The Lion's Tooth or the Cat's Ear

A weed or an edible plant? Both the Dandelion Taraxacum officinale and the Catsear Hypochaeris radicata, very similar but unrelated plants. The genus is taxonomically complex, with some botanists dividing the group into about 34 macrospecies, and about 2000 microspecies; approximately 235 apomictic and polyploid microspecies have been recorded in Great Britain and Ireland. Some botanists take a much narrower view and only accept a total of about 60 species. Wikipedia. Both the Dandelion and the Catsear are completely edible. I used to eat them regularly in salads in South America. The English name dandelion is a corruption of the French dent de lion meaning "lion's tooth", referring to the coarsely toothed leaves.

Agave

The agave is not a cactus.

Kingdom	Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision	Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division	Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class	Liliopsida – Monocotyledons
Subclass	Liliidae
Order	Liliales
Family	Agavaceae – Century-plant family
Genus	Agave L. – agave

 Each agave plant will produce several pounds of edible flowers during its final season. The stalks, which are ready during the summer, before the blossom, weigh several pounds each. Roasted, they are sweet and can be chewed to extract the aguamiel, like sugarcane. When dried out, the stalks can be used to make didgeridoos. The leaves may be collected in winter and spring, when the plants are rich in sap, for eating. The leaves of several species also yield fiber: for instance, Agave rigida var. sisalana, sisal hemp, Agave decipiens, false sisal hemp. Agave americana is the source of pita fiber, and is used as a fiber plant in Mexico, the West Indies and southern Europe. Wikipedia.

The White Dove of the Desert

Mission San Xavier del Bac is known as the White Dove of the Desert and is the oldest intact European structure in Arizona. Rather than being a relic and tourist attraction, the Church is a functioning Catholic Mission. The statement of the Mission usage is as follows:

The Mission was created to serve the needs of the local community here, the village of Wa:k (San Xavier District) on the Tohono O'odham reservation, as it still does today. We have people from all over the country, and the world, wanting to have their special event here at the mission, and sometimes that can be accommodated, but the policy of the Mission church is to only do Marriages, Baptisms, etc. for the local community. Everyone is welcome to attend masses, special celebrations (like feast days), etc., but it is our belief that ones sacramental life should be shared within their local community.

Here is the Church's timeline:

1692 Father Kino visits the village of Wa:k
1700 Father Kino begins foundations on a church never built
1711 Father Kino dies in Magdalena, Sonora, Mexico
1756 Father Espinosa constructs the 1st church
1767 Jesuits are expelled from New Spain
1768 Spanish Franciscans take over the Mission
1783 Construction begins on the present church
1797 The Mission church is completed
1821 Spanish Franciscans leave
1846 Cooke's Mormon battalion passes by the Mission
1854 Gadsden Purchase puts the Mission inside the United States
1859 Santa Fe diocese begins first repairs of the Mission
1887 Earthquake damages the Mission
1905 Bishop Granjon begins major repairs
1913 Franciscans return to the Mission
1939 Lightning strikes the West Tower
1953 Church facade is restored
1963 San Xavier becomes a National Historic Landmark
1978 Patronato San Xavier established to preserve the Mission
1989 Leaking walls force emergency restoration
1992 Conservators begin a 5-year rescue effort of the interior

Another New Blog

My daughter and I have been discussing our new Blogs for some time. I have a link to my new blog, PhotoArizona360 on the left side of this blog post. This is real inauguration of the site because of my first 360 degree panoramas being accepted by 360Cities.net. I plan on keeping the present site to show my regular photos, but my panoramas and 360 photos will be on the other site. My first picture is of the El Tovar Hotel and Hopi House on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. I hope to regularly have more photos to add to my site and to 360Cities. If you are not familiar with 360Cities, you should be. It is a fabulous site for photography. It is based out of the Czech Republic and features mostly European photographers. Here is a copy of the first photo from the site:



El Tovar, Hopi House Grand Canyon of the Colorado Vista in Arizona

Please take time to look at my new site as I add photos.

New Blog called Heritage Paper Dolls

My daughter started a new Blog called Heritage Paper Dolls. You will like it a lot.

The ravages of Time

Wind, rain, summer heat, winter cold all take their toll on the walls of the San Xavier del Bac Mission. But unlike many other structures that have long passed into oblivion, San Xavier del Bac is renewed through constant renovation. To give you an idea of the passage of time, here is a photo by C.R. Savage from the late 1800s:

The photo is in the form of a stereoscopic view and comes from the New York Public Library, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building / Photography Collection, Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photograph. If you click on the old photo, you can that even in the 1800s the buildings were old and in need of repair. The building has survived two earthquakes and thirty years of abandonment during the 19th Century. The restoration efforts make for interesting reading. See Conservation at Mission San Xavier del Bac by Jason L. Metcalfe. Here is a quote summarizing the efforts to preserve the building taken in 1989:

In 1984, a whitewash of portland cement was applied to the exterior walls and a coat of white elastomeric emulsion paint was applied to the entire roof to seal it. The paint was supposed to be impervious to water; it worked for awhile, however, with the intense southern-Arizona heat and sunlight, the acrylic eventually deteriorated. The paint film shrunk, developing small fissures which allowed rainwater to penetrate, trapping the moisture under its surface. In 1988, when Robert Vint (the architect in charge of the exterior conservation) examined the roof vaults, he "peeled up" a small section of the impermeable roof emulsion to reveal thriving mold growth in the dark, damp, and warm environment beneath.
In 1989, to remedy the situation, Vint had the acrylic emulsion and layers of cement removed. Once the original masonry was exposed, he employed a traditional technique learned from his mentor, Mexican architect Jorge Olvera. Two layers of lime and sand plaster (free of soluble salts), bound by mucilage extracted from the nopal or prickly pear cactus, was applied as a "breathing" protective coating. The mucilage was prepared by boiling pads of prickly pear cactus in large kettles and mashing them to obtain the gooey extract used to mix with the mortar. The mortar was also applied to the exterior surfaces of the mission, which were then burnished with smooth river cobbles (also a traditional technique) to compact the surface and reduce the rate of water absorption.³. In addition to the burnishing, a hydrophobic material (aluminum stearate) was added to increase the water repellence. There are problems, however, with the use of a hydrophobe on top of a plaster. Cracks that develop in the plaster as a result of thermal movement become drainage channels when the hydrophobe and gravity convey water across the damaged areas. Consequently, the use of a hydrophobe has been discontinued in the current repairs. Notwithstanding, it is now felt that, overall, the traditional method is best for the long- term benefit and structural integrity of the mission. The lime and sand combination is most compatible with the original brick; however, the finish will need frequent reburnishing and whitewashing: the key to protecting a traditional preservation system for clay bricks is maintenance.

Decorated Facade of San Xavier del Bac

If you look closely at the facade, you can see how weathered it is becoming after all of the years of its existence. Here is an older photo by Edward S. Curtis of the same location from a different perspective:

This picture was taken over a hundred years ago as a gelatin silver print. The identification of the photo is "Facade, San Xavier del Bac Mission" in Edward S. Curtis The North American Indian, vol. II : the Pima, the Papago, the Qahatika, the Mohave, the Yuma, the Maricopa, the Walapai, the Havasupai, the Apache-Mohave, or Yavapai [portfolio] ; plate no. 51.

Here is another photo. This one from Rexford Newcomb, The Francisan Mission Architecture of Alta California, by Architectural Book Publishing Co., 1916.

 

Compare the detail of the facade with the recent photo I took in April, 2011:

 

An Adobe Gate -- San Xavier del Bac

Adobe construction is ubiquitous in the desert Southwest. Substantial trees are virtually non-existent and clay is everywhere. But Adobes alone will melt in a rain, so they are usually covered with a film of cement. The San Xavier del Bac church was constructed entirely of adobe and is known as one of the finest Spanish Colonial Churches in the United States. Adobe is traditionally sun dried sand, gravel, clay, water, and often, straw or grass mixed by hand and formed in wooden molds. In adobe buildings, the building material is held together by its own weight. The walls, like this gate structure, were built with the adobe bricks and mud mortar.

Adobe walls have low structural strength and tend to be massive and seldom over 2 stories. San Xavier del Bac is an exceptionally large adobe structure. To protect the surface from erosion surface coatings include mud plaster, lime plaster, whitewash and stucco (cement). Whitewash consists of ground gypsum rock, water and clay.

United States. The Preservation of Historic Architecture: The U.S. Government's Official Guidelines for Preserving Historic Homes. Guilford, CT: Lyons Press, 2004.

A look inside -- San Xavier del Bac

Different cultures and different religions have contrasting values and modes of worship. Catholic churches are built in a traditional pattern that has existed for over a thousand years. San Xavier del Bac was constructed on the common cruciform groundplan with an atrium (courtyard), narthex (vestibule), central nave with aisles, a bema for the clergy extending into a transept, and an exedra or semi-circular apse. At each side of the bema, at the transept there are two chapels at either end. Wikipedia. The Church faces south so this is the East Chapel with a representation of the Virgin Mary. In the Roman Catholic Church, candles are placed before a statue of Jesus or of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Often, in older or traditional churches, this will be before a side altar. Candles used may vary from long, taper-type candles to tealight candles. Tealight candles are either placed in holders or just on a platform in front of the statue. Long candles may be placed in a special holder. Candles are lit for prayer intentions. To "light a candle for someone" indicates one's intention to say a prayer for another person, and the candle symbolizes that prayer. A donation box intended to defer candle costs generally accompanies votive candles. In some churches, the donation is considered a mandatory contribution in exchange for lighting a candle. Wikipedia.

A visit to San Xavier del Bac is not only a visit to a historic building, but also a visit to a living, operating Catholic Church.

Eusebio Francisco Kino and the Mission San Xavier del Bac

The earliest Europeans came to what is now called Arizona in about 1528. To get a little perspective, that was 79 years before the settlement of the Jamestown Island in the Virginia Colony in 1607. The first European was probably Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, who traveled by foot from the vicinity of modern day Florida all across the southern part of the continent, ending up in Mexico City. He was followed by Fry Marcos de Niza and later by Francisco Vásquez de Coronado. However, the real exploration and settlement of the area began with the efforts of Eusebio Francisco Kino born Eusebio Francesco Chini in what is now Italy on August 10, 1645. Most of these names are very familiar to those of us who have lived in Arizona for a long time because they have been used to name the grade schools, middle schools and high schools around Mesa and Phoenix. But there are very few who know anything about this early history.

Arizona is currently undergoing a huge controversy about "illegal aliens." But to put some things in perspective, what is now called Arizona has had native born Spanish speaking residents since 200 years before there ever was a United States of America.

Here is a short summary of some of Padre Kino's accomplishments from Wikipedia:

A widely known fact about Kino now is that he fought hard for the rights of the various indigenous Sonoran tribes and their individual members. His conviction for his fight came from his humanitarian values and were proscribed by the Spanish Crown in the Laws of the Indies (Leyes de Indias). He opposed the slavery and compulsory hard labor in the silver mines that the Spaniards forced on native people. This also caused great controversy among his co-missionaries, many of whom acted according to the laws imposed by Spain on their territory. Father Kino was also a writer, authoring books on religion, astronomy and maps. He built missions extending from present day states of Mexican Sonora - northeast for 150 miles (240 km) - into U.S. Arizona. There the Mission San Xavier del Bac near Tucson, a popular National Historic Landmark, is still functioning as a Franciscan Catholic parish church. He constructed nineteen rancherías (villages), which supplied cattle to new settlements. He was also instrumental in the return of the Jesuits to Baja California in 1697.

San Xavier del Bac

The Mission San Xavier del Bac was founded in 1692 by Eusebio Francisco Kino. The original mission was destroyed in 1770 but was constructed from 1783 to 1797. In 1822, it fell under the jurisdiction of the newly independent Mexican government and the Catholic Diocese of Sonora. In 1828, the Mexican government banned all Spanish-born priests and the priest serving at San Xavier was sent home to Spain; San Xavier was left vacant. From 1828-1858, the vacant church began to decay and local Indians, concerned about their church, started preserving what they could. In 1853, the church was brought under U.S. jurisdiction when the surrounding territory was bought in the Gadsen Purchase. The vacant and decaying church was re-opened, in 1859, when the U.S.-based Santa Fe Diocese added Arizona to its jurisdiction. The Bishop for the Santa Fe Diocese ordered repairs to be made with Diocese money and a priest was assigned to serve at San Xavier. Wikipedia.

I have visited the Church a number of times, but this is first time I have spent taking photographs. During the next few Blog posts, I will share the photos of both the exterior and interior of the Church and its surroundings. This is one of the oldest European built buildings in the State of Arizona and has the nickname of "The White Dove of the Desert."

Theodore Roosevelt Dam -- 100 years

Roosevelt Dam, this year celebrating is 100th anniversary, has played a major part in my life from time to time. One of my first significant outdoor experiences was a trip down the Apache Trail from north to south that included a stop to swim in Roosevelt Lake. At that time it was a rubble-masonry dam, but in 1989 the dam was raised 77 feet to the height of 357 feet. In 2009, the lake reached capacity with the new addition to the dam.

Here is an old picture of the dam before the 1989 alterations.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Roosevelt_Dam_1911.JPG

Persistent Memories

One of my most persistent memories is the sound of Mourning Doves. The Mourning Dove (Zenaida Macroura) is found all over North America into southern Canada, including down into Central America to Panama. Almost every morning, during the hot summers in Arizona when we had our windows open, I could hear the Mourning Doves with their distinctive calls. We had our windows open because we had swamp coolers and that's what you do when you have a swamp cooler to allow the air to blow out the windows.

Butterflies at the Desert Botanical Garden

The Desert Botanical Garden (DBG) is the gem stone in the Valley of the Sun. Every year they have a butterfly exhibit in the Spring. You can walk into a huge enclosure where there are hundreds of free flying butterflies. So that is the secret of the butterfly photos. This year we went early enough that the butterflies were still mostly intact. Later on in the season they get a little ragged looking. If you come to Phoenix and miss seeing the DBG, you miss one of the few spectacular things in the whole Phoenix area.