Celebrations In Connecticut

The Graduates

There were alot of proud parents in Connecticut in mid-May but none more proud than we were when Aris and Ben graduated with advanced degrees in higher education and medicine. Aris graduated with a M.Ed. in student personnel administration from Springfield College and will continue to work at UConn as a residence hall director.

Ben received an M.D. from UConn and has moved to Pittsburgh to start a 6-year residency in urology/ surgery.

Our sons continue to amaze us with their accomplishments and the fine men they are. We are so blessed!

Here are some more pics from the graduations... http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/BenAndArisGrads2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCMu6zeL-voTsBg&feat=directlink

The Whole Family Celebrates Mom/ Nana's 80th
With gorgeous weather in a beautiful setting on Long Island Sound, all of us, including her 7 grandchildren, their significant others, and the promise of her first two great-grandchildren (Jenna and Russ are expecting identical twins in the fall), gathered for three days to celebrate Shirley's 80th birthday. It was a wonderfully relaxing time enjoying the company of our family, especially all the accomplishments and plans of the now-adult children. We played wiffle ball, viewed a nearby osprey pair in their nest, went golfing and shopping (for wedding dresses!).

Here's the matriarch watching her family in a spirited wiffle ballgame...

And here we all are (including her nieces Carol and Sally and husband Tom) wishing her a happy 80th birthday...

For more pics from Mom's 80th birthday bash, click here http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/ShirleyS80thBirthdayInOldLymeCT?authkey=Gv1sRgCJaPwsalpoW9aA&feat=directlink.

Ray and Nanette Tie the Knot

Love was in the air as Raymond and Nanette exchanged wedding vows. The ceremony was beautiful matching the weather and setting and witnessed by our family and close friends of Nanette and Ray. Congratulations and wishes for a long loving life together...

More pics from the ceremony and and pre- and post- picture taking http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/RayAndNanetteWedding?authkey=Gv1sRgCJ2Ju5zGhYiW1QE&feat=directlink

Spring Visit from Ben, Aris and Stacie

With all but the shouting over until he is conferred his M.D. in May, Ben came for a two-week stay, his first trip to Portland in over a year. It was a fun and relaxing time...after this visit, we think Ben even likes where we are living!

One of the highlights was a road trip that Ben and dad took to Boise, ID. We took three days with stop-overs in Baker City, OR, an old west mining town in eastern Oregon. We stayed ay the Geyser Grand behind Ben...

It was our first exposure to eastern, OR and Ben's first time in Idaho. No trip to Boise is complete without a stop at the blue-turf of the Boise State Bronco's football team...

On the return trip, we drove through the John Day Fossil Beds and the Painted Hills, an archeological marvel with evidence of 70 million years of life...think about that...70 MILLION years!!! Besides the natural beauty ...

it was a near-spiritual experience leading us to ponder the grandeur of the universe. At a time when we are overpowered with talk about world economies and politics, it was useful AND earthshaking to contemplate the millions of years of our universe's existence and the small part of it we have experienced. This is a sacred place and I will return again. See more pics at http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/BenDadRoadTrip409PDXToBoise?authkey=Gv1sRgCILdkebiwM22IA&feat=directlink

including one of Mt. Jefferson, another 11,000' peak, part of the cascade Range south of Mt. Hood. that emerges as we travel west.


A Trip to the Coast

No visit is complete without dipping your toes in the Pacific. Here were all are (Stacie's dipping her toes!) at Pacific City where we had lunch at the Pelican Pub and frolicked on the beach...

More pics at http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/BoysVisitApril2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCKi4ydmevJHFrAE&feat=directlink.

Easter and the West Coast Egg Fight

We had a full table at Easter this year with Karl, Betsy, and Jack Cyr and Hannah Beach, Cheyenne's sister, joining our family.

No Easter celebration is complete without a hearty competition and this year's egg fight did not disappoint. The winner was first-time fighter (at least with eggs!) Hannah Beach. The Connecticut bunch thought she had an advantage because of her acclimation to the NW climate by moving to Seattle several months ago but that's a spurious argument...and full of crap! Congratulations Hannah...come back to defend your title next year!

Here are some more pics of the egg-fight competition and from a trip to the Pike Market, Space Needle and Music Museum in Seattle...
http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/EasterApril2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCMTpsI2MztuFCw&feat=directlink

Sixty Hikes Within 60 MIles of Portland

With alot of time on our hands and a new place to explore, it seemed so easy to take at least a hike a week during our first year in Oregon. But with our move into the city and real life adult responsibilities like work and home ownership creeping back in, we have had to come up with other forms of motivation. One of these is to find friends who like to hike. Another is a book we bought titled "Sixty Hikes Within 60 Miles of Portland" that we have vowed to complete before, oh, I don't know, we leave Portland or ...we become too damn lazy or...we die. So we are off to the races...err...hikes... again.

Here we are at one of our favorite spots- Trillium Lake- near Mt. Hood snowshoeing with Dan and Diane Wilson- Redd. See other Trillium pics in previous posts in 2007 and 2008.

Boys and girls...do not try this without adult supervision!!!

Horsetail Falls

This spring, we made our first trip to Horsetail Falls Trail, the home of Triple Falls, along the Columbia Gorge...here are some pictures in collage format...hey, these blogging sites keep offering new tools that one just has to try...

Wild Flowers at Dog Mountain Revisited

With a steep climb and unpredictable weather along the Washington State side of the Gorge, only avid flower lovers are drawn to this hike. Surprisingly, most of those avid climbers were 70 years old or older which simultaneously gave us pause in light of our aching bones and muscles and inspired us to keep hiking for another 30 years!

Click here for some other breathtaking views http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/DogMountain642009?authkey=Gv1sRgCIGFn4eAwNT3oAE&feat=directlink

The World Class Bandon Dunes Golf Resort

As one of a million or so weekend warriors who dreams about being good at golf, I am left with dreaming about the most beautiful golf courses. The setting of Bandon Dunes- the dunes along the Southern Oregon Pacific coastline- is great for starters but the design of the course- slick undulating greens, narrow landing areas and behemoth traps, left this weekend warrior with no choice but to fully enjoy the scenery and the companionship of new friends and bunkmates Chuck, Wade and Jim (or is that Schim?). And for all my New England friends, this was golf in late January- chilly mornings but a warm sun and awesome sights!

Click here http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/BandonDunes2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJKHpNHs6amKXg&feat=directlink for more great pics.