EDITOR'S LETTER

contents FEATURES What's With the Names?

Bloody Basin gets its name from either a pile of dead sheep or violent showdowns between white settlers and Indians. Or something else entirely. Bisbee's less nebulous. It was named after a miner's father-in-law. When it comes to place-names and their origins, Arizona has some real doozies - Gripe, Klondyke, Nothing - and we have the convoluted explanations for them. Sort of.

See the Light

Randy Prentice is one of the top landscape photographers in the Southwest. He also plays a mean guitar. But for this month's portfolio, which features the best of Arizona in various stages of sunlight, the only instrument he needed was a camera. And maybe a tripod.

Alone on the Hill

The mining region of Rich Hill isn't what it used to be. Today, it's mostly made up of retirees with metal detectors, but not so long ago, the mountain was a haven for a different kind of prospector. The "old boys" were reclusive, eccentric and sometimes violent. They had names like Rattlesnake Bill and Crazy Willie, and Elly Loftin knew them better than anyone.

Emerald Isle

In Arizona, it's known as the Tumacacori Highlands. In Mexico, it's the Emerald Mountains. To scientists and Mother Nature, the mile-high environment is simply a sky island, a unique area of biodiversity that's home to a variety of species, including jaguars. It's a special place, to be sure. That's why scientists on both sides of the border are working so hard to preserve it.