Summer's here...07/31/11...1pm...80

Lettuce, onions, carrots and garlic

Wonderful morning!..Coffee and scrabble to start the day...Then the garden harvest...today we will dine on fresh carrots, onions, lettuce and garlic...might put it all in a taco salad and enjoy it while sitting on the deck...Spent about an hour deadheading, pulling or digging weeds in the flower beds and another hour trying to get photo's to put in my blog... Herb pulled some rhubarb so we can have a cobbler along with our taco salad...I must get it made!

Gave Herb a haircut, then trusted him with the thinning shears to remove some of the bulk from my hair...Now we are freshly sheared, shampooed and showered, and relaxing on the deck.

Chief Joseph Days is officially over for another year...Last night we awoke several times after the last rodeo was over, to the sounds of people partying..."Indian war hoops" echoed through the valley, screams and fireworks broke into our dreams...Police sirens pierced the night air until about 4am, when someone shot off several "booming" fireworks...Then all was quiet and I slept until 7am...Early this morning we could hear the music from the cowboy church service held at the rodeo grounds...Now all is quiet on Barton Heights as most of the neighbors company have left for home, and everything is back to normal.

I received my critique from Katey on my essay, "Whistlin Joe"...I did some rewriting using her suggestions from last month and she is pleased with my progress...I'm quite sick of this story right now though so will work on some others, then get back to it later...Or maybe her suggestions will give me new energy to work on it.

The following paragraph is an excerpt from this essay.

At the age of ten Joe’s father sent him out to a sheep camp to herd sheep, while he took care of business matters.  Joe had no choice but to do as his father told him.  He talked little about his childhood but admitted to being afraid going to the camp alone. I can imagine that during the daylight hours he did quite well, keeping the herd together, and with the help of his dog, bringing them close to camp, where they bedded down for the night.  As darkness fell he would have felt brave, though surely on the inside he was as frightened as the lambs he had been sent to protect. Terrified at night with only a dog for company, he would lay staring at the stars, listening to the howl of coyotes and prayed that all the sheep in his care, would still be alive come the next morning. 

This day is moving fast so I must get back to scrabble, (Cienna is whipping up on me), so I need to work harder!..and get the rhubarb pie in the oven...OWAV:))

Early Weeding...07/30/11...10am...72°...Sunny/clouds

Sweet William

Decided this morning that I had better work our side while it was cool as the temp could reach 90° today...Started in the garden, moving water, checking garlic to make sure it is getting enough water...It probably has about two more weeks to grow before we dig this years crop...The cabbage plants are huge and the white moths have arrived, they lay their eggs and then the larva eats the leaves to survive...I dusted the outside leaves this year and next year will look for a less toxic way to get rid of them...Weeded the garden while there... Added manure, straw and water to the compost bin, gave it a stir, now will let it work...fertilized the patty pan and zucchini squash...picked eight raspberries and shared them with Herb, they are the first on our new starts...A year ago we ripped out all the old plants and replaced the row with a few thornless plants, much easier to pick and take care of...Yesterday we had fresh tiny carrots and green onions from the garden along with lettuce that we have been eating for over a month now...Maybe we will have beet greens and chard when our "Girls" come in August.

Daylily

Next I moved to the yard and flower beds, a faint whiff of the stinky deed stuff that I sprayed last night, greeted me...It is worth it though as the day lilies are blooming for the first time in three years...I dug up some kind of weed that i've been thinking for several weeks, might be a flower... Nope, got rid of it...deadheaded columbine, meadow rue and petunias, pulled weeds as I went along...Herb has been watering lawn and flower beds since 5am so everything is looking fresh and green and the weeds come out easily.

Daylily

I'm being entertained by music coming from main street Joseph, where the annual CJD's parade is about to begin...First marches played by Joseph High School band and now songs by "Soul Renovation" a local band...Nice listening from afar... Clouds have moved in, temp has dropped and it is threatening rain...hoping it will move on as we don't need rain on the parade, or the friendship feast at the Indian encampment, or the rodeo coming later tonight...It sounds like the parade is winding down and the scrabble games are calling me...Must think of something to fix for dinner...Hugs to all~OWAV:)

Yard sales...07/29/11...11am...75°...Sunny

Rudbeckia

A most beautiful day here in Wallowa County...All is quiet as the annual kiddy parade is over for another year...Kids from all over the county, build floats, dress up, ride their bikes or horses, and parade through Joseph's main street...prizes are given and everyone has a great time...I took in two yard sales this morning, didn't buy a thing, just looked and said, "Nope I don't need that."...Back home I watered for the neighbors and then watered the flowers on our deck...Herb has been watering and mowing most of the morning, and will soon join me to relax on the deck...

Cienna in her Junior Lifeguard uniform

Got this photo from Bobi, via email...Ci has completed the first two of fifty volunteer hours, that she must complete to be a Junior Life Guard...I ask her what she liked best about this so far and she said, "Getting to sit on the lifeguard tower with my instructor, I've wanted to do that forever, Oma."...For those of you who don't know, Cienna started swimming at four years old and joined the splash team when she turned six...She loves the water and swims like a fish!

Ci and her Mom are going to the Sock Summit today, a marathon day of knitting at the Portland Coliseum where yarns and wool in all stages will be for sale... Both Bobi and Ci are avid knitters.

I spent a delightful evening last night at the home of friends, Pat and Brian Adelhardt...They were having a family and friends gathering at their lovely home overlooking Wallowa Lake...I got to visit with people from Pennsylvania, Arkansas, and Oregon, and also with their son Bryce and grandson Mason from Maryland...It was warm enough to enjoy drinks and hors d'oeuvres on the deck...Each of the families are taking turns cooking dinners and last night we were treated to  bbq'd pork loin, salads, and banana pudding for dessert...What a fun way to spend a beautiful summer evening...Thanks Pat and Brian...~OWAV:)

Past Due...07/28/11...5am...47°...Sunshine

Rose

Oh, Oh...My second manuscript is officially late according to timekeeper Pat...So evidently is Amy's, as it hasn't been delivered to my mailbox yet... I keep thinking mine will all come together but it hasn't...So will work on it today and send as much as possible, flying away into cyberspace by this afternoon...No more excuses! 

We went to bed last night listening to the rodeo announcers booming voice over the loud speakers... CJD's Rodeo sounds coming in our bedroom window, opening night was almost over...The music soon died down and the roar of trucks could be heard as they moved on to the next event, either the carnival or music, dancing and drinking at one of the local bars... Every year for over 50 years now our small town fills up with people from all walks of life and far away places as they come for the excitement of a rodeo...This is the biggest weekend.

When we first moved here, 38 years ago, it was the only big weekend...Now we have the Vintage Car Show, Fourth of July Fireworks, Tamkaliks, Bronze, Blues and Brews, and Mule Days, just to name a few...After the demise of the saw mills, Wallowa County had to promote itself as the place to come for a rousing good time...Of course since it it one of the most beautiful spots in the world, that is easy to do...The only draw back is the fact that the nearest "on ramp" is 75 miles away (Yeah)...Some of the locals, volunteer to make these things happen, others leave town to get away from the noise and crowds, others sort of blend into the woodwork until the crowds leave and the noise dies down.

Herb and I over the years have attended all the events at one time or the other...A rodeo here and there, an all you can eat breakfast, carnivals with the kids...I went, with Bobi, on one ride "The Tilt Awhirl" about 30 years ago and the "Carnie" stopped the ride saying "Lady, your face is green, do you want to get off?"...He wasn't thinking of me, but of the mess he would have to clean up if he left me on the ride any longer...I gladly staggered off of the ride and never went again...I can manage the Ferris Wheel, but that's it...It was fun to watch Cienna as she ran, eyes wide with excitement, from one ride to the other as fast as her little legs would go, until finally she was ready to drop...Then we could have our hand dipped corn dog and go home...The last few years we've had people over for "Scooby Snacks and French Fried Onion Rings" our grease fix for the year...No plans for that this year.

Now we are content to sit at home, view the mountain and our yard full of flowers and listen to the sounds of the rodeo...Don't have to drive in the congestion or deal with the people...Are we getting old or WHAT??

Maltese Cross and Vintage Shovel

Last night I wandered around the yard, deadheading as I moved the water one last time... With camera in hand I snapped a few shots, as our next batch of bloom is starting...~OWAV:)

Write Group...07/26/11...9am...50°...Cloudy

Sun starting to break through finally!!.Have to get ready for write group will blog later... talked to Rusty, he got medication from the doctor...

Really got side tracked today...Worked on my manuscript this morning, then went to write group...Five of us there, so lots of discussion and stories of all kinds, some written, some just funny things that have happened...I left early to meet Pat for lunch, she has family arriving today for a family gathering...Their son called from the Baltimore, Maryland airport this morning to say his flight had been delayed, then canceled so after much finagling he now will be arriving tomorrow in Lewiston Idaho, same flight different day...She was so disappointed...So to cheer her up and unwind we had lunch, (NO WINE) then watched the annual Chief Joseph Days, stampede of horses, down Main Street of Joseph...

I then hurried home 2pm, and intended to start on my blog but instead, sat on the deck and got into the scrabble games...Did I tell everyone that I bought a travel scrabble at a yard sale, don't know where I'm going or who I'm traveling with but I've got the game and it was a real deal for $2.00... Any takers?..

Then I wandered around the yard and gardens, visited with neighbor, Dan...back to the computer, checked out several websites that Pat sent, looking for souvenirs for Mule Days, coming up in September...No luck on that one, very few mulish things out there.

I just finished putting a stewing hen, covered with garlic scapes, onions, salt and pepper in the dutch oven at 200°...That should really smell good by morning.

So now it is 8pm and that is all of the news from Barton Heights...Hugs to all~ OWAV:)

Monday...07/25/11...5am...60°...Sunny/Clouds

Quiet house yesterday, Rusty left about 7am, not feeling well and arrived in Bend feeling worse...stomach cramps, fever, chills...We're thinking he might have Giardia, a parasitic infection that he could have picked up in Germany or China?..doubtful that he will leave for New Jersey tomorrow.

Herb and I watered yesterday, doesn't take long for everything to dry out when our weather warms up for a few days...Got so warm (we are not complaining) late afternoon that we came inside to enjoy our cool house...We had leftovers for dinner, followed with a grape soda float for me and ice cream sundae for Herb...I returned to the deck but was chased in by mosquitoes just before dark...read and computered the evening away..

Today I serve at the Senior Center meal site in Enterprise, one of our service projects for sorority...I will eat there and bring lunch home for Herb...must get meat out of the freezer to thaw for the rest of the week...I have a writing assignment due in a few days, so know how I will spend my time for the next few days.

Had a call yesterday from my sister Bobbie, who lives in Oklahoma...Her husband, Jim, had a heart attack on July 12th, spent a week in Oklahoma City 100 miles from their home having blockages removed and stents put in place...They are now back home, thanks to the help of wonderful neighbors and friends...Jim is doing well, recuperating in their air conditioned home as the heat wave forges on...Both Bobbie and Jim are in their 80's.

Chatted with Bobi briefly, we still don't want to stay connected...she and Cienna were cooking up a storm, making bread, ginger ale, mayonnaise and coleslaw, also caramelizing onions that they got free at the farmers market.

Just received the following email from Rusty:  I'm feeling okay, I told Balen i was not going to Jersey, and he didn't blame me...now i have to cancel the ticket, hopefully get a refund??? slept really well, I'll try to see the doctor today...Hope UJ gets better.......Rusty

The happenings on Barton Heights in a nutshell...~OWAV:)))

Purple Mountain...07/24/2011...5am...52°...Clear

I was awake at 4am...have scrabble games finished, surfed the web...perused face book and now on to the blog of the day...the sun now illuminating the Wallowa Mountain range to the southwest, casting a purple then pink glow above the iridescent greens of the valley below... This lasts for a brief few minutes and is one of the most beautiful views of the day...An incredible way to start my morning...I watch a herd of deer graze their way through the field of peas located behind our house.

Yesterday was a fun day with Angie and Pat...We started at 8:30 with a yard sale on the west side of Wallowa Lake, then made a beeline for Wallowa to their city yard sale...Picked up a map at the local grocery store, and with Angie as co-pilot we shopped at the 33 yard sales city wide...two hours later, the car loaded with cabinets, one large pink pony, and a red dress for dancing, we changed directions.

Pat parked the car in a grassy field and we wandered through the concession booths at the Tamkaliks Indian gathering...Missed the Indian dancing as they were ready to break for the lunch hour...So we started home with our treasures, taking the scenic road out of Wallowa and stopping at two more yard sales on our way home.

I joined Herb and Rusty on our deck for a couple of hours, chatted with Bobi and Ci until the connection, disconnected...Cienna had good times at her swim meet and will start on her fifty hours of volunteer time to complete her "Junior lifeguard training" this week...An exciting time for her.

I cooked another pot of peas and potatoes to take to J & B's where Rusty, using their Traeger grill, bbq'd salmon and chicken thighs for our dinner...Later John started a fire in their fire pit while we slurped root beer floats and swatted mosquitoes as the sun dipped behind the mountains and the temperature started dropping, ending another day in Wallowa County.

Today Rusty will leave for Bend, then take a redeye flight to New Jersey on Tuesday, arriving there early morning just in time to unload the containers coming from Austria to start their latest job...He is still not feeling well with stomach upset etc., will try to get into a Doctor or emergency care before leaving Bend, hopefully with medication...Another day on Barton Heights~OWAV:)

Tamkaliks...07/23/11...5am...50°...Sunny

Oma's Grainy Bread, the perfect addition to Rusty's tri tip, creamed peas and potatoes, Becky's garden fresh salad and Pam's fresh fruit...How lucky we are to have two farmers markets each week, from May thur September in Wallowa County...Rusty also BBQed garlic scapes (from our garden), and jalepeno peppers stuffed with cheese...Icy cold beer was the beverage of choice, and the warm evening was enjoyed by all...

Oma's Grainy Bread

Yesterday was spent baking bread, five loaves of seed and five of fruit bread to go into the freezer...Herb uses the fruit bread for his daily toast, and most of the seed bread is used for sandwiches or sliced and warmed in the oven, to share with friends...

Yesterday morning I fixed pan cakes topped with huckleberry compote, (a rare treat at our house) then Russ and I went to two local yard sales, nothing for us to buy, and Herb headed to Enterprise to mow Pam's lawn...We tried to spend time on the deck but the cool breeze sent us back into the house, where I had a hard time getting the bread dough to rise...Hours later we inhaled the smell of fragrant loaves, cooling on the kitchen table...

We Decided to save the wood gathering for a later date, so I will meet Pat at 8:30 this morning and our day will be spent in Wallowa checking out the city wide yard sales and the annual Tamkaliks feast and celebration held in recognition of the Nez Perce Descendants, who inhabited this beautiful valley over a hundred years ago...The celebration features traditional Native American songs and dancing in Native costume...Native American crafts and food are displayed and sold at the many concession booths...The last day of the festival a friendship meal is provided for all, with the local  community providing side dishes while the Native Americans furnish fish and wild game...

That's it from Barton Heights this beautiful morning...Hugs to all...OWAV:))

Bread Baking...07/22/11...6am...51°...Almost Sunny

Enjoyed the lecture last night, it was interesting hearing about author, Marcie Houle's first experience here, and what she thinks about what is happening now...Her book "The Prairie Keepers" is well worth reading and by googling Zumwalt Prairie, you can find many articles and opinions about what has and is happening...Many environmentalists would like everyone to believe that the ranchers were abusing and overgrazing the prairie in the 70's and that now the nature conservancy is "saving" the Prairie...Not so according to Marcie... She found the prairie very healthy and well managed by the ranchers in the 70's and now questions the "Nature Conservancy's" desire to remove the stock ponds that were put in by the ranchers many years ago...At least the conservancy is allowing cattle grazing on this land...Marcy's answer is for people to continue to work together for the betterment of the land, instead of their own personal agendas...It would be nice if common sense could prevail.

Plan to make bread this morning, also think of something for lunch tomorrow as John is thinking about a wood getting expedition...Russ says, he doesn't have much wood spotted so might not be a three cord day...Rusty is BBQing tri-tip at John and Becky's tonight, so will have to make a side dish for that.

Pat was talking about going to the city wide yard sales tomorrow in Wallowa...Too many things to do and too little time!

Best get on with my day and get the bread started...~OWAV:)))

Maybe Later...07/21/11...5am...49°...Sunshine/clouds

Maybe write later after sorority meeting...have much to do this morning, got windows washed yesterday pm, but still have bathroom to clean, vacuuming, dusting, putting away etc...weather looks like we will be inside...be glad when it is done.

Peonies

I'm back, with Herbs help we got house and deck cleaned so meeting can be in or out...Ten ladies came for the meeting...Weather was nice so we were able to sit outside and enjoy being in the sunshine...We had root beer floats and popcorn for refreshments... Darlene held a short business meeting and then we made plans for beginning day and worked on the schedule for 2011-2012...This is usually the meeting that we have to plan our booth for Chief Joseph Days...As of two years ago we decided we were all too old to do that and it became less lucrative every year..So we sold the popcorn machine and freezer, donated the rest of the stuff to Soroptomists and we are all very happy not to be doing it any more!!!

Poppies

My flower gardens are in between bloom, so with a few flowers I made bouquets for the tables and with the deck flowers it all looked very nice...Living room also looks very nice especially with the windows freshly cleaned, makes the room much lighter.

I'm going to a lecture on the Zumwalt Prairie with Pat tonight...Marcy Houle author of "The Prairie Keepers" is speaking tonight, she will read from her book and then update what has happened to the Prairie in the last 15 years...I liked her book and think the program will be interesting...OWAV:))

Early Riser...07/20/11...5am...49°...Almost sunny

Pat and Ruth, food always puts a smile on our faces.

Awoke early after seven hours of sleep, seem rested so on with the day...But first I have to drink coffee, scrabble, surf the net...Think!..(my kids would say this is scary)

Had a great day yesterday, exhausting but fun...First our weekly "write group"... Started many years ago by serious writers, who voted new members into the group after listening to their writings and observing their personalities...different kind of group now, we are serious and careful about new people, but we are a varied group, including poets, memoir writers, seasoned writers, snowbirds and newbies...keeps us fresh, always new faces, sometimes fleeting, other times they come and stay for the duration...Never any pressure...sometimes it is not about writing at all, it can be a support group, conversation over lunch, recipe exchange and a friendly game of scrabble...It happens every week all year long.

After our potluck lunch, that resembled a smorgasbord, Pat and I were off to the Garden Club meeting...(Pat said I dragged her along, really she was more than willing) This month it was held, up the Lostine River Canyon, at the home of Lael Prazeau...Under threatening skies 15 ladies toured Lael's lovely gardens filled with flowers of all kinds, nary a weed in sight... Much of her garden today was about the different textures and colors of green and unusual plants...I have never seen so many different sedum's except in the spring catalogs...blooming now were annual poppies, columbine, dianthus and spirea... Iris's have finished blooming and day lilies are about to burst...We have stopped planning garden club around blooms, just doesn't work...As the skies opened up and the rain started, we scurried into Lael's spacious home with magnificent views of the Lostine Canyon...The gardens and home are lovely but it didn't end there as we were treated to scones, fresh from the oven, with lemon curd and strawberry toppings accompanied with iced tea or coffee...I hope this turns into another recipe exchange...Photo's will have to wait for another time, as I missed the opportunity before it started raining...Thank you Lael for sharing this beautiful spot.

Home finally at 5pm, exhausted from talking and laughing...Loved every minute of it...~OWAV:))

Fun Filled Day...07/19/11...5am...54°...Sunshine

Started the day off early this morning, finished scrabble, now on to my blog and the events of the day.

Pat and I did a quick stop at Soroptomists yesterday with a hoard of other people...It was jam  packed, so we moved on to Safeway for a few groceries and then to Fishtrap House for our monthly book group...only five of us there, still a good discussion, not always about a certain book but many subjects...We wanted to hear all about Janie's time at the Fishtrap Outpost and other events related to Summer Fishtrap...Decided to let people choose a book of their choice for next month, that way we all get good ideas for more books to read.

As Pat and I left Enterprise we stopped at Sherrie Curries' produce truck, and came home with corn, melons and berries...Rusty made a raid on the neighboring field of peas and picked enough for all of us to share for our dinner... It was easy to fix dinner with fresh veggies and pulled pork...The rest of the day was spent mostly sitting on the deck enjoying the sun and the view and watering...Rusty and I took a ride to the lake, lots of people on the North Shore or "Pebble Beach" as Rusty called it...That beach is where the locals always go while most of the tourists congregate at the South or head of Wallowa Lake...Many boats and skiers were on the docks that dot the lake...brought back memories of when we spent summers in our boat on the lake...Back home we read and talked the afternoon away... Chatted with Bobi late in the evening, Cienna is still enjoying her lifeguard class, only has two or three more to finish the session...It rained all weekend in Portland so Cienna watched old movies, "Three Stooges", "Francis the Talking Mule", and on to reruns of sitcoms from the seventies and "Alfred Hitchcock" stories...Loves that stuff!

An earlier photo.

I've invited Pat to go to garden club this afternoon, so looks like we will spend the day together, first at write group, where we potluck lunch, then to Lostine where we tour an acre of gardens, with much chatter in between...So far we haven't run out of things to talk about.. I'm looking forward to an enjoyable day.

I'm going to miss the poppies, but now move on to the day lilies...Will spray the stinky deer solution tonight as there are signs of nibbling on petunias and day lilies... Rose campion will soon be in bloom, then phlox, delphiniums and black eyed susan to name a few.

Enough for today, I have lunch to fix and figure out what story I'm taking for write group...etc, etc... OWAV:)

Sunshine day 2...07/18/11...53°...6am

Baby Wren atop the birdhouse.

Whoa, sunshine two days in a row, don't know if I can stand it!..Had a very lazy day yesterday... Put towels on the wet deck chairs so we could sit out in the warm morning...We were entertained by the little Wren as it took short flights but mostly sat on top of the birdhouse and fluttered its wings... John, Becky and family came up for a visit before leaving for Riggins...I did some dead heading but mostly just bask in the sun... Spaghetti leftovers for dinner...Late afternoon we drove out to see the "mule" who is growing very fast, loves to be petted and scratched... Stopped at J & B's and sat on their new front deck and had a beer!.. Rusty feeling much better.

Didn't talk to the "girls" today as ichat kept loosing contact or whatever it does...All I heard was that it was raining in the Portland area and they were going grocery shopping.

Busy week ahead of me, with book group today, write group and garden club tomorrow and sorority meeting here on Thursday...Can't decide whether to have a luncheon or just dessert... would like to have it outside, just a slight chance of rain on that day...Decisions, decisions, decisions...That's it from Barton Heights

Sunshine Morning...07/17/11...49°...

Oma's new view

Thunders showers late yesterday, raining when we went to bed...Up early to sunshine and blue skies...hope it lasts all day!..

Yard sales were pretty much of a bust, bought 3 canning jars, but had an enjoyable time with Pat and Angie...at least I didn't come home with a bunch of junk!..Worked in the garden until the gusty wind drove me into the house...Talked to Bobi briefly, they had a great time at the "Harry Potter" movie...waiting in line with the masses and eating theater popcorn for breakfast.

Rusty arrived about 2pm, not feeling well, (fever, chills, diarrhea) so went to bed...Herb and I had enchiladas made from the pulled pork and sauce, that I worked so hard at making (LOL) it was very good... Went to Becky and John's for a short visit with Johns' parents, who are here for the weekend.

Rusty is up and not looking so peaked this morning, said he guessed he was trying to loose the weight he gained while on his trip to Austria...

Not much to report today, so will get moving...Herb already has sheets drying on the line and is out splitting wood...Hugs to all~OWAV:)

Yard Sales...07/16/11...5am...54°...Cloudy, Showers

Lilies

Woke up this morning to the smell of a pork roast cooking...Last night about 8pm I chopped onion and garlic scapes, layered then in my dutch oven, placed a salt and peppered pork shoulder roast on top, covered tightly, slid into a 200° oven...This morning I have a fully cooked, tender, juicy pork roast, cooling just enough, so I can remove the fat and gristle for pulled pork enchiladas...Will put my frozen sauce in the oven this morning before I leave to go yard saling, then put it all together for an enchilada dinner this afternoon...Have also found that I can put about 4 cups of dry beans (rinsed) in the dutch oven, place a meaty ham bone in the center, add diced onion and celery, a couple of bouillon cubes, cover with water almost to the top of the pan, cover tightly...Put all of this in a 200° oven, leave for most of the day and when I get home it is the most delicious, tender, wonderful bean soup ever!...No soaking, no stirring the pot, just eat and enjoy!...

I spent yesterday, transplanting, watering, pulling weeds and looking at the mountains... What a life.

Herb has been out splitting wood again and is now throwing it into the basement wood shed for use this winter...Such a feeling of security!...I must get moving, have to meet my yard sale friends at 8am...OWAV:)

Sun and Thunder Showers...07/15/11...6am...45°

Looks like sunny mornings with possible thunder showers every afternoon for the next week...At least the temperatures are in the mid to upper 70's...Chief Joseph Days is right around the corner and so far our summer has been cool...Please we need some WARM!..

Totally missed doing my blog yesterday, up late and busy making bread...Had promised to make Herb fruit bread like we sold at the Farmers Market, maybe get back in the habit of making it on a regular basis...Much better for us than the store stuff...

"We 3" had our planned meeting with a lovely luncheon at Pat's, shrimp salad, warm bread and wine...We discussed Katey's comments on all three manuscripts, then headed to the "Fishtrap" readings, featuring people from the "Billy Meadows" outpost...Nature writing at its best...I feel totally out of my element (fish out of water) when I hear the kind of writing other people come up with and try to put myself in that setting...It was a very good afternoon.

Check out the bee gathering pollen

Home late afternoon where I did scrabble, chatted with Cienna...Then changed water, wandered the gardens, trying to implant the images of the poppies and peonies in my mind as they are on their last days of bloom...Now blooming is the last perennial poppy of the season, isn't it a beauty?..I've been looking and they have some new ones I just might have to invest in...I get so much joy for so little money...finally got out the stinky deer spray and used it on the emerging daylily buds as I found evidence of buds already nipped off...We have a doe and her two "adorable" fawns grazing their way through on a regular basis...I wish they would go to the mountains!!!

Orange Picotee Poppy

Rusty caught us on chat and has plans to come this way on Saturday, spend a few days, maybe go to Jim Creek with John, then back to Bend and to another job in New Jersey the first part of August...

Herb is out splitting wood this morning and plans to mow lawns today...He will help Mona and Bill (neighbors to the north) mow her lawn as Bill is having gall bladder surgery this morning and won't be riding the mower for awhile...I must get moving, yard sales tomorrow, Rusty coming, deadheading to do, water to move...That's life on Barton Heights...OWAV:)

Soft Rain...07/13/11...4am...54°...Foggy

Went  to sleep last night with the smell of rain permeating our bedroom through the open window...This morning only slight evidence of rain but a fresh clean world awaits...Fog and clouds all around so it will take awhile for the mountains to show.

Awake early and feel rested, which is good as it is a busy day...Need to clean and straighten house as have spent most of my time either working or sitting outside...I have to take advantage of the warm, beautiful days whenever possible...Dinner will be leftovers again so that is easy...Spent time yesterday rewriting on my manuscript, some of it gets better, other parts just get more muddled...The "write Group" was canceled this week, which was okay, as we sometimes need a break from the weekly sessions.

Here is a scene from manuscript "Whistlin' Joe"


         Moonshine whiskey, cheap and available accompanied the cowboys, on trail rides, roundup’s, and branding’s and local dances.  At the dances, dressed in clean Levi’s, cowboy shirts with kerchief’s around their neck, moonshine, limbered cowboy legs after riding all day and they danced with pretty girls, late into the night.

I choose to believe that Joe met a certain girl, Blanche Parkin Fields, at one of those dances in 1929.  I know for a fact that he courted her, going to dances where they danced to songs like “The Tennessee Waltz” and “You are My Sunshine”.  Joe sang along as he held her tight.  Blanche had recently divorced and she and her two little girls moved home to her parents ranch.  On his days off he rode horseback to her parents ranch, where he was invited to stay for dinner and then played endless game of cards on cold winter evenings. Joe loved children and took special interest in Blanche’s two little girls, Loraine, age three, and Barbara only nine months.  Blanche at age twenty had a slim figure, dark hair, and a smile that lit up the room when she entered.  Joe fell in love with Blanche, but also with her two little girls. I’m not sure who stole his heart first, Blanche or the girls.  He loved babies and children of all ages: I can see him in the rocking chair, a girl in each arm rocking, singing them to sleep, after supper was finished and the women did the dishes in the kitchen. The girls soon started calling him “Daddy Joe”, and within a year, he and Blanche married, and Joe would claim the girls as his own.  Although It would be many years before they were legally adopted.

Pat and I volunteer at "Summer Fishtrap" tonight, doing dinner setup and then cleanup... Later we will attend the open mike session and listen to essays from other writers, hoping to get ideas as we compare our writing to theirs...Some will be seasoned writers and others "newbies" like us...It is always fun spending time with Pat!

White peony

I keep up with my scrabble games daily, spending too much time some days, but figure I'm using my brain so time is well spent...Also I enjoy the challenge of making the letters work.

Time to get moving, until tomorrow.
~OWAV:)

Bloomin' Barrel...07/12/11...6am...50°...Sunny

Morning!  Think I will go outside and work this morning while it is cool and do my blog later.

Bloomin' Barrel

4pm...Worked cutting down lupines (the wind had mashed them over so just cut them off at ground level)...also pulling whatever else got in my way...Had killed some things out with roundup so got rid of them then covered all the bare spots with chips...That cleans the beds up and keeps the regrowth down...Dead heading columbine, and irises as I go...The peonies are very pretty right now and will try to get some photo's of them tonight...It has been a hot and cold day, every time I go work in a flowerbed the sun comes out and I work up a sweat, then I sit on the deck to rest and the sun goes behind clouds and I freeze... Keeps me getting up and down anyway.

Had leftovers for dinner, oven fried chicken, warmed in a fry pan until it was crispy...Herb said it was better than on the first day that we had it, which is really a switch for him...He didn't use to like leftovers...Served it along with lettuce from our garden and mashed potatoes for him...Back outside now, sitting on the deck, finished watering flowers... Breeze is starting to pick up with more clouds moving in...

Talked to Rusty yesterday from Dulles Airport in DC and this morning in Portland at a motel...Had thunder storms in DC so delayed his flight, which made him late for his flight to Redmond...He had to hang out in Portland area until his flight at 11am...Called about 3pm today, very glad to be home in Bend.

13th Birthday on the Oregon Coast.

Today is Cienna's 13th birthday and she and her parents took a trip to Seaside and other spots on the coast...Bobi took bags, and Cienna took cozy's to leave and hopefully sell in a shop there "House of the Potter"...Wish them luck...They were going to the cheese factory and out for a special birthday dinner for Ci...Just got this photo from them and think it is perfect for a 13th birthday... Cienna we love you lots and lots and are so glad you came along to bring excitement into our life...Love to you on this special day, remember you are not allowed to turn into a "Brat"...OWAV:)))

Monday Morning...07/11/11...6am...51°...☀

Forget Me Knots...mostly gone.

Spent over an hour yesterday pulling the last of the forget me knots, leaving thousands of seeds to grow next year or for the birds to eat... Late evening as I sat on the deck reading, I noticed Nuisance's ears perk up, then heard the voice of the quail that hang around our place...In a soft voice, I called to Nuisance, she turned, then reluctantly moved back closer to me still on alert...As I continued watching, the "Dad" assumed his perch on the garden bed post and the "Mom and babies" appeared under the apple tree. (the night before Herb and I had counted 15 babies, fuzz balls on legs)...It was very hard to see them, first they are so tiny but secondly they are the same color as the ground...We, cat and I, sat like this watching for about 5 minutes, then the Mom made her little clucking sound and in a flurry they were gone, across the lawn, onto the road, down the hill to greener pastures, with Dad following close behind...The house wrens continue to entertain us with their songs as they dart about...They must have a baby or two in the little house now as they take turns bringing food, then perch nearby and sing.

It was a quiet day on Barton Heights yesterday...Neighbors (Williams') now quiet after a busy weekend gathering for their family reunion...and on the other side everything quiet after Bronec's held a small wedding in their backyard...Herb worked at doing laundry and changing water, while I worked in the flower beds watering, digging and pulling...Late afternoon we took showers and had oven fried chicken and baked potatoes for dinner... Then our usual "Sunday special".. we climbed into bed between line dried sheets, for a peaceful nights sleep...Oh that smell, brings back memories from childhood.

Will work outside again today, watering and spreading chips on the flowerbeds to tidy them up, now the undergrowth of forget me knots is gone...Also there is always dead heading to do...So goes another day, another week...Rusty is winging his way home from Austria and tomorrow is a milestone as Cienna turns the big 13...~OWAV:))

Chocolate Shop...07/10/11...45°...5am...Sunny

One of my favorites

Up early but wasting time...looked at and choose several irises for the new bed I'm planning...maybe it will happen and maybe not...Looking outside now from where I sit I will have a full view of this bed if I decide to do it...hmmmm

Yesterday morning was spent at the Arrowhead Chocolate Shop, it was friend Pat's treat as she had a gift certificate...Met at 10am...As we sipped our iced mocha's (decaf), shared chocolate's (spicy hot, caramel, s'more ) and talked non-stop, the time flew...We talked writing (memoir class), our problems with dialog, how we have to take small steps, as the entire project (at our request), Katey has put before us, is mind boggling...discussed our writers group and the varied personalities that attend on any given week...certainly keeps it interesting...The shop was busy throughout the morning, so we sat in a corner where we could people watch as well as talk...Pat and I are both good at multi-tasking when it comes to "talk and watch"...Also visited with other people...It was 1pm when I arrived home... Refreshed but exhausted all at the same time...How could that be?..

Sat on the deck and perused my booklet from the 50th class reunion that had arrived in the mail...Interesting to see where others have gone with their lives.

I made meat patties for our dinner and Herb grilled them along with garlic scapes from the garden...That's about it for today, must get outside while the sun is shinning as weather is changing with clouds moving in for next week...Herb thinks I should name this "Oma's Blathering"...for today I think he is right, will try to do better tomorrow...~OWAV:)))

McCall Trip part 2...07/09/11...5am...42°...Sunny

School similar to the one I attended

As we left Roseberry, I looked across the valley to the west mountains...Evidence of the new ski area "Tamarack" stood out, where the lift lines and ski trails had been cleared of timber...I start that way and Herb senses that we are taking a side trip, while he, is ready to start our journey home...He is good about this being my day though and I continue on to "Lake Cascade" as it is now called...It was just "Cascade Reservoir" when I was growing up...A popular fishing place but no thought had been given to turning it into a "Lake" and a new resort...Payette Lake in McCall was "the" place to go, with vacation homes and cabins dotting its shore...Rich, affluent people from the Boise Valley, made it their summer playground and like all tourist towns, the local people went along for the ride...Putting up with the tourists and making as much money off of them as possible, to help the local economy...McCall was a mill town and when the timber supply was exhausted, tourists became even more important and for several years it struggled to keep afloat...Now it has grown and if motels and churches are signs of progress, it has made it big time!

Back to "Lake Cascade"...driving along the shore, several campgrounds and State Parks line the shore...a good idea in my estimation as more people from all walks of life can enjoy this beautiful spot instead of just a few rich people with their million dollar homes, blocking the view...I navigate two "round-a-bouts" and go on up the hill...We are soon in a rats maze of winding roads, with "courts" (another word for cul-de-sac) going out in all directions...Huge homes and condo's at every turn as far up the mountain as the eye can see...Herb remarks that it looks like Telluride in Colorado, only a smaller version...We catch a glimpse of the lift line but can't see the ski runs or what the mountain really looks like as we are in the middle of it surrounded by buildings...Oops, maybe I better turn around before I am hopelessly lost...would hate to spend the last years of my life trying to find a way out...I sigh a big sigh of relief as we exit through the round-a-bouts and I'm in such a hurry that I take a corner way too fast and notice Herb hanging on, but happy to be headed in a homeward direction!

Views from the Loop Road

We stop in McCall for dinner, then Herb takes the drivers seat and we leave for home...My mind needs a rest, so I doze off and on for the next 100 miles and then come wide awake as Herb spots a bear crossing the road in front of us...try to get a picture but no luck...I'm awake now and enjoy the rest of our trip home up North Pine Creek, through Ollokot, up Gum Boot, over Lick Creek, Salt Creek Summit and the Imnaha highway to Joseph.


We arrive safe and sound, but on the tail end of a wind storm, that has left tree limbs on the ground and deck furniture blown into the yard, but the roof is still on the house...We are home and all is well.

Yesterday, Herb mowed lawns, I worked in the flower beds, but spent most of the time editing my manuscript...Have the first two pages done, only thirteen to go...~OWAV:))

McCall Trip...07/08/11...5am...42°...Sunny

Left Joseph 6am July 7, 2011...arrived back home about 7pm...fast trip but seemed to be what I needed...

Hell's Canyon Overlook

Have been feeling like I wanted to go to Lake Fork, where I lived the most formative years of my life, age eight to eighteen...Maybe it was because of my past 50th class reunion, which I chose not to attend or because I'm writing stories about then or Memorial Day gone by...Don't really know...I love the drive over there even if it is long and full of corners!..Just for the day, not to see people especially or spend a lot of time, just drive, look and think...

Lots of nostalgia as we passed camping places, huckleberry patches, fishing and boating spots, cemetery, Grampa's place, and on up the long road to New Meadows where we lived 50 years ago when first married...Up the winding Goose Creek grade toward McCall, things flying through my mind so fast, things from 60 years ago when we followed a sanding truck the entire grade as Mom drove us home from a dental appointment in Council, in the dead of winter...or the many trips we made with a new baby up the grade to spend time with grandparents...Into McCall, the town that looks nothing like when I grew up...Passed the new high school, cemetery...on to the "ranch"...Left turn onto "Farm to Market" road, passed the spot where Wood Grove school sat, many years ago, long gone...Looked up on the hill where my Mom spent 13 years of her life after Daddy's death.

Followed Ashton lane over Boulder Creek, (the old swimming hole)..."Jug Handle Estates", as it is now called, our old ranch, broken up into five acre parcels, houses built in places where we farmed or rode horses checking on sheep and cows...Places where we picnicked, fished, went sledding, hunted for christmas trees and mushrooms and huckleberries...I was driving so took every road and lane as they serpentine back and forth almost meeting yourself coming and going...the road leading farther up the hill, more houses, farther than I had gone on horseback...Finally I left the maze of roads and houses.

Found the way out toward the familiar "Farm to Market" road and went south to Roseberry, where the old school house is gone, torn down, and another old school moved into its place, with a country store, museum and church added, a pioneer town in the making...More later

Writers Mix...07/06/11...6am...58°...Sunshine

Incredible Blooms

Outside early yesterday to pull more forget me knots...It is satisfying work because now my beds are looking "clean" again, waiting for new blooms...Sometimes new starts are under all that growth just waiting to see the light of day.

Writers group, very interesting yesterday,with Lynn and Chris from Tucson surprising us with their presence...They are in Wallowa County attending to the details of a memorial for Lynn's husband and Chris's father, who passed away recently, after a long battle with lung cancer...They have been members of our group for many years, now part time members... Also Cathy brought her sister-in-law, a children's author from Pittsburg...She had very interesting feed back on each piece as we read aloud...Wish I had just a sliver of her insight.

I worked a bit on my manuscript, rewriting following Katey's suggestions, but really need to just let it rest for a couple of days and think about it...Will work more today...

Another shot

As it cooled off last night, I moved the soaker hoses, one last time and then with camera in hand took Bobi's advice and snapped pictures in the fading light...Some of them turned out okay...So nice with the digital, only keeping what I think are the best without spending money to develop all of them.

On with my day, the forget me knots and sunshine are calling...Hugs to all~OWAV:)

Manuscript edited...07/05/11...5am...55°...Sunny

Up early this morning, taking in my view as I catch up on the scrabble games and drink coffee...As I hit send on the last scrabble game an email arrives...Katey has returned my manuscript, with sentences underlined and comments on the side about how I can improve and tell my story better...Also she has included a letter explaining in more detail what she wants me to do to help the story move better....It looks mind boggling, so I have to remember, small steps, a little at a time...She does encourage me with the statement that my writing is better than some memoirs, she has read, but I should be able to take it up a level... I definitely have my work cut out for me.

Poppies

Herb and I spent a quiet 4th...I worked in the garden pulling forget me knots, weeding as I go, transplanting here and there, moving water...Becky came for a garden tour to see the many flowers that are now blooming...Herb did laundry and moved water...Later in the day we cleaned up a bit and drove to the lake for a visit with Pat and Brian at their newly remodeled cabin...It is situated above the Wallowa Lake highway looking north toward the lake...Their view is nice but a little limited because of the many trees... They are working on the landscape, planting low maintenance grasses, lily of the valley, sedum's, creeping thymes, and bleeding heart...They have removed many trees, added windows, and a new addition to the cabin so it is now spacious and filled with light...Spent a couple of hours sitting on their deck, with a drink in hand, visiting and enjoying the warm summer day in Wallowa County.

Started toward home and I said, "Want to stop for a burger?"  Herb took this to mean that I really didn't want to cook when we got home (he was right) so he pulled into Glacier Grill, where we split a ruben sandwich and an order of onion rings...Back home we sat on the deck, where he read and I played on the computer...Chatted with Rusty in Austria and Bobi in Portland...Went to bed with fireworks booming in the distance.

I will work in the garden and go to write group today...~OWAV:)))

Garden Again...07/04/11...6am...55°...Sunshine

Remember when I wrote about how beautiful the forget-me-knots were under the apple tree..."The undulating waves, as the sea of blue moves with the breeze, topped by the white of the apple tree in full bloom."...Sorry I just made that up!..Yesterday I was on hands and knees, pulling all of those not so beautiful faded forget-me-knots as they have now gone to seed...I worked most of the morning in the shade of the apple tree and will be back out this morning in other shady spots pulling more...as I pull them, they drop seeds that will bloom another year...I really do like them.

Iris

I spent time last evening taking more photo's...The garden is blooming like never before... with the rainy, cold spring, everything was late...so I still have lilacs and early peonies blooming, added to that are columbine, poppies, iris, common day lilies, centaurea, meadow rue and Hermann's Pride lamium...The liquid deer fence is still doing its job...We only hope it continues.

Columbine

John and Dylan (John was baby sitting, Pam's grandson) came for dinner last night, as the rest of their family spent a sweltering day in Milton/Freewater watching Rachel's second ball game...(won this one) Dylan, almost eight is an entertaining little guy, he kept busy throwing the ball for Tate and playing in the irrigation ditch, catching water skippers...He cleaned up his plate and could hardly wait for the dessert of ice cream and strawberries...

Chatted with Bobi yesterday and thinking about Rusty, somewhere in Austria...Daylight is burning and the shade is waning, so will close for another day...OWAV:)

Another Party...07/03/11...55°...7am...Sunny/Breezy

Slept late this morning after yet another party...After a day in Milton-Freewater watching Rachel's softball game with the Wallowa County all star team, Pam's Family called to invite us to a BBQ at Becky and Johns...we were not sure if we could survive two parties back to back but took the chance...Had a good time, home fairly early.

Meadow Rue

I spent all day yesterday outside, first in the gardens, deadheading, pulling or digging weeds, moving water and spraying the smelly deer stuff...Then on to take photo's of the newest blooms...I think the garden totally changes within a three week period... Daffodil blooms are gone with only the remaining leaves standing tall...Many people can't wait to cut all of this remaining foliage, but it is best to leave it in place as it nourishes the bulbs below ground and they will bloom more profusely next spring...In gardens like mine the foliage is as much a part of the garden as the blooms...forget me knots are fading...soon I will pull these plants and throw then over the bank, they are taking over large parts of the garden and need to be contained...I like the ever changing garden...So different from years ago when I thought I could plant perennials and never have to worry about them again...

Iris

Wrong!..A garden is always changing always evolving...I keep looking at the bare corner, where starts that I planted last fall didn't come up...I picture an iris bed there in the future. :)

Afternoon was spent on the deck reading, playing with photo's on the computer, but mostly just relaxing... Enjoying the warm air and the pair of house wrens and their antics as they squawk, sing and flit from branch to branch...Time to move...Hugs to my kids, have a safe flight Rusty and Bobi I hope the T-shirt is working... ~OWAV:)))

4th of July weekend...07/02/11...5am...50°...Sunny:)))

Remember several months ago in March when the old red barn was demolished and burned.. It made way for a new garage and changed our view immensely.  Consolation; the mountains are still there!!!

Oma's new view

Another angle

A quiet weekend for us, sittin' on the deck, lookin' at the mountains...We will have Tate for company today as Becky and John are away for the day.

Yesterday I spent the day with Pat and Angie, yardsaling...We left at 9am, hitting yard sales until we reached Lostine where the flea market was in full swing...Wandered the streets checking all the booths, then drove up the Lostine river road, enjoyed the scenery and more yardsales...Home with a car load of stuff, about 2pm...Fun, fun day.

Spent the rest of the day on the deck with Herb... about 5pm we got a call from Pam with an invite to a wiener roast at the foot of the lake with Annie and friends...So great to see Annie,   with her bubbly personality and infectious laugh...It was a "mix" of Annie's friends, fun, fun people...We shared potluck, with hotdogs and topped it off with fresh strawberry shortcake.. Nothing like a Wallowa County potluck...Home about 10pm, past our bedtime.

Chatted to Bobi yesterday, she and Cienna are keeping busy with the start of summer vacation...Cienna has started Junior lifeguard classes...after the first class she told her mom that she had been waiting for this all of her life...That girl loves the water and has also made the remark that she isn't just part fish but ALL FISH!..She will soon be 13 going into 8th grade in the fall and brought home a report card with Excellent grades... We are all so very proud of her.

Chatted with Russ this morning, he leaves for Austria tomorrow on an all expenses paid trip...Will spend a week there taking in the sights and attending a company party (LTW) along with cousins, Balin and Eban Rollins...They will also be honing their welding skills while there.

I better close as I've been at this forever this morning, hope you enjoy, as much as I enjoy doing the writing...Hugs to all ~OWAV:)))

Manuscript mailed...07/01/11...40°...6am...Sunny

Yesterday was the due date for the "We 3" team to email their first manuscript to Katey... Now she will critique, make suggestions and return to us in fifteen days...in the meantime we will be working on another 15 pages due the end of this month--on and on...email zipping back and forth until the end of November, when we will all take a break and decide if we want to continue.

It was windy and cold late afternoon yesterday but I decided to brave the cold and go to the weekly music and Farmers Market in Enterprise (Herb opted to stay home)...quite a few people there, but many froze out to seek the warmth of their cars..I joined Pam and Nancy in their car and had an enjoyable visit, while we listened from car windows.

This morning I'm going with Pat and another friend Angie to the Lostine Flea Market, held every year for the past 35 years on the 4th of July weekend...maybe we will hit a yardsale or two...Then back home to water gardens and sit, with Herb, on the deck and soak up the sun... supposed to be in the 80'a this week...nothing special planned for the big weekend, just peace and quite and warm temperatures.

The following is an excerpt from the manuscript sent yesterday.

Mom and Daddy 1940's

Mom related the following story to us many years later, after Daddy’s death.  “In the middle of the night before Daddy was supposed to have a meeting with company officials, Billy Ball, a company official himself, knocked on the bedroom window and indicated that he needed to talk with Daddy.  He first stressed that no one was to know about his visit or he would loose his job.  He advised Daddy not to sign any papers that the officials would present to him the next day, no matter what they told him, because if he signed, Daddy would get nothing from the company.  Also he said they would try to get him to take a job, raking and picking up around the mine that very day and he shouldn’t do that either.”   Then Billy Ball said, “I had to come here tonight, because you are a good man and a hard worker and I can’t let them do this to you and your family.”  Daddy didn’t sign any papers or pick up a rake the next day at the meeting, and then he hired a lawyer to advise him further.  Finally a settlement was awarded from the mine company, thanks to a man who dared to speak out.