September 22, 2023

Overview for this week.

1. I'm sure this news will warm your heart as it did mine. The historic Lahaina Banyan tree that was thought to have been destroyed by the Maui wildfire is showing signs of new growth and arborists are hopeful for its long-term recovery. I love Banyan trees. Each island has a prominent tree. This is the best news ever.

2. Last week we celebrated Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. This high holiday almost escaped me until I got a card from favorite friends. We opened with that card last week. This week we look at how and when cultures around the world celebrate the new year. Diwali, the Hindu new year approaches on the 12th of November, Shubh Labh.. 

3. I was at the Flandrau Science Center this week and the new Undersea Discovery exhibit is amazing, I also really enjoyed their tremendous Wild World of Bugs exhibit..

4. In The Heavens we have one final supermoon for 2023 coming up on the 29th of September. This Saturday, the 23rd is the autumnal equinox marking the beginning of fall.

5. We preview theatre and dance performances coming to Tucson over the next few months.

6. Choosing a Halloween pumpkin right out of the field was always a favorite activity for the Kasser family. We'll let you know where to pick.

7. This week's Book Corner features a title with travel advice from the CEO of Lonely Planet.

8. In Wellness we again share dietary advice to help those fighting inflammation.

9. Maximize your daily walk by adding a backpack with some weights in it and start rucking.

10. In the Pet's Corner we meet a photogenic cat named Oliver with his favorite collection of hats.

Now, to this weeks Flock.

The Lahaina Banyan Tree was a gift to the city from missionaries in India. The tree was planted on April 24, 1873. When planted, the tree was 8 feet high. Over the last 150 years it had grown to a height of 60 feet with 16 major trunks and a canopy covering 6.6 acres of Banyan Tree Park near the port of Lahaina. The much-loved tree was thought to have been destroyed by the wildfire that raged through Lahaina in August. There is now hope that the tree will survive with new groups of leaves sprouting on the tree.

From: Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, September 18, 2023

Groups of leaves are sprouting on the Lahaina Banyan Tree. Arborists, volunteering their time and expertise to saving the 150-year-old tree, indicate these are positive signs for its long-term recovery.

From: Hawaii News Now, September 21, 2023

Maui County announced Wednesday that disaster area restrictions will be lifted for owners and residents with vehicle passes starting early next week.

The new year is celebrated on different dates by different cultures around the world. Last week we marked Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year. Beginning on November 12th, Diwali, the Hindu new year will be celebrated. National Geographic has put together a guide of New Year celebrations around the globe. We share that with you below.

From: National Geographic, By: Tamsin Wressell, December 31, 2021

The marking of a New Year is an age-old tradition around the world — food, fireworks and reflection with friends and family are common threads, but ultimately this varies between different calendars, religions and cultures. While the Gregorian calendar (introduced through Christianity) has mostly been skewed in the western world to take centre stage, the lunar and solar calendars are acknowledged in some celebrations, too, marking a time to take stock of the year gone and greet the year ahead with gratitude and goodwill. Here, we round up some of the ways the New Year is called in around the world.

I took a tour of the new Undersea Discovery exhibit at the Flandrau Science Center this last week. What a great place to visit and learn. They even do group events and birthday parties for children, businesses and families. What an amazing place!

From: Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium

From its intertidal zone where visitors get to handle living coral reef residents to the midnight zone where guests can investigate creatures of the deep, Undersea Discovery represents an exciting new way for our community to learn about ocean science, conservation, and marine biology.

We were fortunate to have two supermoons in August this year. We will have one more next Friday, September 29th, the last supermoon for 2023.

From: Insider, By: Sonam Sheth and JennyMcGrath, September 22, 2023

Get ready, next Friday — September 29 — will be the last supermoon of 2023. It's also this year's harvest moon, which is the full moon that occurs closest to the first day of autumn.

A supermoon is a type of full moon that can appear up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter than the faintest moon of the year. That's because it's at its closest point to Earth, named the perigee, according to NASA.

From: Space.com By: Chris Vaughn, September 1, 2023

On Saturday, September 23 at 2:50 a.m. EDT or 06:50 GMT, the sun's apparent motion along the ecliptic (green line) will carry it across the celestial equator traveling southward, marking the autumnal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of autumn there. On the equinoxes in March and September, day and night are of equal length and the sun rises due east and sets due west (yellow arc).

Autumn Equinox Explained

From: Newsweek, By: Jess Thomson, September 15, 2023

A meteor that was recently seen soaring brightly across the night sky has been found after crash landing in a woman's garden. The fireball, also known as a bolide, was spotted as it fell to Earth by hundreds of locals across France between the night of September 9 and 10, and was caught on several cameras, according to Fireball Recovery and InterPlanetary Observation Network (FRIPON)/Vigie-Ciel, a French citizen science project.

As FRIPON/Vigie-Ciel was in the process of estimating where the meteor landed, they were contacted by a woman from the Communauté de Communes Sauldre et Sologne in central France, who thought that the meteor had landed in her garden, news outlet actu.fr reported on Wednesday. The woman added that she had been awoken by a loud noise in the night and found chunks of rock in her yard the following morning.

An uplifting comeback story like no other, TINA – The Tina Turner Musical is the inspiring journey of a woman who broke barriers and became the Queen of Rock n’ Roll. Set to the pulse-pounding soundtrack of her most beloved hits, this electrifying sensation will send you soaring to the rafters.

AIN’T TOO PROUD: The Life and Times of The Temptations is the electrifying, new smash-hit Broadway musical that follows The Temptations’ extraordinary journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. With their signature dance moves and silky-smooth harmonies, they rose to the top of the charts creating an amazing 42 Top Ten Hits with 14 reaching number one.

America’s Best Rom-Com!

In a case of opposites attract, blissful young newlyweds struggle to get along in their Manhattan fixer-upper apartment. Barefoot in the Park is among the top 10 longest-running non-musical plays in Broadway history, and it was turned into a blockbuster movie.

 The story follows the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge as he goes on a fantastical journey through his life over the course of a single Christmas Eve night. After a warning from the ghost of his business partner Jacob Marley, the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future take Scrooge on a musical adventure that leads him towards his hopeful redemption. In a new version created uniquely for ATC, “Scrooge” will be the perfect holiday fare for families and audiences of all ages.

Experience the incredible creativity of our dancers and vote for your favorite piece. This season's winning work will be included in our Spring Concert, March 22-24, 2024 at the Leo Rich Theater. Join us for a post-performance Q&A with the choreographers moderated by Artistic Director Margaret Mullin to learn about their artistic process and share in their excitement for the 2023-2024 season.

Ballet Tucson returns to the main stage this fall with three invigorating masterworks. Witness the return of legendary choreographer George Balanchine’s most iconic ballet Serenade and the Ballet Tucson premiere of his exquisite Divertimento No. 15. World-renowned choreographer Andrea Schermoly’s contemporary pas de deux left our audience members awestruck at our 2022 Fall Concert. See the entire work Klein Perspectives for the first time as a part of this inspiring triple bill!

This is Tucson has reviewed three area pumpkin farms where you can take the family to pick out a pumpkin for Halloween. In addition to roaming the pumpkin fields and picking out the perfect one for carving, the festivals offer other activities including wagon rides, corn mazes, petting zoos, games, and more family activities. The review includes the Fall Pumpkin Celebration at Apple Annie's Orchard in Wilcox, the Marana Pumpkin Patch & Farm Festival, and Buckelew Farm's Pumpkin Festival & Corn Maze near Three Points

From: This is Tucson, By: Samantha Munsey, June 21, 2021

It's pumpkin picking time and we cannot wait to slap on some flannel, go on a tractor ride and jump in some haystacks. Here are just a few farms you can visit around Southern Arizona to find the perfect pumpkin for you. All locations require a drive out of Tucson, so bring the whole crew and make a day of it.

7. BOOK CORNER: Mindful Travel

Imagine your job was to travel the world, then report back on how everyone else should do it. That’s what happened to Daniel Houghton when, fresh out of Western Kentucky University, he took the helm of legendary travel publisher Lonely Planet, then owned by a billionaire who had taken a shine to his work. Suddenly, he was not only jetting off to parts unknown, but closing business deals in foreign languages and scrambling to learn fifty different sets of table manners.

8. WELLNESS: Inflammation

From: Harvard Health Publishing, November 16, 2021

Doctors are learning that one of the best ways to reduce inflammation lies not in the medicine cabinet, but in the refrigerator. By following an anti-inflammatory diet you can fight off inflammation for good.

What does an anti-inflammatory diet do? Your immune system becomes activated when your body recognizes anything that is foreign—such as an invading microbe, plant pollen, or chemical. This often triggers a process called inflammation. Intermittent bouts of inflammation directed at truly threatening invaders protect your health.

9. FITNESS: Rucking

From: CNN, By: Melanie Radzicki McManus, September 16, 2023

If you enjoy walking for exercise, there’s a simple way to maximize your efforts — change your walk into a ruck. Rucking is walking with weight on your back, and it’s an increasingly popular form of exercise.

The term “rucking” comes from ruck marching, a core skill used by militaries around the world. One of the tests the US Army gives recruits looking to earn an Expert Infantryman Badge is a 12-mile ruck, or foot march, which they must complete within three hours while carrying at least 35 pounds of gear. But you can start with a lighter load and gradually add weight as you develop strength.

10. PET'S CORNER: Oliver

This week's pet is the Flock's favorite artist and photographer Cita Scott's cat, Oliver.

photo: Cita Scott

So many hats. So exhausting to wear them…

Don't Be Shy: Share Your Stories!

I'm looking forward to sharing more of your personal stories - oral, written, or otherwise, as we enter our second year. I'd so love to present them to The Flock, hit a mailbox below to share your story.

Holualoa Ed Fit Wellness & Culture 2

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