Fran Dancing Feather

The natural distribution range of the genus Yucca (49 species and 24 subspecies) covers a vast area of the Americas from Baja in the west, northwards into the American Southwest, through the drier central states and as far north as Alberta, Canada and east along the Atlantic coast. To the south, Yucca is found throughout Mexico. Yuccas have adapted to an equally vast range of climate and ecological conditions. They are found in rocky deserts and badlands, mountains, prairies and grasslands like the Verde Valley. Yuccas are pollinated by yucca moths. They instinctively transfer the pollen from one plant to another, and at the same time lay an egg in the flower. Then the moth larva feeds on some of the developing seeds, always leaving enough seed to perpetuate the species. Yucca species are the host plants for the caterpillars of the Yucca Giant-Skipper.

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According to The World of the Coyote, a Sierra Club Book by Wayne Grady, coyotes “are without a doubt the most numerous and successful large predator in North America. They are also the most widely distributed, having extended their range in the past hundred years to cover almost the entire continent from Central America to Alaska and from California and British Columbia to Nova Scotia and New England. The coyote was known as God’s dog by the Navajo, where it probably originated, and as the medicine wolf by the more northerly native peoples when it spread to the grasslands.”

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This is the time of year when desert dwellers have the opportunity to delight in the prickly pear cactus. The magenta colored fruits begin to replace their yellow blossoms with the cactus’ green “nopales,” or pads. There are about 350 varieties of prickly pear that provide nourishment and medicine and “People have been using the plant for thousands of years,” according to Patti Milligan who is a corporate nutritionalist. “Then the science follows and guess what? It makes sense.”

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According to Bird Life International (2008), “The Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) is a long-legged bird in the cuckoo family. It is one of the two roadrunner species, This roadrunner is also known as the chaparral cock, ground cuckoo, and snake killer. The bird is about 22 inches long and weighs about 10 and a half ounces and is the largest North American cuckoo. The adult has a bushy crest and a long thick dark bill. It has a long dark tail, a dark head and back, and is blue on the front of the neck and on the belly. Roadrunners have four toes on each foot; two face forward, and two face backward. The name roadrunner comes from the bird’s habit of racing down roads in front of moving vehicles and then darting to safety in the brush. The Greater Roadrunner nests on a platform of sticks or low in a cactus or a bush and lays 3–6 eggs, which hatch in 20 days. The chicks fledge in another 18 days. Pairs may occasionally rear a second brood.”

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From the deceptive gray/green fern-looking desert growth, the fire colored flower explodes into the springtime like a spark of passion from above. Caesalpinia pulcherrima is the botanical name for the Red Bird of Paradise, which has also been called the Mexican Bird of Paradise. There are also yellow Mexican Bird of Paradise that are known by a different botanical name. This striking ornamental flowered plant is the national flower of the Caribbean island of Barbados and is displayed on the Queen’s personal Barbadian flag, where it is known as the “Pride of Barbados”. One property owner along the shores of the local creek believes the plant may also be known as the “Candy of the Chicken Yard” When the fiery blooms appear, the hens will jump high or even fly clumsily into the air to grab the tasty flower treat off the large healthy bush in their enclosure.

Red Bird of Paradise grows wild out here in our communities, flourishing in the summer heat and enduring the freezing winter temperatures. As landscaping, they are a wonderful addition to anyone’s property because of their low maintenance and resistance to drought. They may be pruned way back in winter and will return even more beautiful the following spring. They are not however, recommended around small children as the pods produce a bean that is toxic if not prepared with very great care. The plant appears in various places around the world but many report that it’s origin began in southern Mexico and the Amazon rainforest.

Medicinal Uses

Red bird of paradise is a legume, a member of the gargantuan bean family that includes mesquites, ironwood, palavered, beans and peas. The lacy looking leaves are formed of several sections, each of which has up to 12 pairs of small leaflets. These leaves with their broken, lacy appearance give the plant a soft, tropical affect. The new stems and the stem that holds the flowers are often red, which makes a nice contrast with the deep green leaves.

Medicine men in the Amazon Rainforest have always known of the medicines provided by Caesalpinia pulcherrima, which they call “Ayoowiri”. They use the juice from the flowers to cure sores and the juice from the leaves for fever and the seeds for bad coughs, chest pain, breathing difficulties and other cardiopulmonary disorders. Modern research reveals that the leaves are purgative and used against kidney stones, malarial fever and bronchitis. Flavonoids isolated from this plant have anti-inflammatory activities. The plant produces a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity and the root and stem may have the ability damage or destroy cancer cells.

Xeriscaping

According to Wikipedia “Xeriscaping and xerogardening refers to landscaping and gardening in ways that reduce or eliminate the need for supplemental water from irrigation.” As we design and beautify our property today, considering the cost and also the impact on the natural environment, we are more conscious of ideas like Xeriscaping. The use of established desert dwellers like the Red Bird of Paradise and other naturally occurring plants are proving themselves as wise choices. The bright flowers attract a few bees and hummingbirds, which are a nice addition to the environment as well.

Research reveals the power that color has over our moods and feelings. Color therapy (also known as chromotherapy) is an exciting new form of healing and is complimentary to such modalities as kinesiology, acupuncture and other natural healing modalities. The color red influences us to the deepest stirrings of survival and sexuality, calling on us to experience the strength of our most profound self. Sanskrit writings name the root or “Muladhara” chakra at the base of the spine and the belief system claims that this base chakra rules the instincts with the color red.

The dazzling display of passionate color of the Red Bird of Paradise stirs the human soul as pleasingly as a well-performed tango in the ancient dance halls of Spain. We are moved and filled with the excitement of renewal, healing and hope. Out here, where we live peacefully and quietly among the powerful red and limestone mesas, we rest within the shade of an inspiring natural world. The red flowers remind us that we are far stronger then we may think we are. As we honor the strength of the earth around and within us we continue to grow and flourish along the shores of Beaver Creek.

Agave Americana is the botanical name for the cactus known as the “century plant”. These cacti are originally from Mexico but have become well known and quite common in the deserts of the Southwest. They also grow wild in Europe, South Africa, India and Australia. They are gray-green and rosette shaped with leaves extending to about six and a half feet and ending in a heavy spike at the tip that can easily pierce to the bone of most animals and humans. Rumor has it that the plant can live a hundred years but most actually live between ten and twenty years. If the complete life-cycle of the plant extends to it’s natural end, there will be a grand finale accompanied by a bloom coming directly from the center that can extend as high as forty feet into the sky. The bloom is spectacular as it can grow between six and ten inches each day for many weeks into the late summer.

Indigenous peoples of Mexico have used every part this extraordinary plant to produce foods and medicines to be used both inside and outside the body with qualities similar to the well known attributes of the Aloe plant. Agave is also the cactus used to produce tequila, an alcoholic beverage enjoyed on both sides of the border and beyond. The ancient peoples believed the plant is a sacred gift from our Creator. One of the residents of our communities who is known to some as “Rimrock’s Shady Lady” has been enjoying watching the growth of a century plant within the beautifully landscaped natural environment on her property. Her home sits among some old growth mesquite trees, vines and other greenery, which creates a supernaturally serene setting that presumably inspired the name “Shady Lady” to the spiritual woman who lives there. At the time of this writing, the bloom on her plant has reached a height of about twenty five feet and appears to be still going strong. This is what our Shady Lady has to say about her experience with the Agave Americana.

Amazing Growth

“May Day 2010: An ugly looking round growth came up through the center of my cactus plant. The next day I noticed it had grown a few inches. My sister came down and I told her I had to get it out of my cactus as I knew it was going to kill the plant. I figured gofers were at it again. They had eaten the bottom out of my sword plant many years ago that left me flabbergasted. How could they do it? My sister, a lover of the Southwest made a terrible fuss about not destroying it. Well during the first three weeks of May it went from an ugly 6 inches to a beautiful18 feet and is still growing. As it got some height we realized it must be a century plant. I was mesmerized by all that was occurring. I would gaze at it daily as the limbs grew horizontally and the blossoms appeared. I have never seen anything like it. As it grew it became “breathtaking” to observe. The blossoms first came out as white puffs and then transcended into orange, yellow, pink, white balls that caused me to imagine the birds would fill with joy at the sight of the seedy flowers. Sure enough I came out to watch the tree and lo and behold a little bird was flying away from one of the blooms. I felt drawn to this tree; like it might contain a message of some sort–very mystical. I named it, “Amazing Growth.” To close this little caption I must note that several things have happened, are happening, and that this experience is truly an inner one that has brought outer changes. An exciting experience as it continues to grow. May 31, 2010 a Memorial Day I shall never forget.”

The Healing Saga Continues

As we searched through books and Internet articles about the Agave Americana we learned not only about the nutritional qualities but were led to learn more. Another use for agave that is seldom recognized, is as a musical instrument. According to the Virtual Analysis of Mayan Trumpets, the Mayans and other indigenous people used the hollowed blossom shoot of large agave to create an instrument that appears similar to an Australian Didgeridoo. Mayan petroglyphs and rock paintings often depict dancers and musicians playing the giant ancient horn. A 2005 study in the British Medical Journal found that learning and practicing the didgeridoo helped reduce snoring and sleep apnea by strengthening muscles in the upper airway, thus reducing their tendency to collapse during sleep. This strengthening occurs after the player has mastered the circular breathing technique used in playing the didgeridoo. A few of us have gotten together to help our Shady Lady harvest the bloom and fashion the instrument, which is reported to have the power to call out the local wildlife. We remind the readers in our remote communities, do not be surprised or alarmed when we hear the haunting sound of the ancient instrument, trumpeting along and throughout the shores of Beaver Creek.

According to Animal Speak by Ted Andrews, there are over 300 species of hummingbirds and they “have the ability to move their wings in a figure eight pattern — a symbol of infinity and links to the past and future and the laws of cause and effect”. The long bills enable them to extract nectar from flowers. They in fact, cannot live without flower nectar and there are many flowers that could not live without the activity of the pollination by hummingbirds. Animal Speak goes on to say that these remarkable birds know how to use flowers for healing, a science we also study, as human beings. They use color, herbal qualities and fragrance, just like practitioners of natural health use these as medicines to heal various dysfunctions of the human body.

Hummingbirds cannot walk but they are the greatest fliers in the world. They can fly sideways, backwards and forwards and they can hover in place. In fact, for the smallest bird, they are the only one who can fly backwards! Hummingbirds eat fifty to sixty meals each day, mostly of nectar but they also enjoy small insects. Because of the continuous activity, they loose body heat quickly and burn gigantic amounts of food for their size. Mother hummingbirds raise their young alone so they have become very independent and hard-working.

Accomplishing the Impossible

The Ruby–throated hummingbird is known for accomplishing the impossible. Each winter they may fly as far as 2,500 miles to migrate and reach warmer weather, without stopping. They eat and eat, storing up food and energy in their tiny little body for several days before the journey. Then they fly for many days from as far as Alaska to Central America. These fascinating little creatures are the central character in many an American Indian story. One story tells how at the time the earth will be purified, we are all supposed to braid a small section of our hair near the top of the head in a thin braid. Then when the purification begins, the hummingbird will lift us up by grasping the tiny braid in her beak and hold us by hovering just above the earth until it is safe to be set back down. Children love this story.

Hovering at the Creek

The warm weather has brought humming birds in search of their favorite delicacies, out here to our communities. Those of us who plant honeysuckle and other of hummingbird’s favorite flowers have the opportunity to enjoy watching and interacting with them. Hanging a hummingbird feeder in a tree just outside a window affords us the opportunity of momentary meditation as we watch the tiny birds come to receive the nectar . The red nectar that comes along with the feeders can be used the first couple of times so the bright red color will attract the birds. Once they discover and remember where the feeder is, we can make a clear nectar out of five parts water to one part sugar. As long as we keep it filled the birds will always return.

For that brief moment that hummingbird suspends itself within our view, we may be reminded that strength and courage do not require size and bulk as much as focusing on our goals. We may come to believe that we are far better off then we think we are and can really accomplish much greater things then we have ever imagined. We are also reminded of the interconnectedness of all things of the natural world. When we realize our own greatest potential, without limitations, we see that we are free and unencumbered by our own shortcomings. Nothing can hold us back from sharing the very best part of ourselves with those around us out here along the shores of Beaver Creek.

The tumbleweed is an above-ground part of a plant that separates from the root and tumbles away in the wind, scattering the seeds of it’s future generations along the way. The botanical name for the tumbleweed is, Salsola tragus. The plant became naturalized in North America after being imported from parts of Russia and also Asia in shipments of agricultural seeds and Flaxseed. Several annual species of Salsola that from tumbleweeds have become so common in the southwestern states, that they are often used symbolically in art and photography to illustrate the vast wilderness of the desert.

Although research has shown evidence that the Salsola plant is responsible for consuming very large quantities of water in agricultural areas, it is unlikely that the plant will ever be eradicated. This immigrant plant has become a permanent part of the American experience just like so may other species who help to form the colors and textures of the fabric of our great land.

Unfortunate Stereotypes

The visual media has stereotyped the tumbleweed the in Western films to symbolize dry and desolate locations. As travelers encounter a dismal or long-abandoned place, a tumbleweed is often seen rolling past accompanied by the sound of hollow dry wind or miles of sand dunes void of the relief by water and shade. The artistic rendering of a solitary tumbleweed may bring to mind the idea of our own dry bones strewn in some lonely desert offering little hope that our own demise will ever be discovered, recorded or mourned. How sad. So it seems our poor tumbleweed has received a pretty bad image in the media and perhaps even in our own minds.

Every summer as the warm winds blow across the Interstate 17, there are times we see these lonely seed spreaders rolling in large groups across the freeway. Last summer a huge tumbleweed arrived in Rimrock. It found a place for itself in an empty half-acre lot at the corner of Quail Hollow and Drifting Sands, where the poor thing entangled itself to the chain link fence. The neighboring property owner eradicated it with a pitch fork and sent it rolling down the road. The next morning the gigantic weed joined with the wind and returned to the same fence, only to be evicted one more time and attach itself to a nearby mesquite tree, where it remains to this very day. Perhaps the winds and heat of summer will detach the offspring and send them rolling back across the Interstate to land somewhere near the Apache Maid Ranch and history will repeat itself, as it so often does. Perhaps.

Permanent Residents at the Creek

As we come to listen to the water and enjoy the pristine sacredness of our ever evolving natural world, we may find a tumbleweed stuck among the river grasses in our midst, scattering the seeds of tomorrow. If we believe that all life is sacred we will welcome our companion. That fact remains that no matter how we feel about the tumbleweed, it’s here to stay. We can try to burn them out, poison them or smash them so they can no longer tumble but Creation will not allow their complete destruction. They were crafted by the same divine order of the universe that created each of us and they are strong.

Most indigenous peoples believe that all life is sacred and that we are all related. We are related to all other humans, plants, animals and even the stones along the river and the stars in the sky because we are all descendants of one extraordinary act of Creation. We are all involved with the web of life and one another. The gentle delicate flower, baby’s breath found in bouquets of roses, is another form of tumbleweed that has found it’s prestigious place among the valued desirable flowers. Tumbleweeds have come to join with us from across far-off boarders and become an integral part of the history of the great deserts and grasslands of Arizona and even out here along the shores of Beaver Creek.

The use and production of honey has a long and varied history. The Archaeology of Beekeeping states that humans began hunting for honey at least 10,000 years ago. The author illustrates this with a cave painting in Spain. The rock painting, shows two female honey-hunters collecting honey and honeycomb from a nest. The two women are depicted in the nude, carrying baskets, and using a long wobbly ladder in order to reach the wild nest. In ancient Egypt, honey was used to sweeten cakes and biscuits, and in many other dishes. Ancient Egyptian and Middle eastern peoples even used honey for embalming the dead! In the Roman Empire honey was said to have been used to pay taxes. In some parts of Greece it was the custom for a bride to dip her fingers in honey and make the sign of the cross before entering her new home. The Maya used honey for culinary purposes, and continue to do so today and the Maya also regard the bee as sacred. Some cultures believed honey had many practical health uses. It was used as an ointment for rashes and burns, and used to help soothe sore throats when no other medicinal practices were available.

In Hinduism, honey is one of the five elixirs of immortality. The Vedas and other ancient literature mention the use of honey as a great medicinal and health food. In Jewish tradition, honey is a symbol for the new year, using apple slices dipped in honey and eaten, to bring a sweet new year. In some congregations, small straws of honey are given out to usher in the new year. The Hebrew Bible contains many references to honey. The Book of Exodus describes the Promised land as a “land flowing with milk and honey” In Buddhism, honey plays an important role in festivals, commemorating Buddha’s making peace among his disciples by retreating into the wilderness. In the Christian religion, John the Baptist is said to have lived for a long period of time in the wilderness on a diet consisting of locusts and wild honey.

In Western Culture

Today, the main uses of honey are in cooking, baking, as a spread and as an addition to various beverages such as coffee and tea. According to international food regulations, “honey stipulates a pure product that does not allow for the addition of any other substance…this includes, but is not limited to, water or other sweeteners”. Honey barbecue and honey mustard are common and popular sauce flavors. Honey is a mixture of sugars and other compounds. With respect to carbohydrates, honey is mainly fructose. Honey’s remaining carbohydrates include maltose, sucrose, and other complex carbohydrates. Honey contains trace amounts of several vitamins and minerals but is mostly sugars and is not a significant source of vitamins or minerals. Honey also contains tiny amounts of several compounds thought to function as antioxidants. The specific composition of any batch of honey depends on the flowers available to the bees that produced the honey.

The Birds and the Bees

Immunizations are substances we consume that cause a reaction in the immune system. By ingesting just a tiny amount of an allergen, virus or bacteria, the immune system kicks in and fights the invasion of the undesirable substance and then proceeds to build up immunity against it. Many of us have had smallpox or polio immunizations as children. By challenging the internal systems this way, horrible diseases can be prevented just as they are by a yearly flu shot. Discussions with residents in Beaver Creek have revealed that many of us take a teaspoon or more of locally harvested and bottled honey in order to build immunity against the allergens around here. Some of the local pollens can create a horrific variety of unpleasant physical symptoms like sneezing, watery eyes, hives, asthma, ear infections or all of these combined along with others.

The exchange of pollens among a wealth of plant life along the creek, is carried by various birds and bees to create a special kind of nectar peculiar just to this area. Mesquite honey is a popular allergy remedy among Rimrockers and other residents of our little backwoods communities. A wave of communication moves quietly along the roads and streets and the people who walk throughout the mesas, stop to chat and exchange ideas every day. We all get our honey from the local Honey Store. Life out here is networked like an invisible local Internet and we all learn from each other as we walk and play along the shores of Beaver Creek.

The Circle at Beaver Creek is an event held in a small meeting room in Rimrock, which is located in the Verde Valley in Central Arizona. The Circle is a gathering of any group consisting of from six to eighteen people who share a common interest in healing. Healing may involve the environment or an individual or group of individuals concerned with the greater good of our communities. There is no financial cost for the group as long as it remains small. Willing individuals may be asked permission to be quoted in this column in regards to newsworthy information.

The circle is modeled after an ancient Seneca Indian ceremony called the “Council Fire”. A sacred object is passed around and each person in attendance has the right to share and be listened to and respected, without interruption. The term “ecumenical dialogue” refers to a group of people from a of variety different spiritual belief systems, either religious or non-religious in nature, who are gathered to discuss spiritual principles and/or ideas. The circle may last approximately one hour and is followed by a potluck meal so that the entire event lasts about two hours.

First of Many

The first of the “talking circles” occurred on May 10th and was facilitated by presenter and author Kaih Khriste King who wrote Beyond the Horizon. Ms. King deals in subjects like spirituality and mysticism. The circle was held at the meeting place for the Rimrock Red Road Group and led by one of it’s members. The event was attended by a group of women who shared about the life experiences that led each of them to their current vocations. The common thread among them is that each one had been prompted by various difficulties in their lives, that brought them here to serve a higher spiritual purpose. Attendees were from Beaver Creek, Page Springs, Cornville and Sedona.

Those in attendance realize that to those of us who have experienced trials and times of despair, have survived to become wiser and learned to seek healing in a variety of ways. Our difficult past can truly be our greatest asset. A greater sense of compassion develops through having endured painful times and many are called to help others do the same thing. Most of the people who came to the first Circle at Beaver Creek are volunteer members of the Cultural Diversity Council. Some are involved in work for non-profit organizations with similar goals of providing assistance to the less fortunate members of their communities.

Cultural Diversity

Considering recent events, some people may feel as though we have returned the time before laws governing civil rights existed. Cultural diversity and equality have seemingly turned to dust and been swept away in the wind. After years of political bridge-building it is as though none of this important change ever happened. New powerful laws can be passed in the blink of an eye that can undo generations and tides of enlightened change. The Circle at Beaver Creek expressed hope and a spiritual message that the dark cloud of despair shall not prevail.

Where small groups gather and pray for solutions, they are found. When the Seneca Indian elder passed the tradition of the “Council Fire” on to the next generation, he paved the way for supernatural change that has been used by native people for over twenty centuries. When the Tribe faces drought, sickness and the devastating losses sustained in war, they call the leaders together and hold the sacred Council Fire. Together they find the solutions that create change which has enabled the Tribe to survive and flourish to this very day. It is heartwarming to know this event occurred out here along the shores of Beaver Creek.