February 16 --- The Portal Soup Kitchen, and One Of My Photos Is Painted

Sorry folks, no sunrise or sunset photos on this post as there were no clouds to speak of and it was a Grocery Run To Douglas chore day, which in itself isn't conducive to taking photographs (unless you are a fan of an outside shot of Wal-Mart). After dropping by Mark and Lori's house (Casa de Conrad)  to put the bird food out -- how can they have 3 Mr. Northern Cardinals, all accompanied by their Missuses, and I can't get a single one? --  I went to pick up a friend who also needed supplies from The Big City, and we tootled down to Douglas, 50 miles one-way. (Living out here, driving long distances become meaningless after awhile as that's what it takes to get pretty much everywhere.) As I've mentioned before, I always prefer to get to the Wal-Mart there, do my shopping, then get the heck back home to avoid the crowds. Even with bringing my list of things to get and checking it twice, I still forgot the honey for my oatmeal -- but I ain't going back to get it. I needed to buy a 40-pound bag of salt pellets for my soft water system, but all Wal-Mart had were 2 broken bags, -- it looked like someone had opened the bags and taken some out without paying -- so (after looking around) I scooped the pellets from one and put it in another to hopefully make back the 40 pounds. We went to a few more places, then headed back home where our friend Portal Peak welcomed us back. We had lunch at the Soup Kitchen, a 3-day event held to make money for Portal Rescue. We have very few services provided by Cochise County (if any at all), so for medical emergencies we have an all-volunteer unit of EMTs and dispatchers, and volunteer firefighters, too. Portal Rescue's operating expenses runs about $50,000 per year, and the money comes from donations, fund-raisers, and government funds such as grants. I was thinking about getting involved with Portal Rescue, but at least for now I have enough to do with maintaining Faranuf, and volunteering to help man the Cave Creek Canyon Visitor Center (my first day there will be this Thursday; drop by if you're in the area, but don't make any questions you might have too difficult :o) ) So one of the ways Portal Rescue gets money is the annual Soup Kitchen, where people make soups and desserts, and you pay $7 for a meal. It's another great way to meet and chat with the locals. I met one of the long-time residents who has one of the first solar-powered houses, built back in 1973. And there was a visiting couple from Wyoming that do bird-watching tours down on Texas' Goose Island during spring migration, and I just may drop on by as it's on the way to High Island, where Discovery and I will spend the last week of April, also for the spring bird migration.  It's hard not to be social here, though there are people up in some canyons living off the grid with the barest of "conveniences" like plumbing  -- and indoor bathrooms.

I don't know if I've mentioned the following story in an earlier post...A few months back I was contacted by Bird Note, which creates programming for public radio stations and online that deals with all aspects of birds and birding. Though a friend who works there, I've submitted some of my bird photos for their use, and my friend sent me an e-mail, saying that someone who contacted them wanted to get in touch with me to see about using one of my photos. So I sent an e-mail to the requester, asking which photo he wanted to use, and for what reason. He replied, saying he wanted to use one of my Cactus Wren photos. And wanted to paint it. Sure!  I sent him the image, he finished the painting in a few months' time, and sent me a giclee (a high-resolution copy of the painting) suitable for framing. Now, all during this time I was thinking, "His name sounds familiar.." I "Googled" his name -- and as it turned out he was (and still is) rather well-known. He's Bobby Goldsboro, the pop and country singer-songwriter who wrote and performed music in the 60s and 70s. His most famous song was "Honey". And as it turns out, he's also an accomplished painter, with exhibitions of his work around the country. And he wanted to paint MY Cactus Wren. Here's the one he requested --

It was taken back in 2010 at Palos Verdes' Ocean Trails in coastal Los Angeles. So Bobby had seen it on Bird Note, liked it, and with my permission painted it. And this is the result, the giclee he sent me -- 

It will take pride of place in my living room,  along with the movie poster autographed by "The Arizona Cowboy", Rex Allen, who was born in Willcox on the other side of the Chiricahuas.