The end of an Era

George Pettit is retiring. He has only been Town Manager since 2002, but he has been with the Town since 1985. Wow. Read the article here. By the way, city managers have an average lifespan of a couple of years, so Kent Cooper, who was before Pettit, and George have shown how good they are at the job by their longevity.

Rain in the Ranch

I thought it was supposed to rain yesterday. But it turns out it was this morning.

As of 7am, it has rained .03 inches. Just a dab. But it looks like it might rain through the morning.

Higley Groves West

The Higley Groves West monthly board meeting is Thursday night at the Farm Bureau break room, on the east side, 325 S. Higley Rd., Gilbert, at 6pm. It usually runs until 8:30 or 9pm.

General Plan Meeting Thursday

There is a public meeting looking for input on the new Gilbert General Plan. It is Thursday night at the library. Get the details here.

Morrison Ranch won't be affected, since we are already zoned, but some areas nearby are under consideration for changes.

Rain in the Ranch

Yesterday ended up with .34 inches.

Nothing since midnight.

Grand total for this storm system (which I "think" is done) is 2.91 inches.

And I am going to go ride my bike. Am I nuts or what?

Our new Mayor

Mayor Lewis has been in office for six months now, and looks to be off to a good start. That is doing very well in view of the crunch the Town is in due to the economy.

I bring this up now, because I discovered that the little local magazine, "Go Gilbert", has a website, with archives, and it includes an article about the mayor. Read it here.

Rain in the Ranch

Yesterday had 1.44 inches total.

This morning only .14 inches so far, by 5:30 am.

That still puts us at about 2.7 for the week. Moist out there.

Remember, we get 7 inches a YEAR on average.

Um, I Think There is a Wee Problem

Morrison Ranch has received just under 2 inches of rain in the last two days. As the Mister said yesterday, we are quickly reaching and surpassing our annual norms for rain in these parts. This morning, I awoke to our cul-de-sac under water. I saw my dear neighbor out there sloshing around with a shovel trying to unplug the drain on the curb, but the Mister says that most likely there is a different problem. So I will leave that to him and the experts. In the meantime, driving around our cul-de-sac is a little like pulling water skiers on Canyon Lake - very wet, with lots of wake behind you.

I remember when the Mister and I first moved into our house, about ten years ago. We had record rainfall then, as well. Our landscaping wasn't in yet; the houses around us were still being built, and the retention basin seemed to always be full of water. I figured we were getting quite the spa treatment, because we were bathing in mud every day. I went to Home Depot and bought long rolls of plastic to lay as runners on the floor in an effort to trap some of the mud. The Mister broke apart moving boxes as makeshift sidewalks in the back yard, lest someone be lost in the really deep mud. I would catch myself seething as I watched the cement trucks leave gaping ruts in the median in front of our house because they wouldn't slow down enough to make the turn. Yep, it was wet, all right.

But this storm is bigger, and it isn't over yet, according to The AZ Republic:

The Valley could receive upwards of 5 inches of rain, forecasters said, and the flash-flood warning is in effect for for Thursday and Friday.

And other nearby streets are having problems, as well:

Recker Road was closed between Elliot and Warner roads due to flooding.

But here is the advice I am heeding today:

Forecasters urged residents to avoid crossing flooded areas and reduce speeds on snowpacked and icy roads, postponing travel all together if possible.

I think I will avoid that flooded cul-de-sac in front of my house, and just stay home today.

Rain in the Ranch

As of 7 am this morning, we got .65 inches since midnight. It's wet out there!

The Neely Quilt

Here is a story about my Mom's side of the family. It is a great thing to have roots, and our family has enjoyed that for generations. We hope folks feel like they can graft into the roots of the family and community at large. It makes us part of a greater whole.

Rain in the Ranch

1.10 inches of rain last night.

Let's put that in perspective, shall we? That is 16% of a year's rain in .3% of a year.

One might call it a deluge.

Oh, and turn off those sprinklers for a week or so, OK?

Bulk Trash

OK, this is neither new nor exciting, but it is useful.

Next week is the bulk trash week for Morrison Ranch. The Town has been showing up pretty early in the week, so I encourage you to put out your stuff Sunday afternoon. As they say, "You snooze, you lose".

Here is the link to the Town page with the schedule. I lose track, so maybe you do, too.

Not Just Known For Our Sunsets

This is actually a sunrise. You probably knew that because you know which direction is east and west and all that. But if you don't live here you might think you are looking at one of Arizona's spectacular sunsets. And we do have some spectacular ones. If you know that we also have spectacular sunrises, you might just be a farmer. Or The Water Expert, who took this picture a few days ago. Thanks, Mr. Early Bird.

Well, that's a shame

Not a single bid. Read here. I really liked Grain Belt Grill, the last restaurant in the building, but I guess the lease was just too high. Hopefully this will get turned around someday soon. In the meanwhile, it provides valuable parking for Hale Theater and Liberty Market next door!

New Resident Social

The Town and the Congress of Neighborhoods is sponsoring this for new residents of Gilbert, which certainly includes all new residents of Morrison Ranch. Check it out:


New Resident Social
Saturday, January 16, 2010



Gilbert rolls out welcome mat for newcomers

New Resident Social

Saturday, January 16 – 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Southeast Regional Library

Free!

Moving to a new community provides families with new opportunities and challenges. To help new residents settle into their Gilbert homes, the Congress of Neighborhoods and the Town of Gilbert offers a newcomers program twice each year.

Attendees who have moved from communities throughout the country socialize with other new Gilbert residents, hear short presentations about services from Town representatives, and receive newcomers’ kits filled with information.

“The Newcomers Socials consistently has good attendance,” Said community volunteer and program organizer Joseph Urrea. “Those who have attended have stated that they have not attended an event like this in the communities they lived in previously. Gilbert was the first community in the Valley with such a program.”

For information or to reserve a seat, call Neighborhood Services at (480) 503-6767.

Basha's Fairs are heating up

I am calling the monthly events that Basha's has been hosting a Fair, because Farmer's Market doesn't really capture the flavor of things. In the first place, the longest lines usually seem to be at the places where there is food being sold:

And secondly, the stuff for the kids is always very popular, as well. The little horse ride was full:

And they keep bringing in bigger and better bouncy toys:

There were some new booths this time as well as the familiar ones. It's good to support the local retailers. And with the temperatures rising, it's good to have some shade and nice grass to sit on to eat the yummy stuff you stood in line for:

The theme this week was honoring our military and service provider folks. There were some great national guard vehicles, and a huge fire truck, and yellow ribbons on the trees.

Finally, it's just a good place to hang out on a Saturday, even for just a little while. Thanks, Basha's; and thanks to all the others who help put these on.

I say pi-KAHN, you say PEE-kan

I just learned that "Pecan" is from an Algonquian word, meaning a nut requiring a stone to crack. The Mister cracks them by squeezing two nuts together, thus eliminating the need to carry a stone around. They do have a hard shell. But there is some awfully good stuff inside. Pecans are a good source of protein and unsaturated fats and are rich in omega-6 fatty acids. Many diets call for a handful of pecans a day to help lower cholesterol. I think more about pecan pie, pecan pancakes, and pecan praline, which probably does nothing to lower cholesterol. So why my sudden interest in pecans?

Well, this post is a little behind the power curve, since the harvesting time for pecans is actually November. But our office crew was returning from lunch one day before Christmas, and we took a moment to sample some of the pecans from the trees right behind the office, and it made me think. I wonder if the residents of Morrison Ranch realize that the pecans from the trees planted along the arterials are there for the picking? I have seen a few folks on occasion with a bag in hand; and obviously there aren’t enough for every resident. But I thought I might make the offer; first come, first served. There are still some left on the trees, and they are very sweet this year. You want to pick the ones that are still on the tree, but the outer shell is cracked open. The places in Morrison Ranch that we have pecan trees are the main arterials of Higley, Elliot, and Recker, and also the corner parks. They are also in the medians of these large streets, but The Mister advises against harvesting those in the middle of traffic. Happy harvesting.

Another Saturday Bashas' Event

My house - sort of

This is an article about the house I was raised in.

The article seems to get the facts pretty straight. That's good.

Having Mom live in the house she was raised in is part of what motivated us to preserve heritage in Morrison Ranch. So keeping Grandma's house as our office at Higley and Elliot, and keeping Uncle Hugh's house east of Bashas' both seemed nature.