January/February 2017 THE Tanque Verde Voice TM · completion of the RTA-funded Kolb Road...

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"Airmen Memorial Bridge" continued on page 2

the western edge of bustling Morris K. Udall Park and features two bridges.

As motorists drive southbound on Sabino Canyon Road from Tanque Verde Road they encounter the fi rst, non-descript bridge perched atop the capped Vincent Mullins Landfi ll. This bridge is supported by steel poles driven into the landfi ll. Your cue that you’re driving on a bridge is the grooved concrete surface. As the landfi ll continues to settle, the bridge will be supported by the poles creating a gap between the dirt cap over the landfi ll and the underside of the concrete bridge.

of Speedway Boulevard. This $12.3 million roadway serves as a bypass for one of Tucson’s most congested intersections – Tanque Verde Road and Grant Road.

The new connection skirts

newest roadway – the Kolb Road/Sabino Canyon Road Connection.

The new ¾-mile-long roadway connects Sabino Canyon Road from just south of Tanque Verde Road to Kolb Road north

by Michael Graham, Public Information Offi cer, City of Tucson

On November 30, 1944, 18 airmen stationed at the Davis-Monthan Army Airfi eld died following a mid-air collision between two B-24 Liberator Bombers over the Pantano Wash near what is now Speedway Boulevard.

Seventy-three years later, on an unseasonably warm January afternoon, some 300 Tucsonans honored those 18 brave men by dedicating a new bridge over the Pantano Wash just north of Speedway Boulevard, the “Airmen Memorial Bridge.”

The Airmen Memorial Bridge is the gem of Tucson’s

Airmen Memorial Bridge

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Airmen Memorial Bridge Dedication

The Regional Transportation Authority and the City of Tucson celebrated the completion of the RTA-funded Kolb Road Connection to Sabino Canyon Road on Jan. 5, 2017. The Sabino Canyon Road extension includes new bridges over the Vincent Mullins Landfill and the Pantano Wash. The project is one of 35 roadway projects in the voter-approved, 20-year regional transportation plan. More than 770 projects have been completed halfway through plan implementation.

Shown at the ribbon-cutting, from left, are Sahuarita Mayor Tom Murphy, RTA Board Member Mike Hammond, RTA Board Chair Ed Honea, Tucson Council Member Paul Cunningham, Kyle Cunningham, Tucson Mayor and RTA Board Member Jonathan Rothschild, RTA Executive Director Farhad Moghimi, Kolb Road Task Force Member Kathy Hebb, Kolb Road Task Force Member Diana

Dessy, Buck O'Rielly, Pima County Supervisor Steve Christy and Susie Christy.

The new bridge also was dedicated as the Airmen Memorial Bridge to recognize 18 airmen who died on Nov. 30, 1944, when two planes crashed over the Pantano Wash while they were participating in a training mission serving the United States during World War II.

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As you continue southwest toward Kolb Road you encounter the newly-named Airmen Memorial Bridge spanning the Pantano Wash. The four-lane, 354-foot-long bridge features a 12-foot-wide pedestrian path and bicycle lanes.

A bronze-colored plaque honoring the airmen is attached to the south railing of the bridge adjacent to the pedestrian walkway. As you face the plaque you gaze off into the distance, down the sand-filled Pantano Wash toward Speedway where the 18 airmen died while on a training mission serving the United States during World War II.

Three members of Detectors Unlimited, a local metal detecting club, proposed the idea of naming the bridge in honor of the airmen.

Bill Davidson, Fred Gateman and Ray Villalobos were detecting in an empty lot near Tanque Verde Road and found an old, dirt-covered .50 caliber cartridge. Curious as to why a .50 caliber cartridge was in this area, the three researched newspaper reports and Army Air Force records and learned of the ill-fated training mission. The men then set forth to find a way to honor those killed in the mid-air collision.

After conferring with Congresswoman Martha McSally’s staff and Ward 2 City Council Member Paul Cunningham’s staff, Davidson, Gateman and Villalobos worked with the Tucson Department of Transportation to name the new bridge.

“We feel that dedicating this bridge in sight of the crash scene is a lasting tribute to the 18 men, and to all our military injured or killed, training to fight for our country’s freedom,” Villalobos said.

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"Airmen Memorial Bridge" continued from page 1

Thank You!To all in the Tanque Verde Valley, I wish you a very HAPPY NEW YEAR. As we embark on this journey together, I want to thank you for electing me to serve as your District 4 Supervisor. I am honored, humbled, and ready to get to work.

2017 has the potential to be a break-out year, as we acknowledge and say "thank you" to out-going District 4 Supervisor Ray Carroll after 20 years of service to Pima County. We appreciate his generosity and graciousness in helping to make our transition a smooth one.

As we get to work, my priorities are clear:

• Repair our ROADS in a timely and cost-efficient manner

• Encourage rational economic development to bring JOBS

• Support the existing BUSINESS community

Together, I know we can tackle these challenges and improve the quality of life for all who have chosen to live in this beautiful region.

My goal is to be the best supervisor to ever serve District 4, and all of the residents of Pima County.

Let's go.

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Publisher / Editor / Advertising: Lucretia [email protected]

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The Tanque Verde Voice is published bimonthly. Call for advertising rates and deadlines. Subscription rate: $40 per year.The content in The Tanque Verde Voice does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the owner. No additional research or fact finding has been conducted to verify the information contained here-in.

The Tanque Verde VoicePhone: (520) 490-0962 Fax: (520) 398-7742

The latest from Pima County District 4 Supervisor Steve Christy

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Another assessment given in fourth grade, and at the junior high and high school levels (students taking Biology and Honors Biology), is the Science AIMS test. Again, this test measures student progress on the academic standards in Science and teachers can use the results to inform their instruction. For more information about AzMERIT, including Family Resources, Sample Tests, and Arizona’s Academic Standards, you can visit azmeritportal.org and click on Students and Families.

Please visit the district website at www.tanqueverdeschools.org and join the TVUSD mailing list for periodic information and updates. The Tanque Verde Unified School District works in partnership with the community to continue the tradition of excellence in education for all district students.

Tanque Verde Educational Enrichment Foundation – 2017 Tech Trek 2017 is in full swing! How are those resolutions going? If being more active as a family is one of your goals, a great place to start is the Tanque Verde Educational Enrichment Foundation’s Annual Tech Trek! Come out to Agua Caliente Elementary School on January 28 and enjoy this healthy, family-friendly community event while supporting the Tanque Verde School District! This year’s certified 10K, 5K color run, 4 mile bike race and 2 mile family fun run are scheduled for a 9 AM start time and breakfast is included! Please visit The TVF website for more registration information. www.tanqueverde.org

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the superintendent to become an invested district and community leader who maintains the small-town feel of the district and community.

AzMERIT TestingThis spring, students in all public school districts across Arizona will be taking the AzMERIT, an assessment of English Language Arts and Math achievement. The Tanque Verde Unified School District district-wide AzMERIT testing window is from March 27th through April 21st. At the elementary school level, students in

grades three through six will participate in testing. At the junior high, students in grades seven and eight will participate in testing. High school students enrolled in English 9, 10, or 11 and Algebra I, Geometry, or Algebra II will all participate in testing. AzMERIT is an annual assessment to measure student progress in mastering the state-adopted academic standards in English Language Arts and Math. It is an opportunity for parents and teachers to gain accurate information about their students’ achievement and whether students are ready for the next grade and ultimately for college and careers. Teachers are able to analyze test results and better tailor instruction to student needs.

Superintendent Search UpdateThe Tanque Verde Unified School District Governing Board has officially announced the search for a new District Superintendent as the successor to Ms. Kimberly C. Sharp following her retirement on June 30, 2017. Qualified applicants are invited to apply for this exceptional opportunity. Applications are being accepted through January 31, 2017, and interviews will be held with the Governing Board in mid-February. A community forum with the final candidates is tentatively scheduled on the evening of Tuesday, March 7th.

With community input, the Governing Board has determined the priorities for the ideal candidate for the new superintendent. A successful candidate will be an education professional who is an approachable, transparent communicator with a background in teaching, educational leadership and student-centered advocacy. The successful candidate will model collaborative, innovative, creative and hands-on leadership which builds upon the current levels of employee retention and morale. Finally, the Board desires

Tanque Verde Unified School District News and Informationby Claire Place, TVUSD Community Liaison

TVUSD Governing Board NewsThe annual Governing Board reorganization meeting was held at the first meeting of the new board year, on Thursday, January 12th. At the meeting, new board member Jeremy Schalk was officially welcomed and took his seat at the dais with returning board members Steven Auslander, Susan Fry, Jeffrey Neff and Carlos Ruiz. The board voted for their officers, approving Carlos Ruiz to continue as Board President, and Jeffrey Neff as Board Clerk. In addition, David Morden joined the board as the appointed student board member for the second academic semester. The non-voting student board member provides a monthly report on student activities at each district school, and may respond to board questions to lend student perspective to board discussion items.

2017 TVUSD Governing Board (pictured left to right)– Student Board Member David Morden, Board President Carlos Ruiz, Board Clerk Jeffrey Neff, Members Susan Fry, Jeremy Schalk and

Steven Auslander

thetanqueverdevoice.com January / February 2017 3

SENIORS STAY WELL--- HYDRATE!by Tom Staab

The human body is made up of mostly water. For example, the brain is 75% water, the heart 75% water, the lungs 85% water and bone matter 31%. So what happens if we become dehydrated?

Studies have shown we lose energy, our moods may change, our blood pressure can drop, our skin dries out. Dehydration can cause kidney and liver dysfunction whereby our bodies lose their ability to flush waste products. For senior women and some men, dehydration can also lead to more frequent urinary track infection (UTI).

Critically, for those seniors starting or who already suffer from some memory loss, dehydration may lower cognitive function. Let’s remember that the brain is 75% water, so a 2% dehydration rate can cause confusion, fainting and we become more prone to falls, leading to other injuries.

So what can we do? Drink more water, which sometime is easier said than done. The common complaint to drinking more water is more urinating during the day and into the night. However the benefits are overwhelmingly beneficial. Being hydrated regulates body temperature and moistens tissues in the mouth, eyes and nose. Water protects body organs; it lubricates joints and can prevent constipation. Water also flushes waste products which protects the liver and kidneys.

The effects of dehydration caused by drinking too little water may lead to trips to emergency rooms and/or urgent care facilities. So my fellow seniors, drink water, stay hydrated and remain well.

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we’ve probably all heard from all sorts of coaches and advice columns. The ultimate message is that small changes can lead to big dividends.

Yet this new phrasing from the podcast clicked with me: all it takes is one step, then another. Before long, I’ll have traveled a path to my goal. The path might be winding, down hills, up mountains, in the rain, or maybe through a snowstorm. Maybe it rang true to me because what is Life but something to navigate, one step at a time.

This one step notion makes it easier to tackle my doctor’s orders to fend off diabetes, to tackle my photograph backlog for editing, to ease back into fiction writing. Just one step at a time.

If nothing else, those small steps will help me cross off a few items from my never ending to-do list and build a sense of accomplishment.

Small steps, in the right direction. Not a resolution, but a good guiding principle for me.

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Not a Resolution, Just a StepI didn’t make resolutions this year. Why add one more thing to add to the already seemingly infinitely long to-do list that might not get done?

Then the other day, I heard a phrase that made me pause. “Start where ever we are, and step in the right direction.” (Source: The Nutrition Diva’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Eating

Well and Feeling Fabulous, episode #411) The idea is to “spiral up,” that there is no fast and rigid way to improve your health or diet, at least not one that is sustainable. Taking one step, then another, in the right direction is better than no steps.

While this concept was discussed in relation to nutrition, it’s one that

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Here’s a photo from one of my recent steps in the right direction.

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Plug heater directly into a wall

Home Heating Safety Tips by Captain Barrett Baker, Public Information Offi cer of the Tucson Fire Department.

It seems like we had an extended summer as our winter temperatures have been quite delayed. With the thermometers fi nally falling, the need for warming the house increases, but so can the dangers associated with fi replaces, furnaces, and space heaters. Below are a few reminders to keep you safe as you heat up while the temperatures drop.

Fireplace Safety:Have the chimney fl ue cleaned annually by a professional.

Remember to open the damper on the fi replace before starting the fi re.

Keep combustible objects a minimum of three feet away from any fi replace.

Equip the fi replace with a metal screen to catch burning embers or shifting logs.

Furnace Safety:Change your furnace fi lter regularly, usually at least 3-4 times a year.

Keep the area around your furnace clean and unobstructed.

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gas, propane, oil, and methane) burn incompletely. All homes should be equipped with a carbon monoxide detector to provide a warning if levels are too high.

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of how much to use technology as a replacement for looking into someone’s eyes and having a conversation.”

Her comments reminded me of Candide, Voltaire’s protagonist in his novel of the same name. After traveling around a world as fraught with problems as ours today, Candide’s conclusion is that “We must cultivate our garden,” metaphorically the garden of our own lives.

With a brand new year in front of me, I have decided to make my life more meaningful with a resolution to use electronic devices less for casual communication and through real-time connection with those around me cultivate more roses in the garden of my life.

Barbara Russek is a freelance writer living in Tucson. She welcomes comments at [email protected]

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communication, is starting to turn person- to- person interactions with those around us into an anachronism.

Walking into the sunlight, I crossed paths with Mary, an acquaintance who had also been at the photography lecture and told her I was having trouble reconciling these

two antithetical aspects of modern life.

“Just remember, “Mary reassured me, “each person still has the choice

the artist’s work, captivated me from the get-go.

McCurry’s photographs were riveting. This man with a camera risked his life, braving fl oods, fi re, and temperature extremes to capture a moment in time somewhere on Planet Earth.

McCurry snapped folks participating in a variety of spirited games. The iconic picture of a man caught in a fl ood holding up a sewing machine, his only source of income, stood out in my mind. It made me think of every natural disaster, that not only turns trees and houses upside down, but the very lives of those lucky enough to survive. And I will always remember the images of children--resilient though maimed by war.

After the lecture, I asked Ms. Hill if she could understand McCurry’s desire to travel the world in search of a picture. “He wanted to capture, as one critic has indicated, our essential and universal humanity,” she replied.

I left the library with a jumble of emotions running through my mind. On one hand McCurry, and so many other artists-- photographers, playwrights, musicians to name but a few-- create work today that can help us all better understand the ties that bind. On the other hand, technology, though facilitating distant

Art & Technology: Can They Coexist Happily Ever After?

by Barbara Russek

Just about everybody thinks that art has power to nourish the soul. Add food for the body and you have a winning combo. On a recent Tuesday afternoon, I decided to treat myself to some of each by fi rst stopping to have lunch at a nearby grocery store, and then attending a lecture at the library located just a few minutes walk away.

I paid for my salad and took it to the café area. Seated about three feet from me at the small community table was a man who was cell phone surfi ng. He didn’t even look up when I sat down. In fact, during my entire lunch, there was no acknowledgment of my existence. This non-interaction and others like it have convinced me that no matter how much I may have to off er in a conversation, I’m left in the dust when it comes to a cell phone. Without email, apps and games to entertain others, I’m pretty small potatoes, way smaller than the device he held in one hand and clicked with the other.

I was going to open the conversation with a question like “Read any good emails lately?” but feared being ignored, since cell phone man was in the zone, the virtual cyberspace zone, oblivious of the world around him.

After lunch, I walked the three minutes to our local library. Satiated from food for the body, I was starving for nourishment for the soul. Docent Susan Hill from the Tucson Museum of Art was going to give a talk on the life and works of photographer Steve McCurry. Hill’s presentation, enhanced by power point images of

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5. Chaucer may have invented Valentine’s Day.The medieval English poet Geoffrey Chaucer often took liberties with history, placing his poetic characters into fictitious historical contexts that he represented as real. No record exists of romantic celebrations on Valentine’s Day prior to a poem Chaucer wrote around 1375. In his work “Parliament of Foules,” he links a tradition of courtly love with the celebration of St. Valentine’s feast day–an association that didn’t exist until after his poem received widespread attention. The poem refers to February 14 as the day birds (and humans) come together to find a mate. When Chaucer wrote, “For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne’s day / Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate,” he may have invented the holiday we know today.

6. You can celebrate Valentine’s Day several times a year.Because of the abundance of St. Valentines on the Roman Catholic roster, you can choose to celebrate the saint multiple times each year. Besides February 14, you might decide to celebrate St. Valentine of Viterbo on November 3. Or maybe you want to get a jump on the traditional Valentine celebration by feting St. Valentine of Raetia on January 7. Women might choose to honor the only female St. Valentine (Valentina), a virgin martyred in Palestine on July 25, A.D. 308. The Eastern Orthodox Church officially celebrates St. Valentine twice, once as an elder of the church on July 6 and once as a martyr on July 30.

Source: HistoryChannel.com

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duties include interceding in earthly affairs and entertaining petitions from living souls. In this respect, St. Valentine has wide-ranging spiritual responsibilities. People call on him to watch over the lives of lovers, of course, but also for interventions regarding beekeeping and epilepsy, as well as the plague, fainting and traveling. As you might expect, he’s also the patron saint of engaged couples and happy marriages.

4. You can find Valentine’s skull in Rome.The flower-adorned skull of St. Valentine is on display in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Rome. In the early 1800s, the excavation of a catacomb near Rome yielded skeletal remains and other relics now associated with St. Valentine. As is customary, these bits and pieces of the late saint’s body have subsequently been distributed to reliquaries around the world. You’ll find other bits of St. Valentine’s skeleton on display in the Czech Republic, Ireland, Scotland, England and France.

of Rome in order to differentiate him from the dozen or so other Valentines on the list. Because “Valentinus”—from the Latin word for worthy, strong or powerful—was a popular moniker between the second and eighth centuries A.D., several martyrs over the centuries have carried this name. The official Roman Catholic roster of saints shows about a dozen who were named Valentine or some variation thereof. The most recently

beatified Valentine is St. Valentine Berrio-Ochoa, a Spaniard of the Dominican order who traveled to Vietnam, where he served as bishop until his beheading in 1861. Pope John Paul II canonized Berrio-Ochoa in 1988. There was even a Pope Valentine, though little is known about him except that he served a mere 40 days around A.D. 827.

3. Valentine is the patron saint of beekeepers and epilepsy, among many other things.Saints are certainly expected to keep busy in the afterlife. Their holy

Six Surprising Facts About Valentine's DayA man named Valentinus was martyred on February 14 late in the third century A.D.—this much we know. But when it comes to details about the life of St. Valentine, legend often supersedes fact. As you celebrate this Valentine’s Day, find out the truth about the man for whom the day is named, as well as some other intriguing facts about history's most romantic holiday.

1. The St. Valentine who inspired the holiday may have been two different men.Officially recognized by the Roman Catholic Church, St. Valentine is known to be a real person who died around A.D. 270. However, his true identity was questioned as early as A.D. 496 by Pope Gelasius I, who referred to the martyr and his acts as “being known only to God.” One account from the 1400s describes Valentine as a temple priest who was beheaded near Rome by the emperor Claudius II for helping Christian couples wed. A different account claims Valentine was the Bishop of Terni, also martyred by Claudius II on the outskirts of Rome. Because of the similarities of these accounts, it’s thought they may refer to the same person. Enough confusion surrounds the true identity of St. Valentine that the Catholic Church discontinued liturgical veneration of him in 1969, though his name remains on its list of officially recognized saints.

2. In all, there are about a dozen St. Valentines, plus a pope.The saint we celebrate on Valentine’s Day is known officially as St. Valentine

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Alouette at Achernar, I could imagine that envelope quietly growing and shrinking, just as the waters in the locks we passed through a few hours earlier rise and fall, lifting and lowering the ships that pass through. The canal helps defi ne two continents. Achernar, even as seen through Alouette, helps defi ne a universe.

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of the Panama Canal was Achernar. I’ve seen it from Arizona but only as it lay sleeping at the horizon, opening its eyes and winking at me briefl y before setting again. But in Panama, Achernar shone high and prominently in the southern sky.

Because of an eff ect of the Earth’s wobble called precession, Achernar appears to be moving northward. In a few thousand years it will become more easily visible from most of the United States and even southern Canada.

Achernar is a big star, 6.7 times more massive and 3150 times more luminous than our Sun. Even though it is about 139 light years away, it shines as one of the brightest stars in the sky. It rotates about its axis so quickly that it isn’t even spherical, but instead it is fl attened into an oblate spheroid so dramatically that its equator is half again as fat as its poles. Moreover, Achernar is surrounded by a very large gaseous envelope that grows outward from the star, collapses inward and then regrows.

It is this fi nal fact of Achernar’s envelope that brings me back to the Panama Canal. As I looked through

recall another childhood memory. When I was in high school I would occasionally bring a tiny telescope I called Alouette. During recess or lunch, I’d bring the telescope out of the school and get a reading on how many sunspots there were on the Sun. The telescope was so small it didn’t capture many sunspots.

I no longer have the original Alouette, but in 1970 I bought a new fi nderscope. I have now used that telescope, also named Alouette, for 46 years. Made mostly of war surplus materials, the revised Alouette served as a fi nderscope, but recently it has evolved into a travel telescope. When I fi rst got it, Acadia University physics professor Roy Bishop helped me get it installed and aligned, so I thought it proper that it be given a long-overdue fi rst light ceremony. At his Nova Scotia home on the morning of November

7, we used Alouette to enjoy a traditional view of Jupiter, the object I like to use to begin the careers of most of my telescopes.

What does all this have to do with the Panama Canal? I brought Alouette down there and used it to observe stars not normally visible from my Arizona home. In particular, the “star”

A Canal, A Telescope, and A StarWhat does a canal have to do with the night sky? For me, plenty. I remember visiting the Lachine Canal many times as a child growing up in Montreal. I even have a dim memory of watching the water raise our boat once. But actually standing aboard the Norwegian Dream, a gigantic cruise ship to experience the Panama Canal, had to wait until the fall of

2016. As the water surged quietly into and out of the locks on the Pacifi c and Caribbean sides of the canal, the ship rose and lowered as gently and as quietly as a toy boat in a bathtub. Being part of it was an amazing experience.

Being in Panama, on both the Pacifi c and Caribbean sides, led me to

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conduct a web search on Dasymutilla sackenii.

Note: Field observations and photographs for this article were based in full or in part from visits to the Cienega Creek Natural Preserve. A permit is required to enter the preserve. Please visit the Cienega Creek Natural Preserve web site (http://webcms.pima.gov/cms/One.aspx?pageId=1515) to learn more about the preserve and for how to obtain a permit.

John’s interest in nature began as a child while hiking in the mountains and playing on the beaches of his native Hawaii. Formal training in

field ecology and tropical

agriculture led to a global career in

agricultural development.

He has published both technical and non-technical

papers and since his retirement observing, studying and writing on

nature has become a hobby.

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of the day under litter or within the canopy of creosote bushes. They feed on the plant’s floral nectar and have evolved to mimic the hairy appearance of the plant’s seed pods as camouflage from natural enemies.

Gravid female Sacken’s velvet-ants drop to the ground to search out the subterranean nests of wasps and bees. The female has a particularly hard exoskeleton which protects her from being stung by her prey as she invades their nest to lay her eggs (Photo 2). The female will use her long ovipositor to lay an egg on or near the larva or pupa of its host. Upon hatching the lava will begin feeding on its immobile host; killing it within a matter of a week or two. And, once it has consumed its host the Sacken’s velvet-ant larva uses case as its own pupal chamber.

Photo 2 - Gravid female Sacken’s velvet-ant entering a burrow in search of a ground nesting wasp or bee host

colony in which to lay her eggs.

D. sackenii is not listed as a threatened or endangered species. The painful sting inflicted by a female is perhaps the best reason to leave it alone.

For those interested in more information on Sacken’s velvet-ant,

body and vary in color among the different species. Hair colors include red, orange, yellow, tan, black, gray and white. The colors warn potential predators to avoid the velvet-ant or suffer the consequences of a painful sting.

The hair colors on the adult female observed became the first clue to identifying the species observed. Species whose hairs were anything other than white to tan could be eliminated. And, the species would also have to be present in the Sonoran Desert. My first assessment was that I had observed what is commonly known as a thistle-down velvet-ant (Dasymutilla gloriosa). But no, the legs of adult female D. gloriosa are distinctly covered with white hairs. That led to the determination of Dasymutilla sackenii, which is very similar to the thistle-down velvet-ant in most aspects but has black hairless legs (Photo 1). The species is named after Baron von der Osten-Sacken, a Russian diplomat and entomologist who served as the Russian consul

general in New York during the American Civil War. There are at least two common names for D. sackenii, Sacken’s velvet-ant and golden velvet-ant due to the tan to golden hairs on its abdomen.

Adult Sacken’s velvet-ants are active from April through November. They are most active in the morning and early evening and spend the heat

Sacken’s Velvet Antby John R. Leeper

While pausing to observe a colony of industrious leafcutter ants beneath a creosote bush my attention was drawn to what first appeared to be two hairy creosote bush seed pods, one closely following the other. The pair of grayish white to tan hairy pods moved rapidly in a searching pattern that quickly led me to recognize that it was a female velvet-ant measuring approximately three-quarters of an inch in length.

Velvet-ant is the common name for wasps in the family Mutillidae and may also be known as cow-killer ants and resemble large ants. Ants and wasps are both classified in the order Hymenoptera but can be easily differentiated. Among their differences, wasps have straight antennae while the antennae of all ants are bent.

Members of the family Mutillidae demonstrate extreme dimorphism between the sexes. The females are wingless, with their thoraxes and abdomens covered in coarse hairs or setae. They also have an ovipositor that also functions as a stinger and can inflict a painful wound. Males, on the other hand, are winged, may be less hairy, and lack a stinger and are therefore harmless. Male and female velvet-ants both emit a high-pitched squeaking or chirping sound when disturbed.

The specimen observed was in the genus Dasymutilla. The generic name derives a Greek word for hairy and a Latin word for mutilated. Not a very flattering name. There are over 150 species of Dasymutilla in North America with at least three dozen found in diverse ecosystems of Arizona.

Coarse, bristly hairs cover the adult

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Photo 1 - Adult Dasymutilla sackenii with hairy thorax and abdomen mimicking creosote bush

seed pods. Also note the black hairless legs and the straight antennae.

Observationsin Nature

See what’s out there!


my water bottles one last time, I decided that I was not going to be defeated by crumbling geology and that if I stopped to rest my body it would simply go on strike! The remaining 4.5 miles was simply mind over matter - the most Neanderthal impulses overriding all accumulated physiological knowledge known to mankind. I was on a mission and I was not to be stopped!

Doing the math as I walked and barring any system shutdown, I calculated that I'd reach the top around 5:30 pm, well before the 6:20 sunset. If pain is one motivator, darkness is another! I could see the rim above me but it seemed like it moved like a rainbow, forever changing its position to keep me from getting the pot of gold. While in the trance of my "rim" mirage, I was jolted back to reality with the periodic voice of angels cheering from above. It was either hikers giving up and doing triple axles from the nearest cliff or spectators rewarding the successful arrival of pained hikers.

As I went through the fi nal tunnel and turned the last switchback, the voices of angels came into sight, sang my praises, and rewarded me with manna from heaven. I have never tasted a slice of ice cold watermelon as good as that piece was. I had summited the south rim and checked off another adventure from my bucket list!

Overall, I hiked 24 miles, descended 6,000 feet, ascended 5,000 feet, and did it in 11.5 hours. It was a far cry from my hiking speed from yesteryear but it was still over 2 mph which was my goal. I didn't come in fi rst of my group but I didn't come in last either. I had defeated the National Park Service, the Grand Canyon, physical pain, and personal demons. I won and if my legs didn't hurt so much, I would have done a victory dance!

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It's a tough, long hike for the best hikers and potentially catastrophic for the unprepared and unwise. A woman that I passed ultimately summited the rim with assistance but was taken away by ambulance. There are several helipads located within the canyon as subtle reminders of its punishing terrain.

About 8 miles down from the steep north rim, my leg muscles started to protest, my feet ached, my toes were jammed, my knees complaining, and my right ankle swelled after torquing it on a rock. When I stopped for lunch, I wasn't sure I'd be able to ever walk again! The options, however, were limited. I could summon SOS resources that would drain my bank, hijack a horse that would land me in jail, or suck it up and walk out. As tempting as helicopter ride or prison time was, I was decided my best option was to continue my path upwards.

I was fi nally able to stand erect with the assistance of my walking stick and slowly I was able to put one foot in front of the other. I painfully crossed the magnifi cent suspension bridge and steadily started my ascent! Fortunately, climbing up uses a diff erent set of muscles than going down, so my legs responded with a steady but mule-like gait. A spectator might have suspected a bad case of hemorrhoids but my awkward stride worked well enough to propel me forward.

The exit trail was steep with many step ups that punished my lower appendages even more but now it was a personal attack on my psyche! Was the canyon going to win or was I going to win? After refi lling

Hiking the Grand Canyon by Rob Samuelsen

According to the Grand Canyon National Park Service website, they discourage hikers from going from one rim to the other in a single day. Obviously, they are speaking from years of experience, an experience we witnessed on Saturday night! We started at 6:15 am on the 8,200-foot north rim where the early morning temperature was 26 degrees. Nine miles later, we had descended the 6,000-foot escarpment to the Bright Angel "Box" on the valley fl oor followed by another 5 miles to Phantom Ranch on the north bank of the erosive Colorado River. It was a warm mid-80s at the ranch and the Colorado was running strong from recent rains. After a quick lunch, we crossed narrow cable suspension pedestrian bridge to climb 5,000 back out of the mighty canyon. While it's only ten "as the crow fl ies" miles across the chasm, it's a total of 24 miles via the switchbacks, winding course, and elevation changes of the narrow trail.

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