Crop Circles?

Last year, I was more than slightly amused when I read an article in the local newspaper about crop circles in Chandler. Then I really hooted when I realized the supposed phenomena was right in my own backyard. He he he Scotty -- beam me up!

We get drenching rain storms around here combined with unbelievable wind, and one of those happened about the time this highly imaginative guy noticed this mysterious phenomena in the sorghum field over on the corner. I had noticed the field right after the storm and commented that the crop had been destroyed. But our local UFO devotee thought otherwise. Here's the quote from the article that I really like: The forces that created them (the supposed crop circles), "are hoping to make it to the UK (United Kingdom) one day, but until then, they're practicing in Chandler."

Here's the field in question and part of the article from the local newspaper.

Chandler Crop Circles

UFO buff explores Chandler 'crop circles', by Edythe Jensen - Mar. 19, 2008 01:12 PM

The Arizona Republic

A year after he stumbled on what he said were mysterious "crop circles" in a south Chandler field, resident Michael Polani said he's still trying to call attention to them. Eleven people showed up at the Basha Library Tuesday night to hear what Polani had to say about the damaged sorghum stalks and odd patterns he photographed at Gilbert and Ocotillo roads last March 25.

"We're seen by our family and friends as 'a little bit different,' " he told the audience, many who nodded their heads affirmatively. "But I've seen enough to say, yeah, we need to listen to this."Polani said he regrets not being able to photograph the Chandler phenomenon from the air; the crop was harvested hours after he spotted it. He was able to walk into the field and capture patterns of downed stalks pointing in different directions among clusters of stiff, erect plants. And he picked up a few of the damaged stalks which appeared to be burned and bent in different places. "Someone simply stomping on it couldn't do this . . . If the Chandler patterns appear a little crude, he had an explanation. The forces that created them, "are hoping to make it to the UK (United Kingdom) one day, but until then, they're practicing in Chandler," Polani said.

Ed Hermes, spokesman for the Arizona Department of Agriculture, said . . . a likely explanation for what Polani saw is a common occurrence in heavily fertilized grain crops, Hermes said. When they're exposed to wind, the top-heavy engorged stalks bend and fall.

Dorothy, we're not in Kansas anymore!!! And all of you thought I led a boring life. In fact, I'm busy right now in my kitchen fashioning an aluminum foil UFO attractant hat. The crop in the field's getting pretty tall again, so maybe I'll try my hand at getting beamed up! I'm thinking the design below is simple, yet will reflect enough of the spaceship's glow to signal my availability.

P.S. It's not that I would totally dismiss the possibility of UFO's and aliens, but believe me, if it WAS aliens trying to send a message, they really need to go back to the design board.