June 27, 2025

REMINDER: YOUR SUBMISSIONS ARE ENCOURAGED

Overview for this week.

1. I am starting this week with an In Memorium for a pioneer in the world of women's distance running. Nina Kuscsik, the first female winner of the Boston Marathon, passed away this week at the age of 86.

2. One of my favorite annual events, the Aspen Ideas Festival, is currently taking place in Aspen, Colorado. The week-long festival attracts great minds from a diverse range of fields to share their ideas and experiences through lectures, seminars, discussions, activities, and field trips.

3. In Performing Arts, I also have another favorite annual event in Aspen, the Aspen Music Festival and School. A two-month-long classical music festival in the mountains where the next generation of musicians gets their chance to shine.

4. There has been considerable activity at the Reid Park Zoo with the development of the new Pathway to Asia addition, a significant expansion to the zoo.

5. A new group of international crew members docked with the International Space Station on Thursday. This commercial mission included astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary, countries that have not had an astronaut in space since the fall of the Soviet Bloc.

6. Let's all remember to continue to focus well wishes and positive thoughts on the Flock's spiritual teacher, Dr. Fox, who continues to recover from his accident this past spring.

7. In Pet Safety, I have tips to keep your pets safe in the heat and calm through the Fourth of July fireworks and summer thunderstorms.

8. In the Pet's Corner, the Flock's favorite mouser, Fern, is checking in to let us know what she's up to.

Now, to this week's Flock.

The running world lost a groundbreaking athlete this week with the death of the first female winner of the Boston Marathon, Nina Kuscsik. Nina was 10 years my senior, and while I never passed her, I, along with countless other women, ran in the lane she cleared.

From: The Times, June 25, 2025

Doing a marathon is hard enough, but when Nina Kuscsik began running them in the late 1960s, the much bigger challenge for her and a tiny group of like-minded women was to be allowed to enter.

In 1969 the diminutive mother of three young children had to run her first marathon, in Boston, as a “bandit”. She lacked a bib or official number because the US Amateur Athletic Union considered the event unseemly for women and a risk to their fertility. She finished in three hours and 46 minutes.

In 1970 Kuscsik became the first woman to compete in the fledgling New York Marathon, but only because the organisers ignored the AAU’s rules. Feeling unwell, she dropped out after 15 miles. Having subsequently extracted a partial concession from the AAU, Kuscsik and Beth Bonner became the first American women to complete the 26.2-mile course in less than three hours in the 1971 New York Marathon, and in the spring of 1972 she officially became the first female winner of the Boston Marathon.

I always come out of Aspen Ideas, recharged with new insights from the presentations, conversations, and unexpected activities that take place at the festival, such as learning to forage for edible plants last year. If you are unable to attend the Ideas Festival in Aspen, several virtual options are available for online participation. You can stream video of many of the Aspen Ideas sessions from the Aspen Ideas 2025 Schedule Page. A selection of specific sessions are being broadcast and streamed on Aspen Public Radio. Additionally, videos of past sessions are available on the Aspen Institute's YouTube channel.

From: Aspen ideas

Our Events

Imagine some of the world’s most incredible thinkers and doers all gathered in a single place, ready to teach, inspire, question, and challenge. They’re here to interact with you — an audience of intellectually curious people who have stepped back from your day-to-day routines to delve deeply into a world of ideas, thought, and discussion.

Aspen Ideas Festival

The flagship gathering of the Aspen Institute, the Aspen Ideas Festival brings brilliant leaders and thinkers from around the globe to discuss the ideas that will shape tomorrow and help us understand today. 

From sunup to sundown, we explore critical issues of the day as well as uncover ideas that spark wonder. Attendees have exceptional opportunities to interact with public officials, artists, scientists, authors, business executives, scholars, economists, foreign policy specialists, entrepreneurs, and leaders of all kinds — on footpaths and sidewalks, over lunch in the pavilion or coffee at the espresso bar, in auditoriums and in small seminar rooms. The intimacy of the Festival gatherings renders the experience unique and unforgettable.

2024 Aspen Ideas Festival Recap

The Aspen Music Festival and School is a two-month-long music festival set in the majestic Colorado Rockies, featuring the next generation of classical music stars. The school attracts faculty from elite orchestras across the U.S. and boasts an impressive list of alums.

From: Aspen Music Festival and School

The AMFS is the United States’ premier classical music center for performance and education, presenting more than 200 musical events during its eight-week summer season in Aspen. Under the leadership of President and CEO Alan Fletcher and Music Director Robert Spano, the organization draws top classical musicians from around the world for a rich combination of performances of orchestral works, opera, chamber music, recitals, contemporary music, works by new or previously unrecognized voices, popular genres, family events, and talks, competitions, and classes.

More than 450 music students from 40 U.S. states and 40 countries come each summer to play in four orchestras, sing, conduct, compose and study with more than 100 artist-faculty members who come from the orchestras of Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Dallas, the Metropolitan Orchestra, and the leading conservatories and music schools like The Juilliard School, The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, and The Colburn School. Students represent the field’s best talent; many have already begun their professional careers, and others are on the cusp.

Aspen Music Festival and School 2025 Season Announcement

My friends at the Reid Park Zoo sent me this sneak peek of a new Zen garden under construction as part of the zoo's Pathway to Asia Project. The zen garden will provide a retreat for quiet contemplation and relaxation. Construction of the Pathway to Asia expansion is well underway, with some of the zoo's new residents already moving in. The Pathway to Asia will open to the public in the fall of 2026.

From: Reid Park Zoo

This new area of the Zoo will transport you to the world’s largest continent. Your eyes will gravitate to the intricate spires and boldly painted slanted roofs of the beautiful new Kasser Family Lotus Pavilion. You will be able to walk through a unique new world and behold the breathtaking beauty of some of Asia’s most endangered and threatened animals, such as Asian small-clawed otters, gibbons, red pandas, and others. You will even be able to enjoy the space for a private wedding or an out-of-the-box corporate get-together!

Asian Small Clawed Otters Frei and Berani check out their new habitat.

Pathway to Asia Flythrough

With all of the unrest in the world dominating the headlines right now, it's so lovely to see some good news about international cooperation in the name of science.

From: France 24

Axiom Mission 4, or Ax-4, lifted off early Wednesday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a brand-new SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule riding a Falcon 9 rocket.

Onboard were pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India; mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary; and Commander Peggy Whitson of the United States, a former NASA astronaut now with Axiom Space, which organizes private spaceflights.

The capsule, the fifth and final Dragon in the SpaceX fleet, was christened "Grace" after reaching orbit.

They later entered the station through the hatch and were greeted by the current ISS crew during a brief welcome ceremony.

"It's so great to be here at last," said Whitson. "That was a long quarantine."

The crew will now spend about 14 days aboard the station, conducting some 60 experiments -- including studies on microalgae, sprouting salad seeds, and the hardiness of microscopic tardigrades in space.

Key step for India

The last time India, Poland or Hungary sent people to space, their current crop of astronauts had not yet been born -- and back then they were called cosmonauts, as they all flew on Soviet missions before the fall of the Iron Curtain.

Shukla is the first Indian to reach space since Rakesh Sharma, who flew to the Salyut 7 station in 1984 as part of an Indo-Soviet mission.

…"What a fantastic ride," Shukla said in Hindi after liftoff. "This isn't just the start of my journey to the International Space Station -- it's the beginning of India's human space program."

Each country is funding its astronaut's seat.

Dr. Hayward M. Fox has been a very generous contributor to the Flock, always happy to share his wisdom and insight. Dr. Fox continues to recover from his April accident. Please continue to keep him in your prayers and send him positive energy. I also encourage you to follow the link below and find a relaxing spot to unwind and listen to one of Dr. Fox's guided meditations from the Institute of Personal and Transpersonal Knowledge website.

Summer is here in the Southwest, and we are consistently seeing triple-digit temperatures. July 4th, fireworks, and monsoon thunderstorms are just around the corner; both of these can be traumatic for cats and dogs. ABC 15 Arizona has compiled an extensive list of tips to keep your pets safe during the summer heat and storms. The tips for helping your pets stay calm during thunderstorms equally apply to assisting them through Fourth of July fireworks. I'm including an edited selection of tips from their list below, plus one bonus tip of my own. Please follow the link to their complete list.

From: ABC 15 Arizona, By: ABC15.com Staff, June 12, 2024

The summer heat and monsoon storms can create scary and dangerous environments for your pets.

The Arizona Humane Society and Maricopa County Animal Care and Control have provided a list of tips to help keep your dogs and cats comfortable when the temperatures rise and when storms make an appearance.

Heat Safety

• Limit outdoor exercise to very early morning or late evening
• Provide pets with extra, cool water sources
• Consider dog booties for hot pavement
• Play in the sprinklers or kiddie pool
• Never tether or chain your pet
• Never leave a pet unattended in a vehicle

Storm Safety

The Arizona Humane Society recommends the following tips:

• Never punish pets for showing fearful or anxious behavior. Act calm and interact with them like you usually would to show them a storm is “no big deal.”
• Create positive associations with storms by giving their favorite treats, toys and verbal praise for calm behavior during a storm. Start as early as possible during puppy and kittenhood and continue reinforcing this throughout their lives. Some pets may be unaffected for years and then develop storm anxiety symptoms.
• Create a safe space. It could be a crate or a closet. Ensure proper ventilation and access to their space when you’re not home.
• Drown out the noise by turning on the TV or radio and bathroom fans. Some pets will take comfort in repetitive, familiar sounds like dishwashers or washing machines.
• Use calming tools like a Thundershirt or pheromones (available for dogs and cats).
• Make sure your pet is microchipped, wearing a collar and is kept indoors. If they must go outside to potty, attach a harness and leash and go out with them.

Bonus July fourth of July Tip

• The debris from fireworks can be harmful to pets if ingested or touched, so don't let your pet go outside unsupervised the day after you or your neighbors have had a home fireworks display.

I am scampering about from sunrise to sunset in the cool mountain air of Aspen. So happy!

These Flock regulars are always here for you:

Cita Scott for paintings, photography, and culinary art. Cita will be in and out of town all summer. Don't hesitate to give her a jingle. (520) 404-1551

Kimberly GomER, MS, RD/LDN

Registered and licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist. Find me on my website at KimberlyGomer.com for information about nutrition coaching.

Sarah Smallhouse & Make Elections Fair ArIzona

– Sign the petition here

Sensitive & Specific: The Testing Newsletter by Mara G. Aspinall and Liz Ruark. Mara is always here to help in understanding testing knowledge and how it's being applied.

Kyria Sabin of Fletcher Pilates,

(520) 323-7070

The Fabric Jeanie!

Tap to learn more. 

(520) 245-0589

Linda Collazo, mezzo-soprano

for piano and voice lessons

Andres Valbuena, drum selection, drum basics, and more.

Dr. Hayward M. Fox, Ph.D.

The institute of Personal andTranspersonal Knowledge

Tucson Village Farm:

Vegetaable growing in the summer heat.

The Physio Shop,

Elite physical therapy services and more.

Icebox Cryotherapy,

Icebox Tucson’s unique enhancers allow you to be your best version! 

Nathan Anderson of Catalina Acupuncture

(520) 999-0080

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 third 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

520-818-4433

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