LETTERS AND E-MAIL

taking the off-ramp Following the Leader

Bob Porter would have to look over his shoulder to see 80 again, but he has the surefootedness of an experienced trail horse. For 15 years, his well-placed steps have led visitors down, up and over the pathways of Sabino Canyon in the Coronado National Forest. Among the free guided tours of the canyon, located northeast of Tucson, Porter's Wednesday morning Nature Walks run October through April. For two hours, those following him get a broad view of the canyon, from desert to tree-shaded paths, to single-file climbs along high rock walls. Porter brings with him a diverse wealth of information on the plant life and the wildlife, with some history, botany and Tucson recollections thrown in for good measure. A former professor of Latin, Porter taught at Princeton and Yale, counting among his students one George W. Bush. Today, those who join him can reach their own lofty heights within the rugged beauty of an Arizona canyon. Information: (520) 749-8700.

It's Chile Season

As the winter months approach, things heat up for chile lovers everywhere, and for those connoisseurs of spicy cuisine, there's no better time of year. In the Southwest especially, the scent of roasting chiles is one of winter's great aromas. For humans only, apparently. Scientists Joshua Tewksbury, from the University of Washington, and Gary Nabhan, from Northern Arizona University's Center for Sustainable Environments, discovered that chiles rely on birds to germinate and disperse their seeds. Nabhan and Tewksbury's research further showed that birds exclusively consumed wild chiles, while mammals avoided them-a fact that the scientific team concluded was due to the effect of the capsaicin, the substance that gives peppers their heat.

THIS MONTH IN ARIZONA

1873 The land patent for the city of Phoenix is filed at the Florence Land Office. Cost of the 320-acre townsite is $550.

1878 The first brick building in Phoenix nears completion.

1885 In Arizona, there are 87 public school buildings, 150 schools and an attendance of 3,226. The number of children not attending school exceeds 4,000.

1887 Phoenix kicks off its first horse-drawn streetcar line along a 2-mile stretch of Washington Street.

1888 Phoenix Chamber of Commerce is organized.

1900 Two brothers are legally hanged in Tombstone for the murder of two peace officers.

1906 Arizona votes on joint statehood with New Mexico and overwhelmingly overrides the idea.

Lotsa Pots

Walk into, around and through an 8-by-10-foot ceramic pot replica as you answer the questions: Who made it? How long ago? How was it made? How was it used? So what? The Pottery Detectives Exhibit at the Arizona State Museum in Tucson helps visitors understand why archaeologists examine the past and why it is important today. Films, activities, booths, experts, hands-on experiences and pottery makers all help shed light on the mysteries of early Indian pottery. Archaeologists can sometimes tell what was cooked in the pot, if the piece had been traded, the world views of the group, where the sand used to make the pot came from and even if they had farms or were hunter-gatherers. The exhibit runs through September 2004. Information: (520) 621-6302 or www.statemuseum.arizona.edu.