Human Lifestyle

Another late start, but a productive day nevertheless.

Washed up, twice. (not the same stuff, just two drying-rack loads!)

Put a load of spare glass jars in the recycling.

Took the second lot of planks up Hull Road to the people who will be able to re-use them.

Emailed round the Hull Road Planning Panel members to remind them about the meeting tonight.

Mended my son's bike light.

Did some paperwork connected with the Planning Panel and cycled it down to the Council, also visited the Co-op Bank and my building society.

Came back via Country Fresh and Freshways.

Did a bit of composting and some weeding.

At 6, Gill fed me... cauliflower and macaroni cheese. Then at 6.20, rushed off to the Planning Panel meeting at Tang Hall Community Centre and dealt with about 5 applications, with 3 other Panel members.

Home via a friend who has recently been bereaved, to give her my condolences.

A relatively quiet evening. Listened to two radio programmes on BBC iplayer. Started a Facebook version of the No Miles High Club for people who don't fly, won't fly...

Woken with a phone call from a friend who's applying for a job and wanted to check that I was OK being a referee. When the post came I had to do some fairly urgent paperwork and this took til lunchtime. I got an email reminding me (or telling me for the first time, I think) that I have a column due in today, so I emailed back expressing surprise, and have til tomorrow lunchtime to get it in. Some thinking time needed.

I got a phone call from a new LETS member who had listed that they wanted some structural timbers, so weeks ago I said, yes, I have some tanalised timber which I don't want to burn, and want someone to use... so this person said they could be with me in 10 minutes! She came by car. However, I was happy that she and her husband will be able to use about a dozen lengths of timber, also helping to tidy our front garden, slightly! She was also happy for me to deliver, as she said she'd have to get a friend with a van. I can do it with my bike and trailer, in two or three loads. Fortunately they are just 6 minutes cycle up Hull Road.

I popped out to get some bits and bobs for Gill from the Co-op and bakery, and on the way back found a large rosemary bush in a skip, one where previously the owner had said I could have something out of it. So, I loaded up my trailer with lots of lovely-smelling rosemary, and then a nice chap called John walked past and asked if I wanted some bits of tree he'd just removed from next to his garage where it was beginning to cause some structural damage. I went to check, and he had quite a bit of Ash and Elder, already chopped up and some of the twiggy bits already bagged up. I was very happy to accept his offer. The alternative was him driving it down to the Hazel Court recycling depot.

So a good haul of compostable and stove-able material. I delivered the tanalised planks up the road, and came back via John's logs and twigs. I got completely engrossed in processing the twigs and at 7.15 Gill called me... it was Dave from City Screen ringing and reminding me that I was due to be at a meeting at 7pm... whoops! I quickly cleaned up and jumped on my bike, and was at City Screen to meet up with Dave, Edward and Barry for 7.30. We discussed the forthcoming showing of Age of Stupid at City Screen on 26th April, who is going to speak at the panel discussion afterwards, and how we are going to publicise it, on top of the existing publicity offered by City Screen.

Back by 9pm, via the cycle track logpile, where someone else has been removing logs... so I'm not the only log burner in York! (Well, I knew this, but renewable fuels are an increasingly valuable resource.)

Spent til 2.30 am writing my column, on 'Buy Local'.

Here is a glimpse of a dinner party set-up I did a month or so ago for a hip/modern mom.  She has seriously amazing taste in interior design.  She just asked me to stylize some other rooms in their partially finished new/"green house".   I am simply bedazzled by this dazzling chandelier, and her wine pantry that's twenty something feet tall!

Tuzigoot, which is Apache for crooked water is the remains of a Sinaguan pueblo. It also turned out to be my mother’s favorite site on the trip. She liked the idea of seeing an entire village. I liked it because they have reconstructed the roof of the highest part of the structure so you can stand on the top and view the entire area. This might be the viewing loving Coloradoan in me or it might be the fact that the Sinaguans lived on their roofs, and this reconstruction provides a glimpse into that experience.


This ruin is near Cottonwood, which is 20 miles east of Sedona. We combined this visit with a trip up to Jerome, an old mining village high up Mingus Mountain. Jerome turned out to be such a dud that I won’t bother blogging it. If you go to Tuzigoot, combine it with Palaki and Honaki for a ruins blitzkrieg.


Tuzigoot sits on a tall ridge that rises 120 feet above the surrounding Verde Valley. About 50 people inhabited the village from 1125 to at least 1400. I would like to see a modern tract home survive that long.


The Apache name for the site is very apropos. At one point the Verde River actually hooked around the settlement in what is technically called an oxbow. At one point the river broke through the ridge to the south, sending the river away from the settlement. The marsh, which provided both food and reeds to the inhabitants of Tuzigoot managed to survive, fed but a spring.

Woken ridiculously early by an enthusiastic 5 year old, who always wakes at 6am.

During the morning I did some balloon models for her and my first successful balloon flower, for Ali. Sarah was amazed at the 'dogs dinner' model, where I put a small marble-sized balloon inside a dog. I can also do this with someone's watch, and call it a 'watch dog'.....

I watched Countryfile at 11 and then we went to a garden centre to get some things for Ali's forthcoming raised bed garden project. She got various seeds, seed potatoes and bags to grow them in, seed trays with propagator lids, biodegradable pots and some peat-free general compost. She has ordered some huge pots and will find some good local topsoil. Also a compost bin, water butt and wormery. I've offered her some rich compost to mix with the soil. Nice one Ali!

Back for a late lunch and potted up some herb seeds and the potatoes. I got away at 4 to get the 4.20 tram and the 4.50 train. Chatted to a very nice chap called Alan who works at Ampleforth College, involved in Transition, and might meet him at the Kirkbymoorside 'Springboarding Day' on April 25th, their name for the 'Unleashing' that is the more usual name in Transition for the launch event. Back into York just before 6, collecting some compostables from both shops on the way home. When I'd unloaded, I cycled over to Fulford to collect our eldest who'd had a fun day all day with his friends, lots of pretending to kill people with sticks, sorry, Excalibur, and shooting people with pretend guns etc etc... and no adults trying to direct them into more wholesome activities! He'd had a lovely time, and was happy to see me, good chats on the way home and had supper and was in bed by 9pm... presumably completely worn out!

I had to amend my Community Care blog written yesterday as when Ali and I looked at it, we found that when the link to Danny's myspace page was clicked, it opened up in the same window, replacing the blog window with the poem written out. So, no easy way of reading the poem and listening to Danny reading it... I'll have to learn how to open something up in a new window...

A relaxing evening, spent on the laptop, enjoyed a chat to a new Facebook friend who writes an interesting blog http://hippiechickdiaries.com/ which I like. Like her too!

Distance: 5 miles out and back
Elevation: 4,000 – 4,400 ft
Elevation gain: 400 ft


I asked my parents when they would let me hike while vacationing in Sedona. They said I could hike all I wanted as long as I was back to cook breakfast by 9 AM. Since I was awake by 6:30 AM anyway, I started going out at sunrise to enjoy the area. I did this trail twice, because the southern trailhead is less than 50 yards from where I am staying near the Crescent Moon Picnic Area. I did not have a map at that point and had no idea where the trail would lead, but it turned out to be wonderful early morning hike with 270-degree views of the surrounding areas. The rock cairns were easy to follow and the views were spectacular.




The first day I did the hike, my camera froze up and I was unable to take pictures, which is why I ended up doing it twice. There were also six hot air balloons hovering around Cathedral Rock, which made it particularly festive. I was practically in tears that day knowing I had the chamber of commerce shot right in front of me. My frustration was in vain, however, because my early morning photography skills could use an upgrade. I am so used to taking pictures in the middle of the day, that I did not do very well in the low light conditions.



Note that the first half-mile of this trail is not in the books or on the Sedona trail map. It is obvious, however because there is a large cairn right at the trailhead. These cairns exist all the way to the published trailhead on Chavez road. After that they disappear. Note also that there are more trails in this area than exist on the map so it is hard to tell exactly what trail one is on. Anyway you go will be nice, just realize that unless you do an out and back, finding your way home without a map may be time consuming.




On my first trip, I did an out and back, turning around the far end of the ridge at a T-intersection. On my second trip I decided to take the left fork of this T for a longer hike. This is the continuation of the Ridge Trail. It goes down the hillside towards Sedona. Since I had a breakfast date, I did not want to go too far but decided to try and find my way back along an old streambed. Do NOT do this! Going off trail has risks that most should not take. Following streambeds means very rocky terrain. Additionally, I had 5 class 2 scrambles to descend where the rocks ended in sharp 6-foot ledges. At each of these locations, I had to evaluate whether I would be able to turn around and retrace my steps. As it was, this streambed ended up intersecting with one of the many trails in the Carrol Canyon area and I continued on them to get out. Later, I studied a map of the area. Had I had this map while hiking, always a better plan, I would have known that 30 yards from where I turned off the trails would have intersected naturally.




So, I have not hiked the Ridge Trail from end to end, but scaled the easy, by Colorado standards anyway, 400 ft to the top. The views are well worth that effort. Early morning is a delightful time to hike, even in spring. The sun, in these exposed areas is welcoming and the vistas are awe-inspiring. The following day, I hiked up Fay Canyon, which was beautiful, but cold first thing in the AM. In the heat of summer, I am sure the coolness would be most welcome.

Distance: 0.6 mile loop
Elevation: 4,700 – 4,750 ft
Elevation Gain: 50 ft


If you are going to Palatki, a very nice Sinaguan site, be sure to also visit Honanki. The setting is not as pretty in my mind, but the site does have better, if less historically significant, pictographs. The short trail winds through pine and shrub and was very accessible to my mother who has trouble with stairs. In contrast, she did not climb the stairs to Palatki but stayed just below communing with the lizards on the rocks.




Honanki is only 4.4 miles beyond Palaki, but I would recommend setting your trip odometer because that distance is deceiving when you are driving slowly on a dirt road. I kept thinking, gosh that rock formation has got to be it etc. It was not. You will recognize the site immediately and don’t be freaked out when you hit the boundary of the Handcock ranch. The route goes right through it.




One of the local tour companies takes folks to this site, so there were at least 4 tour groups on site. They are small and timed themselves pretty well, so it was not terribly intrusive. I think they are helping to fund the restoration of the area, so you can’t bitch too much about that.

Woken too early by a phone call from one of the boys' friends, who then came round.

I had breakfast and then tried to find something to do for my Community Care blog... I'm not feeling inspired at the moment.

So I used someone else's inspiration... Danny Chivers, a poet, whom I met at a gathering of Climate Speakers in London earlier this year. See http://www.communitycare.co.uk/blogs/green-living/2009/03/green-man-wonders-how-to-get-t.html
I love this poem! It's even better hearing him perform it whilst you read along...

Got this done by midday and got dressed and up, ready to go to Sheffield for a performance of the Ukulele Orchestra.

I was picked up at Sheffield station soon after 2 and spent some of the afternoon with Ali and her daughter and their new PA Sarah, who is lovely too. At 5ish, we headed down to town on the tram to go to the Blue Moon, to meet up with Al's parents and an ex-carer who's become a friend and a soon-to-be ex-carer who they will both miss. This meal was part of a Mother's Day present from Ali to her 84 year old Ma. Blue Moon is a lovely place, veggie and vegan, and caters for other special diets such as gluten free. I had a good main meal, a cauliflower thing with some spinach and feta pie with salads... and some of Ali's too, as she didn't like the bean-heavy thing she had ordered, so I was stuffed and didn't have cake. Sarah took Ali's daughter home, as he was very tired... she is only 5years old.

Then the short walk to the newly refurbished Crucible Theatre, where the brilliant Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain were due to perform. I knew nothing about this bunch but was really impressed. A line-up of 7, as one member (Kitty) wasn't well, so I hope she gets better soon. But the performance was awesome... really, really clever, funny, very 'tight' arrangements with brilliant mixing of different songs. All of us enjoyed it, although Ali's parents missed some of the 'in jokes' according to her Dad, as many of the pieces were post 1960s and some post-Punk. Afterwards, we hung around as Ali wanted to get her CD and DVD signed.. she has bought a Ukulele, as she used to play the guitar but has found it more and more difficult to hold but the Uke is more manageable. Her daughter has also got one and loves the UOOGB too. They have another fan as of tonight!

We went home on the tram and I had a comfortable night on a sofabed, the one the PA usually uses... she slept on a matress on the floor in Ali's daughter's bedroom.

Distance: 0.6 miles round trip to view the pictographs, 0.6 miles to walk the cliff dwelling loop for total of 1.2 miles.
Elevation: 4,800-4,850 ft
Elevation Gain: 50 ft.


If you visit one Sinagua site in the Sedona area, make it this one. The site sits beneath an 800 ft red cliff. It dominates the site and looms dramatically in the distance as one approaches it. The site has both pictrographs and a cliff dwellings but only a one-seater bathroom, so plan accordingly. You will make new friends while standing in line.



You do need reservations to visit. Call (928) 282-3854 for information. The site opens at 9:30 AM but when we called at 9:45 AM we still got a recording. It is Forest Service Volunteers who man the phones and the small visitor’s station, so don’t expect the punctuality one would expect from fully pensioned Federal employees. If you do end up leaving a message like we did be sure to tell them what time you are coming because they will get annoyed if you don’t.



There are two ways to get to Palatki. The map you get in town advises driving up 89A towards Cottonwood. From there you need to take Forest Road (FR) 525. Note that there is a small brown sign with this number on it about 50 yards before the turn off. This is the only sign so don’t blink. FR 525 is a long dirt road passable by passenger cars as long as you don’t mind a lot of washboard jiggling. The other way to get there is via Sedona’s back roads, Dry Creek and they Boynton Pass. This is by far the more scenic route and it is paved for longer. I put detailed directions of this route at the bottom of the post. I would recommend going that way, it is just prettier.



It was very pleasant out at the site. The pictographs are in two alcoves, each with a docent. The views of the area from these picturesque spots made me wish for a Barcalounger. The ancient Sinaguans understood location, location, location. Just to the left of the pictographs was a spring. So not only did they have protection and beauty, they also had running water.



The pictographs at this site are very unusual. There are bears, headless figures, and other unusual anthropomorphic figures. There are also large scratches in the wall that I thought was vandalism but turned out to be ancient and authentic. In the local Indian tradition, shamans would scratch at the walls to enter the spirit world. Some of the pictographs are believed to be several thousand years old.



The trip to the cliff dwelling takes you a across an open field, across a creek, and up some steep steps to the wall. The dwelling itself is not overwhelmingly impressive but the setting is pleasing. We saw a Cardinal and a Scrub Jay on the way back to the car, so there is some wildlife in the area.


There is another site nearby, Honanki, which is not as good but since you are already there, you might as well go see it too. Just be prepared for the hordes. One of the local jeep touring companies takes folks to that site. Don't pay money for that trip, however, you can get there easily by yourself.

Directions (the more scenic route): Drive 2.9 miles up Dry Creek Road out of Sedona to the Long Canyon intersection. Stay left and drive another 1.6 miles to the Boynton Canyon intersection. Go left and drive another 4 miles to the intersection with Forest Road 525. 2 miles of this last pitch are on a dirt road. The dirt continues to the site. 0.1 miles from the 525 intersection is a fork. The right fork goes to Palatki, the left to Honanki. It is 1.7 miles on the right fork to the site.

Quite a relaxing day, although I did a lot. At about 10, two Film and TV students arrived, Liam and Laura, to do a piece on recession, freeganism and green, low carbon lifestyles, drying fruit and composting.... well, they wanted to do recession and freeganism, I turned it into all the rest!

We cycled down to Country Fresh where unexpectedly, Richard wasn't working and Shirley was, so she got the starring role of handing over the box of compostables. We came back via Freshways, but Raj, the 'Mr Charisma', wasn't there, so no filming. Back at home, we did a bit on composting and how I re-use some of the stuff that the shop is unable to sell... such as a blemished red pepper which had three quarters of it perfectly edible. Back inside, we did the dried fruit theme, and by 1.30 they had got enough 'footage' and they went. I hope that they got something useful and interesting for their project. I've asked them to send me a copy so I can see what they've made me say. Anything can happen in the editing suite!

After lunch I did a bit of work in the garden, weeding and more compost heap loading and some work out at the front, bow-sawing some smaller timbers... and then David came with his LETS bank account paperwork and we discussed him photographing another gig, so we can finish off the new publicity material. Then the children came home and all was good humoured and happy.

I had the hot-pot with scone top that Gill had made yesterday, reheated on the woodstove, and I attempted to catch up on assorted e-jobs such as doing some publicity for a forthcoming Green Festival meeting.

So, an unhurried day and quite productive.

Off to Sheffield to see Age of Stupid at the Showroom, and to see Franny Armstrong, the film-maker, introduce it and answer questions afterwards.

I had quite a busy morning at home but got a train just after midday, then a tram in Sheffield up to near where Ali lives, and then a 10 minute walk to her house. Arrived at 2 and spent some of the afternoon with her before going to a meeting that she chairs... a nursery which has loads of kids... I think 60 children under 4 years old... I didn't attend the meeting, I did some balloon animals for the few children who were still around, but when they went I sat in on the last 10 minutes.

At nearly 6 we went on to the Showroom where there was a queue for the Age of Stupid special screening, sold out as Franny Armstrong was due to introduce the film and answer questions afterwards. As we were queueing for a mocha, I spotted Franny, I was glad she'd made it, as earlier I'd received a mass email saying it was touch and go whether she'd be able to get up to Sheffield.

The film is brilliant... this was the second time I'd seen it and I got more out of it this time... some bits I'd missed the first time, and also the linking theme of oil which connects all the stories was much clearer. But I still cried and cried at one point near the end, when the years roll forward to 2055. I think it's the music actually, it's so, well, emotional!

I enjoyed the Q+A, although one question, asked by a young teen or child, about what Franny herself does to be climate friendly, was answered in a bit of a tough way, as many people have asked her, in one way or another, whether she's a hypocrite? I don't think this young person was actually asking that complex a question, they just wanted to hear that she was vegetarian, charged up her laptop with solar panels and didn't drive, or fly on holiday (although being a film-maker means that she has flown and will be travelling by air to the US next month).

Afterwards, we went to the local groups discussion, hosted by Transition Sheffield and Sheffield Against Climate Change. Before I went to get my train home, we went to Subway for a sandwich and I then got the 10 15ish train to Leeds, had a 25 minute wait in Leeds and arrived in York soon after midnight.

A super day! Rerally good to see Ali, and AoS again, and glad to share this with Ali, who enjoyed it too, if 'enjoyed' is the right term!

Up early, Gill got me up at 7 to light the stove and get myself ready to leave the house at 7.50, so as I could get the 8.24 train to Leeds. Then I got the 9.05 to Wakefield, and the 9.31 to Featherstone where there was a brilliant event...

Graham Lee, supplier of Sempertex balloons, runs regular 'Care and Share' days which he does to help balloonologists, entertainers and other performers develop their balloon modelling skills, and inspire them to get deeper into the amazing art of balloon modelling. I had been told about this by my friend 'Henrietta Rabbit' who runs a successful entertainment company, with all sorts of face painters, magicians, balloon modellers and more. She's even booked me to do some stuff occasionally.

This event was the first Care and Share Performance day, with Danny Schlesinger running two one-hour workshops on Performance and Performing with Balloons. He was really good... patient, experienced, funny, with dry wit, encouraging and was very aware of psychology, body language and the art of entertaining and how to perform for audiences.

Much Much More to come in this post within 36 hours... possibly with a photo!

Shopping shopping!!


Who can resist picking up some bling from the southwest? I certainly can't! The most attractive place to shop in Sedona is the Tlaquepaque (pronounced Tal-keh-paw-keh) Arts and Crafts Village. It is modeled after a mexican villiage and was orginally conceived as an artist colony. Now it is filled with galleries and shops. It is the ambiance, however, that is the most striking. Filled with bronze scultures, fountains, balconies, and ecentric sycamore's, Tlaquepaque is a very pleasant environment indeed!



My second cousin, who lives in town, said she can spend the entire day there. I managed to spend 2.5 hours, which is a lot for this gal who would rather be hiking than shopping. Still, I managed to find a nice tourquoise inlaid ring that I am very pleased about. My father, who is not much of a shopper, moved from bench to bench and photographed the scenery. Below are a few quick shots to give you an idea of the place.

This National Monument was one of the first ever created. It happened back in 1902 by the enlightened fiat of President Teddy Roosevelt. There is short (1/3 mile), sycamore shaded trail to view the castle, which is a Sinagua (meaning without water) cliff dwelling high up a rock wall. While not as impressive as Mesa Verde, it is still interesting to see and the most well preserved of the Indian Ruins in the Sedona Area. If you have only one day, however, and don't mind driving on a dirt road, I would recommend visiting Palatki. It is in a much more beautiful setting and also contains very interesting pictographs.

Directions: Take exit 289 off of I-17. Drive past the casino and follow the National Park Service brown signs to the site.

You would have thought there was an AIG executive on the side of the road near Montezuma’s Well for all the Vultures circling. As you might guess from their featherless heads, these boys know that bald is in, Turkey Vultures (Cathartees aura) feed on carrion. It has been a long time since I have seen a Vulture up close, so I could not resist snapping a few photos. Most of the time I see Vultures high in the sky riding thermals, their flight feathers a dead giveaway.


What I did not know was that Vultures tend to roost in groups, breed in caves, and will regurgitate a foul smelling mash of undigested carrion in threatened. Maybe bald is not so in.

Distance: 0.5 miles
Elevation: 3,800 ft
Elevation gain: 100 feet up stairs to the top and down to the irrigation ditch



Montezuma’s Well is a large limestone sinkhole formed when an underground cavern collapsed. 700 years ago its continuous flowing water, up to a million gallons a day, was used to irrigate Sinagua fields. It is 368 feet across and 55 feet deep. There are several cliff dwellings in the walls and lots of moss in the water. This desert oasis is home to some ducks and several creatures that live nowhere else.

The algae in the water feeds a tiny shrimp, which in turn feeds a small water going scorpion as well as some nocturnal leeches that congregate at the bottom of the well and rise to the surface at night to feed. Scorpions? Leeches? Gee, let me just go for a swim…NOT!


The well has a C02 concentration that 600 times higher than normal. This anaerobic environment precludes fish although they live in the nearby stream. We saw a Bald Eagle fly over the well while were there and wondered what it could eat in the area. Perhaps there is sufficient fish in the stream to keep it happy.


The early Caucasian explorers, who found the ruins of Sinagua culture including Montezuma’s Well, thought the Indians were Aztec, which is why the site is misnamed.

There is a side trail that goes down the outside of the well to where the irrigation ditch started. It was quite a technical feat to dig through the sinkhole to get the water flowing. There are also several pit houses along the upper edge of the well.



I would not go way out of my way to see this site, but if you are going to the V-bar-V ranch to see the petroglyphs, you might as well drop by. It is only a few miles up back up county road 618, right before I-17. From the well, you can head the 11 miles to Montezuma's Castle with only a short jog on I-17.

Up early as Gill wanted me to light the stove as the children were cold and she had to get their breakfasts and do three packed lunches. She left with our youngest as he's on a school trip on and around the River Ouse, and she's going with the group.

I really wanted to go back to bed but didn't, as had to go into town to give in a cheque, visit the bank re the LETS account, to see if I've filled in the paperwork correctly, and various other places. It was a bit of a frustrating morning, as the bank doesn't 'do' anything connected with business banking or voluntary groups, yet I waited about 30 minutes to be told this, and I was unable to speak to anyone at the council re expenses connected with the Hull Road Ward Planning Panel. But whilst I was waiting to hear this, I filled in a request for permits to use my trailer at the Hazel Court James Street recycling site, where, apparently, bicycles are not allowed for 'Health and Safety reasons'. I look forward to the response; if it is 'you cannot go there as we don't allow pedestrians up at the top', I'm going to ask why, therefore, car drivers are allowed to get out of their vehicles and take materials from one skip to another, as pedestrians? I want to be allowed to use the site 'at my own risk', the same as I use roads 'at my own risk' and pedestrian crossings 'at my own risk' etc etc. I want to be treated like anybody else depositing drinks cartons or scrap iron for recycling, ie, basically ignored and left to get on with it. I would, however, accept them walking in front of my bike with a red flag to warn other people of the dangers I pose, or to protect me from being endangered. We'll see. I expect a campaign coming on!

I got home at midday and did more washing up and had lunch.

A quiet and productive afternoon, went all too quickly, but got quite a lot done, including a phone call with the Co-op Bank, revealing that I need to get signatures from the new signatories in another part of the form. SO complicated just to get some new people able to sign the cheque book!

Gill and our youngest came back; he was completely knackered as they'd walked miles, literally. Our eldest came back bearing his school report which was very good, with above average effort in most subjects. We really rubbed it in how pleased we were with his effort.

I went to the York Rotters Social at 7pm... the 'end of year celebration and thank you' party. Initially there were just 7 of us but as the evening went on, a few more came. Catherine our paid co-ordinator had provided some food and drinks, and organised a quiz, based on World Records... things like 'what was the height of the tallest costumed character to run in a marathon?' We were given a multiple choice, and the answer was apparently 4.2metres, a nurse character in 2007 I think! Some of the questions generated some comments, chat and laughter, and our team came second with 6 correct out of 20. Catherine had organised prizes for all participants, and two lucky people got a Compost Mate turning tool. I chose a Bubblehouse stacking Desk-Top Wormery which I'm pleased with, despite it being a bit twee! It will probably be a good teaching aid for me, as taking my Can O Worms (with extra tray) anywhere would be really difficult with a bike trailer! This, however, is small and compact, but demonstrates the concept of stacking wormeries which allow the worms to work up through the composting material.

So, a good event, met several new people and had some fun, and came away with new kit, which will undoubtedly come in useful. I think our Master Composter scheme is excellent... well funded and managed, a team of trained and supported volunteers who attend lots of different events, helping people start composting, helping existing composters compost more. I have found friendship and a deep satisfaction in promoting one part of a low carbon lifestyle. I am proud to be a York Rotter, the original York Rotter!

Distance: 1.1 loop
Elevation: 3,800 ft
Elevation Gain: none

In the foothills west of Sedona is the V-bar-V ranch, an archeological site run by the U.S. Forest Service. It contains one of the best Petroglygh sites in Arizona. The glyphs themselves were etched between 1150 and 1400 A.D by the Sinagua (pronounced sin agua or without water in Spanish).


There is a short 0.5 mile trail from the small visitor’s center down to the petroglyph wall. There was docent from the Verde Valley Archeological Society there. She used a laser pointer to discuss the history and significance of the petroglyphs.


It is believed that the glyphs represent a calendar. At various times of the year, sunlight hits certain glyphs, marking times to plant or harvest. The website Sinagua SunWatchers contains a detailed discussion of this theory, so I won’t try and reproduce it here.


The trail to the glyphs follows wide road that borders a creek shaded by dramatic Sycamores. I was very impressed by the number of the glyphs and how close you can get to them. At other sites, I have had to use a telephoto lens. At this site, you could practically touch the glyphs.


One thing you should know is that this site is only open Friday through Monday, so plan accordingly. The glyphs are well worth the trip.