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