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...more about Jeanne and her family....

...where she lives (when she is not in Washington DC)...

In 2003, after 31 years in Washington DC, Jeanne and her husband Bob Matthews have sold their northern Virginia, "inside-the-beltway" home and established a permanent residence (as opposed to a "domiciliary") in Gold Canyon, Arizona.

       

After killing a couple of 100-year old saguaros, we've finally gotten a feather bush tree to prosper in our front yard.  The bougainvillea and ocotillo flourish and the pipe and pot cacti gives us our "cactus" touch. And we have a new ramada off the back.

Gold Canyon is about 52 miles as the crow flies mostly east by southeast of downtown Phoenix and 87miles, north by northeast of Tucson, smack dab in the middle of the Superstition Mountains, last known home of  Jacob Waltz, the "Lost Dutchman" of gold mining fame.  Folks around here tell of old codgers and grizzled treasure hunters still searching for the fabled gold mine that the old Dutchman supposedly found, but then "lost," over a hundred years ago.

... views around our home, the mountains, the desert and some wildlife

MBV Entrance

                         

    ... entrance to MountainBrook        ... view northwest from our front yard       ... Superstition Mtn. winter wonderland                 ... sunset

       the Great Haboob of 2011

           

a recent visitor to our side yard       a desert rainbow        where's Wiley Coyote?       golden eagle, under our ramada                gila monster

  

       ... a momma lynx bringing dinner home to her kits                           ... a boar javelina <ugh>                  ... across the golf course

AND OUR LATEST WILDLIFE: "Gold Canyon Bob"

    

A large mountain lion was chasing "Bob" through the wash across from our house. They both crossed the road and the bobcat -- in desperation -- launched himself onto this huge saguaro cactus and forthwith shot up to the top to escape the lion, all of this around 7am. The mountain lion laid at the bottom of the saguaro for a bit before realizing that his attempts were futile. He turned around and walked back into the wash. "Gold Canyon Bob" -- the bobcat -- stayed treed, er cactused -- until nearly 1:00pm before he knew it was safe to come down.  He didn't seem frightened or nervous, although I am sure for a few minutes earlier, he must have been terrified. But it did give us time to capture a couple of photographs.

...but enough about Arizona. Let's talk about Jeanne's grandkids!

                   

      Eamon, age 9                     The Carrolls (Raptor Center, 2010)               The Carrolls (per Hannah's Cartoon)

     

     Giggly Zoë and Selema 2011              Selema and her Violin, age 7            Determined Zoë              Grandma and Selema

     

  Elvis (w/Skate Board)       Iris (Disneyland 2010)            Margaret Mouse (Disneyland 2010)               Elvis Surprised

 

      College Sophomore Caitlin Sarah Carroll            Hannah's New Hair Style                Grandpuppy "Frida" with her masters

It wasn't REALLY Speckle with a chainsaw. But it probably would have helped.

Hannah's Cartoon Describing the Cutting of Her Hair

Hannah Before and During Her Hair Remodeling

   

               Iris (killer smile)                             Elvis at his computer                        Maggie (count the freckles)

      

           Eamon, Carowinds 2010                               Hannah and the Sunday Comics                   Zombie Hannah

      

         Global Warming in NC            Disney Face Painting          Hollywood Starlets ???             Sophia's Hat on Elvis (see below)

    

          Ballerinas                         Hannah ????                        Hannah, Self-Portrait                      Beautiful Caitlin

                

Moji, our "senior" grandpuppy, er, dog            Eamon and Zoë           Don't Mess w/Hannah at Aikido      Grandma, Iris, Margaret

 

        Selema, Zoë & Us                     Mike in his Office at Duke                      "Uncle Larry/Half Aunt Marcie"

   

      Maggie, Smudge Face             Elvis, the Man              Halloween 2009              Now, that's and armful

           

           The Carroll Kids                 Caitlin Bookworm                Grandma and Hannah

  

                    Eamon Timeout (w/his dad)                                   Hannah and Her Laptop

  

AND THEN THERE'S MY "BOB"

     Bob at the Rockaway (N.J.) Veterans Memorial                                Bob and his sister Lois, her husband Jack 

 

 

     Cliff Body-Painting                            Melissa                     Sophia... at Disneyland ...after a REALLY, REALLY long day

And some of our travels....

        

   Canyon de Chelly Cliff House (AZ) (2007)                Roman Colosseum (2008)                           Yellowstone (2005)

      Pisa, Italy (2008)                                Papa Benedictus XVI                              The Tetons (2005)

     Panama Canal (2007)             Sagrada Familia, Barcelona     Athens, the Acropolis (2009)       Alexandria, Egypt & Bob (2009)

   

         Alaska (2004)                       Cape Cod (2010)                   St. Thomas, USVI (2010)               Thailand (1991)

   

  Fortress, Old San Juan (2010)      England, Stonehenge (2011)      Rare "Sunny" Day, Brit Museum (2011)    Arecibo Observatory (2010)

 

Cliff, ABQ Balloon Festival   Hawai'i, Kaua'i, Waimea Canyon (2000)     Old City Jerusalem (2011)             Hong Kong (1991)

AND REMEMBERING....

      

 

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