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Matt Visits in February/March
Matt came home from New Zealand to visit with the family in Arizona, to visit with Mel's family and with friends in Washington, and to take care of some personal things. While here, he applied for and received a visa to work in Australia, where he headed to in early March. During his visit he got to meet his niece Ally and to get re-acquainted with the family and neighbors. Some pictures of his short visit are below.

In anticipation of Matt's visit, Cherie cleaned the house top to bottom, including washing of windows and screens. Just like in the Windex commercial, shortly thereafter a finch slammed into the patio window door, and for about fifteen minutes was dazed by his abrupt flight termination. At left, the poor bird sat upon the doorsill, trying to clear his head. About ten minutes after this picture, he dusted himself off and flew into the wild blue.


Matt, Ally, Cherie, Anna, and Mike cozied up on the couch by the fireplace on one of the rare, chilly nights while Matt was here.

Matt and Ally warmed up to each other while he was here. Frankly, I don't know how he could leave after holding Ally in his arms, but even her charms couldn't tear him away from returning to Mel in Australia. Hopefully, next time the reunion will be permanent and both Matt and Mel will be so beguiled by Ally they'll never leave the States again. Work on that, won't you Ally?

Ally, left, wears a dress her grandfather bought for her in Scotland last summer. She's my bonnie lass, she is.

Cherie took Matt and the rest of the family, including Ally, on a wine tasting tour of the Elgin and Sonoita wineries. Matt had done something similar in New Zealand with Mel, but most of the wines there were white. Here he had the chance to try more reds, which didn't seem to have an adverse affect on him, as he was well into the swing of things at the Wilhelm Winery.

Photos of Ally's first wine tasting tour is on one of the winery's website, Canelo Hills Photos, where a couple of photos feature Ally.


Matt brought home a bottle of blueberry liqueur from the Mamaku Winery in New Zealand. We finished off the bottle as an after dinner drink at one of the meals Cherie made for the family.

Ally appears to say "hey, where's my glass?" as she scrambled around the kitchen beneath the table and chairs, providing the dinner party's "floor" show.

Ally Beguiles Her Family
Following are a few pictures of Ally in her Scottish dress, haming it up for her Noni and Matt

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