Transitions

2011-12-27T13:27:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays 2011

Out of the stars, rising from rocks and the sea, kindled by sunlight on earth, arose life.Ponder this thing in your heart, life up from sea:  Eyes to behold, throats to sing, mates to love.

Life from the sea, warmed by sun, washed by rain, life from within, giving birth, rose to love. This is the marvel of life, rising to see and to know; Out of your heart, cry wonder: sing that we live.

from Out of the Stars by Robert Weston

What a Year...travel, celebrations and more travel...we had something scheduled every month of the year except July and that was before the year started. Here are some highlights of the year...

• Ben and Cheyenne married in August on Long Island Sound in southeastern Connecticut. We are thrilled to have another daughter and to see our son so happy. They continue to be very busy with their medical residencies in Pittsburgh.

• Aris and Stacie bought their first home in Mansfield, Conn. and we were able to help them get settled in August. They have just added their first family member, Denver, a foster pup they adopted. Aris has a new job at UConn and Stacie is a teacher in Putnam.

• We witnessed four other weddings in 2011, two of our nieces, Amy to Andy (May), and Sarah to Marshall (September), and family friends Grant and Marit (September), and Chris and Sabrina (November).

• A trip of a lifetime to an 11^th century chateau in southern France to celebrate Portland friend Mark Holloway’s 40^th birthday. Trips to Mt. Blanc and Chamonix, Annecy, Lyon, and Geneva, Switzerland made these 10 days memorable.

• Vacations in Hawaii to visit our friends Jay and Toni (March) and to Yosemite National Park (April).

• We climbed Mt. St. Helens (July) with our hiking buddies Dan and Diane.

• Visits from our son Ben, friends Jane and Ted Carroll, niece Abigail and brother Thomas and his wife Monica. Where were the rest of you?!

Believe it or not, we had a very busy year of work (yes, we did work amid all the travel and fun!) Susan successfully launched The Plant Nanny, her gardening business, and Stephen is consulting and supporting the development of “purposework” opportunities for retirees and those of us in the encore stage of work/life. We have been blessed to find work we love, colleagues we enjoy, and the kind of work that meshes well with our mobile lifestyle. And as our friend Toni likes to remind us, so far we have been able to “monetize” our ventures, although that is not something we take for granted. So far, so good!

Five years and counting...that’s how long we have been in Oregon and the vibe of the Northwest “stokes” us as the young locals say (or are they talking about something else?!) We enjoy the friends we’ve made, love the outdoors and recreational lifestyle, and really love having visitors...so get off your butts and come see us and the Pacific NW! We are planning on less travel in 2012 so get your reservations in now.

We are so thankful for all the blessings in our life and at the same time, are so aware of those who want for shelter, food, and employment. Sometimes it feels like all we can do is hold the pain and suffering of the world and pray for justice, equality and compassion...can we be doing more? Should we, as Jackson Browne suggests, be interfering in the business of why there are poor? All of the year?

The Rebel Jesus by Jackson Browne

The streets are filled with laughter and light

And the music of the season

And the merchants' windows are all bright

With the faces of the children

And the families hurrying to their homes

As the sky darkens and freezes

Will be gathering around the hearths and tables

Giving thanks for all God's graces

And the birth of the rebel Jesus  

They call him by the "Prince of Peace"

And they call him by "The Saviour"

And they pray to him upon the sea

And in every bold endeavor

As they fill his churches with their pride and gold

And their faith in him increases

But they've turned the nature that I worshipped in

From a temple to a robber's den

In the words of the rebel Jesus

We guard our world with locks and guns

And we guard our fine possessions

And once a year when Christmas comes 

We give to our relations

And perhaps we give a little to the poor

If the generosity should seize us

But if any one of us should interfere

In the business of why there are poor

They get the same as the rebel Jesus.

2011-11-24T11:29:00.000-08:00

Fall Colors and the Annual Turkey Trot

(Thanksgiving Day 2011)

Although Oregon is not known for its brilliant fall foliage, we put this one up there with the best displays in New England. The multi-variate reds, yellows and oranges (sometimes on the same leaf) were luminescent and breathtaking. Here are a couple photos from our yard...

and fall color of another sort across the street...

For our 5th consecutive year (yes, we've been here that long!), we participated in the Oregon Zoo Turkey Trot (and walk). Susan has always run and I usually walk but today I ran most of it- there are killer hills coming back that I choose to walk up. Who knows...could there be running in my future?

2011-10-22T20:33:00.000-07:00

A Return to Mirror Lake and Tom, Dick and Harry- October 2011

On a gorgeous fall day, we took a hike that was a familiar one nearly five years ago (can you believe it?!) when we lived down the road in the cabin. Susan calls this hike "a big bang for the buck." Today, we had great views of Mt. Hood...

and spectacular fall colors amid the firs...

Here's Tess enjoying a snack at the top...

Watch this short video of the vista from the top...

2011-10-03T20:25:00.000-07:00

Bonjour...bonjour and joyeaux anniversaire, Marc

September 2011

Beaucoups de merci (how's that for butchering the language!) to our friend Mark for inviting us to join 18 family members and friends for a week in the Rhone Alps region of southeastern France to celebrate his 40th birthday.

We flew into and out of Geneva, Switzerland where we stayed in the flat of hosts Raquel and Tsatsu...

visited a section of the city called Carouge...

where we had breakfast at the Wolfisberg Bakery...

and took in a festival...

walked through Vieux Ville (Old Town)...

strode by Lac Geneve (or Lac Leman)

and ate fondue at the oldest restaurant in the city, Cafe du Soleil- that's Susan and Raquel below...

About an hour south by car is the chateau we stayed in. Not bad digs...

It was a week of relaxation, celebration and magnificence...not to mention the most awesome food and drink we've ever had prepared by our own private French chef, Rafael.

There were French cooking lessons...

exquisite views...

a cellar (dungeon) that led to underground caves...

birthday parties (yes- plural- they continue even back in Portland- what will 50 be like, Mark!?)

and our own resident photographer, Carlos!

We visited Annecy (twice) with its quaint old town (vieux ville) and Venice-like canals...

its beautiful lake...

its markets...

and home of The Plant Nanny!

Then on to Chambury- with its ornate casino...

and art-filled parking garage...

The Rhone- Savoy Region is wine country...

and we took a tour with guide and translator Isabella ("on my right, your left...") of a family-owned vineyard and wine museum that featured vintage wine-making tools and techniques...

We visited Lyon, the third largest French city...

replete with cathedrals and religious art...

where Henry IV wed Marie de Medici...

Lyon's fountains...

alleys...

Is Susan preparing for grandparenthood with Mark's nephew, Robbie?

Susan's favorite place was Chamonix- with its chalets, flowers and glaciers...

Susan with Sophia...

Mark and David...

Chamonix is the home of Mt, Blanc. At 15000'+, the highest mountain in Europe...

we took the tram while others trekked up the mountain...

les Alpes...c'est magnifique ca!

Here are some shots from a 2-hour hike we took along a ridge-line...

and a video of the Alpine vista...

We even snuck in a bike ride...

if you haven't gotten enough, click on this link

https://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/FranceTrip?authkey=Gv1sRgCNTTiPGmscTw1QE for more pictures...

2011-08-15T16:10:00.000-07:00

Ben and Chey Wed- We Have a Second Daughter!

In a beautiful setting overlooking Long Island Sound, Ben and Cheyenne married this weekend. Here are a few pics from the weekend's festivities...

before the rehearsal dinner...

none of these girls need to be MORE beautiful but a little pre-wedding pampering? Yes!

getting tuned up before the marriage...

Ben and his groomsmen...

Ben with mom and dad...

The groom and his men await the bride...

Brooks, one of the ring-bearers...

Courtney and Bella, the flower girls...

Ben and Chey with Rob Beach, Chey's dad, who officiated...

Exchanging vows...

the "first" kiss...

Ben and Chey thanking everyone...

Aris and Stacie with the flower girls...

Ben's crew from Furman...

and this one's from Susan to her mother...

More pics to come...

2011-08-04T09:42:00.000-07:00

Wall Update, Summer Flowers and Yard Art- August 2011

Putting the finishing touches on the wall (see last week's post for more pics) including schlepping 8 yards of soil to backfill the yard behind the wall- planting some roses and other perennials are next on our list.

With the help of Abigail, we are adding color to our backyard gardens- refinished two window frames- here is one...

The Portland weather has been nothing but sun, sun, and more sun the past two weeks (did I mention dry and 75-80 degrees?). It is one of the big reasons we love to stay home in the summer. And the flowers like it too!

2011-07-28T09:25:00.000-07:00

Abigail Visits Oregon- July 2011

Our niece Abigail made her second trip (first alone!) to Oregon and we have been going non-stop. Here are a couple videos from the past two days- the first from her hike with aunt Soo in the Gorge (Angel's Rest) and the second at the coast (Cascade Head) where the hills were alive when we "got that puss off our face." You had to be there ...but it started with the two teens at the ice cream shop who had pusses on their faces!

Here are some additional pics from Cascade Head...

2011-07-19T22:06:00.000-07:00

Another NW Natural Landmark- Mt. St. Helens- July 2011

On the 30th year after the historic eruption of 1981, we visited Mt. St. Helens in Washington. The active volcano has been preserved as a national monument so that nature can continue to do its thing. Although it blew its top off, it still is 8600' with a crater in the center and steady glacial activity raising the mountain everyday. The heavy snowfalls this year mean that the snow melt is about a month behind schedule. Up and up we climbed...

and the views were spectacular.... Mt. Hood to the south...

Mt. Adams in a cloud to the east...

More Mt. Adams across the lava fields...

Wild heather growing in the lava rock...

And check out this video of Tess "glissading" down the mountain slopes. It's a ball and cuts the time of the return trip significantly!

2011-07-19T21:53:00.000-07:00

DIY- Risty Builds a Wall- July 2011

With lots of forethought and planning, and a little help from my friends, phase 1 of the front yard retaining wall project was begun this weekend. Here's a BEFORE look at the front...

the beginning foundation...

done for the day...

and relaxing with my neighborhood helper.

Stay tuned for further updates and phase 2 next year!

2011-07-19T21:34:00.000-07:00

Red Sox Nation in Pittsburgh- June 2011

It doesn't happen very often although when the Red Sox play the Pirates, it's usually important like when they played in the first-ever World Series (guess who won? Yep, Sox!)

We came from all parts- Alex and Adam from Massachusetts, Jason drove down from NE with Aris and Ray, and we joined Pittsburgh-native friend Paul Nussbaum and his family for some of the national past-time. The Bucs didn't disappoint the locals in gorgeous PNC Park as they won 2 out of 3 keeping hope eternal that they will finally finish above .500, maybe even compete for the division title.

We had some male bonding at Ben and Chey's place, enjoyed lots of laughs...

and even did some yard beautification, like this new pathway in their front yard.

2011-04-01T13:33:00.000-07:00

Sun in Portland!

It's a beautiful 65 degree day and the sun is shining...the Red Sox just scored two runs in the top of the first in the first game of their world championship season...the UConn Huskies men and women basketball teams are in the Final Four...and I'll be mowing my lawn later this afternoon. It doesn't get any better, does it BC?!

2011-03-12T21:58:00.000-08:00

From the top of Diamond Head

Susan with Diamond Head in the background

If It's March in Portland, You Have to Vacation in Hawaii- March 2011

One of the first things I noticed after moving to Portland is that the school winter vacation falls in March and half of the city goes to Hawaii (or Mexico or some other place that has sun!) You see, by March, we haven't seen the sun in 5 months, and we're starting to get just a little cranky (especially since the prospects of future sun aren't very "bright"- maybe in July!) Now as a counterpoint to you cocky east-coasters, we are mowing our lawns, have daffodils, crocuses and iris in bloom, and the fruit trees and flowering bushes are about the explode- you are still hoping the snow will be gone in June : > )

Now that our friends Jay and Toni are living in on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu...

(Toni took a job at the VA there and loves the sun!), we finally became real Portlanders and vacationed there last week (we avoided the tsunami by 3 days although after seeing the devastation in Japan, I don't even want to joke about that- our prayers are with everyone there).

Although it wasn't as sunny as Hawaii usually is, it was MUCH sunnier than Portland in March and we had a fun, relaxing time. We enjoyed...

hiking Diamond Head...

visiting the botanical gardens...

seeing the giant sea turtles...

touring the Dole Pineapple Plantation...

"bumping into" Courteney Cox filming an episode of Cougar Town...

touring the north coast of Oahu away from the maddening crowds of Waikiki...

and the east coast of Oahu...

meeting Flipper...

catching rainbows...

and sunsets...

and finally seeing the infamous "light at the end of the tunnel!"

Hawaii has it all... but it's not Portland, the city we love.

2011-03-12T21:15:00.000-08:00

Silver Falls- why did it take us so long to get here? February 6, 2011

South Falls

So it's your birthday, the Super Bowl is today and your team is not in it after being expected to win the whole damn thing- what do you do? Get out of town and go to the most glorious string of ten waterfalls anywhere on earth. I'm serious, this state park is a must-see...over and over again. Why it took us four years to get here after riding by it (see Petal Pedal post) and driving through the surrounding area, I'll never know... but as we say in Oregon...we got here as soon as we could!

With the water flowing at its peak, we saw more than 10 waterfalls (some recede and disappear in the summer) and the verdant green of the rain forest brightened our spirits and the day (despite the fact that the NE Patriots weren't in the Super Bowl).

Twin Falls

Drake Falls

Double Falls

Who Knows Falls

North Falls

2011-03-12T20:39:00.000-08:00

Back to the Snow- January and February 2011

Nothing brings us back to our first days in Oregon more than snowshoeing on Mt. Hood. Fortunately, we have gone twice already this year on a new trail- Twin Lakes- just southeast of the mountain- great track with views, cardio workout, and not a lot of people. Take a look at these pics...

Tess on the trail...

Risty sporting the new hat...

friends Dan and Diane relaxing in the sun...

Mt. Hood overlooking lower Twin Lake...

2011-03-12T16:41:00.000-08:00

Golf in January? Bandon Dunes Works Three Years in A Row

Back on the east coast, I usually pack away the clubs in November until April or May but for the past three years, friends and I have golfed the Bandon Dunes (southern Oregon coast) courses in later January. The price is right ($75 per round instead of $300+ in prime time) and the courses are annually ranked in the top 10 public courses in the world.

It's about a five hour drive from Portland to Bandon. We had the extra treat of a sweet sunset going over the Coos Bay Bridge...

This year, Mark Young

and I golfed Bandon Dunes, Old MacDonald (new course opened this year) and Pacific Dunes. We had sun and temps in the 50-60 range and awesome views.

And I broke 100 every time!

2011-03-12T16:28:00.000-08:00

And On Occasion, Mother Nature Takes Over- January 2011

A couple of weeks after we spent Christmas in Zig Zag, OR in the Mt. Hood Forest (see previous post), the warm rains hit the mountainside melting the snowpack and swelling the rivers. The Sandy River decided to jump it banks about 100 yards in Zig Zag just down the street from David and Mark's cabin and took out the Lolo Pass Road...see live footage(video1 and video2) and a few pictures from the damage, clean-up and rebuilding the road when we visited a week later.

2011-02-12T19:54:00.000-08:00

Traveling, Hiking, and Biking in 2010

There just doesn't seem to be time to post highlights from our treks of different lengths (but, hey, we make the time to take the trips!) Here are a few of the more memorable ones in 2010...

Saddle Mountain- late winter

Overlooking the confluence of the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean, this 2-3 mile trail with modest elevation provides a most beautiful vista of the northwest corner of the state. Our friends Dan and Diane accompanied us on to this hike just as they did when we took in the Wallowa Mountains in the northeast corner of Oregon. See some great views and a little (humorous) history of the Lewis and Clark expedition on this short video.

Petal Pedal- June

This 68 mile bike ride through the mid- Willamette Valley gets your attention quickly and climbs upward for the first 20 miles. While the day was misty and overcast, the views were stunning...

waterfalls,

rolling farmlands,

and plenty of beer at the end.

Mt. Hood Burnt Lake Trail- July

Along with good friends David and Mark and their dog Ben, we saw many wild flowers heading up to Burnt Lake on a gorgeous summer day. Yep- that's snow on Mt. Hood in July!

Zig Zag- Christmas

While we were unable to go east for Christmas, we were able to get back to the Mt. Hood National Forest for serious R&R. We stayed at David and Mark's place in Zig Zag

and on the final night it snowed...

...enough to make a snowman...

2010-12-27T12:50:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2010

There is a light in this world, a healing spirit more powerful than any darkness we may encounter. We sometimes lose sight of this force when there is suffering, and too much pain. Then suddenly, the spirit will emerge through the lives of ordinary people who hear a call and answer in extraordinary ways. ~Mother Theresa

Top 10 Blessings in 2010

10. We approach the four year mark in Oregon and continue to enjoy our friends, neighbors and all that Portland and the great NW has to offer. Come visit and see for yourself!

9. We took a week-long car trip down Oregon’s and California’s breathtaking coastline to Napa Valley reinforcing our desire to do more car touring and camping in the future.

8. We successfully endured our first home remodel- a beautiful new kitchen with a big sink!

7. Ben completed his first year-and-a-half of his six-year urology residency at the University of Pittsburgh.

6. Ben and Cheyenne bought their first home in Pittsburgh.

5. We were able to visit and spend time with our parents- Shirley in Connecticut and John and Marilyn in North Carolina- and our family a couple of times.

4. Susan launched her own business- The Plant Nanny- providing gardening and yard maintenance services. She is living her dream!

3. Stacie got her first full-time teaching job in the Putnam, CT school system.

2. Cheyenne graduated with her MD from UConn and started her first year of a three-year residency in pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh.

And the #1 blessing of 2010…

Aris and Stacie married on July 3

on a beautiful day overlooking the Moodus Reservoir.

July 3, 2010

Cheyenne, Stephen, Stacie, Aris, Susan, Ben

Wishing you and your loved ones peace and

abundance of heart during the holiday season

with love,

Stephen and Susan

2010-10-30T20:07:00.000-07:00

How Many Ocean Sunsets

Do You See on the East Coast?

Atlantic Beach, NC, the southern tip of the Outer Banks provides both sunrises and sunsets over the ocean in the fall.

Just spent the last two weeks here with lots of family visitors including our sons, Ben's fiancee Cheyenne, Susan's brother Ty and family, and of course, time with Susan's parents who live nearby.

It is always a relaxing and beautiful time at this time of year when we have the beach to ourselves and the weather is still summer-like. A little work, a walk on the beach, lunch or dinner overlooking the ocean, and an occasional adult beverage make this not at all hard to take. And oh yes, an occasional tractor drag race...

Here are some more pics from our visit

http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/AtlanticBeach201002?authkey=Gv1sRgCLWHhdmNkr_1-AE

2010-10-03T16:53:00.000-07:00

It All Started with a New Sink

You all know how things go...and grow. With what started with a desire for a new stainless steel full sink (instead of the porcelain double sink we had), we recently completed our first-ever home remodel; we thought we'd start with the easiest project- the kitchen! Things went remarkably smoothly and we have a beautiful new kitchen including a workspace in what was our nook. Here are some before, during and after pictures.

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

2010-09-06T15:58:00.007-07:00

Road Trip Down the Pacific Coast

There are so many places we have yet to see and this 1400 mile trip brought us along the So. Oregon coast through the sand dunes in So. Oregon in Florence

the Redwood National Park in No. California

along the California Pacific coast

and over to Napa Valley

and St. Helena, where we stayed at this beautiful B&B

before we headed for home and took the I-5 back past Mount Shasta

through Ashland, OR, home of the annual Shakepeare Festival and back to Portland. We have plans to return to Ashland in the summer of 2011.

2010-08-09T09:08:00.000-07:00

Flaming Ristys Ride Anew

Thanks to the creative genius and child labor tactics of Mark Holloway and David Kahl, this year's team entry in the Bridge Pedal ride had a flair envied by all other riders. We completed the 10 bridge, 38 mile ride on an overcast (occasionally misty) morning and then finished off the day with our annual BBQ on a beautiful, sunny afternoon. A great day with friends, riders and non-riders alike!

See more pics at http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/BridgePedal8810?authkey=Gv1sRgCImQpNH6xPWl9gE&feat=directlink#

2010-07-05T08:00:00.001-07:00

Aris and Stacie Wed on July 3

On a beautiful day at a gorgeous setting, Aris and Stacie were married this weekend. Set on the idyllic 100-acre Cone's Farm overlooking the Moodus Reservoir, over 130 people celebrated their love and commitment. See more pictures from the wedding at http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/ArisAndStacieWedding?feat=directlink

The preparations started early with Stacie's uncle Bob leading the way and many helping hands from family and friends. See everyone in action in the days before the wedding http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/ArisAndStacieWedding1?feat=directlink ... quite a transformation!

And a few more pictures from the rehearsal http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/ArisAndStacieWedding2?feat=directlink

It was a glorious day- we have our first daughter!

2009-12-30T11:25:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

January 2010

So friends, every day do something that won’t compute.

Love the Lord. Love the world… Take all you have and be poor.

Love someone who does not deserve it…

Be joyful though you have considered all the facts…

-Wendell Berry
Greetings…we hope that you are finding many reasons in your life to be joyful this holiday season. We are pained by the many sufferings around us- friends losing jobs, loved ones passing, families breaking up, and a seemingly more violent community and world. We hold in our hearts all who are struggling to find joy and pray that new life, light, and hope comes your way.
This completes three years of our great Northwest adventure which we continue to chronicle (a little less frequently) on our blog. Highlights this year included visits from Ben, Aris and Stacie, Hanna Beach, and Colchester friends Mike and Cheryl Hajdun. A reminder that we have a second floor suite ready for your use- there is no time like the present so get your butts out here for a visit!!!

We love the Oregon wilderness, hiking and snowshoeing as often as we can. This summer’s highlight was a seven-day backpacking and camping trip into the Wallowa Mountain wilderness with friends Diane Redd and Dan Wilson. We also biked the “Worse Day of the Year” and “Bridge Pedal” rides this year. These activities help to offset all the food and drink that Portland’s urban scene offers.

We were able to get back East in May for a week of family celebrations. Dr. Ben Ristau graduated from the UConn School of Medicine and has started a six-year residency in urology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Aris graduated with his master’s degree from Springfield College and is in his second year at UConn as a hall director where he and Stacie live on campus. We spent a week with Stephen’s family at the beach in Old Lyme, Connecticut to celebrate Ray and Nanette’s marriage and Shirley’s 80^th birthday. What a week of joy that was!!

More good news to share!! Aris and Stacie have set their wedding date for July 3, 2010 in Connecticut and have been busy making wedding plans. And by the time you receive this, Ben and Cheyenne will be engaged to be married (we are going out on the limb and praying that Cheyenne says “yes!!”) [ SHE DID!!!!] She graduates from UConn School of Medicine in May and is currently interviewing for a residency in pediatrics, hoping to “match” at Pittsburgh. Stay tuned for more details about their plans. We are thrilled to welcome both Stacie and Cheyenne into our family and to share their joy and love.

We were able to spend two weeks with Susan’s parents in October on our annual visit to the Outer Banks in North Carolina and also were able to see her brother Ty, Jen and Abigail as well as Aris who flew down for a short visit.

Our niece Jenna and husband Russ were blessed with twin daughters Courtney and Isabella this fall, making Shirley a great-grandmother for the first time and bringing new life to our growing family. We can’t wait to get those babes in our arms this Christmas!!

Susan started her encore career in November with Children First for Oregon, a nonprofit organization that advocates for access to quality health care, education and family supports for all children in our state. She is excited to contribute her skills and passion to make Oregon a better place for kids and families. Stephen’s consulting work helping nonprofits and public libraries engage the talents of midlife adults has expanded this year and he continues to find great joy by volunteering weekly in a classroom of toddlers at the Peninsula Children’s Center in Portland.

One of our Christmas displays has the simple message “We Believe.” What does this message mean to you? We invite you to reflect on what you believe and then act on those beliefs. In the words of theologian, educator, and civil rights activist Howard Thurman,

Don't ask what the world needs.

Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it.

Because what the world needs

Is more people who have come alive.

With great love for you and gratitude for the blessings you are in our lives and in the world, we wish you all the joy and blessings of the holiday season in the year ahead.

Stephen and Susan

2009-09-01T21:12:00.000-07:00

Some Random Recent Pics...

We've been ACTIVE this summer!!

From our hike to McNeil Point- the closest we have gotten to the top of Mt. Hood- still 5,000 feet away!

From our visit to Lost Lake Butte and the Hood River Lavendar Farm in June...

From the Bridge Pedal ride that we did with friends Mark, David and Kevin in August...

From our visit to the Bagby Hot Springs in July...

2009-08-20T21:35:00.000-07:00

A Treat at Eagle Cap- Wallowa Mountains in northeast Oregon

With kindred spirits Diane and Dan Wilson, for the past 8 days, we engaged with the Eagle Cap Wilderness in the Wallowa Mountains in NE Oregon.

Check out the video from the top of Eagle Cap.

Here are more spectacular pics from our hikes to Eagle Cap and in the Lakes Basin.

http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/EagleCapAug2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCOSR-LqZl8QQ&feat=directlink

2009-06-11T21:53:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-11T15:46:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-11T14:17:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-11T14:03:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-01-01T17:12:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year 2009

For our second year, we participated (she ran/ he walked) in the Portland First Night event downtown. As usual for this time of year, it rained (the snow is but a distant memory) but it was a fun time especially with our new friends, the Grinch and Co.

2008-12-25T08:40:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from

Multnomah Falls

Our wishes for good tidings and Christmas blessings

to all our family and friends!

2008-12-24T21:36:00.000-08:00

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.

2008-12-21T12:59:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-12-20T05:38:00.000-08:00

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.

2008-12-20T05:33:00.000-08:00

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...

2008-12-20T05:14:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-20T04:55:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-20T04:30:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-20T04:06:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-20T03:50:00.000-08:00

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.

2008-10-17T10:17:00.000-07:00

Do You Still BELIEVE?!!!!
Well, admit it, you were at least preparing to go to sleep...you had started your analysis of team weaknesses, and yes, admitted that some off-season changes were in order...another power bat, is it time to let Tek go or at least commit to his successor... what about Mike Lowell...Coco Crisp...do we go after someone like Mark Texieira...and THEN... all hell broke lose. BIG Papi stepped into his legacy as the greatest clutch hitter in BIG games of all time and you began to feel...maybe, just maybe, this thing's not over. And then the homer by Drew, the double by Kotsay, and the awesome Coco at bat (sorry for all those times I've doubted you!) Masterson was masterful and then the young Rays started to show some chinks in their invincibility. Admit it, none of us thought they would come back like this...just like in 2004 down 3-0 to the Yankees...just like in 2007 down 3-1 to the Tribe...and this one may be the biggest of all. So here we go...buckle yourself in for a great ride...I BELIEVE!!!!

2008-09-04T14:26:00.000-07:00

A Message from the Triathlete...
Thank you all so much for the support that you gave me on my first triathlon. I could not have done it without you and I want you all to know how grateful I am to know you and have your friendship. I am truly blessed. It started out as a dream. Then I thought, maybe I could do this. Definitely out of my comfort zone in so many ways. But I have the time, I have the desire. Why not try. I read some books, joined a tri club, met other tri athletes... working purposefully and persistently through the challenge of training I found myself growing stronger and more capable. It felt really good. I felt really good. All throughout, the support I received was tremendous. I don't think I would have been able to do it without family, friends (many new ones), coaching and a very good physical therapist who believed in me, even more, at times, than I believed in myself. On the morning of the triathlon I asked myself over and over what I was doing there. I felt a little sick to my stomach and was really nervous. When we got in the water and all the splashing started and the buoys looked so far away... there was a moment there! But then I saw a big orange neon sign with "you cruizin susan" on it and I knew I had to go for it. Around the second buoy when she was about to quit I was able to encourage another triathlete in the water. I got a good chuckle out of that one. After I got out of the water I knew that I would make it and my fans where incredible. So much support. People who didn't even know me were calling me by name and cheering for me. It couldn't have had anything to do with all my friends screaming for me, could it? The bike ride was beautiful and the transition from the swim to the bike was very welcome. The temperature was perfect and I love hills and wind. See me soar!!!! I did feel my legs again on the run after I got over the first hill. And I must admit that I was really happy to see the turn around for the run and head back to the finish. Right near the end I had a few more fans pull over and cheer me on. I felt really good. I knew I was almost there. I was so excited when I crossed the finish line that I cried. What a great feeling of satisfaction. What a remarkable body God has given us. My eyes have been opened to possibilities that I would never have considered in the past. I think I will do another one. Anyone care to join me? Thank you again. You helped more than you know.

Susan

Sharing her gold medal with new friend Carrie

Big hugs from her #1 fan!

2008-08-30T17:10:00.000-07:00

Susan Competes in Her First Triathalon- Finishes FIRST!!!

Defying the skeptics and naysayers, a 53-year old woman today ran in her first triathalon and finished first...in her division. She easily defeated her opponents...err...opponent on a fall-like day at Hagg Lake outside Portland. Said the victorious Susan Ristau upon completing her first "Tri" in first, "I going home to kick my husband's ass!"

For more on this impressive lady and her equally impressive feat go to http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/ScogginValleySusanSFirstTriathalon.

Congratulations, Susan. On to Kona...

2008-08-26T17:07:00.001-07:00

Garden Flowers Abloom- August 2008

Well, it's been awhile since we've been in touch- lots to catch you up on and we promise to get busy in the next week...but for now, take a look at the early results of our new gardens...

2008-08-26T17:07:00.000-07:00

2008-08-26T17:06:00.000-07:00

2008-08-26T17:05:00.001-07:00

2008-08-26T17:05:00.000-07:00

2008-05-15T17:35:00.000-07:00

Summer Arrives... Sunny and 85- May 15, 2008
After a gray mostly rainless month of April and early May, summer returned today with cloudless skies and temps in the 80s. The same is predicted for the next few days. We took the opportunity to sneak out to the cabin last night and took a hike along the Ramona Falls Trail with Toni Bloom and her dogs Ben and Radar. Last year, we couldn't access this trail because the Sandy River had washed away the bridge which provides the only entry to the trail. And this time, although a temporary bridge span permitted access to the trail, we couldn't get to the falls because of the snow level is still too high. But Mt. Hood was OUT in all its glory. How great thou art!!! Check out these pics...
http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/RamonaFallsTrail51508.

2008-05-14T15:28:00.000-07:00

Tulips and Other News- May 14, 2008

We didn't get to the Tulip Festival in Woodburn this year- check last April's entry on the blog- but some bulbs of Angelica that Susan bought there last year have bloomed in our front yard.

In April, Susan hosted Karl Cyr

and his wife Becky at our home. Karl was interviewing for a job in Portland (which he got!) and then traveled to Belize where they will be volunteering for the next 3 months- and then we hope a return to Portland. It might be the only way we see Karl's parents, Tim and Pam! Check out their blog at karlhassan@blogspot.com.

And earlier this spring, Stephen visited his aunt Wil (and cousin Chris and his family) in Alexandria, VA following a business trip to DC. They say "90 is the new 60" and she is the poster child for that!! As always, they were generous in their hospitality and Stephen came away with a recipe for African Peanut Stew, somethin he has made twice since returning home.

We hit DC during the peak of the cherry blossoms- all the spring visits to DC over the years and I have never seen this most beautiful site!

2008-05-12T14:31:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day 2008- A Hike Along the Columbia River Gorge

We thank our mothers and all mothers for their love and nurturance...

Nothing is quite so spectacular as the Columbia River Gorge. The Columbia River separates Oregon and Washington. We have driven along the Washington side of the river before and had heard of the awesome wildflower display on Dog Mountain. So despite the so-so weather forecast, we ventured out and were not disappointed. The hike up Dog Mountain was vigorous and we had the full span of weather- rain- sleet- sun and cold winds but the wildflowers were as advertised. See more flowers and views http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/WildflowersAtDogMountainColumbiaRiverGorge

Travels to CT: Jenna Weds Russ- April 18, 2008

We traveled back to Connecticut in April for our niece Jenna's marriage to Russ. It was a beautiful wedding and a first on the Ristau side...Jenna is the first grandchild to be married...who will be the next?

It was great to be with family

celebrate Ben's 26th birthday

and see many friends.

Many thanks to our former neighbors, Cheryl and Mike, for letting us stay at their "b-n-b." And special thanks go to Nate, their rather large black 'n tan German Shepard who treated us like family and not strangers!

2008-03-19T20:26:00.000-07:00

Update on the Kitties- March 18, 2008

We showed you pictures of our latest additions, Clyde (orange) and Frieda (black), when we got them in November. They are growing fast and are very entertaining. The have track meets throughout the house (usually around our bedtime) and are constantly with each other. These pics show that they are just regular cats who lay around and sleep about 23 hours a day! And Clyde always gets his way!

2008-03-15T17:28:00.001-07:00

A Second Time Around the Block- March 2008
We have met so many people and feel so welcomed in Portland...although we did not move into Portland until last summer, we feel like we are talking our second trip around the block. We are also enjoying an early spring...

...in fact, Stephen mowed the lawn last week, the earliest ever for us. There are blossoming trees and bushes and we have begun to plan our gardens and transplant a few shrubs and plants. The growing season starts in February and we are very excited about getting down and dirty in the yard. Check out this link http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/Spring2008InPortland for some early signs of spring in your yard and in our immediate neighborhood.

We apologize for the absence of new blogs but what can we say... we have been busier this year than last (READ: WORK!!) and, besides, we think there are only three of you out there who actually read this stuff! But for you three, we will try to do a better job of keeping up with it. Check out past blogs beginning in December as we have added some stuff. We know the pictures tell a great stort about this great part of the world.

We received great news last week that Hartford friends, Ted and Jane Carroll, will visit us this summer and we are hoping that the rest of you plan to visit us as well.

We are very excited that our niece Jenna (it's still on, right, Russell??!!) will be getting married next month and we will be back in CT for her wedding and have a chance to visit with family and friends...until next time...thanks to the 3 who read this!!!!

And ask me to tell you about Susan's training to do a triathalon this summer... really!!!!!

2008-03-15T16:41:00.000-07:00

One Year and Counting... February 2008

February 1 marked our first anniversary in Oregon...about six months at the cabin and six months at our new home in Portland. It has been an awesome year!!!!

Year two is a little different as we have had to "apply" ourselves (don't you remember getting in trouble in grade school for not "applying" yourself?!!!!) That means "work" which Stephen says is over-rated!!! Both of us have returned to paid employment but we are definitely working to live and not living to work... by the way, for those of you who don't know, ask Susan what she is doing for work these days.

Stephen has been enjoying his consulting work with Libraries for the Future (http://www.lifelonglibraries.org/) and with the California State Library http://www.library.ca.gov/lds/tlaf.html, and continues to volunteer and do spiritual direction, a nice mix for him. And along the way, we return to the mountain, take hikes in Forest Park and get to a few basketball games. Check this out... http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/YearTwoInOregonBegins

2008-03-15T15:43:00.001-07:00

A Visit from the Boys...and their Girls... Christmas 2007- New Years 2008

We were thrilled that Ben and Aris and their girlfriends, Cheyenne and Stacie, came to spend the holidays with us. We had a great time with them all and especially appreciated meeting Cheyenne for the first time in person.

We had our fill of eating and drinking and even exercizing throughout Portland, at the cabin, and on Mt. Hood. Check out these pics... http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/ChristmasVisit

2007-12-20T15:30:00.000-08:00

A Couple Sneak Visits to CT...

Along the way, Stephen has been able to sneak back into Connecticut to visit with family...here he is with Aris and Nana at Springfield College where Aris attends graduate school and seves as a resident hall director...

with sister-in-law Sharon...

and most recently with Aris and Stacie and Ben (Ben's too busy doing on-line surgery...come back to us, Ben!!) and Cheyenne at Nana's...

It is always wonderful to be in the company of family.

Who Says It Rains Alot In Portland!
We are in what the locals call "the rainy season." Only in Portland can such despised weather be elevated to "a heavenly blessing" or "poetry in motion." This pretty fine piece of writing was in the Oregonian this weekend. Enjoy and then come for a visit!

The blessed, bountiful, horrible rains
Northwest storms can be brutal, and those everlasting gray winter skies can wear thin -- but our weather is woven into us.
SALLIE TISDALE The Oregonian

A man died and went to heaven. Right inside the gate, he was surprised to see someone chained to a post.
"Do you usually punish people like that in heaven?" he asked St. Peter.
"Oh, he's from Oregon," St. Peter said. "We always have to chain them up for a while; they keep trying to go back."

Oregon weather is truly heaven most of the year. But now winter is on us like a freight train, and I'm stuck on the track.

Winter means the rains -- "the rains," we say, granting them a separate identity. Sir Francis Drake, off the Oregon coast in 1578, complained that the rain was "an unnatural and congealed and frozen substance, so that we seemed to be rather in the frozen zone, than any where so neere unto the sun . . ."

Rain here is not a simple thing, nothing merely environmental -- our rains are existential, demanding. The fierce storm of early December that pounded the Coast was uncommon, but not unprecedented. Most of the time, the rains give us land of great fertility and abundance. I appreciate them, really, I do: the blessed, bountiful, horrible rains. Yet winter is my difficult season. It "comes but once a year," Ogden Nash wrote, "but it lasts for most of it."

Like Nash, I tend to exaggerate. I imagine endless weeks of rain ahead, but our winters are not the way we pretend them to be. Portland gets an average of 37 inches of precipitation a year -- less than New York, Houston, Cincinnati and Miami. More than half falls between November and February, almost all as rain, divided fairly evenly into about five inches each month. To be fair to Drake, he was off the much wetter coast. Astoria gets twice as much rain in a year as Portland; Nehalem gets about 120 inches a year, and the moribund town of Valsetz is probably Oregon's rainiest place, with more than 130 inches a year.

I grew up near the Siskiyou Mountains, with hot summers and snowy, sunny winters. The Northwest is twin climates: moist and maritime next to dry and continental. I knew rain as a summer thunderstorm, and the steady cold rains were alien to me when I first moved to Portland. So mild, and yet somehow colder than snow, they wore away at me in a way snow does not. It's not just me -- Oregon settlers came to call a steady rain a "winter."

The Willamette Valley is smack in the middle of the middle latitudes. These latitudes generally get more rain in summer than winter. The West Coast of North America is one of the few places in the world where this isn't true. Generally wet and warm go together; the polar regions are dry to the point of dehydration. The Willamette Valley is often called a Mediterranean climate, which is distinguished by wet winters and dry summers. But Mediterranean climates don't freeze, and we have a few reliably frozen weeks each year. They also tend to have summer fog and less rain than we get. Nor is ours a marine West Coast climate, tempered by rain but generally humid, with rain falling more evenly throughout the year.

James Cook wrote in 1778 that our climate was "infinitely milder than on the East coast of America under the same parallel of latitude." This providence is the result of a planetary cycle hitting a local landscape. Warm westerly middle latitude winds meet colder easterly winds from the polar regions and form atmospheric areas called traveling depressions. These are strongest in winter, and the result is a fairly predictable, regular separation of wet and dry seasons. Traveling depressions: There are January days when I can't think of a more precise scientific term.

The Coast Range adds a detail called orographic enhancement. Wet air rises over the low mountains and then cools. A lot of the atmospheric moisture is captured there, but some gets through, and most of it falls in the Willamette Valley. It was orographic enhancement that led to the recent flooding torrents on the Oregon Coast. Much of the remainder drops in the Cascades. According to Native stories, the Great Spirit created those mountains as a wall to block the rains. The people east of the mountains had complained of their need for more water, and for their ingratitude, they were punished with even less.

The Northwest has several of the world's steepest rain grades, where the amount of moisture drops dramatically in a short distance. In the Olympic Range, precipitation can range from 200 inches in the center of the mountains to about 15 inches on the eastern side. In the 20 miles between Sisters and the Santiam Pass, annual precipitation drops more than 60 inches.

When the rains begin, many people I know turn faces gratefully to the sky to drink it in. They've huddled inside all summer, daunted by the heat. My next-door neighbors moved here from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and they find our winter panic amusing. Lots of people slog through slush, shovel snow, creep through blizzards, scrape ice off the steps yet another day, disappear into snow banks and fall through pond ice. When I told a woman who grew up on the Arctic Circle in northern Norway that I was writing a book about winter, she looked at me in her confident Scandinavian way and said, "It's funny to write a book about winter when you live here."

I have become a connoisseur of the rain -- a student of the hydrological cycle. A given drop of planetary water spends about nine days every year in the air. Rain forms high in the jet streams, the storm roads. Vapor condenses on tiny particles of dust and debris called nuclei, forming tiny droplets. Droplet builds on droplet, until a drop big enough to fall forms -- an honest drop, but still a lot smaller than the drops we know. These dribs and drabs of rain bang into each other, growing heavier and falling faster until about a million tiny droplets coalesce into the raindrops we see.

Dozens of international codes exist for all parts of weather: several degrees of cloud cover, 27 types of cloud, degrees of snowfall density, seven forms of falling snow, different types of mixed rain and snow, and many degrees of rain. We have all of them here -- at least, all the kinds of rain. Drizzle is unfinished rain, very small droplets caught in weak updrafts and falling before they have time to grow bigger. Showers are intermittent rains. Settlers called a hard rain "Oregon mist." We should adopt a few Scottish terms, like mizzle -- a dank, drippy rain somewhere between drizzle and mist -- and smirr, a rain so light you can't quite decide if it's worth wearing a coat.

Then there is the rain that drives me mad, the cold and steady rain that falls for days from dark, lowering skies. A gutter slips from its catches, water cascades off the roof, drips down the basement walls, washes away the soil. Suddenly murderous, I break an appointment and refuse to answer the phone. The house feels as damp as the wet street outside my wet window, my wet shoes and my wet coat and my wet heart.

But the rain has made this land, and in the last few years, watching the shrinking glaciers on Mount Hood, enjoying a sunny day in November, I wonder what will happen if the rains shift away. No one knows what will come with climate change, but we can expect less reliable weather -- more big and damaging storms, and the possibility of drought. So for now, I practice patience, even gratitude, for the rains. What is it really like, five inches in a month? A half-inch here and there, a day of heavy rain, a day of drizzle, days without. That half-inch on the wet days is more rain than we see in all of August most years. Our rainiest days bring about an inch of rain. On Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, more than six feet of rain fell on in a single day in 1952.

So, we have gray skies -- so does Paris. Why does it feel like so much more than it is? Because there is a certain incessant quality. Because it can and does sometimes rain for weeks. (Our record is 34 days straight.) Because I prefer the sun. Because that one inch of rain on our rainiest days -- that one is falling on me. I am ashamed, cursing at this tender weather, so much easier than many people manage all year round. Imagine the wettest spot on Earth: the lovely Mount Wai'ale'ale in Kauai, Hawaii, where it rains about 460 inches a year.

I am mostly used to it now. I love the spring and summer and fall. I love the green. And the rains have become the walls of the cave where I spend the cold months. In here there is a fire and family and light.

I spend time regularly in a cabin near Mount Hood, and more than anything this has changed the way I see the rains. Winter and rain are best shared with trees and stones. I listen to the peculiarly comforting sound of rain falling on the cones and needles and brushy bark, running in rivulets down to the river below. Thomas Merton also spent rainy winter nights alone in a cabin. There he wrote of the "enormous virginal myth" that is rain -- "a whole world of meaning, of secrecy, of silence, of rumor."

I am the accidental recipient of this great gift of the Earth -- a gift falling with no thought for me. I am trying to learn to receive it well: in this " infinitely milder" place, to take the miracles where I can find them.

Sallie Tisdale's most recent book is "Women of the Way: Discovering 2,500 Years of Buddhist Wisdom."
©2007 The Oregonian

2007-12-18T21:44:00.000-08:00

Susan's artwork...a labor of love- December 2007

Susan has been working nonstop for several months now on a needlepoint project she started several years ago when life interrupted...but she was determined to do the complete job and here is the result of her efforts...

Meanwhile, true to form, Stephen has been in the prone position for much of the time...

Merry Christmas from Portland...

We await the arrival of our sons, Ben and Aris, and their girlfriends, Cheyenne and Stacie, to join us for our first Christmas in Portland. This will be Ben's first visit and we hope he likes it enough to come back often. This has been such a year of gift for us. We wish all our family and friends our love and peace in their lives throughout 2008.

To help you "get in the mood" for the holidays...here's the Drifters 1955 White Christmas cartoon once again. It's great and will never lose its appeal....Watch the video and listen to the golden voices of the stars of days gone by.The lead singer of course is Bill Pinkney (Santa) and the falsetto voice belongs to the late Clyde McPhatter....Merry Christmas one and all.The song was originally recorded by the Drifters in 1954, so turn the volume up - these reindeer can sing! http://www.thecompassgroup.biz/merryxmas.swf

2007-11-24T23:05:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving in Portland...and New Family Members

Well, you didn't expect us to do this alone, did you? After scouring the Oregon Humane Society kennels, we found this (yellow) brother (Clyde) and (black) sister (Frieda, for now) on craigslist and this week, they became part of our family.

They are adjusting very slowly to their new environs but are letting us pet them on THEIR terms. Her are some pics of them in the basement (adjacent to the "man room"), where we have them for the time being... http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/ClydeAndFrieda

Thanksgiving Day started with an early morning Turkey Trot (yes, that would be Susan! Stephen doesn't trot, run, or sprint- he walks, jogs, EF-X's). The sky was blue and the temps pretty cold (wind chill around 20) but it was an fun event and Susan not only finished but had a decent time. We're getting her ready for her first half-marathon!!!

Then, we spent a few hours at a local community center visiting with and serving meals to the homeless and folks without anyplace to go (that would be us!)

The next day, we had the full turkey and fixins with the Blooms, our good friends here in Portland. Some more pics of the Turkey Trot, dinner at the Blooms, and the Holiday Lights at the Portland Zoo... http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/Thanksgiving2007

2007-11-24T21:12:00.000-08:00

A Return to the Blog...Where Does the Time Go? Thanksgiving 2007
It is amazing what a little work will do to interrupt the flow of a "blogger." Since Stephen started to support the household (Susan couldn't carry us forever, despite his wishes!) with a consulting project with Libraries for the Future and the California State Library on baby boomers and public libraries (www.library.ca.gov/grants/lsta/docs/TransLifeAnnounce.pdf), little attention has been paid to the blog.

Oh, there have been some significant events since September like... a visit from Stephen's mother, Shirley, and brother, Ray...

http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/VisitWithMomAndRay

...two weeks on the NC coast in October (someone's got to live in these timeshares!)...

where we had a chance to visit with Stephen's sister Kathy and her husband Rick as well as Susan's parents, John and Marilyn, who live in nearby New Bern. The weather was perfect with the exception of a little turbulence from Hurricane Noah who churned up the surf. Here are some pics from that trip http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/AtlanticBeachNorthCarolina.

and yes, ANOTHER Red Sox world championship!!!!!!!

Not to mention, the other Boston teams- Pats, the best pro football team ever?! and the Celtics- Big Three Redoux?! and an exciting UConn football team!!! If it seems like the sports stars have aligned since I left town...they have...and I'll stay out here for awhile to assure enough time for a dynasty or two.

But work has been the priority, much to the satisfaction of most of Stephen's friends and colleagues who can't believe that a once-productive, contributing member of society could turn into such a lazy slug so quickly!!! These are the boomer years, people...time to kick back, enjoy life, choose the work you want, and live in a new, exciting place like the Pacific Northwest!!!

2007-09-11T21:40:00.000-07:00

Home Sweet Home- September 11, 2007

Many of you have asked to see pictures of our new home in Portland so here they are

http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/HomeSeptember2007. We have two guest rooms and are currently taking reservations for the rest of 2007 and 2008!!!!

2007-09-11T20:53:00.000-07:00

A Solo Return to the Cabin- Labor Day 2007
After nearly two months in "civilization," Stephen retreated to the cabin for an overnight ...

and hiked the Flag Mountain Trail. Accessible from the cabin, this trail ascends rapidly 1500' before leveling off along a ridge. After about 45 minutes, Mt. Hood emerges first slightly....then in all its majesty.

Look what I spotted along the way...

Check this out http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/FlagMountainZigZagLaborDay2007 for more along the trail and along the Zig Zag River. Another beautiful day in the Mt. Hood National Forest.

2007-09-03T21:04:00.000-07:00

Neighborhood Block Party- August 26, 2007

Our welcome to Portland and the NE 37th Avenue neighborhood continued with a summer block party. Dean and Colleen Moxley, the previous owners of our home, their two daughters and their grandchildren joined neighbors for food, fun, games, and music... and a courtesy visit from the local fire department.

We closed off the block from through traffic so kids could ride their bikes and scooters and so we could move into the street...

See more pics from the party at http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/NE37thAveBlockPartyAugust2007.

Thanks so much to our neighbors for making us feel so welcome and for letting Stephen play his music loud!!! On to the progressive dinner in the winter!!

2007-08-27T10:21:00.000-07:00

Surprise Visits are THE BEST! -Friday, August 24, 2007

We've been talking about how much we love visitors from the east coast...and Friday night we received an unexpected call from Mike DesSurealt who was traveling on business in Portland. We were thrilled that Mike called and even more excited to have dinner and catch up with him for a couple hours.

We have known Mike since he was 3 years old when we bought our first home in Colchester from his parents, Tom and Donna. Mike's sister, Lori, is Stephen's fav "Moongirl." (picture taken before we left for Oregon last January)

Thanks, Mike, for checking in with us- we hope you will return again for a longer visit and maybe even convince your parents and sister to do the same!

2007-08-21T20:54:00.000-07:00

A Bonus- "Our" Own Soaking Pool- August 21, 2007

People who know Susan know she loved her nightly jacuzzi bath in our Colchester home...so a hottub was on our list of desired features when we looked at homes in Portland. Unfortunately, we did not get one with our new home... or so we thought. Take a look at our new soaking pool...

Just three blocks from our home, this private bath is available for FREE to all residents of our neighborhood. It is part of McMenamin's Kennedy School, a combination restaurant/ hotel/ bar/ movie theatre and yes...soaking pool that is a pretty remarkable place. McMenamins has a chain of similar venues throughout the Portland area where they have renovated old buildings- schools, chapels, nursing homes- and converted them into hotels et al.

We are now regular "soakers" in our new pool! Another reason to visit!!!

2007-08-19T16:19:00.000-07:00

Wedding Weekend in Montana- August 11-12, 2007

Last weekend, we were thrilled to be able to be a part of Jeff and Libby Goldes' daughter Ann's marriage to Brandon Sheahan held in Helena, MT.

The Goldes (Joe and Leila, their children, Carrie and Jeff, and their 7 grandchildren) have been friends of the Tessitores for 50+ years (well...not the grandchildren- they're not that old!) so this was a special treat to be a part of the big celebration with Ann and Brandon and their families.

As Stephen has learned, Affaires de Goldes are never simple ones. They are elegant and leave nothing to the imagination, in short, fun parties that go on and on and on... Over 300 guests came from throughout the U.S. and around the world to join the Goldes' many friends in Helena. Susan got to re-connect with several people whom she had not seen in many years, including Carol Ann Foster...

and Aunt Faith and Uncle Harold and their family.

A weekend with Jeff Goldes wouldn't be complete without a boat trip to Gates of the Gods, a water channel through the montains that Lewis and Clark explored (these guys got around!!!); this time, we went out on Jeff's new wave-runner that creates "surfing" conditions. Jeff, his son Matt, and Carrie's daughter Alisa showed their stuff water-skiing and surfing.

Click on(http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/GoldesSheahanWeddingWeekend) for more pictures on the Goldes- Sheahan wedding weekend.

Our stay was extended (surprise, surprise!!) and we got to meet and stay with the Goldes' neighbors' Ron Lee and Sue Clarke and their dog Mollie in their gorgeous Queen Ann-style home. They were most hospitable and we hope Ron and Sue will visit us one day in Portland.

It's a gorgeous ride by car through western Montana, Idaho, Washington, and eastern Oregon climbing several mountain ranges. This trip was also influenced by nature. Last time on our trip cross-country in January, we battled the snow through the passes; this time heavy smoke from fires in Idaho burned our eyes and left a coating of ash on the car for almost half the trip home.

We took the northern (Washington) route along the Columbia River Gorge for the first time and had some spectacular views like this one...

2007-08-16T16:45:00.000-07:00

Aris and Stacie Arrive in Portland- Our Visit to Crater Lake- July 2007

After driving our stuff cross-country in 3.5 days, Aris insisted we unload the truck that afternoon before his lovely Stacie arrived by plane so he could have a vacation. We did the Bloom Tour of Oregon, visiting Multnomah Falls, the Mt. Hood area including a stay at the cabin, a day trip to the coast, and finally two days to beautiful Crater Lake and back through Bend and central Oregon.

Crater Lake is one of the most beautiful places on this earth. Formed by the volcanic collapse of 10, 500 foot Mt. Mazama, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the U.S. and seventh deepest in the world. It's crystal clear blue water is the result of pure rain water and mountain snows melting.

You can only get to Wizard Island by charter boat which is accessed by a single trail from the rim road down to the water'e edge.

The 35 mile rim road provides a variety of views and changing sun angles effect the color and shade of the ridge and lake basin throughout the day. Biking, running, and hiking is prevalent...we'll be back for more.

Click on http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenristau/CraterLakeWithArisAndStacie for more pictures of our Crater Lake experience. You can click on "slideshow" or look at each one by one.

One more thing: Susan and I had another "first." (Get your minds out of the gutter!) We received the "senior discount" for our meals at the Mt. Mazama Lodge restaurant. First you receive your AARP card, then...it's a slippery slope!!