LivingInTheEastValley.com

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Win a $500 Gift Card and I'll add $50 to it.

We all have pools here in the valley and we spend boat loads of money maintaining them. Enter to win $500 at Shasta pools.

And I'll add 10% or $50 to the gift card. To win, just enter the Shasta Pools contest and leave a comment below with the date you entered. If Shasta Picks your name as the winner and you've entered here, I'll add $50.

The Cactus League

Baseball spring training has started a week early. You can see your favorite major leaguers from now until the end of March.



The best deals are down in Tucson where you can catch the Arizona Diamondbacks for as little as $5. The most expensive seat is $16. Or you can see the Colorado Rockies for between $4 and $17. The lower prices are lawn seating, so no chairs included. But, you might just get a home run ball.



The rest of the teams will range from $6 up to $80 per seat. The average price looks to be in the $23 range. I'm not sure why Cactus league baseball is more expensive than the regular season, but it is.



Want to know more? Go to the website of Major League Baseball and either click on today's schedule or on your favorite team. And have a hot dog and beverage for me.



Schedule for the next three days



Today's scores



Your Favorite Team

Arizona Cornhole

February in Arizona is a great time to get outside and play. These guys are taking a lunch break and getting in a game of Cornhole.

The object is to get the beanbag in the hole or at least on the table.

Tempe Town Lake

Is the drought over? The reservoirs are at capacity and we are starting to release the extra water. This is Tempe Town Lake with it's rubber dam lowered allowing water to escape down the usually dry salt river.

News, is that the Salt River will be wet north and south of the lake and that McKellips Road will be closed until spring. It runs along the river bottom for about 500 yards.

If you want to see more pictures of life in Arizona, visit my daily photo blog.

Arizona Daily Blogs

Want to see a daily photo for your favorite Arizona town? These bloggers post one photo each day about their town or Arizona. On the fifteenth of every month they collaborate and do a common theme.

Phoenix Daily Photo

Chandler Daily Photo

Flagstaff Daily Photo

Prescott Daily Photo

Scottsdale Daily Photo

Tempe Daily Photo

Scottsdale Daily Photo

Chandler Daily Photo

Four Peaks and Snow

The winter months in this part of Arizona will give you sunny days in the 60's. With chilly mornings and the occasional freeze warning. This is a view of downtown Phoenix from Tempe Town Lake.

But, as you look northeast, you might just catch a glimpse of the 'other Arizona', one that is 5000 feet in elevation and covered in snow. This is Four Peaks, the closest mountain range to the Phoenix metro area that gets any significant amount of snow.

The Bisbee Cave House

Are you looking to live in a cave, Batman? Here's a solution down in Bisbee and it's for sale.

The Bisbee Cave House $1,950,000

Joe's Farm Grill

Looking for a unique dining experience, visit Joe's Farm Grill at Agritopia. It's on Ray Road, just east of the 202.
Joe's is in Agritopia, a subdivision with it's own farm. I can't explain it better than the website, so go check it out. It might be a perfect place for you to call home. Or it might be a great place to have lunch. Joe's offers burgers, chicken, pizza and ice cream in a picnic like setting.

The food is served fast, but the line is usually long. If you've been to the other Joe's - Joe's Real BBQ, than you know why the wait is worth it.

And this Joe's has BBQ too!

D'Arcy Ranch, Cottonwood, SunRise

Just north of the Chandler Fashion Center are three neighborhoods built in the 1990's. All three are within walking distance to the mall, employment and all kinds of restaurants.

The houses are stucco one and two story homes. From 1300 square feet up to 4000. There might be one or two near 5000. Average size yards, most lots are from 5000 square feet up to 13,000.

To the north of these communties are three large office buildings. Some could walk to work or to Firehouse Subs, The Spicy Pickle and a japanese restaurant.

To the south is the fashion center and P.F. Chang's, Olive Garden and other chain restaurants. Or you can take in a movie at Harkin's Theatre.

These communities are serviced by Kyrene del Sureno, the local elementary school that's right next to Harter Park with it's ball field, sand volleyball, basketball and playground.

How Does the East Valley Stand Up?

Those of us who live here know that the East Valley cities are a great place to live. Some other people agree with us. Click on a city name to get more information about the city and ranking information.

CNN/Money Rankings of Best Places to Live in 2008:

Gilbert, AZ - 28
Chandler, AZ - 30
Scottsdale, AZ - 47

Sustainability Rankings 2008:

Mesa, AZ - 50

Best Sports Cities Ranking - Sporting News 2008:

Phoenix/Tempe - 6

Scuba Dive in Chandler

Well, not really. But, you can meet up with scuba enthusiasts at the Chandler N Depth Scuba January Meetup on the 21st (6 pm) at
Chuy's Mesquite Broiler
4623 E Elliot Rd
Phoenix, AZ 85044
(480) 496-0775

Chandler Residents?

I'm looking for the resident that has lived in Chandler the longest. With no gaps, except for military service and/or college. So, if you've lived in Chandler for over 30 years, let me know.

If you know someone that might qualify, let me know.

Sunday is going to be HUGE

Looking for some fun this weekend? I suggest you head out to the Rock N Roll Marathon on Sunday morning. Watch 35,000 runners run from downtown Phoenix to ASU in Tempe. There's live bands about every mile on both the full marathon (26.2 miles) and the half marathon (13.1 miles). I'm doing the half this year, so look for bib #32622. Then, head on over to Glendale to either buy tickets to the game or just enjoy the atmosphere at all the bars and restaurants right outside the dome.

It's the Cardinals and Eagles fighting to be a Super Bowl team. This is a first for the Cardinals and for Arizona. Go Cardinals.

Then after the game, head back over to Tempe Town Lake to see Smashmouth. If you have a race bib, it's free. I can just see smashmouth fans begging for the race bibs at the finish line.

Do You Live in a Flood Zone?

It may sound crazy but there are flood zones in Maricopa County even though we are in a desert. Most home insurance policies do not include flood insurance.

More information about flood insurance and link to Maricopa County 100 Year Flood Plain Map

There are some roadways that have washes instead of bridges. These washes may only be full of water a few hours a few days of the year when we get heavy rain and flash flooding. If you encounter a flooded wash, do not attempt to drive through it. The Flood Control District of Maricopa website indicates that many cars will float in 2 feet of water. Don't take chance, take another route or wait for the wash to be clear of water.

Savings on Holiday Lights

One of the great things about living in Arizona, is that you don't have to battle bad weather if you want to put up holiday lights on your home. If you need to purchase new lights here are some ways to save money:

SRP - Save Up to $5 on Holiday LED Light Sets (LED lights use up to 98% less electricity than the conventional incandescent strands - from SRP Contact newsletter).

Michael's - Weekly Ad & Joann's - Weekly Ad These two stores frequently have lights on sale and often have a coupon in their newspaper ad.

Other places to check ads are home improvement stores like Lowe's and Home Depot, plus Target, and Costco.

Fishing in Phoenix and the East Valley

Through a joint program with the Arizona Game and Fish Department and local parks divisions there are 16 lakes in the Valley that have been stocked with fish. If you are 14 or older, you will need a Class U license to fish in a lake that is part of the Urban Fishing Program. Licenses are available at Arizona Game and Fish departments and many fishing, hunting, and sporting goods stores. The 2008 Class U fishing license is on sale for half price in November and December.

Locations of Urban Fishing Lakes

AZ Republic article - Urban Anglers Can Reel in Fun Without Having to Leave Town

AZ Game & Fish Department

Check Out a Fall League Baseball Game

Did you know that Arizona hosts some MLB fall league baseball games? Minor league players representing the major league teams play ball in the valley. So if you want to relax and enjoy the weather while watching a game, check the links below.

AZ Republic article - AZ Fall League Helps Families Save Money

AZ Republic article - Fall League Teams

MLB AZ Fall League Site

MLB AZ Fall League Schedule

John McCain's House

No, not this one. I got an invitation to a Realtor only open house for the one that our Senator and his wife, Cindy are selling here in Arizona. You can take a virtual tour of it, if you'd like.

It's stunning! (click here)

Schnepf Farms corn mazes

As hard as it may be for some people to believe, corn is grown in some parts of Arizona. Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek has been growing a corn maze for a number of years. This year's maze features Muhammad Ali. Below is a link to a slide show of this year's corn maze plus some from past years courtesy of azcentral.com. There are lots of things to do at Schnepf Farms, so check out their website to see all of the options.

Corn Maze Slide Show