Merry Christmas from

Multnomah Falls

Our wishes for good tidings and Christmas blessings

to all our family and friends!

Most Snow in 40 Years!

Well, the locals think we had something to do with all the snow we've had the past week. As of yesterday, we had between 18" and 2 feet citywide, and with 29 plows (total!!) in operation, not much happens on the city streets. Everything shuts down and people definitely don't know how to drive in it. As Susan's boss said to her,"You guys think we're wimps, don't you?" Nuf said!!

Here's the view up and down our street...it's good for x-country skiing!

Normal Portland winter weather is predicted for the coming week- rain and temps in the 40s should take our winter wonderland away.

UConn Wins Key National Matchup with Gonzaga- December 2008

Even a major snowstorm didn't keep us from making the trip to Seattle where the UConn Huskies played their first major competition of the season against Gonzaga. Billed as the Battle in Seattle, the game pitted the best from the NE against the best from the NW.

And it proved every bit what it promised. The Huskies jumped to a quick 13-2 lead. As they say, there's nothing better than the silence of the opposing team's fans when you go into their house and put an old fashion butt-whipping on them.

Even Jim Calhoun seemed pleased at this point...

But this was not to be. The home crowd came alive with a late first half Zags' run that closed the halftime UConn lead to a point. And the Zags continued their fine play in the second half opening up a 12 point lead with 10 minutes to play.

The refs took both big men out of the game making a number of questionable calls but A.J. Price began to take the game over making several clutch threes including the game tieing one with seconds on the clock.

I don't think we were alone in thinking that the Huskies were in good shape going into overtime. And so it was...the Huskies depth and experience, and their mental toughness proved too much for the Zags. Even Spike, the Gonzaga Bulldogs mascot had to concede that UConn was the best!

After the game, Susan posed with the Space Needle!

It was one of the best college games I've ever seen and made the 5-hour trip (usually 3 hours) through the driving snow and freezing rain worth it!

Yes, Portland, We Have Snow!

For you hardy types in New England (and in the Midwest, and in the Mountain West), it might seem inconceivable that this amount of snow would shut down the city but it has. Schools were out all week and many businesses closed. For those of us who are trying to smell the roses, this is a good thing. For those of us who commute down the stairs, this would be a bad thing! We don't plow (I'm not sure we own plows!), we don't use salt (yes, we're environment-friendly), mostly because it hardly ever snows in Portland. But we have had some snow every day this week and more is forecasted the coming week. Let it snow, let it snow...

Check out this link for a few snow pics from Stephen's trip over the coastal range to the coast yesterday http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/WinterSnowDec2008?feat=directlink.

Winter Skies and Tis the Season- December 2008

Susan caught this winter western sky in our back yard...just a few weeks before the snow blew in...

It's Not New England, But This

Year's Fall Colors Were Spectacular

Fall comes a little later in Portland and while we've been told to not expect colors anything close to what we see in New England, this year's colors were incredible. Take a look at these from a nearby neighborhood...

See more pics from our yard and the environs at http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/FallLeaves2008?feat=directlink

Nestucca on the Central Oregon Coast- October 2008

Stephen was able to get over to the Jesuit Retreat Camp at Nestucca on the Oregon coast. The accomodations are very spartan but the setting is spectacular. It overlooks the Little Nestucca River coming into the Pacific Ocean and is teeming with wild life including bald eagles, deer and orangutans (just checking to see if you're reading along!) And this day, the sun was shining and you could see for miles including the classic Orgeon coast shot of Haystack Rock. Friend Chuck Gard joined Stephen at the retreat.

For more pics of the sights at Nestucca, go to http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/NestuccaRetreatOct2008?feat=directlink

Ramona Falls At Last- October 2008

Finally after two earlier failed attempts to reach Ramona Falls- the first last fall when the massive river floods wiped out the access bridge to the trail, and the second in the spring when snow pack prevented us from getting there (see April 2008 post), we made it this time. It's about a 6 mile gradual climb up to the falls, one of the most popular hikes in these parts...and it is awesome. As often happens, we encountered a little bit of everything on this hike... sun, rain, sleet and snow but the natural beauty (and devastation from the floods) was awesome. From the mosses to the mushrooms (it was harvest time and people were out picking) to the fall colors, it's a must-do hike if you visit.

Check out more pics from the Ramona Falls Trail at http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/RamonaFallsTrail10908?feat=directlink

Atlantic Beach, NC- October 2008

Our annual trip to the North Carolina coast exceeded expectations again this year. The weather was terrific (mid 70s and sunny), the sunsets were spectacular again,

and we had many visitors including Susan's brothers Tom and John,

Stephen's sister and brother-in-law, Kathy and Rick, Stephen's mom and of course, Susan's parents who live nearby in New Bern, NC. Also, college friend John Marens and his wife Suzanne visited us. There were many highlights including our 30th wedding anniversary...30 years- whoda thunk?!!

See more pics at http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/AtlanticBeachNC2008?feat=directlink

Fall Visit from Ray and Nanette- September 2008

Ray (second visit) and Nanette (first ever to Oregon) visited and traveled the Columbia River Gorge to Hood River.

They also got to Mt. Hood and to the coast. They plan to be married in 2008.