Dear Family and Friends,

It’s been a year of milestones at our house. Chelsea graduated from Bozeman High School, Deb turned 50, and we welcomed our third grandchild. We hope 2001 was equally rewarding for you.

Chelsea’s graduation drove many of the events of the year. Her celebration of choice was an extended family campout at Flaming Gorge National Recreation area, on the Green River in northern Utah. She chose Flaming Gorge because it offered something for everybody, though Grandma Jane decided she would really rather be at the Ritz Carlton. Chelsea was joined by over twenty family members from California, New Mexico, and Maryland, spanning three generations.

Chelsea has now spent almost as many school years in Montana as she did in Hawaii. She is enjoying her freshman year at Montana State University. She is participating in a special program geared to getting students into a research experience of their choice early in their college experience, and hopes to spend a semester abroad during her sophomore year. She’s saving up money to buy her own car by serving up smoothies at a local juice bar, and has decided that Dad’s old junk car is better than none, for the time being. We’re proud of what a mature and confident young woman she has become.

Deb’s 50^th birthday was celebrated with warmth and hilarity with family and friends. Her sisters Meg and Teri, with their mom and a sprinkling of nieces, expressed their appreciation of all that Deb does for the family with a retreat in Palm Springs and a gorgeous family scrapbook. Her tennis buddies, not to be outdone, threw a raucous birthday luncheon at one of Bozeman’s newest restaurants. She is in the midst of a busy year as president of the Bozeman Tennis Association, trying to increase its membership and improve Bozeman’s tennis facilities.

We’ve reached that life stage at which we miss having the kids and grandkids close, and value the times when they are able to tear themselves away from their busy careers to visit us. In August we camped together in nearby Yellowstone National Park, which gave the adults a relaxing time together and the grandkids a chance to broaden their horizons. John and Karin’s son Aidan was just the right age to get incredibly dirty. Rob and Kimi’s daughter Arielle was just the right age to appreciate Yellowstone’s awesome wildlife. We look forward to a week with our new granddaughter (Maia) on a trip to Hawaii next month. We enjoy having John and Karin close enough so we can see Aidan once or twice a year, in New Mexico or Montana, and we just have to accept that the rest of our family is much farther away.

There is no lack of opportunities for Dick to continue working in university research and education. This year saw the 10^th anniversary of the Yohkoh mission, which has been the opportunity of a lifetime. Interaction with students at MSU has been lively and rewarding. New projects are underway as a result of 1999’s “S Marks the Spot” discovery. As well, the opportunity to combine work with travel to see friends and family has enriched our lives.

Please note that we’ve got a new street address. As well, we’ve got the highlights of the year in pictures on Dick’s family web site: http://solar.physics.montana.edu/canfield/family/. We look forward to seeing you and yours in the coming year!

Dick, Deb, and Chelsea