School Is Not So Easy

Gilbert has one of the best school districts in the state, and many people have moved here for specifically that reason. I've been pleased with the education my kids have gotten, but it sure is a different experience than the small schools the Mister and I grew up attending.

Back in the day, when the Mister and I were in high school, life was much simpler than now. (Yes, cars HAD been invented already, thank you very much) There was no such thing as honors classes, advanced placement classes, weighted GPAs, or dual credit classes; and certainly it was impossible to attain higher than a 4.0 GPA. You knew who the smart kids were because they took the hard classes like calculus and physics, and the colleges knew that as well.

Today's high school environment is much different, as this article in the AZ Republic points out, and it brought back a few memories for me:

Class rank is why students plot out schedules filled with honors and advanced placement courses, trying to outmaneuver fellow students in the honors points game. It's why students in the top 10 percent of any class, even freshmen, pay special attention to how class rank is calculated, occasionally protesting if they feel they've been cheated out of even a tenth of a point. In class rank-cognizant circles, there is a certain strategy in knowing what courses other students are taking and how it all adds up.

"The students who are concerned about class rank and want to go into the medical programs, they are competing against all the kids in the country," said Robyne Palmer, guidance counselor at North Canyon High School in the Paradise Valley district. "These kids have a vision, and they know where they want to be.

"The desire to be at the top of the heap means students start strategizing in middle school. Some will take courses that prepare them for advanced placement, or the rigorous International Baccalaureate college preparatory program offered at five high schools in the Valley.

The memories this article stimulated had to do with our second daughter, blessed with more brains than I could ever hope to have. She went to Highland High School, along with over 700 classmates, and continued on the honors track she had begun in the lower grades. It took a few years for me to begin to understand the culture; the honors kids are really a subset (much like the band kids or the drama kids, I think), and even if they don't hang out with each other outside of school, they end up taking so many classes together that they really get to know each other. The competition is fierce, but they are committed to each other's welfare at the same time. As the article states, they do in fact know what classes the other kids are signed up for, and at any given time, can tell you the class rank of the top ten kids.

Our daughter had common sense to go along with her intelligence, and decided that it was worth it to give up a quest for valedictorian to be involved in the yearbook, which is not an honors class and therefore, like the arts, devalues the GPA and thus the class rank. The Mister and I wondered aloud why the hundreds of hours she contributed outside of school in order to be the editor of the yearbook for two years might not qualify as an honored credit, but we didn't speak to those who make those decisions, as our daughter seemed to be at peace with the inequity.

As it turned out, she graduated from Highland ranked ninth in her class, got a scholarship to the University of Arizona, and will graduate this year, with honors (allow me a bit of motherly pride and bragging).

In the meantime, the Mister and I are glad that we went to school back in the day!

Pecan Tree in February

Pecan in February
As Bias For Action just pointed out, the pecans leaf out last. Here is a mature pecan behind the Mister's Great Aunt's house, next to Higley Estates. It hasn't begun to bud out yet, but in the heat of the summer this huge tree provides a TON of shade.

Some Trees Think it's Spring

Fan Tex Ash
This is one of the shade trees in our back yard, which are also used along some of the arterial streets in Higley Groves. It seems like just the hint of spring around the corner has encouraged these trees to get on with it, and the buds have leafed out practically overnight.

The Mister got an email recently from a resident wondering at the selection of some of the varieties of trees, since trees have died and required replacement. Back in the days of planning Morrison Ranch (see an earlier post "Back in the Day" below), beyond the conceptual ideas of rural, community character, and pedestrian-friendly, came the specific ideas having to do with things like aesthetics and shade. So there was much conversation and discussion about the varieties of trees, the benefits and downsides of one type versus another, and which streets should have which trees. The result so far is the 4,000 trees that exist in Higley Groves (East and West), with the continuing theme planned for the rest of the community.

We have learned a few things along the way. The jacarandas don't do as well as we had hoped in the park areas, so we'll have to find color and contrast in other ways. The reason for the loss of several of the trees had to do with improperly installed irrigation - the pecans need to be deep watered, and that requires a separate watering system - which has been corrected. Obviously, the older the trees get, the more likely it is that they will survive (the windstorms have taken out a few trees); and just as obvious is the fact that in twenty to forty years, they will be TOO old and will need replacement. Our Landscape Maintenance Dude is about a week away from getting his arborist certification, so he is educating himself on the best way to care for our trees. We continue to be involved in all the issues surrounding the trees, because they are one of the inviolable facets of Morrison Ranch.

Some have mocked the Mister and me for the numerous trees in our back yard - Sherwood Forest, indeed! But if you notice the temperature gauge in your car decrease by 5 to 10 degrees in the summer as you pull into the community, just think what it's like to step into my back yard at the same time of year. The forest looks pretty good.

Does The Fountain Run at Night?

Fountain at Night
Why, yes it does. One of our commenters on when to run the fountain (see "Whither Goes the Fountain" below) asked about running it at night. It is lovely at night. The Water Expert is still gathering opinions on the timing, so it isn't too late to voice your desires.

Why Are They Smiling?

My neighbor girl scouts
Is it because I try to be their best customer every year? (Hint: 14 boxes didn't do it - these girls are GOOD) Nah, they're smiling because that's just the kind of girls they are, and they don't mind having their picture taken, either.

Whither Goes the Fountain?

Fountain at the Lake
I was asked a couple of days ago what hours the fountain is on these days, so I passed on the question to our Water Expert. He said he's been running it from 7:30 to 9 am during the week and all day on the weekends. Of course, just like the reservoirs are filling up, so is the lake, and it's the most full it's ever been. This means that the fountain nozzle is under water at the moment, so he hasn't been running it at all until the lake recedes a bit. He is asking for suggestions on times to run it. How often and for how long and what times of day or night would you like to see it (given that it can't be 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, of course)? You can comment at the end of this post (click on "x comments" and leave your suggestion) or you can email with your views (click on "Email me!" at the right side of the page). I'll pass them on to the water expert, and let him decide what folks might enjoy.

Perfect Blooms

Geraniums at the office
The Mister's Grandmother was a wonderful gardener, and since we have our office in what was once her house, we try to keep up some of her traditions, like the rose bushes lining the yard. One area that doesn't seem to need very much trying is the planter boxes in front of the office; this appears to be the perfect confluence of sun, moisture, and temperature, because these geraniums turn out perfect every year. I commented that Grandma must be smiling down from heaven on her flower planters. "Yeah," replied the Mister. "But let's not tell her that we start with new ones every year; she would think it was wasteful not to leave the old ones in."

Early Birds in Gilbert

I know that because our town elections are usually at odd times of the year (like March 8), we are always fighting for a higher turnout. What I didn't know is that Gilbert Folk like to vote on their own schedule:

A total of 5,259 early ballots were requested in the past three weeks. So far, 1,606 have been returned and 71 people have voted in person at Town Hall in the past two weeks. Templeton has estimated that 45 percent to 70 percent of Gilbert's registered voters vote early.

So perhaps you have already voted. If not, please do so, soon, if you like.

Feb. 7 was both the final day to register and the first day of in-person early voting in Gilbert. Today is the last day to request an early ballot by mail. Early voting ends March 4.

Overworked Weather Station

Morrison Ranch Weather Station
Ever wonder where I get the rain totals for Morrison Ranch? Here it is, in all its simplistic glory. This provides all the information needed for the irrigation systems throughout Morrison Ranch, to give the best water conservation data. Except, unfortunately, for Higley Groves East and West. As these were the first communities built, they preceded the weather station, and therefore have their own, computerized systems already in place. It's possible that someday, they will be able to hook in to the rest of the system.

I'm Back

Sorry for the lack of blogging yesterday. Along with being the Missus of our household and sitting on the front porch drinking iced tea and chatting, I'm also a CPA that works on accounting things for Morrison Ranch, and yesterday the workload got the best of me.

A Surprising, But Welcome Endorsement

Here I've been reminiscing today about the beginnings of Morrison Ranch, and unbeknownst to me, Bias For Action was reading about another Gilbert resident's memories. So when I got to the office, this was the topic of our conversation:

The very first week after moving into our new house in 1998, a flier was placed on the front door announcing a neighborhood meeting at a local public school to make residents aware of the pending zoning action on the farmland adjacent to our subdivision. Though I do not remember specifics about what was on the flier, the words were sufficient to make me and more than 200 other residents show up at the meeting the next week.

When I arrived at the evening meeting, the room was full of concerned residents and the group was quickly moved to a larger room down the hall. The apparent organizer started the meeting with personal biographical information that in my mind gave some credence to the affair. The opening remarks for the meeting listed planned speakers, which included a doctor to speak on health effects of the proposed zoning change. I thought this is exactly what I came for - to gather pertinent and authoritative information to evaluate what, if anything, I should do next. I was ready, notebook on my lap and pencil in my hand, to learn what was going on near my new house.

The pending zoning change was for portions of the then Morrison farm that would become Morrison Ranch, the beautiful, unique, master-planned jewel in eastern Gilbert. The area covers about 3,000 acres and in my view will have no equal anywhere in the area - it certainly doesn't today with only a few hundred acres developed.

I also remember 1998, and I won't say much about that time other than it was difficult for me; I didn't attend any of the zoning meetings, and only watched portions of them on TV. But I applaud Mr. Hollar for being willing to listen to the facts, and I am deeply appreciative of this unsolicited endorsement! Please read the entire article.

Back in the Day

Morrison Bros Ranch HQ
This is the headquarters of the original Morrison Brothers Ranch around 1960. Higley Road bisects the operation, moving from left to right. The "road" that appears vertically is a field road, not a major road, and is still a dirt field road today. At the very top of the picture you can see the quonset hut; the four grain tanks are not yet built, but will eventually sit just to the right of the quonset. If you want to see a very large version of this picture, there is one hanging in the entrance to the Albertson's at Lakeview Village.

That Small Town Feel

This article in the AZ Tribune piqued my interest about another small town Gilbert that is figuring out how to deal with growth, and then I started reminiscing about our own Gilbert.

The Mister was born and raised in Gilbert, and has watched it literally grow from the bustling small town (not sleepy, which is the normal phrase, as though all the shopkeepers are dozing in rockers in front of their stores; though farmers do go to bed early in order to be up long before sunrise) of 2,000 folks to the bustling fastest-growing town of 170,000 today. Some changes were welcome, like shopping closer to home; some changes were very difficult, like changing from an agricultural community to what seemed like a metropolis and traffic and the dreaded red tile roof infestation.

Gone are the days of "The Good Eats Dairy Bar" on Gilbert Road, and shooting off model rockets in the field next to the house. We don't even see crop dusters nearby anymore, the very thing that got the Mister excited about flying.

Morrison Ranch was actually born out of this clash of cultures; how could one promote Gilbert's agricultural heritage, while welcoming the change brought on by the influx of people wanting to share that heritage? How about straight streets that remind one of the straight rows of cotton; and rows of trees that point back to the citrus and pecan groves that used to be so prevalent? How about large open spaces that bring to mind the open fields where the Mister and Bias For Action used to have dirt clod wars? How about homes that face the street, homes that have front porches, and front streets that are pleasant to walk along, as one mingles with one's neighbors? How about neighborhoods, and even retail centers, that cater to the pedestrian rather than the car? If a mom wanted to send her ten year old son to get some milk from the store, could he do it without crossing major thoroughfares? Some of these desires have worked out better than others (after all, we aren't eliminating cars, we still have to go to Diamondbacks, Suns, Cardinals, Coyotes, and Rattlers games) within the present framework, but it is gratifying to see the end result taking shape.

Some folks have questioned whether we are trying to copy the midwestern style; and some have wondered why we didn't pursue a desert landscaping theme. The answer is that this land has been in agriculture for over 70 years, much of it cleared by the Mister's grandfather. It wouldn't feel right somehow to put it back to desert; and we've never lived in the midwest. This is an urban version of that small town Gilbert, in which the Mister grew up.

Get Used to It

The forecast for more rain today continues, but Morrison Ranch didn't get any of the heavy thunderstorms, hail, or rain last night. But the wet season isn't over yet, according to this:

As wet as it feels, Arizona still can't muster the rain Seattle (almost 10 inches in three months) and Portland (about 7 inches) have had so far this season, and both of those cities are struggling through one of the driest winters in years. But there's still time to catch up: According to the long-range forecast from the Climate Prediction Center in Camp Springs, Md., there's a good chance Arizona will remain wetter than average all the way through May.

It's been hit and miss on just trying to get our lawns mowed when they aren't under water.

It Looked Like More Water Than That

The Morrison Ranch Weather Station only reported .14 inches of rain last night. I guess it feels like more because everything is already so wet.

Higley Estates From the Air

Higley Estates Park Under Water, Houses are Sprouting
In spite of the rain, the houses at Higley Estates are sprouting like weeds, seemingly overnight. (I'm sure it doesn't feel like it to the homeowners waiting to move in, but to those of us watching from the outside, it seems instant) The covered tot lot is looking out over the park filled with water, which is actually helpful for the new sod.

As good neighbors, if you see anything suspicious, please do report it. I'm appalled that some employees and subcontractors figure it might be okay to pilfer and steal from the builder. And "everybody does it and they can afford it" just doesn't cut it with me, just like when my kids are tempted to say, "everybody cheats at school, and I know the stuff anyway" doesn't cut it in our household.

Extreme Makeover House

Extreme Makeover House
I'm sure that once the show airs in March, we won't be hearing much about the Extreme Makeover house or the personal finances of the Okvaths.

But the Mister noticed this at the last moment and was able to snap a very good picture. That's probably what the two cars in the picture are doing as well, gawking. The carousel is in the lower left corner, along with the row of play houses. The Mister also pointed out the neighbor's house at the top of the picture; the Okvath's house doesn't look too big or out of place compared to that house.

Highland Groves From the Air

Highland Groves Grading
This is the newest Morrison Ranch project, on Elliot at Recker, Highland Groves. The rain has slowed their progress, but they have been grading when they can. There are three builders going in here; they are smaller lots and should be ready to start selling in August.

Bird's Eye View of Lakeview Village

Lakeview Village Shopping Center

The Mister and the Water Expert took advantage of the sun and the holiday yesterday to fly around locally. While they were up they took some pictures for me. Sometimes it amazes me how seeing something from the air changes the perspective. This is Lakeview Village, and some of the building in Highland Estates across Higley.

More on Blog Reading

One thing I forgot to mention yesterday about blogs, but may seem obvious anyway, is that the most recent post is always at the top of the page. All posts ever written are available to be read, either by clicking on the title of the most recent posts listed along the right side of the page, or clicking on the month under archives.

Just so you know.

Blog Reading 101

At the risk of sounding condescending, I've decided I need to offer some education to the readers of The Front Porch (both of you!). If you've been reading blogs for a long time, you can skip this post; if not, there may be a few pointers for you.

A blog (short for weblog) is not a web site, at least not in the same way that Morrison Ranch is a web site. A blog is not a news group, where anybody can participate, and everything that is written goes to everyone on the list, via e-mail. A blog is not a personal family web site, like the services that provide the ability to keep Grandma in Ohio up to date on Baby's antics in Arizona, although that is a little bit closer in style. Here is a good explanation, from a book titled, appropriately, "Blog":

Blog is short for weblog. Log means "diary," as in a captain's log on a ship. Weblog means a diary of sorts maintained on the internet by one or more regular contributors. Usually just one, sometimes two or three, rarely more than three.
The first blog appeared in 1999. Give or take a year.
There are now more than 4,000,000 blogs. Think about that. From 1 to 4,000,000 in five years.
Blogs first got noticed when they invaded the realm of politics and journalism in a big way. An entire universe of poliblogs sprang up to do commentary on politics and, necessarily, about media. These blogs raised huge sums of money for candidates, changed the contours of citizen political participation, and altered the course of the 2004 presidential election. Another wave arose after 9/11, generally called warblogs. These bloggers took up their keypads out of the urgency born from rubble of that terrible September morning.

I got hooked on the warblogs (as I posted a few days ago, the Mister and I know a lot of military folks from the days at Williams AFB), and when the Mister got tired of me reading to him over my shoulder, he started looking at some of those blogs as well.

In my short experience in the blogosphere, I've found there are basically two types of blogs: those whose writer seems to read every single thing ever written every day, usually on a specific range of topics, and then points his readers to the most salient articles via a link; and those whose writer does strictly analysis of a certain topic, with a few links thrown in. The Front Porch is a blend of the two, providing links to articles that relate to the Morrison Ranch resident either directly, as in the rise of housing prices, or indirectly, as in the levels of our water reservoirs; and providing analysis and background on the inner workings of Morrison Ranch's office crew. Because blogs are so informal, they often reflect the personality and character of the writers; and though I'll never share the arguments that the Mister and I might have, I do hope to share some of the daily goings-on that are inherent in trying to build a community.

So here are some definitions, and other items of note:

"Blog" means The Front Porch in its entirety; a "blogger" is me, the Mister and Bias for Action; and "post" is each entry that we make at a specific time.

If you really want to know the details about who we are, you can visit the profile section located in the upper right side of the page.

There are three things that you, gentle reader, can do to participate in this blog. First, email me by clicking on the Email me! words right below the profiles; pass on any rumors you hear or questions you have about Morrison Ranch. If I can answer with a post on the blog, I will do so; if it seems inappropriate, I will still answer your email as best I can.

Second, you can leave a comment on a particular post. Underneath each post, after it says who writes it, e.g. "posted by the Missus @ 10:05 am" it says "0 comments". If you click on this phrase, it will allow you to comment on that post; it also allows the next reader to come along and read your comment (which will now read "1 comment"). Comments can be enabled or disabled on a blog; we have chosen to enable comments for the time being.

The third thing is to email a post to somebody you know, by clicking on the envelope with the arrow in it, which shows up right after the comment phrase. We welcome your participation.

I hope this illuminates your understanding of the blogosphere; we are still learning the technical details involved with publishing pictures, going back to prior postings, etc.; so we are trying to become more proficient in the medium day by day.

Higley Groves West Basin Under Water

1.73 inches for the storm by Sat. noon

DELUGE in the Ranch

The Mister says he has never seen the retention basin (on the west end of Higley Groves West) so full of water. But that's probably because we've never gotten 1.22 inches of rain in such a short period of time, since midnight last night. This storm is now registering more than one and a half inches of rain in the Morrison Ranch weather station. And more to come.

Let there be light

I may be the only one who notices this, but the street lights are on at Lakeview Village. Right now. Whenever now is. All the time. There was a glitch in the electrical design, and so the lights have to be on all the time or off all the time. Only one right choice. We will fix this during the work to build the stores on the south side of Albertons, which will start shortly.

Rain in the Ranch

The Morrison Ranch weather station reports that we got .33 inches of rain from the storm last night, which is even more than what Crossroads Park reported. And of course there is a forecast for more.

I drove to Tucson last night to join my daughter for a Wildcats basketball game, and once again noticed the green desert. I cannot remember the last time I saw the desert so green for so long, with the beginnings of lots of wild flowers. When the poppies burst into bloom at Picacho Peak this year, that will be a drive worth taking.

Tot Lot With Cover

Higley Estates Tot Lot and Sod in Park
My kids don't call this a tot lot; they call it a playground. But if they keep hanging around the Mister, this will change, too (all of us have begun to notice "water features" "edge conditions" and "paving patterns" - when we used to call them fountains, the side of the road, and the sidewalk, but that's a subject for a different post). My preoccupation with tot lots goes way back, to the time that my own children actually used them as playgrounds.

"Sweetheart," I'd say to the Mister, since I thought that might butter him up; "Sweetheart, we live in a beautiful climate that gets really really warm at times. But the kids still like to go to the park and the playground, and that equipment gets really really hot, even though they don't use metal slides anymore. How about putting some shade over those playground things, so your little darlings (and your Missus!) don't fry while they're out there playing?" The Mister would agree that this would be a fine idea, and he would see what he could do; but ultimately he would return with the news that the cover just wasn't the top priority, and there were cost considerations, we would put trees around the equipment to provide shade, etc., etc., etc. Needless to say, my kids did not get to enjoy a covered tot lot, and no doubt that was great character development for them. But now, lo and behold, a covered tot lot in Higley Estates! I am very excited for all the kids and their parents who will be able to enjoy it, and I hope that this is the wave of the future throughout the rest of the Ranch.

By the way, the Mister did point out that Higley Groves East went back and covered their tot lots after the fact; so it is catching on...

The Mister Will Be So Relieved

As I was following the hubbub around the Extreme Makeover project here in Gilbert, the Mister was worrying that family might be getting a gift that they couldn't afford. What if the property tax bill, the electicity bill for air conditioning, and most importantly, the IRS bill for prize monies was more than the family could pay? Would they have to sell the house? He will be so happy to see this:

Producers also made sure the family wouldn’t have to pay income tax. While property tax still applies, Forman said ABC leased the house from the family for 12 days and tax law allows improvements made by a renter to be tax-free for the owner.

Williams Gateway, The Hidden Airport

Back in the day when the Mister and I were newlyweds growing cotton instead of communities, we used to spend a lot of time at Williams Air Force Base. We had a lot of friends in the military, the Mister loved talking with his hands to the young pilots about aerobatic maneuvers (ever watch two pilots talk? the hands become instant aircraft knifing through the air with the accompanying exclamation "there I was!"), and we dragged strollers to every air show they put on out there. We were somewhat distressed when "Willie" was put on the base closures list (whatever are they thinking?! there is no other pilot training base with more days of good weather for flying than this one!), but since we weren't asked for our opinion, they closed the base for military training.

Fast forward to today. Many of my neighbors have a vague perception of an airport "out there" but don't really give it much thought unless they see a huge airplane landing there. Williams Gateway has gone through several fits and starts: should it be a reliever airport, what about education, industrial expansion, who will pay for what? Things seem to be coming together these days; I posted yesterday on ASU East, which has a large portion of the facilities. There are flight training schools, aircraft maintenance facilities, air ambulances based there, and many other uses. Of course, the Mister and the Water Expert park their Cirrus there, so we often notice when new enterprises arise at the field.

In short, there are many dreams and aspirations for Williams Gateway by the policy-makers of our town. I think of it as a diamond in the rough, full of potential that is as yet untapped. The Mister reminds me that the airport at Ontario CA was originally not thought to be worth much, but today it is a bustling hub of economic activity. What will Williams Gateway look like in ten years? Who knows?

Here's one possibility for the future, though. Because of its military background, the runways are big enough for the Airbus; there is plenty of land around the runways for facilities, and when the San Tan Freeway comes through, that will provide easier access to Gateway. Intriguing.

Town Elections on the Horizon

The AZ Republic sponsored a debate/forum for the Gilbert town council and mayoral hopefuls last night. This article summarizes some of the content of the evening, and though it seems to be fairly sparse on a broad overview of the mayoral candidates, it does give a little more detail on some of the newer applicants for town council. The Mister is always adjuring our kids to be informed and then vote; and if they don't want to take the time to research each candidate, the Mister himself can give them some good information. I like to cook, which only adds weight, but he likes to chat, and he seems to know everyone, so he usually has a pretty good read on local elections. His main desire is to promote participation in the community process, which only makes sense.

By the way, the primary is on March 8; if you want to vote at a time convenient for you, you may go to the Town Hall and vote during office hours.

ASU East Grows Up

The Mister's family has always been a big supporter of the University systems in Arizona. Heck, I guess you could say that OUR family has been a big supporter: our eldest graduated from NAU, our second daughter will graduate from U of A this May, our third daughter is a freshman at Grand Canyon University, and our son has plans to go to ASU. So we will have covered all the bases, as it were. And speaking of bases, the former Williams AFB has transformed a large part of its facility into ASU East, and apparently this is the fastest growing segment of ASU. I'm surprised to see that they've been out there 8 years already, since it seems like yesterday that our good friend Chuck Backus was moving out there to be Provost.

Congratulations on joining the big boys, ASU East.

Another Voice on the Stink

Neil Schneider, the Director of Marketing for Farm Bureau, sent an editorial to the AZ Republic replying to Kathi Borque's question (see yesterday's post "Yes, Virginia, There is no Conspiracy") about whether the local dairies shut down the smell during Ty Pennington's stay in Gilbert. I don't see it reprinted in the paper yet, but Mr. Schneider gave me permission to reprint it here:

Response: Was Gilbert Aired Out? (Feb. 15, 2005)

Kathi Borque of Gilbert asked for an answer to the Great Gilbert Cow Stink in her Feb. 15 submission.

We spoke to a representative at the nearest dairy to the “Extreme Home Makeover” location. She assured me that the cows were happily chewing their cud and giving milk as Ty Pennington handed the keys over to the Okvath family. The cows were not moved.

Producing affordable and fresh food, in this case milk, for children and adults in Arizona and other nearby states, requires certain economies of scale. We have larger dairies on Arizona than you would find in the Midwest, and yes, they do omit smells normally associated with cows. In addition, if the cows are closer to the grocery store, the cost of transporting the milk to you is less. That means cheaper milk, cheese, yogurt and cottage cheese.

I assure you that Arizona dairy families are at the forefront of odor, dust and pest controls and they spend thousands and thousands of dollars annually mitigating these issues so their new neighbors who have chosen to move into the area, can maintain a good quality of life.

The Mister reminded me that the dairies do try, as Mr. Schneider says, to fight the odor. They do things such as using large corrals for the stock, which causes the manure to spread out and dry faster, and also makes for healthier cows. So that's two of us that think there was no smell-conspiracy in Gilbert last week.

No Surprise Here

As anyone who has gone looking at model homes recently - or purchased a home! - knows, the price of housing in Gilbert has been steadily increasing. This is both beneficial and not so great at the same time, of course. We who have already purchased homes in Morrison Ranch have watched our home values rise each year, far above the rate of inflation. But it makes it tough for our friends and family, especially those who are just getting started in the home market, to join us. The homes for sale in Higley Estates are absolutely gorgeous, but out of reach for some of my younger friends. When we were dreaming about the qualities of Morrison Ranch way back in the day, this is one of the issues that came up: we wanted it to be affordable and have a variety of income strata. We can't predict the economy, and while we are pleased at the demand for Morrison Ranch homes, we are concerned about those wanting to live here and finding it impossible. One thing I'm looking forward to is Highland Groves, at Elliot and Recker, which is under construction now (when the ground is dry enough to work), and will have smaller lots and smaller houses, and hopefully be more affordable.

If you want to be encouraged about your house value going up, read about this report by the Arizona Real Estate Center; if you're looking to buy a house in Morrison Ranch (or anywhere in Gilbert), skip it.

Just Bein' Neighborly

The Mister really appreciates the hard work and capabilities of Kathy Langdon, the President of the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce. She has an editorial in the AZ Republic today, with some behind-the-scenes comments about the crew and cast of the Extreme Makeover project. Her conclusion, with which I heartily agree:

I am so proud of our community and the generosity it shared which is a testimony to what a great place Gilbert is to live and work.

Read the whole thing.

Yes, Virginia, There is no Conspiracy

I saw this editorial this morning, and felt compelled to respond. Here it is in it's entirety:

We live near the Extreme Makeover home in Gilbert. We are thrilled to see the home being built for the Okvaths. But we would like someone in the Gilbert area to do a little truth-telling. If you've lived in Gilbert or visited near the vicinity of Higley and Guadalupe roads, you may have noticed our "di-stink-tive" air as one of the negatives to the area. It seems most prevalent during the late-evening and early-morning hours. Sometimes I'd swear that you can actually see the cow manure floating in the air!
We noticed over the week of the makeover that the stink was not present. Did the cows decide to hold it in for the week? Did someone clear off an entire dairy farm during the week of the filming? Perhaps the host of the show had big fans aimed away from the site? Several months ago, when we made inquiries at the Farm Bureau, the nice people in the office told us that the agricultural aromas are from a dairy farm several miles away and that wind shifts bring it in to our area. Funny how those winds conveniently shifted away for an entire week while a film crew of a nationally known show was in the area. My husband and I have a running bet that the stink will magically reappear soon. Can someone please tell us the truth about the Great Gilbert Cow Stink? Kathi Borque, Gilbert

I posted about the dairy smells a few weeks ago, and let me reiterate: there is NOTHING the farmer can do to increase or decrease the smell of manure at a dairy, other than haul it out and get rid of the cows. When the rains were so heavy, the smell would be reduced by the moisture falling, but the moment that the rains stopped, the smell would increase again, and even worse because of the added moisture. So Mrs. Borque is right when she surmises that the stink will be back soon (probably now). Not even the Extreme Makeover folks could fix that.

It's Your Community

Still undecided on who should be the next mayor and town council members of Gilbert? The last forum takes place tomorrow night, hosted by the AZ Republic. The primary is March 8, and will probably be the deciding vote.

"Public safety and growth are expected to be key issues discussed among the two mayoral and eight Town Council candidates on Wednesday in what could be the final public forum before the March 8 primary election. The forum will be in council chambers at Gilbert Town Hall and is open to the public."

Check it out.

Checking Out Model Homes

The Mama and I went to look at the models at Higley Estates today, since the sun was shining for a while. Greystone has decided not to decorate theirs (except with LIVE plants, very nice), but you can see the quality, and since I live in a Greystone house, I know how it might look with furniture. The U.S. Homes models have been open for about a week, but the rain has certainly set them back, and they aren't quite 100 percent finished yet. They are gorgeous, and they have about nine or ten floor plans, though they are only modeling two. They are well worth the tour. As usual, I especially like the kitchens.

The Sod-Layer

Sod Machine in Higley Estates
This machine coupled with the workers can sod approximately 100,000 square feet a day.

Rolling Out The Green Carpet

Higley Estates Sod in Park

The Green Manicured Look

New Sod in Higley Estates

Neighborhood in Progress

The newest addition to Morrison Ranch has been going up rapidly (when it's been dry enough to work). Higley Estates is on the southwest corner of Higley and Elliot, and will have 162 houses when it's finished. There are some larger lots; there are two builders; and the houses have been selling like hotcakes (how do hotcakes sell, anyway? when I buy them at a restaurant, they sell them three at a time or one big one at once, and they let me eat them before I pay for them; this is NOT what I mean to imply about the Higley Estates houses. I mean that they are being bought as quickly as they become available, which is how I like to EAT my pancakes, as quickly as they become available off the griddle, so that's how the metaphor should be taken).

In the meantime, that side of the street is greening up as they lay the sod in the common areas. The Water Expert sent me some photos of the process that I found to be interesting, so I thought I would post them.

Rain in the Ranch Totals

Well, the last part of the storm wasn't as strong in Morrison Ranch as predicted. Our final totals for this storm are 1.75 inches. Wow. I'm sure the Water Expert is loving the reports on the ever-increasing reservoir levels. The forecast?

"...partly cloudy skies are expected today, and the weather should remain relatively clear until another storm system hits the Valley on Friday."

So there's just time to let the lawn dry out, get it cut, put on some weed killer, use some pre-emergent where needed, and be ready for the next storm.

Well, That Was Fun

Gilbert's fifteen minutes of fame are passed (at least until March 13 when "Extreme Makeover" is aired) and I would say the story is a success all around. The Mister and Daughter and I drove by this morning to see what we could see. I was right in surmising that the rain would thoroughly dampen spectator interest (except for one dear family slogging through the mud, umbrellas in hand, baby in front-pack) and I was wrong in thinking that the road would be opened through to the house by now. It's my understanding that they are doing the clean-up work now, and of course that is not nearly so dramatic or enthralling as the building. All in all, I say again that as far as TV goes, this is a good show, and hopefully very beneficial to the Okvath family.

You can read more about the latest here, here, and here.

More Rain Subtotals

As of 8 am today, Morrison Ranch has seen 1.6 inches of rain from this storm. The forecast is for another half inch before the storm leaves:

"The storm, which began late Thursday, likely will drop another half-inch of rain before then. Total amount of rain anticipated for the Valley is around 2 inches. "We’re getting a double whammy with so much rain and snow melting," said Randy Cerveny, geography professor at Arizona State University. "And although it will help our drought, it can lead to some pretty nasty flooding."'

I'm happy to see the professor acknowledging some help with the drought; I know that flooding is a serious issue in the flood-prone places. Though the Mister has lived here all his life, I hail originally from Wyoming, and when I moved here thought it very humorous that Arizona had many signs for rivers and creeks but no water in those washes. The Mister would always joke that there was no need to cover up a good river with water. Well, plenty of them have water now, including the Salt and the Gila, and it's a novelty to Arizonans!

One more thought about water. Our Water Expert emailed me with some facts about the reservoirs:

" I like watching the water maybe a little more than you. (ed. note: No Kidding!) Therefore I thought I would update you on the lake(reservoirs) levels here in the state. They should change with this current storm. Starting with;
Alamo 23%, Apache 95%, Bartlett 92%, Canyon 94%, Lake Havasu 88%, Horseshoe 80%, Lake Mead 55%, Lake Mohave 91%, Lake Pleasant 87%, Lake Powell 35%, Roosevelt 50% (at old dam level), Saguaro 95%, San Carlos 9%.
These numbers are compiled from the Bureau of Reclamation, SRP Daily water report and U.S. Geological Survey. Even more exciting is going to these websites and monitoring real time river flows into these reservoirs!! For example the flow into Horseshoe at Tangle yesterday is at 705 cubic feet a second. I have seen that flowing at over 30,000 cfs this year. Maybe it will happen again. Let's watch and see."

I don't get as excited as he does about this topic, but I appreciate his enthusiasm, and I sure appreciate his expertise in the water issues at Morrison Ranch.

Rain in the Ranch Subtotals

We've gotten .44 inches of rain in Morrison Ranch from the current storm, as of 9 a.m. this morning. And much more forecast.

Pedestrian Friendly To The Max

When we dreamed about what Morrison Ranch would look like, this is one of the sights we hoped to see

Today's The Day

I don't know if 10,000 people will show up in the rain for the handing over of the keys to the Okvath family, but I'll bet plenty of folks will be on hand. I'm looking forward to the family's reaction, and to watching the show on March 13. The Mister has been worrying about whether the family has to pay gift taxes (remember the Oprah debacle when people received new cars as hostess gifts for attending her opening show and then couldn't afford to keep them because of the required gift taxes?) (and who came up with the idea of gift taxes anyway? Why should we tax doing good? But that's a different topic), and I've seen no information on that question. However, the AZ Republic did ask some of the questions I've been wondering about:

"What is the family's financial responsibility? The Okvath family has to pay the property taxes.
How are the Okvaths being kept out of the loop? They're put to work by day and sequestered by night in a hotel in Tucson. Kassandra and family have been helping Disney animators paint cartoon characters and bold designs on the University Medical Center's walls."

Oh yeah, and you know those big coaches that I thought were carrying tourists? They are for the volunteers, of which there are about a thousand. Seriously. Back in the day, we used to have barn raisings, where the neighbors would all come together to get someone's barn built, and all they expected for their trouble was to be fed. I'm thankful that folks are still willing to volunteer their time to help a neighbor in need. In fact, I live next door to several folks just like that.

Ah, Now I Understand

I was driving by the Walgreen's yesterday afternoon and checked out the Extreme Makeover hubbub on the empty ground next to Walgreen's. They have a regular parking lot, and I watched incredulously as two rather large coaches (much bigger than any school bus) maneuvered through the lot as they ferried folks over to the house site on Redfield. My cousin said yesterday that they are expecting 10,000 people on Friday when the house is presented to the family. Ty Pennington sightings are all the talk amongst the neighbors and business folk. And not just Redfield, but ALL of the side streets are jam-packed with cars of curious onlookers. And then it hit me like a brick: That's why they do this incredible project in only a week; who could sustain the energy and buzz for any longer? And how could you put up with the inconvenience on your street for a single day more if you were one of the neighbors? Large vehicles with tourists, helicopters every morning and evening, bright lights and loud building through every night, TEN THOUSAND spectators... Yes, let's hold it to a week. And still, it's a worthy project.

At least those of us who live in Morrison Ranch can walk to the site.

Looking Back at The Logo

Morrison Ranch Logo


We had a milestone in the office recently; Bias For Action presented us with the 500th weekly agenda. For the math-challenged like me, that's about ten years worth of weekly agendas. So we were reading over some of the earlier ones, and reminiscing about various things we'd worked on through the years. I remember the discussions around coming up with our logo. We had some professional help, and we started by deciding what we wanted to communicate. Morrison Ranch is a community, one where we dreamed of residents being able to live, work, shop, play, and recreate, all within the borders of the community. We wanted to stress the pedestrian-friendly atmosphere, as well as the family-friendly atmosphere. After MUCH discussion, revision, more discussion, more revision, trying to get it right (the little girl looked too old, the dog was too big, take off the man's jacket, things like that) we settled on this logo. The signature grain tanks are in the background; the tree plays a LARGE part in our landscaping scheme, the dog holds a shopping bag in it's mouth, the briefcase denotes work, and the sailboat denotes play. Complex, yes, but the concepts are all quite simple, and all quite important to us. It's fun for me to see many of the concepts in reality, in flesh and blood, from the dogs to the pedestrians, to the lake, to the opening stores at Lakeview Village. Dreams take a while to realize sometimes; I'm privileged to watch one starting to materialize before my very eyes.

Pride and Joy of the Mister and Water Expert

This is what we used to see the verdant desert last week:

A Cirrus SR22

Extreme Makeover Watch

Amazingly, the house is framed and the roof is affixed, and today they are doing the drywall. I've been watching the helicopters hovering in the mornings and evenings for the newscasts and wondering how it's going. If you're curious like me, The Arizona Republic has a slideshow that details the progression. I have a million questions, like, what did they do with the family's belongings before they razed the house? And do they put it all back, or let the family do it? Do the neighbors mind them hammering and sawing through the night? Do you remember how long it took to get your Morrison Ranch house built (it felt like forever, I was so excited to get moved in!), and what would it be like to have that happen in five short days? How can they plan that and get all the materials and deal with all the inevitable problems, and do it all in front of the entire country?! Amazing.

...And Will Rise Some More

And those reservoirs will keep filling up if the weather man has anything to say about it:

"By Thursday night, rain is likely, and heavy rain is expected Friday and Friday night as the brunt of the storm hits the Valley. Forecasters said to expect 2 inches of rain in the Valley and 2 to 3 inches in the mountains north and east of the Valley. "

I guess we'll turn off our lawn sprinklers tomorrow.

Water's Rising

Now here's some encouraging news:

"By late spring, the reservoirs that supply water to the Valley may rise by as much as 48 percent, an SRP spokeswoman said Monday.
The cause is a combination of winter storms that have slammed the Valley and other parts of Arizona since December and anticipated snowmelt over the next few months, Salt River Project spokeswoman Patricia Garcia Likens said. SRP manages most of the Valley’s water supply. Since November, Roosevelt Lake has risen from 29 percent full to 49 percent Monday and may hit 77 percent by late spring. Other reservoirs, such as Apache, Canyon, Saguaro and Bartlett, are currently 90 percent full or more, Garcia Likens said. "

And the obligatory sentence reminding us that this does not mean the end of the drought doesn't show up until far into the article. Okay, we're reminded. But it's nice to see the reservoirs filling up, no?

Makeover Update

The Mister and a friend spent some time yesterday morning looking for the exact location of the Extreme Makeover's project. They found it pretty easily, as the dirt pad next to the Walgreens at Higley and Guadalupe is the staging area for supplies. The road to the house was blocked off, and they declined to make the quarter mile trek down the street, but the Mister did see some folks he knows, wearing the blue tee shirts as volunteers. It makes sense that they would need a lot of help. We heard from those who did walk down that there were a ton of folks there watching. And the house was completely razed, down to nothing, nada, zip. They have a bleacher section set up for the curious bystanders, so I'm sure the Mister and I will wander over and spectate a bit.

Both the local papers are giving the project some great press. The East Valley Tribune provides the warm and human side of the story:

A limousine whisked the family away to Tucson over the weekend to watch 50 Disney animators make over the children’s area of the hospital, complete with murals on the walls and new decorations. "She looked so happy Friday when they came to take her in the limo," Beltran said of Kassandra. "Usually she looks so frail." But host Ty Pennington didn’t tell them about the bigger surprise: The one-story, 1,800-square-foot house that they had lived in for a year near Guadalupe and Higley roads would become a twostory, 5,300-square-foot house in just a week. The family has no clue. The new house will be unveiled when they come home Friday from a vacation at an undisclosed location. They have no access to newspapers, television or telephones.

And the AZ Republic lets us know a few of the sponsors who are helping out:

For the next five days, the show's designers and crews from Valley home builder Taylor Woodrow Homes will build a five-bedroom, 5,000-square-foot home where a much smaller ranch-style house had stood. Scottsdale-based furniture company Breuners Arizona also contributed more than $60,000 in furnishings for the family of eight.

Kinda warms the cockles of your heart, doesn't it?

Extreme Makeover Comes to Gilbert

My kids love the show "Extreme Makeover", and I've watched it a few times as well, and I have to agree. It's one of the better offerings on TV, I think (though it makes me cry like a baby every time). Well, I noticed that the show is coming and making over a house near Morrison Ranch. Kassandra Okvath and her family live fairly nearby, around Higley and Guadalupe. While many of us are watching the Super Bowl tomorrow, Ty Pennington and his crew will be demolishing the Okvath's house in preparation for the new one - to be rebuilt by next Friday.

OK, So the Rain Causes SOME Problems

If you read my Rain Rant, you know that I've been loving the rain and most of it's effects. There is one result, however, that isn't going to be so nice: weeds. Cathy Rymer, Gilbert's Water Conservation Specialist, has some tips on dealing with those pesky weeds.

Verdant View

Webster's defines verdant: (vur'd'nt) adj. 1. green 2.covered with green vegetation

On Thursday, the Mister and I and our office flew down near Gila Bend (both the Mister and our Water Expert are great small plane pilots) to look at a farm that the younger generation are farming, carrying on the family tradition. All I can say is that the desert, as seen from the air, is VERDANT. It is truly beautiful.

Rain Rant

It's nice to see someone rejoicing in the moisture, even if it's just a little bit of rejoicing.

"Northern Arizona saw the most precipitation over the past two months. Flagstaff recorded 6.58 inches of rainfall in January.The normal is 2.18 inches, said meteorologist Keith Kincaid of the National Weather Service in Phoenix."

Here in Morrison Ranch we got 2.46 inches of rain, according to our water expert.

Sometimes I get the feeling that we are not allowed to be happy about the rainfall totals; we always get the wagging finger and the "BUT the rains don't mean an end to the drought." Does this mean that being happy will jinx things and we won't get any more rain? Or that we will suddenly forget that we have much water to make up in our reservoirs and so we will rejoice by all leaving our hoses on in the back yard and letting the water run when we brush our teeth, and gleefully plant the most water-intensive plants we can find, and who knows what other water-wasting behaviors? It seems to me that most of the people I know remember that we live in a desert, and do their best to conserve our resources, and won't forget that just because we have more rain than average.

When I married the Mister, I thought that part of being a farmer's wife was to pray for rain. I was a little surprised when he told me that I needed to be specific: pray for snow in the mountains and rain in the north to fill up the lakes, but not here because rain stains the cotton and reduces cotton's quality. Since the drought started about 8 years ago, we've given up on the specifics and just prayed for rain in the state.

I suspect that when the Hohokam Indians did their rain dances and got the results they desired, they danced some more in gratitude. I, for one, am doing my own dance of gratitude. (And no, I don't think this means the drought is over. Sigh.)