![\"SuzAlDash\"](\"https:\/\/fromabirdseyeview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/SuzAlDash.jpeg\")
<\/a>But the first stop along the way was to my sister, Suzanne and her husband, Al\u2019s beautiful home in the private golf community of Desert Highlands in Scottsdale, about as far from camping as I could have gotten.\u00a0 Linda and I made the stop in Scottsdale on our way to Tucson not only to see Suzanne and Al, but to see if it was true what they were saying about their new dog, Dash<\/p>\nIt didn\u2019t take long to see that it was true, Dash was now in full control of Suzanne, Al and all that goes on around the house . . . no, make that their lives.\u00a0 It was easy to see why this dog commanded such attention \u2013 he is adorable.\u00a0 When I found us all talking baby talk to the dog, I knew it was time to hit the road.\u00a0 We headed south, confident that the newest member of our family had his owners firmly in control.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Abby, Colin, Katie, Shelley<\/p><\/div>\n
Look up the word \u2018family\u2019 and you\u2019ll find everything from \u2018a taxonomic group containing one or more genera\u2019 to \u2018a loose affiliation of gangsters in charge of organized criminal activity\u2019.\u00a0 What you should see is a picture of the Watson family \u2013 Colin, Shelley, Katie, Abby and Murphy, the dog.\u00a0 They are a fun-loving family full of caring, intelligent, thoughtful, humorous, loving people.\u00a0 Add in nephew, Matt and kids Jackson and Madelyn, and you\u2019ve got quite an assembly of people I just love being around. \u00a0Matt is a single dad who has his own physical therapy business; he is an intelligent, spiritual man who has a serious side, but is also one of the funniest people I know.\u00a0 My cheeks hurt from laughing when I with him.\u00a0 And I\u2019m related to them all \u2013 which some say adds credence to the \u2018me being adopted\u2019 theory.<\/p>\n
Murphy<\/p><\/div>\n
Katie (15) and Abby (12) both play tennis, very well, I might add.\u00a0 They\u2019ll be stars of their high school team, probably earn scholarships to a highly regarded academic college (they\u2019re both straight A students) and enjoy the game of tennis the rest of their lives.\u00a0 Unlike most kids and parent involved in youth athletics these days, they have neither the illusion nor the desire to become<\/p>\n
Jackson, Matt, Madelyn<\/p><\/div>\n
professional athletes \u2013 rather refreshing. If ever my faith needed to be restored in our youth, our future, it was \u2013 in straight sets.<\/p>\n
After spending a very enjoyable \u2018family\u2019 weekend, we stopped in Phoenix on our way home to have breakfast with Linda’s sister and her husband, Starlet and Donnie, who, you guessed it, are great people!<\/p>\n
I have come to enjoy the wonders of the desert; the mild days this time of year, the gentle nights; always amazed at how things not only live in this environment, but flourish.\u00a0 And so it is with family there; I enjoy the smell of Matt\u2019s chicken on the barbeque, the noise of kids at play in the pool, Colin’s British accent, Shelley’s make-you-feel-comfortable style, but mostly I enjoy the wonder of family and feel so very fortunate that Linda and I are so blessed with great family.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Donnie & Starlet<\/p><\/div>\n
If you\u2019re reading this on Monday morning, most of you know that I will be a bit preoccupied with my immediate family \u2013 daughter Dana is undergoing heart surgery this morning.\u00a0 I\u2019m looking forward to next writing about her successful recovery.<\/p>\n
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by Bob Sparrow I\u00a0was amazed again by the wonders of the desert on my journey last week, but this time in a totally different way.\u00a0 Those who have followed us here know my fascination with places like Death Valley and … read more