Gyroplane = Fun

A big THANK YOU to MMWIA Dedicated Case Manager Mark and his wife for showing me how their favorite hobby keeps them happy!

View of the old Tiger/Mammoth Pit Mine - great minerals

Hiking Group - September 14, 2010

Our wonderful Direct Service Providers, Kent and Misti make our hikes fun and interesting, thank you. Butterfly Encounter on the trail - grow your own butterfly garden with help from OracleTown.com

We hiked Wildcat Trail to Twin Ponds and saw a harmless garter-snake.
These were pictures from the internet


As we were driving back to the clinic we saw a Mojave Green Rattlesnake crossing the road.

Changing My Point of View

San Manuel Airport - Thank You, Dr. Michael for taking me up!

Flying over Aravaipa Canyon

Sometimes it is good to get a new perspective on a situation as well as location. This time I went up in a little plane to have a look around my environment and I now have some new places to explore that I never knew existed.

Great Year for Bellotas

Arizona Wild Flowers - Wildflower Pictures And Photos helps us identify the gourmet acorn of Oracle!



the blog Hunter Angler Gardener Cook has a good article on harvesting and processing acorns.


Some really are so bitter they’re not worth working with. But others, like the Eastern white oak, the bellota oaks of Europe and the Emory oak of the Southwest, are sweet enough to need minimal or no processing



Slow Foods USA tells us about the nutritional facts:


"Specifically, the wholesome nutritional content protects people from dangerously high increases in blood-glucose levels after meals because of the acorn’s slow digestion rate and low glycolic response. This is a huge contrast to white flour, which has a fast digestion rate and rapid glycolic response."



Other types of Acorns need processing to get the tannic acid out but then you have water for tanning hides. Grandpappy has recipes and techniques at http://www.grandpappy.info/racorns.htm

as well as
Nutritional Information About Acorns
Acorn Nutmeats, Shelled, Dried

Actual Lab Analysis Results Vary for Different Acorn Varieties

and from One Growing Season to the Next

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 ounce (28.4 g)

Minimum and Maximum Values Shown Below

Category ___________Amount _______% RDV
Calories __________109.7 to 144.5_____ 7 %
Calories from Fat____ 60.9 to 80.3
Total Fat ___________6.8 to 8.9 g _____14 %
Saturated Fat ________0.9 to 1.2 g _____45 %
Polyunsaturated Fat____ 1.3 to 1.7 g
Monounsaturated Fat ___4.3 to 5.7 g
Cholesterol __________0.0 mg _________0 %
Total Carbohydrate _____11.5 to 15.2 g ____5 %
Protein _____________1.7 to 2.3 g _______5 %

Vitamins
Vitamin A______ 11.06 to 11.14 IU _______Less 1%
B1, Thiamin _______0.03 to 0.042 mg _____3 %
B2, Riboflavin______ 0.03 to 0.044 mg_____ 3 %
B3, Niacin __________0.52 to 0.68 mg_____ 3 %
B5, Pantothenic Acid ___0.20 to 0.27 mg ____3 %
Vitamin B6__________0.15 to 0.20 mg ____10%

Tucson Children's Museum Trip

Tucson has some great attractions. The Tucson Children's Museum has interactive, educational displays that teach through play.

On the way home we visited the Goulder Ranch Fire District station and had a great tour. We climbed around in all the vehicles and even got to use the fire-hose! Their web page has a great kid section. Thank you, DSP Harley for arranging this event. We had a great time at the museum and fire department.

Gardening as a Healthy Hobby

We have created a beautiful garden with the help of the whole team and some dedicated clients.
Seeds were donated, soil was tilled, watering chores were shared, and weeding was endured.

Now we have calendula, sunflowers, hyacinth vine, and gourds as well as chile, tomatoes and onions. Cantalope vines are already flowering so we may have some to enjoy before the frost of fall comes.

Hiking - walking is the best exercise!

Our part of the state has great trails. The Arizona Trail is accessable from three points within just a few miles from our office.
Our newest children's group is going to include survival skills, plant identification, and stamina building. We will begin with the shorter/easier trails and advance to day-long hikes into the canyons and mountains.

Tucson Botanical Gardens

Psychoeducational services taught community building, gardening skills, and teamwork. We got some great ideas for out own garden back at the clinic.

Children find snails in the garden
There were lots of butterflies in the garden
A beautiful sundial tells the time naturally
Zen Garden for contemplation and relaxation.

ceramic tiles decorate the garden wall - little coyote doll looks on

Simple cement pot holds succulents

Summer Youth Wellness Activities at SPVBH

David Tineo's mural at Ochoa Elementary School in Tucson - see more images at Tucson Murals

By Giovanna Hesley
April 26, 2010
Oracle, Arizona
Tuesday, April 25, nine strong hearts (staff) and eight trusting souls (clients) set off to learn more about being part of a community. Although we thought we were going to learn how to create a mural, we had no idea we would come home having learned how to live in comfort as others lived homeless; how to understand that our words could wound and that our careless joking could create deep pain; how our perceptions of the people around us alters as we learn who they really are and thus we learn who we really are.

Veronica Agredano is in charge of the amazing mural project at the San Pedro Valley Behavioral Health Center in Oracle, Arizona. She is a Dedicated Case Manager in the Meet Me Where I Am program that serves young clients who are in great need of individualized services. She assembled a team of trained social workers to expose our clients to the beauty and depth of David Tineo’s murals on display at the Tucson Museum of Art as well as community murals in Tucson and Oracle. Veronica, three other case managers, three dedicated peer support providers, our driver and myself, a counselor, took on the challenge of helping some of our clients understand public art and realize that they and we could create something meaningful for ourselves that would have a lasting impact on our community.

For a child with ADHD this activity builds the skill of learning how to focus –to look at something and focus on it. For a child in RAD therapy, it provides a sense of belonging and a chance to socialize. At lunch we played games as simple as Simon Says and Red Light-Green Light, as well as an exhausting round of Tag. Physical activities combining multiple ages taught our clients that they could have fun at the park with grown-ups without alcoholic beverages being involved. Another child found confidence in a supportive, encouraging environment in which she was praised for her contributions.

Future therapeutic field trips include a trip to the botanical garden, headed up by Case Manager Jaime Martinez, that will help us design and build our own garden. Fishing at the local reservoir with a mandatory training class the day before – this will help build an understanding of responsibility and delayed gratification. Case Manager Shae Slyter put together a trip to a local ostrich farm that will expose some of our clients to the complexities of animal husbandry, caring, and responsibility. Our ongoing Archery program, lead by Dedicated Case Manager Mark Rhoads, teaches our clients focus, social skills, communication, and accountability. I have put together a Youth Leadership Retreat for older children with Wellness Director Gustavo McGrew, and we are now working on getting another for our younger clients since the first one was such a powerful therapeutic tool that had children designing and acting in their own theatrical productions concerning drug use in the home and drunk driving.

Clients are hand picked for each activity, which is designed with their therapeutic needs in mind. Although we set out to achieve a certain goal, we are delighted and amazed by the breadth of what we have already accomplished and we are all excited to continue with this powerful wellness program for our young clients.

In the Parade

Molly and Dolores ride with their children along the parade route. The children toss candy to the people at the side of the road.

The Big Day - Oracle Oaks Festival

The theme of the festival was "Silver Streams, Golden Rivers" so we made ours into

"This Silver Village Raises Golden Children"8:30 am The float is ready to go!
Bobcat, Jackrabbit, and Flower

Mask Making for the Festival

I made some masks for the children riding in the float. We had a javelina, coyote, and jackrabbit mask as well as a bobcat done in face paint.All created with materials at hand and a little crochet skill.
Made with a cap, used paper coffee cups, old buttons, and fuzzy yarn.

Preparations for the Oaks Festival

I caught only a few images of the massive volunteer preparations for the festival, I couldn't possibly acknowledge everyone's efforts but I would like to mention the BIG ONES I know about. Jaime and Molly Martinez were the giants of the organization and put in the most hours of volunteer time as well as work time. The rest of us did what we could when we could.Case Manager Mark Rhoads and client work on the float.

Fossil Hunting in Winkleman

Fossils can be found along the road to Globe just past the slag dump. You don't have to search- just look down at the rocks that are at the very side of the road. One side is the drop to the river - the other side is steep hill or cliff. You can pick up almost any rock - especially the white ones - and find the shells of sea creatures that lived millions of years ago.

Counting Calories: Exercise and Eating

I have found a couple of sites that help with figuring out the numbers.
The Calorie Counter has lots of good information for health and nutrition. You can calculate your intake and needs easily with some of their pages. You can become a member of the site and access some forums but you don't have to sign up to use the calculators or the library of informative articles

Another site that is useful for calorie counting is Calorie Count.

Flags at Sunset

There are things to teach our children everywhere a parent, or grandparent, looks. Here is a perfect example.

Discuss with your children the meaning of the colors in the flags View at sunset from San Manuel, Arizona towards the Galiuros
The national and state flag fly in many locations. This set of flags fly at the local plastics plant.

The colors of the national flag - "white represents purity and innocence; red represents hardiness and valor; and blue represents vigilance, perseverance, and justice."
The Arizona flag - copper star for our copper industry, yellow and red rays for the sun and the colors of the conquistadors. Blue - I don't remember - maybe you can find out for me.

The importance of the meaning of color in art is another topic you can discuss with your children as you create a flag of your own that represents characteristics you might want to develop in your family.
Loyalty, trustworthyness, perserverance, confidence, are a few character traits you might discuss.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Although I am not a big baseball fan, we received tickets from a friend and spent a lovely afternoon at Reed Park in Tucson. At the seventh inning stretch we sang the song - written in 15 minutes on a train ride back in 1907. The verses to the song describe a young woman's love of the game. The chorus is what she says to her boyfriend when he asks her what she would like to do on a date.
Once upon a long time ago, my grandmother got all the cousins together that were staying with her for the summer, and set us all in positions around the field. We learned to play baseball from her. We learned how to play fair and who was a good sport. Lots of character building can be done by one determined grandmother and a baseball.
Get a game going on your own. Invite the neighbors and their kids!

Time to Start Tomato Seeds

Re-use old papers to make little bio-degradable seed pots

Karate Class Mondays and Wednesdays from 4-5

Therapy through movement and discipline of the mind

View videos of the Katas Practiced by the Shorin-Ryu Matsubayashi-Ryu System.

Wildlife Along the San Pedro River, Arizona

Poster I made for CAC College for Kids 2007
The San Pedro River flows from its source in northern Mexico to Winkleman, Arizona where it joins the Gila River. This river is a riparian corridor that is home and passageway for a dizzying array of wildlife. The beaver population is returning to help regulate the flow once again. Some of us have seen the dam at the San Manuel Crossing (32 35'58.47”N 110 32'11.97”W) but it was washed away during the last set of storms. You can still see the marks of beaver teeth on the trees in that area. This is an easy place to drive to and park. You may need to walk up or down stream to get away from the noise of the paint-ball games and quad riders.

Sit still and get quiet

Sitting still on the bank of the river gives children and their grown-ups a chance to listen for the movements and calls of the wildlife. Follow the sounds to see what kind of creature made them. Bring binoculars if you can; they make the experience closer but not necessarily better.
Look at all the distances: close up, middle, and far. You see different things.
Bright red and yellow birds flit through the branches or walk carefully across a floating carpet of duck weed. Great Black Hawks hunt and nest; frogs croak and call to each other; cicadas crawl out of the damp sand, up he tree trunks and out of their skin to scream at each other in the branches. Large animals make their way down to the water at different times of day. If you sit still long enough you may see coyote, deer, bear, javelina, coatimundi, ringtail cat, bobcat, mountain lion, and raccoon. Huge wasps make nests in the mud on the banks. Funnel spiders make beautiful webs and raise their babies as one big, happy, crawling family.
The plants ar beautifully adapted to the strip of water that runs through the arid landscape. In the summer the trees take in water during the day and the flow of the river diminishes. At night the trees don't drink as much so the water level goes up. On really hot days you can see the difference as though it wer tidal. The next time you go down to the river, take a moment to have a look around, then take another moment to listen.
Three Cautions:
1. Bees do sting and spiders do bite but not if you leave them alone.
2. Remember to stay away from the river if it is still raining upstream or in surrounding mountains.
3. Pack it in – pack it out.
At-home activity: print out the line drawing of the poster and color it yourself

Spring Snow Storm

Snow is quickly melting off the cars - it is very cold here. From my office window I watched a dark grey cloud consume the mountain. The little white clouds rushed out of its way, down the street and through the trees. We could see the curtain of snow before it hit us, like the rains in summer. One of my client's drove up with his mother from the town below the snowline, up into our clouds; knowing they would drive back down out of the snow when they left my office.
Snowflakes are supposed to be unique. Each has six points or sides. The ground outside the office looks like someone forgot to plug the hole in the bottom of the slushy machine. It just looks cold and wet.
for a virtual snowflake of your own try Make A Flake
Or make one out of paper with scissors at home using these instructions:
Paper Snowflakes

Looking for Mushrooms

March 8

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Wet - cold early Spring day

Perfect for mushrooms

Look down or on tree trunks.