Chandler Neighborhood Shots - Very Tasteful and Understated Halloween Decoration

...a unique, artsy and fun Halloween decoration in the middle of a yard just a few doors down the street.

Chandler Neighborhood Shots - Yet More Halloween Decorations / A Skeleton in the Classroom

As stated earlier, those in Chandler went all-out to celebrate Halloween in grand style.

Can't look at a skeleton without thinking about my 10th grade biology class.  In those days most schools had at least one real skeleton for study in their science classes.  This was Orange Stark High School in 1973, a standout school even in those days, when schools were generally better than they are now.  One day the teacher introduced us to their skeleton-in-residence, showing us how he knew it was a female (pelvic bone widened due to having kids) and her approximate age (via the dentition), which was mid-forties.  She was about 5'4" tall, had this or that disease, and through lifetime engaged in this much or that much labor.  Was very interesting, and the teacher was tactful and respectful in the way he handled the lesson.  "Can we touch?" some of us asked.  "Yes, if you come up one at a time," was the response.  Some of us did and some of us didn't.
 

Chandler Neighborhood Shots - More Halloween Decorations

Believe it or not, this was captured at the same address featured in the last two posts.  It wasn't a huge house, so we wondered where all this stuff was stored during non-Halloween times.  And are they just as eager about Christmas?

Chandler Neighborhood Shots - Halloween Lady

Saw this lady at the same address.  Actually they do Halloween in grand style there in Chandler, as can be seen in these and the pics to be posted in the next couple of days:

Chandler Neighborhood Shots - Alien Creature

Spied this creature on one of our morning walks as the rising sun caught the webbing on its wings just right.  Koko was not too interesting in getting to know this guy better...

Chandler Neighborhood Shots - Strange Blue Yard Plant

Closer-up shots of one of those strange blue plants featured in yesterday's post...

Chandler Neighborhood Shots - Rock Yards and Strange Plants

No less interesting to us were the yards, typically covered over with rocks instead of grass.  The suburban plant life there is full of strange and - to us - exotic plants, such as these blue things.  Naturally the cactus plants used in landscaping was varied, including saguaros, which are sold by nurseries or transplanted from other areas.  The larger saguaros, such as the one below, carry a price tag of $100 or more per foot:

Chandler Neighborhood Shots - Sunset-to-Dusk Cloud Formation

Enthralled by this cloud formation, a little further down the trail I zoomed in a little and recomposed for this shot.  Lucky it was captured, as only a few minutes later the brilliant sunlit scene was lost in the edge of dusk:

Chandler Neighborhood Shots - Reflected Cloud Formation at Sunset

Having said that about the dried-up parks, there are canals that snake through the region that have continuously running water with trails aligning both sides for all to enjoy.  Our son-in-law was eager to show us this one just north of Chandler, in the city of Gilbert.  This is where our dog Koko met a horse for the first time, an introduction that lasted about a millisecond.

What caught my attention here was that awesome cloud formation at sunset, with its brilliant orange hues; as a bonus we have a reflection in the water of the canal.

Chandler Neighborhood Shots - Water Reflections at Pima Park

Having grown up in Orange (TX), then Beaumont, then Nacogdoches, then Houston - places where water abounds and rivers run full - the lifestyles built around living in the Sonora desert is a whole new world to us.  Even more so to my wife, having grown up in the jungles of Taiwan.  So just about everything out here is culturally very interesting.

Such as what you see above.  A look at the water and trails built up above water level points to the first thing that amazed us about life in the desert Southwest.  That is, parks here are engineered to be flooded, and during the hot six-month summer season are routinely inundated via an underground water system to keep the grass alive.  Yes, water percolates up from underneath and the whole place is flooded, turning the park into a huge reflection pool divided by the trails.  Then it takes a few days to dry up, and a couple of weeks later they do it all over again.

More reflection shots below, captured by my iPhone 15 Pro Max:

All of these neighborhood pics, by the way, were captured with the iPhone, as I didn't feel like carrying the Bigger Cahoona around on our neighborhood walks.