Arizona in the Saddle | Page 10

continued from page 9 “He’d been talking about it for so long that I said, “Okay. I know you’re serious about it, so let’s do it.” So we met with the guy, rented the building, and put our fish and chips (Mag’s Fish and Chips) up for sale. “We were in here a couple of years and the guy that owned the building said I want to sell the building, and I want to give you guys first choice at it. We ended up buying the building and it just kind of worked out for us.” Gordon’s is unique as a family business because four generations work there: Mary Reagan, daughter Sherry, grandson Gordon Grantham, and great-grandson Gordon Grantham, Jr. A glance at the chalkboard inside can give you an idea how wellstocked the store is. It lists the prices and availability of different feeds and supplies that range from various horse, dog, cat, goat, and fish feeds to seed for yard or pastures. It lists sizes and prices for barrels, tanks, dog houses, and seven sizes of horse shoes; there are more than a hundred different items listed on the chalkboard alone. And many more are in the store. You can buy several different types of vaccinations and medications for animals, and Gordon’s is one feed store that sells baby chicks year ‘round. Hamsters, rabbits, and parakeets are some of the pets you can buy at Gordon’s, as well as many supplies (including cages) for them. You can often buy a few laying hens, roosters, doves and pigeons there. If you don’t need a fifty pound bag of feed, Gordon’s sells popular items in two pound bags, like oyster shell and chick starter along with small poultry fee dispensers and waterers. It’s a perfect place for someone with even a few backyard chickens to get supplies and advice, like what feed is best for what age chicken, or which antibiotic to use for a sick hen. If you own a lot of poultry, the store has feeders that hold twelve pounds of feed. They sell preassembled wooden chicken nests in blocks of four for the back yard breeder that can be bolted together for as many as you need. Mary Reagan says that one thing that has changed over the years is the percentage of items for small animals and pets like dogs and cats. Gordon’s carries high quality cat and dog food, like “Taste of the Wild, an all-natural grain-free cat food for all ages that’s cheaper than nationally advertised brands. A huge display case shows Top Dog Brand products for sale, with collars, leashes, and chains for the well-dressed canine. If you haven’t been there for awhile, the store was recently remodeled and has even more items in stock now. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, ask. If it’s not a stock item, they’ll order it for you and call you when ]