Author: Tommy

By Ted Grussing… Black and White are the two most difficult colors to shoot and while One gives me plenty of practice on the black, there are not a lot of things I shoot that are white … and once a year I get to spend a lot of time shooting white iris’ along with all the others. I love the delicate laciness of the petals on this iris and hope you do too.  

Intrigued by the latest images from Mars and Pluto but want to see what lies beyond?Camp Verde AZ (April 13, 2017) – Saturday, April 22 between 2:00p and 4:00p, meet Mike Cadwell, local astrophotographer and a member of the Astronomers of the Verde Valley. Mike’s photographs of the night sky will be hung on the walls throughout the library and he will be available to talk about the images on display and give a brief glimpse into what makes astrophotography so special.Mr. Cadwell has been involved in the physical sciences for most of his life and has been photographing the…

19 students honored for academic excellence, educational achievementsClarkdale AZ (April 13, 2017) – Yavapai College Verde Valley campus faculty singled out 18 top students Thursday, honoring them for   their academic excellence and educational achievements during an annual Evening of Recognition ceremony. The college’s highest honor – the President’s Award for Excellence — went to Yerania Rodriguez-Ibarra, a first-generation college student, tutor and All-Arizona Academic Team honoree.

Sedona AZ (April 13, 2017) – The city of Sedona has joined the National Safety Council in observing April as Distracted Driving Awareness Month – and that means eyes on the road, hands on the wheel and your mind on driving while driving within city limits.City Code restricts the use of portable communication devices while driving unless the device is configured to allow hands-free listening and talking, and is used exclusively in that manner while driving. Texting and typing while operating a motor vehicle are banned.

Cottonwood AZ (April 13, 2017) – On Saturday, April 22nd at 1:50pm, in the theater at Old Town Center for the Arts, performance artist and mask maker Pash Galbavy will offer a mask presentation for Earth Day as part of the Old Town Arts Fest. In “Wetiko vs the Planet,” Pash explores the personal and social archetypal psychology of environmental problems, and asks what we can do to help. ”Wetiko” (aka “Wendigo” or “Windigo”) is an Algonquin word that describes a cannibalistic spirit or disease of insatiable greed that eventually destroys itself by consuming everything that keeps it alive. Before this…

By Ted Grussing… it is that time of year when intense beauty is released everywhere … the Iris’ are making their debut. Some flowers such as orchids have blooms that will last weeks to months, but there is nothing to compare with the iris which releases unimaginable beauty  over a few short days and then retreats for another year. Thanks to my friend and neighbor Liz for allowing me to shoot her Iris again this year, she feeds her Iris … I need to start feeding mine too and perhaps I’ll get some blooms also.

Sedona Film Festival hosts big-screen debut of new production at Fisher TheatreSedona AZ (April 12, 2017) – The National Theatre of London continues its season with its acclaimed production of “Twelfth Night” showing in Sedona on Sunday, April 23 at 3 p.m. The Sedona International Film Festival hosts the big screen premiere at its Mary D. Fisher Theatre.Tamsin Greig is Malvolia in a new twist on Shakespeare’s classic comedy of mistaken identity “Twelfth Night”.A ship is wrecked on the rocks. Viola is washed ashore but her twin brother Sebastian is lost. Determined to survive on her own, she steps out…

Sedona AZ (April 12, 2017) – Red Rose Inspiration For Animals has been promoting Art Shows to benefit animal welfare since the fall 2009.   Red Rose provides many free services throughout the community such as spay and neuter, sponsoring homeless pet owners with transitional housing, and assisting pet owners that are financially challenged with emergency medical assistance for their feline or canine.  In 2016 Red Rose had taken in over 75 felines/canines without a facility, many surrendered out of desperation.  Red Rose also has a division called Raven Pines Dog Rescue that is focused on rehabilitation of those who have…

Sedona AZ (April 12, 2017) – The Sedona Heritage Museum is proud to announce the release of their latest book on local history entitled “History, Hilarity and Heartbreak” by Loretta Benore.Easy reading, this book covers mostly Sedona area history, but does stray to regional and  Arizona history stories, like the cavalry camels, some Arizona ‘bad girls’ and the Navajo Ordnance Depot during WWII, to name just a few.  If you are looking for some colorful characters you’ll find them in stories about local cowboys, eccentrics and trailblazers. Benore also caringly shares about the people behind accomplishments and contributions that made…

By Ted Grussing… two young boys were photographed as they fished from a wooden boat on Mormon Lake … the largest natural lake in the State of Arizona. I have no idea who they are, who took the photo or what became of them, but presume that by now they have passed from this life and are continuing their journey and I hope still enjoying it. I got an email from someone in response to a missive of mine with a photo of present day Mormon Lake and she said she had some old photos from the 20’s of Mormon…

Mary D. Fisher Theatre is the home for the opera simulcast and encore eventsSedona AZ (April 11, 2017) – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the next Met Live Opera presentation of Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin” on Saturday, April 22. There will be two shows that day at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre: 10 a.m. (live simulcast) and 4 p.m. (encore).Plan to come early as Deborah Raymond will lead a pre-opera talk one hour before each production (9 a.m. for the morning show and 3 p.m. for the encore).

Sedona AZ (April 11, 2017) – The community is invited to celebrate the grand opening of the new Posse Grounds Pavilion at a May 3 open house. Drop in any time from 4-7 p.m. to stroll the grounds, enjoy live music, theater and dance performances, and get a bite to eat. The pavilion has festival style seating, so bring a chair or blanket to use on the lawn.

By Ted Grussing… I didn’t fly Saturday, but did go up to the airport to do a little work on Mariah. The winds were gusting to 32 kts when I checked the AWOS (Automated Weather Observing System) for Sedona Airport so spent a little time near the end of the field shooting last light on the Mitten formation. On the face of the plateau on the right side you can see Schnebly Hill road on a diagonal going up the slope. A nice place to just enjoy the beauty of the early evening and feel the force of nature on…

Community March in support of Earth Day and as a satellite to the National March for ScienceSedona AZ (April 10, 2017) – “March for the Earth; March for Science” will take place on April 22 from 1-3 PM in Sedona, to celebrate Earth Day and as a satellite march to the National March for Science and its over 400 satellite marches around the world, which occur the same day. Sedona’s marchers will step off from Creative Gateways, 45 Birch Blvd. off SR89A (across from Whole Foods) in West Sedona at 1PM and will march to Thai Spices, at 2611 SR89A.

Sedona AZ (April 10, 2017) – An 8 hour Mental Health First Aid training class is scheduled for Friday, April 28, 8AM-5PM at the Sedona Fire Station, 125 Slide Rock Road in the Village of Oak Creek, Sedona. The program is offered by The Mental Health Coalition Verde Valley and Spectrum Healthcare Group. The 8-hour training is free, open to the public, and each person receives a certificate of completion. Continuing education credit may be available to those attending the 8-hour session.