Season's Greetings 2007

Last-minute photos from Christmas 2006 didn't get into last year's website but deserve mention:
	They dared him to do it and he did. Bogle students said if they raised thousands of dollars for charity, would Mr. Roberts shave his head? The charity was pleased. Phil thought it was cool. Cathy said, "Grow it back."
	Cathy and DJ ventured north to see if anybody visited the National Parks of Utah at Christmas. The red sandstone canyons were magnificent in snow and the little town of Moab was charming and festive. Almost no one else was there - except for the busloads of Asian tourists.
2007
	In January Phil, Geoff and Craig cycled all the way to Sonoita to sample wine and cheese in the hill and horse country of southern Arizona
	In February Brad turned 30! We celebrated the History of Brad by posting 30 years of of pictures online. He was once so small... and we were so young!
	A week after Brad's birthday we celebrated another one. Grandpa turned 82, still in good health and still walking and bicycling every day.
	In March Phil and Doug joined lots of fellow bike geeks in San Jose for the North American Handmade Bicycle Show.
	Later that month Phil drove to Tucson to see Kori and grandkids Joshua and Tucker (Clayton hadn't made his appearance yet.) Eli and Connor joined them for an afternoon at Agua Caliente Park.
	Phil and Cathy wanted to see the Chiricahuas in spring. Of course it rained. It rained so much we spent more time staring at the 4 walls of Piet and Mary's cottage in Portal than on the back of our bikes. Fortunately, we brought wine, a laptop and Deadwood DVDs to amuse ourselves during the downpour.
	In April Brad introduced us to Sherri, whom he met during his rotation in Willcox. The BodyWorlds3 exhibit was in Phoenix so we all went to see it. It's an amazing exhibit but even better when you have your own private doctor and nurse tour guides by your side!
	Spring is a time for the birds and the bees, but the hive in our front yard was of the killer bee variety. For once, we called an exterminator. No more bees.
	We discovered the best things about Bisbee in May - great weather, great coffee, a great Mexican restaurant and great friends Paul and Mary Lou! Our main disappointment was that our bed and breakfast wasn't haunted. Ghost towns should offer bona fide ghosts.
	What's summer without Phil and Craig bicycling to the ends of the earth? This year they circled the Eastern Sierras of California. Phil says there's nothing like flying down an 8% grade at 40mph for 20 miles! Except maybe the cold beer at the end of the ride.
	In June DJ and Cathy visited Brad and Sherri at Sherri's horse ranch in Willcox. DJ and Cathy rode Taz, a great little Morab (Morgan-Arabian). Brad's horse is named (what else?) "Doc".
	In July Clayton was born, making 3 sons for Kori and John and 4 grandsons for Phil.
	Back in Phoenix, Phil and Cathy were in the middle of a different kind of labor. We had been looking for a small condo near BlueCross to reduce Cathy's horrible commute. The one we found was only 10 minutes from BlueCross but needed paint, furniture, new locks, lighting and better windows. When we were done, we had a nice little place in Phoenix near the bike path and hiking trails of Phoenix North Mountain Park. It's still Phoenix but it saves 2 1/2 hours a day drive time.
	In August Brad began his 4th year of med school, which meant traveling every month to work in emergency and trauma centers all over the country.
	Lani quit her job with the State of Texas and entered the graduate program in Health Psychology at Texas State University in San Marcos. She took a break Thanksgiving weekend to hike the Grand Canyon with friends.
	In September Phil was commuting home by bike as usual when a dark Lexus SUV hit him. The idiot came speeding out of a parking lot and hit Phil's back wheel, sending Phil sprawling into the rush hour traffic. Did the driver stop and offer aid? Of course not. He just steered around Phil and sped off down the street. Bystanders helped Phil up and called the police. No one got the license number at the time but in the same parking lot a few days later, a charcoal Lexus SUV with license number 122 RRN had damage on his front right bumper corresponding to the damage to Phil's bike. The police claimed they couldn't find the person driving the car, that Toyota Financial wasn't releasing the information. It's more likely that the police just don't want to bother hunting down the culprit.
	So it appears the driver got away with a hit and run. Phil got away with his life - his helmet took the impact instead of his head - but suffered serious bruises and road rash. Over time his bruises and road rash have healed and he has rebuilt his bike. But he doesn't feel safe riding anymore in traffic. Even though he's in the bike lane and obeys all laws, he's still vunerable to the driver in the SUV who's had too much to drink and is on his cell phone.
	October was a better month. Phil and Cathy took a week to drive to Colorado, looking for a land parcel with mountains, a river, wildlife and quiet solitude. Unfortunately we found the Californians have already gotten to Colorado and inflated land prices. We couldn't afford to buy land but we did enjoy driving through it. Gunnison and Ouray were standouts in their fall colors. Farmington also was a standout - as the ugliest nest of trailer homes and fast food joints in the country.
	November was a happy month. We got a new daughter-in-law as Harlan made Teea his bride. The day couldn't have been more beautiful. Harlan and Teea spent their honeymoon on a cruise down Baja while we dog-sat Guinness. We were all very happy to see Harlan and Teea when they returned.
	Brad had to show us what his new Weber smoker could do with a turkey, so we piled into the car and descended on Sherri’s house for Thanksgiving in Willcox. The weather was rainy and windy but we didn’t mind, having good company and plenty of food and drink. Phil and Brad discovered that enough wind can turn a kite into a lethal instrument. Cathy and DJ discovered how much fun casino games can be when you have the key and can get all your quarters back. Sherri maintained her good humor through it all and promised to let us come back next spring when her mares have added a couple of new foals to the herd.
	December is here and 2007 is drawing to a close. We realize we are lucky to have our wonderful family and friends to share our lives. We wish you all a happy, healthy holiday season!