Tucson's summer playground

When temperatures reach the 100*' s here in Tucson you can bet that many Tucsonans go find their "hide-y holes" to hunker down and wait out the heat...most often a cool house with the lights off, or the comfort of an air conditioned store, museum or theater...oh, yeah, and there's also the bars...
But when you feel the call of the wild, and have the need to breathe fresh air- you head for the mountains!

This image was taken at Windy Point, along the Catalina Highway- the road to Mt Lemmon-
Mt lemmon is Tucson's playground away from the heat of the summer- we drive up for a cool weekend nature walk  in the summer and fall-  Winter is when you can actually do a little sledding (and bring a cooler full of snow down from the mountain...)

Right now, -late June- we are in the beginning of what is called "monsoon season"- it's one of my favorite times here in the southwest deserts- yes, it's terribly hot- and the cicadas are driving us all crazy with their incessant hisssssss...

In a few weeks we will be treated to some invigorating (and dangerous) storms that appear in the late afternoon. We all start searching the sky for dark clouds...sniff the winds for that Sonoran creosote perfume...and we rejoice as the skies crack open and pour down their sweet sweet rainwater.

Until then, we'll be in our hide-y holes...waiting for the storms

talk about

Today's "talk about" blog for the "Handmade Division" team -Do you consider yourself only a XXX artist, or do you work in multi media application, and/or draw techniques from other fields to use in the on you're working in? 

Funny you should ask that-  I do consider myself to be primarily a metalsmith, I am certainly most comfortable working in metal, Have the most formal training in metal...However, I recognize that I am transforming into a multi media artist. And I think that my internet involvement has something to do with this transformation.
I'm now back to my roots as a Photographer on Flickr- dabbling with Video on youtube, playing with mud in a Pottery class making things in Leather to appeal to my equestrian roots, and getting my urban edge on with graffiti/spraypaint and industrial rubber flooring.... 
I play with whatever my muse tells me- I follow my bliss and allow myself to make things that are just ridiculous nonsense that fulfills my  experimental urges.
So Now I guess you could call me a tinkerer

Please be sure to stop by the other blogging participants. I know I can’t wait to go see what they’ve got stashed away…..
Andes Cruz: http://andescruz.wordpress.com/
Thomasin Durgin: http://metalriot.blogspot.com/
Jewelry by Natsuko: http://jewelrybynatsuko.blogspot.com/
Lisa Hopkins Design: http://lisahopkinsdesign.blogspot.com/
Abhaya Fibers http://abhayafibers.blogspot.com/
ArtJewel Designs http://www.artjeweldesigns.blogspot.com/
Susan Moloney http://susarto.blogspot.com/
Tamra Gentry http://jewelrydesignchronicles.wordpress.com/
Bill Martin http://purifiedart.blogspot.com/
HandMade Division Blog http://handmadedivision.wordpress.com/

About those pics of trash in our desert

It's 103* outside today in Tucson- almost impossible to go outside to check the mail
I stay inside on days like these- I drink lots of water, protect my skin with sunscreen and
eat fresh fruits to keep me hydrated.

You can bet that right now, somewhere in the desert
to the south of Tucson a mom, dad, son or daughter
is risking their lives trying to get to a better future for themselves.
Some won't make it.

YES, There are filthy, littered "rest stops". These are the last stations of shade and rest for the
poor people who have made the ill-informed decision to risk their lives by trekking through our scorching deserts trying to find a better way of life and help support their families

The areas are routinely cleaned by humanitarian aid workers like
the good people of Humane Borders http://www.humaneborders.org/
and Derechos Humanos http://www.derechoshumanosaz.net/
as well as other organized groups of concerned citizens

unfortunately sometimes the humanitarian workers also find corpses...of people who have been lied to-
Migrants that have been taken advantage of by their "coyote" (guides) and have been led to their deaths in the Sonoran desert.

This immigration issue is a terrible problem in many facets and there needs to be a wholehearted
compassionate and legal solution to the problem that Many people (both American and Mexican)
 are living and dying for.

Many won't even be found until their bodies have decomposed into
skeletons. It's the horror that is lived every day here in southern Arizona
- and we desperately need better policies that will
help prevent these tragedies while protecting the lives and properties of the good people who live in the border areas.

The SB1070 bill doesn't address the real issue -which is that of the desperation of poor people who have little other hope in their lives than to find a crappy job serving us privilaged Americans-
In my opinion, SB1070  only enforces a policy in a way that has been described as unconstitutional by
it's critics, and held up as a battleground solution by it's cheerleaders.

Without deep discussions, humane legislation, organization and planning we can only expect that the
cycle of illegal immigration, death and deportation will continue it's ugly circle.

ok- rant over.
peace- MBZ