Random Saturday Foraging

Episode 5, in which Cheryl loses her nerve.

For class, we are asked to document our resources. I've taken that to heart and am making note whenever I see something that might be of use to fellow students, even if I don't want it. I'm also trying to document anything I pick up for myself, even if I'm not sure how I'll use it. With that goal in mind, here are the resources shown in the video:

Scottsdale Community College, behind the art building:

• discarded gym equipment may yield interesting metal bits and other parts, but you should probably ask around and see if it's okay before just nabbing stuff
• Desert landscaped areas contain cool natural materials, like tumbleweeds and seed pods
• Any college campus is probably a good place to find miscellaneous stuff discarded by maintenance - I found rusty wire and wood

The former greenbelt at Chapparal & Hayden Roads in Scottsdale has lots of:

• driftwood
• freshwater shells
• lost golf balls
• the occasional dead waterfowl with pretty feathers

Camelback Road & Arcadia Lane in Phoenix:

• red brick rubble
• metal
• pipe

Looks like a car wreck. I don't know if the brick is owned by a homeowner, the city, or maybe a neighborhood association, but I doubt anyone would miss a bit of it.

Making a Rattle

Episode 4, in which Cheryl finds a little friend.

I teach at Scottsdale Community College on Fridays. I foraged in a desert landscaped area there after class and came up with materials I can use to make a rattle.

Exploiting Materials

Episode 3.5, in which we learn about exploiting materials. Shrink wrap, in this case.

This is an excerpt from January 23, when we visited Joe Willie Smith's home studio. He's taking the opportunity to give us a mini-lecture on why it's good to know the origin, uses and properties of the materials we find.

As-Is Yard and Joe Willie's Home Studio

Episode 3, in which Cheryl is enchanted by a doorbell.

For our second class meeting, we went to the local As-Is Yard, otherwise known as the Goodwill Clearance Outlet at 17^th and Villa Streets. Joe Willie advised me not to use my camera inside so there's not much footage from there, but you'll get to see what we found there in a future episode.

After a quick lunch at the Ranch Market, we got a tour of Joe Willie's home and studio. The wonderful chaos that you see in the video is a drop in the bucket.

Music: Lil' Rooster by Gringo Motel, from podsafeaudio.com.