Our time in Oregon has flown by.  Bonnie and Bob, Kendal’s parents, gave us a very warm welcome into their home in Corvallis where we were able to spend a most enjoyable week before Scott and Kendal’s wedding on March 4th.  While much of our time was spent preparing for the wedding weekend, Bonnie and Bob made it easy and fun for us.  We are so very happy to now be able to call them family.  Bonnie even hemmed Sonia’s bridesmaid’s dress the day after she arrived from Bordeaux, France!

Kendal and Scott did a fantastic job of orchestrating the whole wedding weekend event, which went off without a hitch and was filled with joyful times.  Relatives from overseas and across state and country borders started showing up at McMenamins, the eclectic venue with unique hand-painted rooms and so many fun places to hang out, a couple of days beforehand so by the day before the wedding, we managed to reconnect with all our extended family and most of Scott’s friends.  Although the sun didn’t shine much on the day, the rain held off sufficiently for some outdoor photographs, a bonus at this time of year in Oregon.

The photos below are of Scott’s family, including one with Scott, Kendal and their dog, Apollo.

L to R: Ruth, Kathy, Howard, Sonia, Doug, Rudi, Mike

After most people departed on Tuesday, we took off on a road trip with Howard’s sister, Carole, and her husband, Mike, to explore some more of Oregon.  The photos below might give an idea of the natural treasures that Oregon has to offer:

Wahkeena Falls, Columbia River Gorge
Noisy male sea lions in Newport in and out of the water.
Redwoods
Carole dwarfed inside a Redwood
Amazingly long kelp washed up along the rocky, wild Oregon shore.
Dazzling blue skies in Lincoln City, a fabulous last night with Carole and Mike.

We hope to drive up to Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood tomorrow, weather permitting, before catching our red eye flight back to St Thomas via Washington DC tomorrow night.

What a fabulous interlude to our sailing adventures this has been….  The question is, where will the wind blow us next?

Update:  We did make it to Timberline and were rewarded by a most impressive building that clearly is built to withstand lots of snow and has wonderfully rugged furnishings that enhance it.  Maybe the following photos give you the idea….