​By Sara Wright

Images courtesy of Sara Wright

When My brother and I were little one of our favorite games was to guess at which butterfly we were seeing at a distance. Was it a monarch or a viceroy? We learned to note flight pattern differences. Monarchs flap and flutter while viceroys are more apt to glide. The latter also seemed to stay on a flower with wings spread out long enough to identify the single black streak on the viceroy’s lower wings. Because we had access to a large field, woods, brooks, marshes, and wet meadows that supported an old farm pond we also learned that in general monarchs liked open areas while viceroys seemed to prefer wet meadows around seeps brooks and ponds.  But not always! From a distance, these butterflies look exactly alike except that viceroys are smaller in size, the easiest way to identify one. The Viceroy's wingspan is 2⅝ to three inches, while that of the Monarch is 3½ to four inches.  
 
Here at home, I notice that monarchs and viceroys both are prevalent throughout July and into early August when viceroys seem to shine. I am not sure how much this has to do with food sources. Monarchs sail around through masses of milkweed until it goes by, sipping nectar from the wild bee balm that dominates my summer flower garden and everywhere else that’s wild. Viceroys (Limenitis Archippus) are drawn to the blue thistles, but I am also seeing them on my white phlox. When I meander through a nearby lowland sanctuary viceroys are feasting on wild clematis and Joe Pye weed making it easy for me to photograph them with their wings outspread.
 
While living in Abiquiu (Northern New Mexico) I saw what I thought were monarchs down by the river floating through the willows one summer and then realized they were probably viceroys because of their smaller size and general monarch scarcity. It wasn’t until one came into the yard and landed on my milkweed (which they aren’t known to gather nectar from) that I spied the crescent shaped wing stripe that also identifies this butterfly. I also noted that the ones I saw seemed to be a muted shade of orange – almost rust colored.  As I recall there weren’t that many, but I was delighted to see even a few. Some seemed attracted to my giant sunflowers. They also flocked to the lovely blue asters. Around here Viceroy adults feast on wild asters, goldenrod and shrubby willows. The willow family which includes poplars, aspens and cottonwoods is their primary food source. This butterfly is apparently found in most of the continental United States, southern Canada, and as far south as Northern Mexico.
 
It still amazes me that these two species are totally unrelated! I grew up believing that monarchs were toxic to most birds, so viceroys mimicked them to prevent being eaten. Now some sources suggest that both unrelated species are toxic to birds! It is information like this that keeps me grounded, trusting my own experience and citing sources as probabilities or possibilities. Good science is always evolving, so called ‘experts’ come and go.
 
The viceroy mates in the afternoon. The female lays her greenish white eggs with small protrusions on the tips of the leaves of one of the members of the willow family often preferring the shrubbier varieties of which I have an abundance here. The eggs (gall -like)  hatch within a week. After birth caterpillars eat their eggshells, then begin feeding on the catkins or leaves of the host plant. The young larvae sometimes construct a ball of leaf litter, dung, and silk which dangles from the leaf they are feeding on. Depending upon location there may be two or three generations of viceroys born each breeding season.
 
The caterpillars may be mottled brown or green with creamy blotches and have two knob -like horns. Caterpillars from a third brood may spend the winter rolled up in a leaf that they attach with silk to a branch ready to emerge the following spring. The chrysalis itself is a shiny bronze. In the past couple of years, I have seen a few viceroys in early June but the majority seem most active later in the season which lasts into September.
 
Viceroys, like other butterflies, regulate their temperature by basking in the sun to warm up. Early – to mid - morning (depending on temperature) are ideal times to photograph them for this reason.
 
Sources differ on the feeding habits of adult Viceroys. Some say the food source varies seasonally, with early brood Viceroys relying on carrion, decaying fungi, aphid honeydew and animal dung, later switching to flowers such as Joe Pye Weed, asters, and goldenrods.
It's almost mid – August. Because many of my garden flowers are drooping from repeated deluges some bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds have moved to the giant old - fashioned hydrangea that has just begun to bloom and will continue to do so throughout September/October. Others have taken to the field that is presently bursting with goldenrod and wild asters. Because I leave most of my land wild and make it a point not to remove leaf litter or mow (I do hay around the house and field after all flowers have died back) I have created a year-round sanctuary for butterflies of all kinds and have an abundance of them throughout the season each year.

Obsessing over the work that matters

By Zach Hively
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​On the rare occasions I speak with people, they like to ask how I’ve been. “Busy,” I say. “But like, actually busy. Like, all the time.”

Sometimes these people don’t believe me. Usually when they are not themselves small business owners or entrepreneurs. I think people who run their own businesses understand being busy all the time. Your small business is not like a small child—you can’t just give it some whiskey to knock it out for the night. A business never lets you rest.

Business doesn’t explain my busyness lately, though. No, in lieu of doing work-work, I’ve been working on a playlist.

Sure, you might say this project is “only” a one-hour playlist. You might think that with 100,000 new tracks added to Spotify each day, identifying fifteen or twenty of them to fill an hour shouldn’t be so hard.

You, however, might be wrong.

The hopes of a nation rest on this playlist. Or at least the hopes of a few people who belong to some nation or other. Like, maybe ten of us.

But for those ten or so, the stakes could hardly be pounded further into the ground if I hit my head against them instead of against this cinder-block wall.

See, I was asked to throw together a little music for a post-workshop dance practice coming up. Wide open, free and easy, no pressure—people may not even dance to the music I play, unless they’re not quite tired out yet, in which case they’ll dance Every Song, and oh also they’re learning a style entirely new to them so this playlist will basically be their first-ever impression of it, so if they don’t vibe with the playlist they could decide they hate this particular dance style FOREVER and it all came down to my poor choice of a Fine Young Cannibals song.

Just a one-hour playlist. You might as well tell Chopin that he plays just the piano, or Maggie Smith that despite a long and accomplished career in theater and on screen that she will just be remembered as the Harry Potter lady.
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This playlist matters. So, please excuse me. I have to return to it before my regular business realizes what I’ve been doing for weeks.

August 6, 2024 
  
SANTA FE — The New Mexico Department of Health (NMHealth) has confirmed a West Nile virus infection in a resident of Union County. The individual was not hospitalized and is currently recovering at home.  
  
In 2023, New Mexico had the third highest number of human infections of West Nile virus reported in the state since tracking began in 2002. In all, there were 80 infections and eight deaths. Over the last five years, New Mexico has averaged approximately 35 cases per year of West Nile virus. 
 
“Preventing mosquito bites is our first line of defense against West Nile Virus,” said Dr. Miranda Durham, Chief Medical Officer for NMHealth. “Protect yourself and your loved ones by using insect repellent and eliminating standing water.” 
 
West Nile virus is transmitted by mosquitoes. Residents are encouraged to take steps to reduce their risk of infection. To protect yourself from West Nile virus infection: 

• Use an approved insect repellent every time you go outside and follow the instructions on the label. Among the EPA-approved repellents are those that contain DEET, picaridin, IR3535 and oil of lemon eucalyptus/para-menthane-diol. 
• Wear long sleeves and pants at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active. 
• Eliminate water-holding containers where mosquitoes lay their eggs, such as old tires, empty cans, and other unneeded outdoor items that can hold water. Drain the water in birdbaths, wading pools, and saucers under potted plants weekly. 
• Make sure rain barrels are tightly screened. 
• Keep windows and doors closed if not screened. If you leave your house doors or windows open, make sure they have screens that fit tightly and have no holes. 

 
For more information about preventing mosquito bites, visit the CDC’s website. 
  
Also, for horse owners, it is important to vaccinate your animals to protect them from West Nile virus and Western Equine Encephalitis, which is also carried by mosquitoes. In 2023, 19 horses were confirmed to have West Nile virus; six of these horses died.    
 
“Don’t wait until it’s too late,” said Erin Phipps, DVM, MPH, NMHealth Public Health Veterinarian. “A single vaccine can make a difference and protect your horses from West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne diseases.” 
 
There are no medications to treat or vaccines to prevent West Nile virus infection in humans. People ages 50 years and older and those with other health issues are at highest risk of becoming seriously ill or dying when they become infected with the virus. If people have symptoms and suspect West Nile virus infection, they should contact their healthcare provider immediately.    
  
Symptoms of the milder form of illness, West Nile fever, can include headache, fever, muscle and joint aches, nausea and fatigue. People with West Nile fever typically recover on their own, although symptoms may last for weeks to months. Symptoms of West Nile neuroinvasive disease can include those of West Nile fever plus neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness and paralysis.   
  
For more information about West Nile virus, including fact sheets in English and Spanish, go to the NMHealth’s West Nile webpage. 
 
###

NMHealth
David Barre, Communications Coordinator | david.barre@doh.nm.gov | (505) 699-9237
 
NMHealth works to promote health and wellness, improve health outcomes, and deliver services to all New Mexicans. As New Mexico’s largest state agency, DOH offers public health services in all 33 counties and collaborates with 24 Native American Tribes, Pueblos and Nations.         

In line with its efforts to support arts programming in Abiquiu, Dar al Islam is hosting the world-renowned Adam Williamson’s sacred pattern educational retreat from September 5th to 9th, 2024. This is the second consecutive year that Adam Williamson will be offering its program at Dar al Islam.

Adam, the author of Profound Patterns (2022), and a contributor of chapters to the best-selling Thames and Hudson book Arts and Crafts of the Islamic Land, is a leading specialist in geometric and biomorphic (Arabesque) pattern, a traditional cursive art form that can be found universally. The visual crystallization of movement, biomorphs express the archetypal cycles inherent in nature, from plant growth, sound vibrations and oceanic currents to the expansion of galaxies. Adam is currently working on an extensive manual on biomorphic pattern. In 2022 Adam also wrote a series articles for Aramco World Magazine exploring Pattern’s from around the world.

Adam Williamson will be supported by renowned artists including John Martineau, Adam Tetlow, Aloria Weaver, David Heskin, Ricardo Hinojosa and Christopher Riederer. Local catering shall be provided by Kohinoor- Rehana Archuletta -, while enjoying local Sufi musical performance and campfire ceramic project.
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The event will take place in Dar al Islam’s stunning vaulted adobe complex built in 1980 by the famous Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy. Enrollment is open to all.
The program consists of the following components:

Using the traditional tools of compass and straight edge we will a create a traditional geometric rosette and explore principles of tessellation.
 
Within the decorative canon of Islamic art, there are two interrelated modes of pattern: geometric and biomorphic, also known as arabesque. Geometry provides the underlying structure over which biomorphic patterns grow. Biomorphic patterns are visual crystallizations of movement, abstract depictions of the vital, dynamic life-force of Nature, which every culture around our spherical globe expresses visually using the shapes and materials most intuitive to them. These shapes describe the cycles inherent in the natural world, from the microscopic to the macroscopic: protons and neutrons spinning around an atom; sound vibrations passing through air; the uncurling of leaves on a fern; the whorls of fingerprints; the growth rings in trees, the currents that swirl the oceans; and the expansion of galaxies. In classical sacred art, symmetry exemplifies perfection and unity as reflections of divine qualities. The act of drawing can thus be undertaken as a meditation upon this harmony in the multiple orders of Nature.

​The Joyous Cosmology; An Introduction to Sacred Geometry The transcendental geometric domain may be glimpsed through the creative act of contemplative practice, using only the ancient geometer’s tools. The manifest natural world we inhabit continually exhibits geometric tendencies, ever striving toward the perfection of the ideal while never quite arriving. A universal human impulse to commune with the higher realms has given rise to magnificent works of sacred art and architecture worldwide, in the form of geometric symbolism that permeates and enriches our biological existence, bringing cosmic proportion down to earth. This relationship between the ideal and the material provides a continual anchor for a meditative geometric practice that proceeds from a single inherent point of creation toward ever-increasing complexity. Through a developing series of functions using compass and straight edge, we will unfold a series of principles that are echoed in diverse examples of traditional sacred architecture. This session emphasizes the geometer’s state of mind as an instrumental element in the creation of our drawings. We’ll examine and recreate exemplars of timeless beauty, aiming to behold their mysteries and contained geometric metaphors, partaking of the eternal as it is conveyed through the temporal.

Paper folding brings out qualities of spatial texture to the forefront via the magic of interchanging states; valley and mountain, yin and yang, off and on. The characters of interaction dancing in an endless, yet comprehensive variety of ways exhibit how nature converges.

Space is inherent with rich meaning and mathematical significance. To fold is to play a game with space, a game where space resolves itself invariably. Therein lay aspects relating the phenomena of space which can be used to favor our creative ambitions. If the material folds, it can follow the same principles as other folded materials. This is the bane and boon of the folding artist; figuring out how to project an idea on paper to ceramics, wood or metal, to name some common materials.

Folding is a consultation of God´s solutions. Laws, axioms and theorems exist to describe the differences between what is possible and what can be thought up. Take Islamic Patterns for example; we can use folds on the page as a tool, a way to mechanize space and turn it into an augmented compass, straightedge, protractor and T-ruler all in one. Through this lens we can virtually construct most any pattern in the Islamic Geometric Pattern canon. This is the task I will take on in the workshop: to empower you with this vision so that you too can fold patterns of many kinds and realize how much these are effectively Sacred Geometry.

​ by Adam Williamson

Biomorphic designs are structured around a spiral from which the motifs and leaves sprout. The curvilinear forms are created using a combination of straightedge, compass, and freehand drawing. The movement of nature inspires this unbroken spiral flow. There are no hard corners; the curves are sweeping and gentle. As the spiral advances, it radiates secondary spirals, which in turn radiate others, and soon the page is alive with movement. The spiral progresses from its source like a plant from a seed growing towards the light. This centrifugal movement reflects the progression of creation, moving toward infinity.

​ by Adam Tetlow

Celtic pattern is rooted in the practice of traditional geometry. The three styles of knotwork, key patterns, and interlocking spiral motifs blend a geometrical underpinning with freehand ornament. Join artist Adam Tetlow and author of Celtic Pattern: Visual Rhythms of the Ancient Mind to draw some intricate and beautiful examples of these ancient styles.

 by Adam Williamson

This session will focus on building patterns from medieval Persia and 5&10-fold symmetry.

 with Fabiola De la Cueva, Fire ceramics in campfire and Live Sufi Music with local musicians  ​

In solidarity with Olympian Sammy Sullivan

​By Zach Hively

A friend recently shared her summary of an article she read on the internet. The author was some old white dude with some old white-dude name. He posits, in a totally old-white-dude way, that animals cannot have thoughts because they do not have words to think them. I posit, respectfully, that he is an idiot.

As evidence to support my claim, I point to Legos.

Specifically, I point to the stack of Lego bins in my closet, which, yes, I still build with because Legos are timeless, ageless classics that I have justified moving to every new house and apartment I’ve lived in since pre-k.

If I don’t play with them, then they can’t bring me joy, and Marie Kondo will try convincing me to give them away to some child less fortunate, who would probably just lose the Lego pirates down the heater vent anyway.

[Side note: was anyone else an adult before they figured out “leggo my Eggo” had nothing to do with the greatest toy ever invented?]

Here’s the scene: you’re building, because why not, a Lego Millennium Falcon staffed by medieval knights on horseback. You need a certain piece. You know how many bumps it has on it, and how thick it is. You shuffle through your bin of Legos, calling out to this piece with your mind. Let’s name this concept a “thought.” Then your best friend, who does not judge you for building Legos on a Wednesday afternoon because he is imaginary, asks you what piece you’re looking for.

You freeze. You have no name for this piece. Leastwise, no name you can reproduce with your mouth. It just has a … a feeling. You balk at describing the piece, because there are so many complex facets to consider, all of which are encapsulated in that feeling but people would think you are crazy if you told them that a tall, straight, light gray, three-bumped piece with holes in it has a “feeling.”

So you try to articulate the string of adjectives to your friend, who finds a comparable piece but the wrong shade of gray. This is why it’s easier to play with Legos by yourself and not have any friends.

There is no word for that feeling. No word for that piece. Like, okay, maybe there’s a word for it at Lego World HQ deep in a hidden volcano where Danes get paid to design Lego sets—it has to, so Malthe’s boss Freja can ask whether or not that new Trebümpenblokdesijn will be ready before their three-month national summer holiday.

But in normal-people land, where no one recompenses our bright ideas for new collector’s edition sets (like—get this—a Lego steam engine staffed by medieval knights on horseback), it does not have a name.
​
This is proof: thoughts exist without words. Therefore, Mr. Old White Dude, my dog has thoughts. 

Sure, many of these revolve around going o-u-t-s-i-d-e, which is why I spend my days diligently avoiding any trace of a hint of possibly moving toward the back door. It’s also why I’ve had to remove from my vocabulary all those phrases that can be mistaken for o-u-t-s-i-d-e, like “mouse hide” or “owl slide.”

Soon, for lack of using language, these concepts will become Lego pieces in my brain: ideas without functioning words to express them.

This is not a new phenomenon for me. In fact, I spend a good deal of my writing time staring at the texture of the wall, trying to identify the right words—sometimes even in the right order—to articulate a thought. I can have this thought clear as any Lego piece. It can even have a more nuanced emotional arc than many contemporary movies.

But it has no words.

And I cannot be alone in this experience. If everyone had immediate words for every thought they had, we would all be terrified to learn what everyone was thinking all the time. I do NOT want to live in a world where the people I buy dog food from are privy to an eloquent, well-articulated, English-language interpretation of my thoughts as to how much dog supplements cost. (Hint: they cost even more than Legos.)

I’d much rather remain quiet, handsome, and mysterious—quite like my dog—so that the pet store people look at me and wonder what I’m thinking about deep in my soul.
Because, no doubt, I am thinking something deep in my soul. Old Mr. White Dude better believe it. I am thinking plenty of thoughts—I’m just all out of words to describe them. But I assure you, they are well-staffed by medieval knights. On horseback.

Get 'er done.
Zach Hively

I suspect we all struggle to Get Things Done. I know I do.

Thank goodness.

As a person with no external guiding structure in place, such as a trained manager or surveillance cameras, I also benefit from little to no internal motivation to Get Things Done, at least until they are due or a person (besides myself) is coming over. And that doesn’t happen every season.

I love things getting done. I just would, by and large, like other people to do them. This isn’t feasible for me—leastwise, not in this economy, and not with my chosen professions.

This means I end up every now and again creating to-do lists with sub-lists of ways to revamp my approach to life. However, doing so mighty quickly starts to feel like adding More Things to Get Done, Without Adding More People To Do Them.

So. Instead. I try a new brain hack.