Photo Essay: Greenway Envy
July 15th, 2011In my previous post, I offered a tour of Tucson's new Fifth Avenue Greenway. This post is about a nearby neighborhood that's suffering from a severe case of greenway envy.
Let's set the stage by talking about the weather – again.
As noted in recent posts, Tucson is experiencing its summer monsoon season. Which means torrential rains like this one that's flooding East Seneca Street between Fourth and Second Avenues...
Like most summer storms, this one didn't last very long. But it left quite a bit of runoff on Seneca...
As if the Seneca Street flood waters aren't enough, Third Avenue also carries quite a bit of runoff. South of Seneca, Third Avenue becomes an alley for a couple of blocks. And it's not a very inviting place...
The storm water runoff that flows into the alley isn't fit to drink or swim in. But it does serve a valuable purpose – it irrigates plants. Here it's irrigating Bermada Grass, an invasive species...
Unkempt areas in the common space tend to attract negative behaviors. They attract litter and become dumping grounds for stolen property like this City of Tucson warning sign...
They also become magnets for criminal activity...
The Fifth Avenue Greenway starts in an alley south of Mansfield Park. There was a time when respectable people avoided this alley because it was such a hotbed of drug dealing, gang activity, and other nefarious goings-on.
Other than one instance of gang graffiti that's already been reported to the city, I didn't notice anything negative during my recent walk through the Fifth Avenue Greenway.
That's why other neighborhoods what their own greenways. Attractive common space encourages positive behavior. And when positive behavior increases, crime decreases.
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Photo Essay: Greenway Park Ramble
July 13th, 2011Looks like our monsoons have taken a vacation. Other than brief sprinkles, we haven't had rain in almost a week.
So, with thunderstorms not threatening Tucson's Tuesday evening, I decided to ramble around the neighborhood. First point of interest was the new Fifth Avenue Greenway, which has transformed the look of this alley between Waverly and Linden Streets...
Well, that Fifth Avenue Greenway stroll sure was nice. Once I exited onto Linden Street, my way south was stopped cold by the Bronx Wash. If ever there was a landmark that is worthy of a Bronx cheer, this is it...
This channelized wash was built to move heavy volumes of water very quickly. Which just compounds the flooding problem downstream. Furthermore, this water is lost to the surrounding ecosystem, where it could nourish flowers, shrubs, and trees.
More green shade could mitigate Tucson's urban heat island effect, which is caused by all of those paved surfaces. If you suspect that they make our hot summers even hotter, you're right.
At the Sixth Avenue end of the Bronx Wash, a group of neighbors got together to create a different approach to water management. It's the Linden Street Pocket Park, and it uses passive water harvesting to irrigate shade trees and shrubs along this rock-lined path...
After stopping at this little park, it was on to Mansfield Park and the Northwest Neighborhood Center. The center hosted a town hall with Arizona State Senator Linda Lopez, Democrat from District 29...
Senator Lopez shared her thoughts on how Arizona's budget cuts to health care programs will affect our state. In short, the news is not good.
She noted that Arizona has America's highest percentage of uninsured children, and it ranks 12th overall in the percentage of uninsured residents. And, Lopez added, "Denying coverage does not eliminate the need for medical care."
Where do people without health insurance wind up when they need care? In our already overcrowded emergency rooms. Which makes it even harder for those experiencing life-threatening emergencies to be treated in a timely manner.
Lopez said that the state budget cuts are falling disproportionately on our state's most vulnerable people -- the elderly, the poor, people with chronic physical and mental conditions, and children.
Meanwhile, our Republican-controlled legislature just approved more tax breaks for corporations. No word on whether those corporations will actually create good-paying jobs in this state.
Tip: You can view more event photography in my portfolio and on this blog. I am also available for event photography assignments in Tucson, Arizona, and elsewhere. I specialize in concerts, festivals, parades, political rallies, and sporting events. To check availability and to request a proposal, please e-mail me or call 520-690-1888.
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Nature Photography: More Monsoon Madness
July 7th, 2011As if a rollicking good Independence Day storm wasn't enough. The weather provided additional fireworks on the 5th of July.
Just like Independence Day, yesterday's tempest was a late afternoon special. It started with a ferocious wind and clouds that turned everything dark and ominous...
The rain came down, and yes, I've said this already, but I really need to fix the garden basin that's nearest to the fence. That compost bucket sitting in water is really embarrassing. It's supposed to be in the highest part of the basin, not the lowest...
I'll conclude this post with a brief lesson in how not to trim a desert tree. The photo below shows a mesquite tree that was blown over during the July 4th storm...
Before its untimely demise, this tree had been trimmed like, well, a tree. It looked like the mesquite equivalent of a lollipop.
Although the tree trimmers were well intentioned, they weakened the tree. Removing the lowest branches from desert trees like the mesquite makes the tree unstable and vulnerable to toppling in high winds. That's what happened on July 4th.
So, if you're sharing your space with a desert tree, let it grow into its natural shape. Yes, it will look like a bush on steroids, but it will be a much stronger tree.
Tip: You can view more nature photography in my portfolio.
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Nature Photography: Monsoons Rival Fireworks
July 6th, 2011The summer monsoon storms have busted back into southern Arizona. The festivities started late last week with a couple of after-dark storms that were loud and rowdy enough to deprive anyone of a good night's sleep.
Not that our July 4th afternoon storm was quiet and understated. Far from it. When it came to noise and drama, this storm rivaled Tucson's big Downtown fireworks display.
It blew in with a huge wind that threatened to tear my flag right off its pole...
After I spirited the wind-whipped flag into the house, I headed back out for more storm-watching. Didn't get much further than the front yard, what with all the entertainment provided by the mesquite tree. Which stood strong in the high winds...
After all the buildup, it's time for the rain. And it didn't disappoint...
Around Tucson, we've been playing the "wait until it rains" game since, oh, the beginning of time. (We've been in a long drought.)
Well, it's time to end the procrastination. Which means that it's time to move the compost bucket to higher ground, then shore up the east side of the garden basin so that the rainwater pools in the middle...
And it looks like it's time to plant something new in this pot. I had some aloe vera plants in there, but they were killed in February's hard freeze.
As for washing the windows and screens, just did that in May. I'll let Mother Nature handle things until next spring...
Tip: You can view more nature photography in my portfolio.
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