Degrazia Gallery in the Sun Tucson, Arizona May 1 , 2015

                     Front entrance to The Gallery in the Sun

Directions: The Degrazia Gallery in the Sun is located on North Swan Road off of Skyline Drive. From the University of Arizona take Campbell Road north to Skyline Drive. Turn right. Follow until Skyline Drive turns off on the left. Drive until you reach Swan Road and turn right. The gallery will be on the left.

Brief History: Ted Degrazia was born in Morenci, Arizona After briefly working in the copper mines, he moved to Tucson to attend the University of Arizona where he earned a degree in education. After earning his degree, Ted moved to Bisbee where he continued to paint. In 1942, while on a trip to Mexico, Ted met Diego Rivera and Jose Clemente and soon became an intern. After he returned to Tucson Mr. Degrazia built his first small studio off of Campbell Avenue. He was not well-known and the gallery received minimal visitation. After marrying Marrion Sheret in 1947, Ted brought 10 acres in the foothills of the Catalina Mountains to build the Degrazia Gallery in Sun. His main goal was to build an adobe mission to honor Padre Kino and the Virgin Guadelupe. At first there was a small gallery where Mr. Degrazia displayed his art. After he earned more money Ted built a bigger more permanent studio. His fame grew  when NBC and National Geographic  profiled him on a TV show. In 1957 UNICEF chose the painting "Los Ninos" for a holiday christmas card which sold millions of copies throughout the world. Mr. Degrazia is famous later in his life when he hauled 100 paintings into the Superstition  Mountains and set them on fire to protest inheritance taxes on art. Over his life Degrazia used various mediums including watercolor, oil, sculpture and ceramics.

There is plenty to see at the Gallery of the Sun. Inside there are six permanent collections including: Degrazia Paints the Yaqui Easter and Degrazia Paints the Bullfight. There is also a rotating exhibit. When I visited in early May it was 15 oil paintings depicting the suffering of Jesus Christ. The grounds are full of sculptures as well as many different species of cacti. On the grounds is the original mission which is beautiful and not to be missed. I would definitely recommend a trip to the Degrazia Gallery in the Sun. In fact after visiting, he has become one of my favorite artists. (Information www.degrazia.org).

In order to make the pictures clickable I needed to scale them at original size  To display the entire image please right click on image and choose to open image in new tab.

                     Oil painting, most of his paintings do not have their faces filled in

                  Native American and child

            In these series of paintings you can see his use of color

                   One of my favorites showing a cowboy herding cows

                        Impressionistic painting of Native Americans

                       An impressionistic painting; this one shows his vibrant use of color.

                  Yaqui Easter Celebration. He spent seven days and nights with the Yaqui.

                     The grounds in the courtyard

                    The original mission created by Ted Degrazia

                  The mission was very beatiful

Hugh Norriss to Wasson Peak Saguaro National Park West April 25, 2015

                           Blooming Saguaro cactus

At 6 am in the morning I drove out to Saguaro National Park West to hike the Hugh Norris Trail to the top of Mount Wasson. This trail at 10 miles round trip is the longest hike in Saguaro Park West. When I completed it last year it also became one of my favorites as well because of its extraordinary views and desert vegetation. The Hugh Norris trail is steep in places but easy to follow. Remember to carry water, food and a hat because a hiker even during the winter can suffer from heat stroke and dehydration. During the summer I would not suggest hiking this trail after 10 am. In late April the hike did not disappoint with blooming Saguaro, Ocotillo, Staghorn cholla and Prickly pear along the trail. The wildflowers in southern Arizona have been blooming in waves as a result of the summer rains and it truly has been spectacular. . Each hike has given me the opportunity to photograph different species of flowers.

Location: The trailhead is located 3.5 miles north of the Red Hills Visitor Center in Saguaro National Park West. Turn right onto Kinney Road and follow it until the turnoff for Hohokam Road (also known as part of the Bajada Loop). The trailhead will be on the right and it can accommodate up to four cars if they are parked correctly. (Information from www.protrails.com)

                   View from the Hugh Norris trail

                   Three Saguaro cacti and rock outrcrop in early Arizona sun

                  Blooming Ocotillo

                 Sonoran Desert vegetation

                                Blooming Staghorn cholla

                         Blooming Staghorn cholla

                       Prickly pear

Collin's Foundation B-24 and B-17 Marana, Arizona April 19, 2015

                                   B-17 Nine-O-Nine

Over the course of three days in late April The Collings Foundation stopped in Marana, Arizona, with their restored B-24 Liberator, B-17 Flying Fortress and P-51 Mustang as part of the Wings of Freedom Tour.  I drove out to Marana, Arizona, on April 19 after volunteering, arriving at 2:30 pm in the afternoon. Admission was $12 and if $450 for a 30 minute flight in either the B-17 or B-24.. I toured each aircraft and then decided to wait for the daily flights; sadly the P-51 was at a hangar due to a broken wheel strut. The history of the Collings B-17 and B-24 is fascinating story.

The B-17,  Nine-O-Nine was built at Long Beach, California, and accepted into service in April 7, 1945. It served for a while as part of the 1st Reserve Squadron. In April of 1952 Nine-O-Nine was subjected to the effects of three nuclear explosions. After a 13 year cool down period, Aircraft Specialties Company brought the aircraft and used it in fire fighting. For twenty years it dropped water and borate on forest fires. In 1986 The Collings Foundation bought the B-17. They named is Nine-O-Nine in honor of same plane which completed 140 missions in Europe without losing a crew member.

The Collings B-24 Liberator Witchcraft is the only fully restored and operational Liberator. The Royal Air Force acquired the B-24 in 1944 after it was built.  It saw combat in the Pacific theater as KH-191 where it participated in anti-bombing raids and resupply missions. After the war the RAF abandoned the plane at a graveyard in Khanpur, India. The Indian Air Force restored 32 B-24s and used them until 1968. Thirteen years later Doug Arnold bought KH-191 who sold it to Robert Collings. It took over five years and work on over 80 percent of the plane to restore the B-24. In 1989 the B-24 took to the skies painted to represent Witchraft: a plane that flew 130 missions in Europe without an injured crew member.(www.collingsfoundation,org and informational placards provided information for this post).

                           Inside the B-17

                             Flight controls of the B-17

              Side machine gun

               B-24 Liberator painted to represent Witcraft

                   Inside the B-24

              Looking back toward the B-17

     Looking out the side machine gun of the B-24 and its open window

              Me in front of Witchcraft

                                Flight controls

                             Side machine gun

Little Bushmaster Peak Second Time Tucson Mountains April 19, 2015

                     Staghorn cholla with yellow flowers

Today's hike was located at the main parking lot at Gates Pass in the Tucson Mountains of southern Arizona. If you are arriving from the interstate take the Speedway BLVD exit and turn west toward the Tucson Mountains. Speedway will soon become Gates Pass Road which is scenic but curvy. The parking lot is near the summit and it accommodates a large number of cars.This is a popular area for locals to see the sunset.

I arrived mid-afternoon to hike later in the day. Forecasts were calling for mid-eighties and sun so I wanted to take advantage of the cooler weather late afternoon provides. My goal was to duplicate a hike I did on February 7, 2015. On that day I summitted an unnamed peak on the same ridge as Bushmaster peak. On that hike I was using non-established but well-worn trails. At the beginning of the hike navigation can be difficult because visitors have made many different paths. If you pick the wrong path you might be  carefully traversing a forest of Teddy bear cholla. On this particular hike I did have to turn around below the summit because I found a bee hive. I was hiking along when I saw three bees enter a cleft in a rock wall. I stayed for a couple of minutes and watched about a dozen bees enter and exit. Luckily, I was upwind of them so they did not know I was present. Stumbling into bees in the Sonoran Desert is a scary proposition because many of them have hybridized with African killer bees and are very aggressive. On a hike I would much rather see a rattlesnake than bees. I quickly departed and returned to the car the way I came. On this hike I continued my run of beautiful flower displays. Today I saw Staghorn cholla and Teddy bear cholla in bloom. If you want a detailed description of the route please consult my February 7, 2015 post.

                       Tucson Mountains near Gates Pass

                              Teddy bear cholla

               Cholla blooms

                     Looking toward Gates Pass in the Tucson Mountais

                               Love the colors of spring in the desert

                    Staghorn cholla with yellow flower

Blacketts Ridge April 3, 2015

                                    Saguaro Cactus

Location: Sabino Canyon is one of Tucson's more popular places for hikes. From the University of Arizona take Campbell Avenue to Skyline Road. Turn right and drive Skyline (becomes Sunrise) until you reach Sabino Canyon. The parking lot gets packed on the weekends and later on in the morning so get there early.

I arrived early at the Sabino Canyon parking lot. My objective was to hike Blacketts Ridge. This hike is relatively short at six miles but the trail is rocky and steep in places so watch your footing and take your time. The route is easy to follow: take the main trail toward Bear Canyon and cross Sabino Creek turn left onto the Phoneline Trail. Hike this trail about half a mile until the junction for Balcketts Ridge on the right. After summitting the ridge I returned via Sabino Creek and dam. One of the memorable aspects for the hike would have to be the wildflowers. I saw many different species including Saguaro, Bitterbush, Mariposa lillies and poppies. Total mileage for the day was about eight miles with over 2000 feet of elevation gain.

                                  Blacketts Ridge

                                Bitterbush and vegetation along the trail

                            Ocotillo

                       Poppies

                                 Desert chickory and Hedgehog cactus

              Looking toward Tucson

                         Larkspur

                                          Mariposa Lilly

                                   Mariposa Lilly

Pontatoc Ridge March 28, 2015

                               Larkspur

Location: Over the last couple of years I have completed numerous hikes out of Finger Rock Canyon. Devoted readers will find this location familiar. To get to the Finger Rock Canyon Trail head from the University of Arizona take Campbell Avenue north toward the Catalina Mountains. Turn right onto Skyline Road. After a couple of miles Skyline turns off to the left. Continue on this road until you see Alvernon Road on the left. Turn left and follow this to your destination.

A year ago I hiked the trail on Pontatoc Ridge which is about five miles roundtrip with 2000 feet of vertical change. After I finished the hike another hiker told me there was a mine on the ridge a little passed where the trail stops. It has taken me over a year but I have returned to hike the ridge and find the mine. I arrived at the trail head at 6:15 am in the morning. Temperatures in the afternoon have been getting warm and I wanted to get out before the heat of the day. The first mile of the hike the trail follows the Pontatoc Canyon trail before branching off 50 feet above Pontatoc Canyon. After departing the Pontatoc Ridge Trail sweeps back around to the front of the ridge before switchbacking up the ridge. Definitely one of the highlights of this hike were the wildflowers. The Brittle bush was blooming on both sides of the trail. I also saw other species including Globe mallow, Ocotillo, Hedgehog cactus, Mariposa lily, Desert chickory and Larkspur. In fact this was one of the best flower displays I have seen in the desert. A half mile after departing from a saddle a Forest Service sign tells visitors this is the end of the trail. From here it is another hundred yards to the old mine. The mine is not made out of timbers but uses rock walls as supports. Without some knowledge it would be easy to mistake it for a cave. I walked in a couple feet before returning to the front. A Tucsonian knowledgeable about the area told me there used to be a town on the canyon floor which was dismantled after World War II. I departed from the mine and arrived back at the car at 11 am. Along the way I saw blooming Hedgehog cacti which was definitely a treat. Total mileage was about six miles.

                              Blooming Ocotilllo

                                     Morning sun illuminating grass

                    Morning sun illuminating the grass with Ocotillos

                              The Brittle bush was fantastic

                          Globe mallow

                        At the cave looking toward town
       

                     Mariposa lilly

                           Desert chickory

                                    Blooming Hedgehog cactus

                         Blooming Hedgehog

                   Coulter's Hibiscus