Both of us qualify as desert rats. Bob had lived in Phoenix since 1964 and Susan moved to town in 1973. We've been married since 1987. Both of us love the warm temperatures and low humidity of the desert and are quick to notice the chill when winter daytime temperatures dip into the 50 degree area. Bob is a retired electrical engineer who was employed for 20+ years in the field of bipolar semiconductor circuit design. Since retiring he has earned a living in the fields of property management and financial investing. When not outdoors recreating, he can usually be found working on someone's personal computer, solving BCC Water District problems, designing web pages, embroiled in some photography project, or surfing the Internet. A Canadian by birth, he grew up in London, Ontario eventually attending his home town University of Western Ontario where he graduated with a BS in electrical engineering. Subsequent education included an MS in computer science from California Institute of Technology and an MBA in finance from Arizona State University.

Susan was born in northern Minnesota and grew up on the Iron Range north of Duluth. After moving to Phoenix, she managed a plumbing firm for 11 years developing both office management and trade skills. Her expertise with antiquated plumbing fixtures has helped solve numerous problems with rental properties. She completed an AA degree at Phoenix College in May of 1995 Beginning as a National Sierra Club Outings assistant leader, she has a quarter century experience packing food for large-group, extended trips and is the primary contributer to our extensive database of backpacking and rafting recipes. Starting in 1984, she led 15-20 dayhikes each year for the Valley of the Sun cities of Chandler and Gilbert. Because of the increased travel costs she had to resign when we moved to Black Canyon City in 2002. Most recently she has been active in community service projects working with Meals on Wheels (a program to insure all seniors have adequate nutrition) and Black Canyon City's High Desert Park. She also formed the Canyon Country Cut-ups, a clown group that has grown to include 13 locals. They perform at parades and other local events.

Updated on Thursday, December 27, 2007 @ 8:30 MST © 1995-2007 by Robert R. Marley