamental in the maintenance of soils through oxygenation and nutriﬁcation. Visit: West Clear Creek Trail, No. 17.

High mountains • Butterflies proliferate in the high altitudes — look for metalmarks, blues, and admirals. • Silverstem Lupine (Lupinus argenteus), with its tall, lilac flower spikes, blooms, drawing our one bumblebee species, Bombus sonorus, to its flowers. Visit: Maverick Mountain Trail, No. 65. Ponderosa Pine forests • Ponderosa Pines release their wind-borne pollen during this conspicuously windy season. Strong winds carry pine pollen for long distances, thereby increasing genetic diversity through outcrossing of pines from different regions. • Abert’s Squirrel (Sciurus aberti) give birth. These squirrels are important for Ponderosa Pine health, as they consume and disperse truffles and other mushrooms, which pines rely on for nutrient uptake. • New Mexico Locust (Robinia neomexicana) flowers in the pine understory. This gorgeous leguminous shrub fixes nitrogen in the poor soils of the pine forests, which is critical for the growth of other species. • Dalmatian Toadflax (Linaria dalmatica), one of our most aggressive non-native invasive plants, flowers. This is one of the few plants in the Central Highlands that can be removed without qualm when encountered. Look for its semi-succulent, rubbery leaves and bright yellow flowers, which give it its other name, Butter and Eggs, and try to remove whole root systems when possible. Visit: Miller Creek Trail, No. 367. Pine-Oak woodlands • Arizona Thistle (Cirsium arizonica) flowers. This is one of the few hummingbird-pollinated thistles. • Bobcat kittens emerge from dens, following their mother as she hunts, and often preventing her from hunting by their playing and clumsiness. • Canyon Wren (Catherpes mexicanus) young fledge from their nests and begin learning to fly. These lovely wrens form monogamous pairs that

Ornate Tree Lizards (Urosaurus ornatus), the most visible (and friendly) lizard in the Mogollon Highlands, continue mating, and begin laying their eggs late in the month. Photo by Ty Fitzmorris. last for years, and can be seen exploring granite boulders in areas such as the Dells for spiders and insects. Visit:Little Granite Mountain Trail, No. 37.

live up to 10 years, and eat as much as 80 percent of their body weight per night of insects. Visit: Mint Wash Trail, No. 345.

Pinyon-Juniper woodlands • Gophersnakes (Pituophis catenifer), important grassland predators of rodents, lay eggs in large clutches, and hatchlings appear starting in August. These very long constrictors (up to 8 or 9 feet!) will sometimes mimic rattlesnakes when threatened, but have no true rattles, and are not venomous or dangerous. • Mule Deer give birth to their spotted fawns, which weigh as little as eight pounds, and will remain hidden for the ﬁrst month of their life. Visit: Tin Trough Trail, No. 308.

Riparian areas • Many of the creeks in the Central Highlands, with the exception of spring-fed perennial streams, stay dry until monsoon storms come. • Western Screech-Owl young fledge this month, and can be heard calling after their parents with a short, descending three-note trill late in the twilight. • Black Hawk eggs hatch, and young can be seen perching on nests, watching for their approaching parents. • Young Great Blue Herons begin fishing alone for the first time, often following other fish-eating species, such as Common Mergansers, to find the best fishing grounds. • River Otters are weaned now, and begin hunting with their parents for fish. • Common Mergansers can sometimes be seen with their young ducklings riding on their backs. Look for them especially in lower Granite Creek, Willow and Watson lakes, and the rivers of the Verde Valley. • Yellow Monkeyflowers (Mimulus guttatus) flower by perennial creeks in the Verde Valley, while Texas Mulberry (Morus microphylla) sets fruit, drawing tanagers and other birds to their delicious berries. • Chick Lupine (Lupinus microcarpus) flowers in wet streamside seeps

Grasslands • Evening primroses (Oenothera spp.) flower in profusion. • Young Badgers emerge from dens for the first time to play, especially in the evenings. • Ringtails, cat-like relatives of Raccoons, begin giving birth after a seven-week pregnancy. • Mexican Free-tailed Bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) give birth to a single, nearly helpless pup, which remains in its nursery with the young of other bats. When the mother return to the nursery with food she finds her child among the throngs by its unique song. Mexican Free-tails can

Deserts/Chaparral • Ocotillos flower, providing important nectar resources for hummingbirds. As their primary drought adaptation Ocotillos have lost their leaves now, though they can still perform photosynthesis without leaves using their photosynthetic bark. • Manzanita fruits are nearly ripe, and are edible and delicious even when green. Beware the large seeds, however, which are hard and inedible.* • Preying mantids reach their winged, adult stage, and begin searching for sites to deposit their resinous egg pouches. • Crucifixion-thorn (Canotia holacantha) “flowers” on hillsides, though strictly speaking this species is more related to pines and junipers than to the flowering plants. • Saguaros, the second largest cactus in the world, continue to flower, attracting Mourning Doves by day and Mexican Free-tailed Bats by night. Visit: Aqua Fria National Monument.

Weather Average high temperature: 86 F (+/-3) Average low temperature: 49.4 F (+/-3.7) Record high temperature: 104 F (2013) Record low temperature: 25 F (1899) Average precipitation: 0.38” (+/-0.52”) Record high precipitation: 2.46” (1972) Record low precipitation: 0” (35 percent of years on record) Max daily precipitation: 1.35” (June 26, 1954)

FROM TOP: A painting by Elisa Drachenberg, courtesy photo; Pum Rote and Drachenberg discuss one of Rote’s photo compositions, photo by 5enses. ... FROM PAGE 13 Hear & know Pum: There’s a period when she starts with a painting and she goes on and on until it’s finished. It might be weeks, or a month, or longer. When I start something, I’ll do a little bit today, then run an errand, or have to go to Phoenix. Then, a month or two later, I’ll say, OK, I’ll finish it. But I’m not like her. Elisa: We don’t have a routine. Pum: It should be fun. We came here for the weather and wonderful nature. We have an amazing backyard with all of these plants. … Part of our lives is creating. Part of life is being here, living, and just enjoying. Elisa: I think the older we get, the more there are physical problems. But we feel more and more that we should make the best out of every day instead of having to produce. A friend asked me, don’t you have to finish it? And I asked

her, do I need another bullet point on my résumé? We just don’t need to do that. We are not wealthy by any means, but we’re not hungry. If you’re hungry, you’ll ﬁnd a way for your work to get out there. But I think, for us, for what reason do we

16 • PORTFOLIO • JUNE 2016 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

have to do it? We don’t have that part, that drive that we have to make it. We are in galleries and people can see our art. Pum: We both had a life before we came here. In Holland, in the film world, everybody knew us. We won tons of prizes. We left all of that, came here, and nobody knew us. We had to start all over. And it was wonderful. But, also, the light, the environment, brought us in a different direction. We already had a life that was and is our résumé. Here, enjoying life is the most important thing. And creating is a wonderful part of it. Elisa: It can be. For me, sometimes I suffer to create. For him, it’s not like that. … I think we would both go insane, though, if we didn’t have a creative outlet. We met an old friend a couple of days ago and he said, “So, you’re in galleries, but is it a hobby? Do you sell enough? Do you put much money into it?” And I thought, those are all the wrong questions.

FROM LEFT: Elisa Drachenberg affectionately shushes Pum Rote while he describes the meticulous detail in her paintings; Drachenburg points out the subtle reflections of Rote in the photo border he created for her portrait of him, which she painted because, she said, “It bothers me that people say abstract painters can’t paint realistically.” Photos by 5enses. Pig tales Pum: We have done tons of things with her words and my work. Photo and a poem, photo and a poem. Years and years we’ve done that with Christmas, too. One year, she said, “Next year’s the Year of the Pig. Why don’t you go and take some pictures of a pig?” Elisa: Not of a pig. The rounded tail of a pig. Pum: Well, yeah. So, we’ve done this for 10 or 15 years. And we’ve had shows in Scottsdale together with her words and my photography. Elisa: Why’s that important, now? Pum: Because it’s how we’ve worked together. Elisa: Well, the story about the pig is funny because he thought he could just get a picture of a pig with a tail like that. I wanted it to be very much pig-like, but not a pig.

Pum: Just the detail. Elisa: What we didn’t know was that by that time of the year, they’d already started cutting oﬀ the pigs’ tails. Pum: There was no pig like that. I could not get the picture. Elisa: He failed me! Well, he did something else with the colors of a pig that you could tell was a pig, but it was not what I wanted. Pum: And we gave lectures at ASU together with — Elisa: Pum, this is becoming a King Kong story, just chest pounding and — Pum: No, no, no. We did these things together. When we ﬁrst got here, I thought about telling everyone the things that we’d done, but no. Elisa: Now it’s for us. We create for us. We

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know who we are and what we are. Pum: This is just for us. ***** You can see artwork by Elisa Drachenberg and Pum Rote at “A Show of Comrades,” which also features pieces by other members of the Southwest Artists Association. (Rote, incidentally, is the nonproﬁt’s director.) The show opened May 20 and runs through June 15 at Mountain Artists Guild & Gallery, 228 N. Alarcon St. Their art also shows at other galleries around town and elsewhere in the state. James Dungeon is a figment of his own imagination. And he likes cats. Contact him at James DungeonCats@Gmail.Com.

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Tech test trip

Diagnosis: Technology

By Paolo Chlebecek ell, it was another trip for the memory books. Thankfully, I did a little research on some very useful and practical tech to bring with me and test out on my most recent intercontinental trip. Some things worked well. Some didn’t. So, instead of a rambling recap, I hope to give you some practical tips on what actually worked. Let’s start with cables. ‘Why cables,’ you say? Well, if you have tech that needs to be charged, you need good quality, reliable cables. Believe it or not, there are cables that cost upwards of $1,000. (Gulp!) That is, of course, ridiculous. Nothing I mention in this article will cost anywhere near that much. Still, with my new international Google Nexus

Taking travel tech on the road phone, I needed at least one or two decent long cables — say 6 foot or more. Why, you quite reasonably may ask, so long? One reason is that you have no control over how far the outlet is from your nightstand or bedside for those required overnight charges. Furthermore, depending on your phone or tablet, there could be issues with low quality cables. For example I decided to be thrifty and get those $6 cheapies from Amazon. Well, after charging one of my devices — aside from taking way too long — it was extremely hot. Why? Well now we are getting into real science and electrical engineering here. The less metal conductivity, the more heat due to resistance. The explanation can be similar to water ﬂowing through a pipe. It’s more demanding to push water through a long, narrow pipe than a wide, short pipe. Therefore, a long thin wire has

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higher resistance and lower conductance than a short, thick wire which will have low resistance. There’s much debate on what cable companies are best, but here is what to look for: Cables really should be USB-IF Certiﬁed. That means they’ve met a rigorous international standard that’s been developed to insure the cables deliver the correct voltage without much resistance. Belkin as well as Anker have been the leading manufacturers in this area and have proven worthy of travel. I like the braided shielding instead of rubber. It’s stronger and it keeps from binding and twisting too much. The only problem is that these babies run about $25 each. If you have an Apple device, then you need to look for MFi-certiﬁed cables to be sure they last. Better safe than sorry.

nother device you need is a good battery pack to keep things running when you’re on the go. I chose the Anker PowerCore 10,000. It’s the smallest 10,000 mAh out there now and it didn’t fail to perform. It has built on Power IQ and has VoltageBoost, which according to Anker, “deliver the fastest possible charge for any device.” For only $22, it’s hard to do better. After a day of taking photos and videos, my battery was down to 3 percent and in less than an hour it was charged to nearly full. How? Well it has as much to do with your device as battery pack. The device

must be compatible with a quick, fast, or rapid charge technology — whatever the manufacturer calls it. For example, when paired with a compatible charger, my device can fully charge in less than an hour as tested. But it needs a USB Type-C 15W (5V/3A) charger, whether that be a battery pack or outlet charger. The plus side is that the battery pack had enough juice to boost my phone’s battery another two or three times, at least. Lastly, and one of the more important items, is a good travel coat. There are hundreds to choose from but the Scott e-Vest Pack Jacket fits the bill. It has 13 pockets and can be easily stuffed into a bag or carryon without adding hardly any weight or bulk. Its keeps you dry and it’s also breathable. However, if it’s very humid and rainy, you may be just as wet while wearing it as if you weren’t. I like the chest pockets to hold my phone and travel documents. The other plus is that with the many pockets, you may not need to carry a personal item on the plane in addition to your luggage. There you have it. Just in time for the summer travel season, hopefully. ***** 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 • JUNE 2016 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

Prescott Film Festival’s SCRIPT NOTES

An animated life

Considering Lindsay Bane

By Helen Stephenson

“Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.” ~ Dorothea Lange

“The Eyes Have It” S by Prescott area photographh In the ‘Tis Art Center Main Gallery June 23—July July 19, 2016 105 S. Cortez St. Prescott www.TisArtGallery.com

diﬀerent forms of animation from paper cut-out, stop motion, and digital animation, across 2D and 3D forms. “I really believe animation can be a powerful experience for ﬁlm students,” she said. Tune in for more updates. ***** 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.

4 Prescott’s 4th Friday

ART WALKS

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4FRIDAY COT T

indsay Bane, animation and film history professor at Yavapai College’s Film and Media Arts program, works in commercial applications for animation. She has produced and created animation for one of the top creative agencies in the U.S., TAG Creative, (L’Oreal, Maybelline). Beyond that she wears many other hats (and sometimes a butterfly …). She has her own production company, Banehood, and has been an associate producer for the Academy award-winning production company Cabin Creek Films (Miss Sharon Jones!). But at the center of each part of her life are passion, creativity, and professionalism. “There’s virtually no story that can’t be told in animation,” Bane said, adding, “Animation evokes a sense of wonder and charm, where anything is possible. This magical quality, combined with a filmmaker’s unique perspective, makes animation an essential storytelling form.” She’s excited about sharing her skills with students via classes and feels that they “bring a new kind of excitement to their passion for storytelling.” Given a supportive environment, she said, they can “see big ideas come to life.” By way of schooling, Bane has a master’s degree in film production from NYU’s Tisch School for the Arts. And, speaking of schooling, Bane is teaching Yavapai College’s new Animation Certificate this fall. Students learn

Lindsay Bane works on some stopmotion animation. Courtesy photo.

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artoons. If you’re “of a certain age” you remember Betty Boop, and Bugs Bunny. Then there’s Gumby, Tintin, Woody Woodpecker, Yogi Bear, The Flintstones, Mr. Magoo, Scooby Doo — and the list goes on to present day, when Pixar, Disney, and Dreamworks are still creating beautiful animation with well-told (though often rehashed) stories. The songs that come with many of the films have a tendency to become deeply embedded in our collective consciousness’s. (Dare we suggest you just, “Let it Go”?) Beyond animation by the big studios, the art form consistently pops up in marketing, advertising, and web design. New careers are emerging in the field including forensic animation, which is used in court cases, medical procedure animation, biochemistry, and military animation. It’s a broad field.

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5ENSESMAG.COM • JUNE 2016 • FEATURE • 19

Skybound

Looking (up) at nature, nurture, & mimicry

Ask a Rocket Scientist By Prof. Werner Von Karmann Dear Prof. Von Karmann, Does anything in nature ﬂy the same way as airplanes, helicopters, or rockets? — Michael D., Chino Valley

ike, thanks for your question. Over the millennia, humanity has watched nature for inspiration. Today, we call it biomimicry, which is a fancy word for observing the nature around us and adopting what one observes into a machines we build or applying that observation to the mathematics or physics used to design a machine. When it comes to flying, you can go for endurance (long flight) or attack (fast and agile maneuvers). In nature, you can see how animals evolved to conserve energy for endurance, as visible in pelagic birds and fish, and for those fast attack maneuvers in raptors, such as Peregrine Falcons. For endurance, you have to minimize expended energy. When it comes to a vehicle, bird, or fish moving through air or water, the force that provides the vertical force for flight or horizontal force to push it along is called lift. Lift is defined as the force that is perpendicular to the local velocity vector (speed and direction) of the fluid medium (air or water). When you have a surface of finite length like in a wing on a bird or the tail fin of a fish, that lifting force comes at a price. That comes in the form of something called induced drag or drag due to lift that pushes against the forward movement of the animal or airplane. Induced drag turns out to be a function of 1/AR, where AR is the aspect ratio. Aspect ratio is the length of the lifting surface divided by the width. So, long slender surfaces reduces the amount of induced drag and hence the amount of energy needed to sustain flight or to propulse through water. In nature, consider pelagic birds, such as the albatross. Notice their long slender wings. This allows the bird to cruise very long distances — like

minimize induced drag, as presented by Case P. 10,000 miles. Pretty efficient, ehh? VanDam from the University of California-Davis. Our manmade machines make use of this Prof. VanDam noticed that the fins and tails of evolutionarily derived principle. Take a look at many pelagic fish like the Blue Fin Tuna have the gliders. These aircraft have long slender wings that capture the air currents to maximize lift and shape of a crescent moon. That peaked his curiosminimize induced drag. ity, so he applied comYou’ll also find this in puter and math models powered flight longto study those shapes range aircraft. and compared them to In Prescott, we get to the most efficient shape watch some great natufrom classical mathral fast flyers such as ematical theory. That Ravens and Peregrine theory said that wings Falcons. These birds shaped like an ellipse can soar and glide, but were the most efficient. they are also known for their agile maneuvers His studies showed that the induced drag of and extreme speeds. In order to attain their speed crescent shape wings is less than that of elliptical and agility, the Falcon’s wings have a lower aspect shaped wings. He then built physical models, put ratio (shorter and stubbier). The Falcon can also them in wind tunnels, and observed that these retract or pull back on crescent shapes were, in the outer part their fact, more efficient. wings to attack prey at Prof. Van Dam’s work extreme speeds. was done in the early We humans build fast, 1980s, and the work was agile machines such as published and widely fighter jets. These airaccepted by the aerodycraft, such as the F-16 namics community of Falcon, must be able to that period. His work quickly change direcwas published in Nature tion, dive, and dash at and he was awarded the speeds close to or exceeding the speed of sound. Sperry Medal by the American Institute of AeroNotice how the wings of an F-16 are short and nautics and Astronautics. This work influenced stubbie like its namesake, the Peregrine Falcon. many of the designs of wings in operation today. The wing also taper (wider near the body and The next time you’re heading out on vacation, take thinner at the tip), again a look at the tips of your airplane’s wings. Instead of like said falcon. The wing of ending, there’s usually this airplane doesn’t retract FROM TOP: A Northern Royal just some sort of interesting (there are other planes Albatross, photo by Benchill, shape there that just might whose do) but it does have some sweep back like the public domain; a Glider Blanik look like the tail of a fish. Peregrine. This sweep L-13 D-9676, photo by Aleksanminimizes the effects of o Mike, as you supersonic flight such as can see, nature dr Markin Русский, C.C. 2.0. shock waves that form and either directly can increase drag. or indirectly influenced the iven the parallels between the airdesign of aircraft and machines we build. When craft described thus far and animals it’s endurance or agility, nature caters examples in the wild, it’s tempting to think that naturally evolved. Like most things, it’s up to that former’s designs were influenced us to learn from those examples and discover the by the latter. Observations of nature reason why what’s here is here. I think that’s also may’ve influenced mathematicians’ and physicists’ a metaphor for just about everything. thinking as they developed theories, but there isn’t really a direct correlation. However, there is ***** at least device that we see flying around that was Prof. Werner Von Karmann is literally a rocket directly influenced by observations of the natural scientist. Send him questions at 5ensesMag@ world. Gmail.Com with the phrase “ask a rocket scienThe crescent-shaped wings found in nature tist” in the subject line. directly influenced our understanding of how to

20 • FEATURE • JUNE 2016 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

My external brain

Insights cataloged/catered by/for B. E. Long

5ENSESMAG.COM • JUNE 2016 • FEATURE • 21

Not-asholy days

ithout a major holiday in sight — but, hey, make sure to call your dad — you could just get up, get out, and enjoy the wilds. Or you could scare up a few reasons to stay on the porch this month. Consider celebrating ... June 1: Flip a Coin Day • You can make heads or tails of it.

he African Honey-Guide is a small, plain looking animal with a rather raspy voice that has been likened to the sound of a matchbox being shaken. Its favorite food is the wax from honey comb and the bee grubs that live inside. Unfortunately, the bird is so small and thin skinned that it cannot get to the delicious contents of the bee hive by itself. ODDLY ENOUGH … This bird (Indicator indicator) has learned to lead more durable animals like the Honey Badger (Ratel) to the bee hives, letting them do the destructive work and giving the Honey Guide access to the comb. African Natives have found wild honey by following this little bird for centuries.

June 3: Repeat Day • June: 3: Repeat Day June 9: Donald Duck Day • No pants, no problem. June 18: Panic Day • Wasn’t that in March?! June 18: Juggler’s Day • Keep ’em airborne. June 21: Yoga Day • Namaste. June 23: Pink Day • Color me, well, pink. June 24: Take Your Dog to Work Day • You’re barking up the right tree. June 29: Camera Day • Picture perfect. June 30: Meteor Day • Celestial streaking.

*****

lague Doctors were recognized by their bizarre outfits, probably designed by Charles de Lorme, personal physician to King Louis the VIII. The “beak” held straw and scented concoctions meant to filter the putrid air. Glass eye-holes protected the vision, and heavy waxed fabric and leather covered the “doctors” from head to toe. Typically, Plague Doctors were financed by cities coping with medical epidemics, which meant they treated everyone, rich and poor. Some were pressed into service as coroners (performing autopsies), spiritual advisers, and keeping public records. They were even called on occasionally as witnesses in will disputes. ODDLY ENOUGH … One well known Plague Doctor in the 1500s recommended not bleeding the patients, getting fresh air, removing infected corpses, drinking juices with rose-hips, and using only clean water. His name was Nostradamus. ***** Russell Miller is an illustrator, cartoonist, writer, bagpiper, motorcycle enthusiast, and reference librarian. Currently, he illustrates books for Cody Lundin and Bart King.

Lotus Bloom Yoga Studio 22 • FEATURE • JUNE 2016 • 5ENSESMAG.COM

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