Tag: tucson

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Snapshot Saturday: Almost Forest

Welcome to another Snapshot Saturday. I have many photos to feature on these Saturdays and these are just the ones I think are the best. There are so many more photos beyond that which are still good. But I don’t think they’re as amazing as the ones I’m featuring first. Also, over the next year, I’m sure I’ll take many more photos and have even more to add to my best shots. It’s a fun relaxing hobby. Don’t forget to visit the Photography Page to see more of my photos.

Almost Forest. Mar 2020. f/10. 1/200. 35mm.

This photos is a set of palm trees in Tucson, AZ on the campus of The University of Arizona. As you can see, I used the grayscale feature on my Canon Rebel T7i camera. I used the standard 18mm-55mm lens that came with the camera at purchase. It was a nice relaxing day just before quarantine started in 2020. It would be another couple days before all my scheduled work would be canceled until early May. Good times. This is one of my favorite shots because of the repetition of the palm trees. It’s as if they were planted to be viewed from this angle.

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Have a Blessed Samhain (Happy Halloween)

The modern Halloween we are all familiar with is a combination of celebrations for the Gaelic Festival Samhain and the Catholic celebrations of All Saint’s Day and All Soul’s Day. Samhain marked the end of the harvest and end of Summer and the beginning of the “darker half” of the year. It was believed that the boundaries between this world and the Otherworld were more easily crossed on this day. This meant the spirits or faeries could travel to our world. It was also believed that spirits of lost relatives would visit, and feasts were had in their remembrance.

Part of the festival involved people going door to door in costumes or disguises reciting versus in exchange for food. The disguises were intended to either appear as spirits or hide from spirits who crossed over to this world. Bonfires, rituals, and games were a big part of the festival as well. Neopagans and Wiccans now celebrate Samhain as a religious holiday. Samhain is part of the annual cycle of seasonal festivals called The Wheel of the Year. It is seen as a festival of darkness which is balanced at the opposite point of the wheel by the festival of Beltane, which is celebrated as a festival of light and fertility on May 1.

Here in Tucson, AZ we have the annual All Soul’s Procession celebrating the family members people have lost. However you celebrate; whether it’s remembering you lost family members, posing as a spirit and collecting offering from others, or enjoying a bonfire with friends, stay safe and have a blessed Samhain.

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Coffee and Contemplation: National Black Business Month

August is National Black Business Month. The purpose is to support and encourage African American-owned businesses in your community. There are many businesses in Tucson owned by people of color, but I want to focus on two of my favorites. The first is Café Desta. A small café that has served Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine since 2010. They are located South of downtown on Stone Avenue. I have always enjoyed the flavors and aromas of coffee beans from Ethiopia and Café Desta serves Ethiopian coffee along with many delicious dishes. They are accepting orders for Take-Out and Delivery during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The next business is The Downtown Clifton. It opened last year in 2019 with an additional 22 rooms and The Red Light Lounge. The hotel was first built in 1948 and was purchased by the current owners in 2014 and they began restoring the property. Also located a couple blocks North of Café Desta on Stone Avenue, you can enjoy a nice stay in downtown Tucson and partake in some delicious cuisine and coffee. I only care if you try the coffee. If you’re visiting Tucson, these are two great places to check out. 

If you live in Tucson and you haven’t visited these places, what are you doing with your life? You don’t have to stay in hotel, but you can enjoy the food and spirits in The Red Light Lounge. Now go support people of color in your community.