Miscellany . . .

The 2011 Tucson Festival of Books is scheduled for March 12, 13 on the University of Arizona Campus. The index of events is on the left side of this website and it includes a list of the participating authors

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Iron Eyes Cody (April 3, 1904 – January 4, 1999) was an American actor. He was recognized for portraying American Indians in Hollywood films.You might remember Iron Eyes Cody from the Youtube video of this commercial

Iron Eyes Cody

Near the end of his life, his Italian ancestry was made public. Cody was born Espera Oscar de Corti in Kaplan, Louisiana, a son of Antonio de Corti and his wife, Francesca Salpietra, immigrants from Sicily, Italy.

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Yesterday I received an email from a longtime friend. He cleared up the mystery of The Dot... For centuries, Hindu women have worn a dot on their foreheads. Most of us have naively thought this was connected with tradition or religion, but the Indian embassy in Ottawa has recently revealed the true story.

When a Hindu woman gets married, she brings a dowry into the union. On her wedding night, the husband scratches off the dot to see whether he has won a convenience store, a gas station, a donut shop, a taxi cab, or a motel in the United States . If nothing is there, he must remain in India to answer telephones and provide us with technical advice.

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I read somewhere that the title of John Roberts is chief justice of the United States, not chief justice of the Supreme Court. That could be an important distinction if an author is stating this official title in a novel, or more importantly, in a non-fiction book.

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While out on my daily walk I heard what sounded like the rattling of chains and a "clop, clop, clop" -- so I turned around and saw...



After the wagon passed my location (off the beaten path) I snapped another shot...


Quite a sight. A wagon carrying happy Arizonans, being pulled by mules and trailed by a horse, all headed South on Conestoga Avenue ready to turn onto Tanque Verde in East Tucson.

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Miscellany: noun A group or collection of different items; a mixture.

A Pleasant Evening Dog-Walk

While out for our walk with Eva yesterday evening JoAnn and I came upon a good-natured fellow leading a white horse


and we were told that the horse's name is Nickolai (Nick for short) and that he loves dogs. Eva, who is extremely 'alpha' (dominant) by nature and barks explosively at most other dogs (and rabbits and coyotes and road-runners) and at some of the cars and bikes we encounter remained surprisingly quite calm. She and Nick even gently nuzzled noses without a sound.

It was pleasant indeed to walk the two and a half miles with such amiable companions.

All in all, I'd be safe to say that I am enjoying my stay here in Mike and JoAnn's Tucson home.

Enjoying it immensely.

My 2010 Easter Parade

Easter Sunday I went out again for a long walk in the Arizona sunshine; following a beaten-sand pathway along a low traffic road. On a previous day there had been a lady leading a white horse down that path.

I saw no horseback riders this time though, along the path to the

Agua Caliente Wash

Two rabbits were foraging among the desert scrub and a large hawk was patrolling the area in the blue sky overhead. It took no notice of the bunnies, though. Not at that moment, anyway. Nor did I. Who would want to see a photo of wild rabbits in the desert? And that hawk circling in the sky was much too high for my little Nikon.

Although I've been in Arizona for two full weeks now, I've still seen no wild coyotes yet. Sure have heard lots of them though, howling in the night and stirring up all the dogs in region. I am constantly on the lookout.

Even though I saw no horses or riders that Easter day, I had suspicions that they had been there recently.