Turning to Supplements to Fight Illness
Winter 2008
In the past few years, the small packets have invaded. They fill up desk drawers at work, kitchen cabinets at home and purses and backpacks. The best-known brand is Emergen-C. They boast themselves as “super energy boosters” and champions of immune defense. They are envelopes of a dietary supplement powder. And when cold and flu season unleashes itself across the region, people reach for them. Continue reading “Nature’s Healing Hand”
A Verde Valley Thermal Pool Beckons All Kinds
December 2007
As my truck skittered along Forest Road 708 towards Verde Hot Springs, the pungency of earth and its abundance drifted through my window. People often speak of the journey versus the destination, but this trip held adventure on both accounts – a desert trek and a contemplative soak.
The dirt road’s occasional ribcage of ruts kept my speed to a law-abiding 20 mph – an irony as its distance also measured 20 miles. It rose to butte views and plunged to cross a dry Fossil Creek. Hairpin bends hugged cliffs, looming like weathered faces, and after five miles, a Sharp Curve sign belatedly appeared. It teetered, the result of someone barely negotiating its particular concern. Continue reading “Hot Springs Eternal”
The Adventure-Photographer Life of Dawn Kish
November 2007
Emerging photographer Dawn Kish’s style, with pigtails and jade Thai wrap-trousers, balanced her soft-spoken passion. Spanish guitar music played while she clicked on her computer, showing me photographs. The 36-year-old Kish has repelled from an arch in Canyonlands, run the Colorado River as a boatman and found herself the unexpected guest at an Oaxacan funeral. “That is the serendipity of my job.”
An avid river runner, climber and snowboarder, Kish prefers to go and play outdoors. But she finds her passion and work in recording others interacting with nature. “Whether it’s climbing or science in the Grand Canyon, I get into what people are about — their essence — and capture it. I get to play with light. That’s my job.” Continue reading “Playing with the Light”
Carving Out a Place for Indoor Recreation
June 2007
A man with a salt-and-pepper beard and hair bunching out from under a ballcap walked into Mountain Home Game Room and Spa. After a quick decision about chemicals for his hot tub, he lingered by a case displaying pool balls. The customer struck up a conversation with Jeff Waldheim, General Manager. “I used to be an intramural champ at college,” the man said, “but I need to practice more. It’s not the eyes, it’s the hands.” Continue reading “This Room’s Got Game”
