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Showing posts with the label Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum

The Labyrinth Garden

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On my recent trip to Tucson’s Sonoran Desert Museum, I took time to walk paths and really enjoy the scenery.   I was drawn to a garden area with a spiral path.   The path was a labyrinth design and following it I became quietly thoughtful.   I was focused on the here and now as I looked at the rocks and plants beside me.     Quite the Zen experience! Later I read the signage about the path and was intrigued.   A labyrinth is a combination of a circle and a spiral that meanders into a meaningful experience.   There are two types of labyrinth patterns.   The archetypal design is classical – about 4000 years old.   It is a single pathway that loops back and forth to form 7 circuits around a single goal.   The one at the Desert Museum is a variation with 5 circuits.   The medieval labyrinth is the second pattern and is very symmetrical.   It was developed in the 10th and 11th centuries and has eleven concentric circles.   The Chartres labyrinth is an example of this.   Wish I had been

My Winter Vacation –The Arizona- Sonoran Desert Museum

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Cutest Prarie Dog Saying Hello! Remember when you had to write an essay about “My Summer Vacation”?   That is what came to mind when I decided to share my recent visit to Tucson’s ‘Sonoran Desert Museum’ www.desertmuseum.org .   Peter and I spent about 4 hours enjoying the landscape and animals and could have spent more time.   This is one place I visited often when I lived in Tucson; one place I miss and one place you should know about! Hundreds of saguaro cacti line the mountains on the way to the museum.   Half the fun is driving on the winding mountain roads outside of Tucson, getting to the crest and looking over the desert floor.   It makes me feel small and full of wonder. This place is a world renowned zoo, a natur al history museum and a botanical garden.   Walking along the many paths, you see interpretive displays.   The plants and animals represent a large area of the southwest- Arizona, California and many states of Mexico.   There are more than 300 animal species and