A Few "Good Things" in Gilbert

The Town of Gilbert, has many good things to offer. We've been enjoying some really nice non-triple-digit temps, so I've been getting out more on the weekends. Friday's weather brought us really cool temperatures (mid-80s) and a little bit of rain, so I ventured out to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport after work. Okay, so technically, this airport is in Mesa, but it is still within a couple of miles of my house, so I count it as a "Gilbert Good Thing". :)
One of my favorite things about living near this airport, which was formerly Williams Field AFB, is that it has some military jets that still grace the tarmac with their presence on a regular basis. The photo below is of the 4 resident Harriers that are usually parked close to a viewing area located a bit north of the main terminal. When these babies take off, you know it!

Another of my favorite "Gilbert Good Things" is the Riparian Preserve, which has been the subject of many of my blog posts. After viewing the planes at the airport, I drove over to the preserve for a walk. While walking the trails, I kept hearing what sounded like little pigs grunting and was bound and determined to find out what was making such an unusual noise. While rounding a corner, I spotted them -- a treeful of roosting Cormorants. I've seen lots of Cormorants, but have never heard them make this noise before. I guess when they are getting ready to roost for the night, they have their own little way of voicing their intentions (either that, or they're snoring). LOL!!

Saturday's weather brought beautiful sunny skies, so a trip to the Liberty Market restaurant was in order. Gilbert's Heritage Park is located just behind the market, so I snapped a photo of what my oldest daughter called a "Sneanky" when she was small. Of course, we all know this object to be a water tower, but for some silly reason, only known to a 2-year old, the water tower in my daughter's home town of Morgan Hill, which looks exactly like Gilbert's water tower, is our original beloved "Sneanky." So, anytime we see a water tower, whether it be at the corner of Higley and Williams Field, or the one at ASU East, they're all Sneankys to us. :)

If you haven't been to Liberty Market, you have got to go. The atmosphere combined with their great staff and delicious food, makes for a perfect way to enjoy breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The next photo shows their Italian wood-fired oven. I haven't tried their pizza yet, but the next time I'm there, you can bet I will.

Sorry, no Presidential Pardon for you, my little friend.

I happened across this while perusing the news on the Internet today. President Obama was in the middle of an interview and a pesky fly would not leave him alone. Well, he managed to get it in one try, and it was all captured on video. I was impressed.

Flying "Low and Slow"

I'm a bit of a plane nut (among other things), and observed Evergreen's Supertanker 979 on landing approach this morning at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway airport (formerly Williams Field AFB). This plane is in town for some retrofitting for the upcoming fire season.

It's not every day you see a 747 flying and low and slow over your house. Here's a nice shot I found on Flickr that Joe Copalman took earlier this year of the same plane during take-off at PMG.

Hop Inn (Toads only!!)

When my girls were little, my oldest daughter, Cheryl was absolutely in love with frogs and toads. In fact, she still is in love with them. Every year when the Monsoon Season starts, she'll go to the Superstition golf course to go "toading" as she loves to call it. :) She nevers keeps them, she just likes to catch them and love on them for a bit. One year, I came home from work to find about 10 toads in my bathtub! Yikes!
Years ago, when we lived in Morgan Hill, CA, toads and frogs were easy to come by -- we even had a huge, fat toad living in our patio garden. One year, we bought a really cute "toad house", aptly titled "Hop Inn", with the caution "Toads Only" added for fun.
We would often find that fat toad sitting inside the Inn. This picture shows a little tree frog my daughter caught sitting on top, 'cause it's only for toads, you know!

Little Littles and Payson

One of my favorite "Little Littles" is a baby Killdeer chick. In my neighborhood, there is a pair of Killdeer that have produced several broods of little chicks so far this year. On Saturday, my daughter and I were driving down the street near my home when I spotted several baby Killdeer chicks. They were attempting to cross the road, but couldn't make it up the curb on the other side. I stopped the car and my oldest daughter, Cheryl (a.k.a, the Gilbert Bird Girl), rescued them all and safely deposited them onto the sidewalk near their parents. Before letting the last one go, I snapped a quick picture with my cell phone to show just how small and precious these little babies are. This little one was no bigger than my daughter's thumb! The parents, needless to say, were literally beside themselves while all of this was going on, but they calmed down once they were able to round up their babies.

Killdeer Chick near my home in Gilbert

On Sunday, my daughter and son-in-law accompanied me to Payson for a little R&R. We stopped at Green Valley Park and took a stroll around the lake. There were fish, dragonflies, ducks, geese, and a beautiful Blue Heron. Not to mention, lots of folks taking their dogs for a walk.

Lake at Green Valley Park in Payson

After leaving Green Valley Park, we stopped at the Paleo Site along Highway 260 and took a short hike. Aaron spotted a "Little Little", this time a Horned Lizard that Cheryl and I were able to quickly corral. While I distracted it, Cheryl scooped it up (ever so gently, of course) while we looked him (or her) over. This Horned Lizard (or Horny Toads, as they were called when I was small) looks a bit different from the ones I used to catch in California as a child. This one was smaller and darker, with less variation in it's coloring.

Horned Lizard at the Paleo Site in Payson

The last place we checked out before heading home was Tonto Creek near Kohl's Ranch just outside of Payson. The water was so cool and inviting so I waded across to a really interesting rock formation. While at the creek, we saw a pair of orange dragonflies. The female was depositing eggs in a still area of water a few feet away from the creek while the male kept watch. He kept hovering near my face, almost as if to say "Keep your distance."

Tonto Creek (Tonto Creek Recreation Area)

On a closing note, one of the reasons why I wanted to go to Payson this weekend, was to scope out camping sites. I'm really hoping I can manage to buy one of these little teardrop trailers (http://www.golittleguy.com/) before next summer (another "Little Little"). They're very spartan, but have just enough room for a queen-sized mattress, with a galley area in the back for cooking. They're lightweight and can easily be towed behind my Forester.

Little Guy Trailers at Tom's Camperland in Tempe