Summers' Bounty...55º

Janie brought summer squash to share yesterday and a phone call from Robin (Magic Garden) had Herb and I in the car making a quick trip to get cucumbers and zucchini...We soon had three quarts of hot, garlic dills cooling on the counter and today we look forward to fried zucchini patties for dinner...Just one more reason to love and savor summer days as we quickly slide into August, fresh tomatoes and corn can't be far away...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Routine...53º

Monday July 29th...Life on Barton Heights is moving back towards normal as Herb and I settle into our routine, just the two of us...After a one day delay, Bobi and Ci left for their home in Portland on Saturday instead of Friday...Bobi came down with a crazy "summer, head cold, allergies"?...Whatever it was she didn't feel like driving for a couple of days...After spending two weeks in Joseph, they are now safely back home getting on with their routine...Cienna with normal activities and also packing for a week at an astronomy camp in central Oregon...Water polo practice starts after that and her sophomore year is not far away.

Rusty, after spending a month in Bend and Joseph leaves for Boise today to resume his job of exterminating junipers in the Owyhee Mountains in Idaho, for the next month...September will find him in Savannah, Georgia working another job for LTW and looking forward to a possible job in Canada later in the year.

We had a crazy, busy time while they were all here in Joseph as we cooked, ate, laughed, played games, went to the lake, soaked up the sun, worked in the gardens and relaxed on the deck...Once again we feel blessed that they continue to spend time with us bringing love and laughter, and doing "honey do's" trying to make our life a little easier...Chief Joseph Days is over for another year, so our little town is also getting back to the normal summer season...Horse trailers, motor homes, tents and teepees have mostly disappeared...Weather has cooled and August is almost here...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

July 2013

Catch Up...57º

Haven't posted for a couple of days so here is a recap! 

Monday 22..Rusty left early for his trip into the Minam...Bobi and I shopped at Soroptomist then I had banking to do which ended up taking all morning...Noon found me Docenting at the Josephy Center and Bobi at lunch with a friend while Papa and Cienna held down the "fort" on Barton Heights...We had "sliders" for dinner using leftover lamb roast and dinner rolls.

Tues 23--Cienna driving we headed toward Imnaha, made two passes up and down sheep creek hill for practice then turned on the 39 road and went almost to the forest boundary, then back home…Regrouped and headed for the lake to paddle board…Ci had a great time for over an hour as you can see in the photo's to follow...

Then we went to the Red Horse Cafe for a drink and low and behold just in time for the horses to come down main street…Running of the "wild horses" is the kick off for Chief Joseph Day...They were slower this year as they had horses with riders surrounding then..(liability I suppose)..Now we are home on the deck with a breeze, catching up on posting photos and scrabble games…Chicken strips and potato salad for dinner.

Wed morning Papa left early to mow Pam's lawn and make a dump run while Bobi, Ci and I went to the head of the lake to water flowers for Pat...Cienna rode the go-carts again, then we met Papa at the miniature golf course for a round of golf and since I was the loser I got to buy lunch at the "Glacier Grill"...Back to our deck where it is very warm, Bobi hoses down the deck which helps for a short time, then we all give up and go in the house where it is cooler...Played cards and had popcorn and root beer floats before bedtime...Hugs to All...OWAV:) PS check facebook for more photos.

 

Garlic Harvest...55º

8am yesterday as Rusty walked in the back door he said, "Mom, you want to harvest the garlic today?..It is getting hot out here so we better get with it."...The annual ritual of harvesting the garlic has happened for several years now...At first I helped my Mom and she shared her garlic with us, then we started planting our own and shared with her...Cienna was often at our house when harvest time rolled around and she loved helping as she tried digging it out of the ground and then carried it to the storage shed where Papa hung it to dry...So yesterday while Cienna slept (after a late night) Bobi and Rusty dug and pulled garlic while I cleaned the dirt off, counted out bundles of 12 and Herb carried them to the shed and hung them to dry...Later this summer after it has dried, we will clean and trim the heads to share with family and friends...Most of it will be separated into cloves, peeled, sliced on the cuisinart then dried...After it is dried it goes back in the cuisinart where it is chopped into a chunky garlic powder to be used all winter...No preservatives added it tastes just like fresh.

Dinner of leg of lamb with roasted potatoes/onions and cole slaw was followed by homemade ice cream, topped with berry jam...Another day on Barton Heights...OWAV:)

Crazy Day...55º

It was a hurry-up morning as the five of us each grabbed a piece of toast for breakfast, made sure we had dollars in our pockets and with Rusty in the drivers seat we were on our way to Wallowa, for the city wide yard sales, before 8am...For the next 4 hours we piled in and out of the car as we searched other peoples junk for treasures...We managed to fill the back of the outback with a dog crate, fuel filter, books, shoes, shirts and a vintage typewriter that Ci wanted for some unknown reason...Back home shortly after noon, Bobi and I put together a beef stir fry and we recounted the morning adventure before settling down on the deck for a relaxing afternoon...When I opened my computer a message flashed across the screen "You have 9 minutes before Jane's surprise Birthday Party starts at the Alpine House!"

Quickly Bobi, Ci and I found a birthday card, changed shirts and this time with Cienna in the drivers seat we left Barton Heights and arrived at the Alpine house to shouts of "surprise and happy birthday" and Jane in the middle of the room with a bewildered look on her face...Family and friends visited, had cake and ice cream as we wished for Jane to have a good year as she heads into her 90th year.

In the car once again we took a circuitous route on back roads as Cienna practiced her driving skills, now that she has her learners permit...Bobi in the passenger seat, me in the back (sworn to silence) Cienna improves with each lesson but still has trouble slowing down for corners and stop signs...As the gray hairs multiplied on Bobi's head, Ci chaffered us up the hill and we were soon back on Barton Heights safe and sound!

Evening approached, cards were dealt, Herb popped corn and Rusty made milkshakes...We played "Hand and Foot" until the evening cooled and the full moon rose to the south, signaling bedtime...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Just Photo's

Spent the afternoon at the lake yesterday and are going to yard sales in Wallowa this morning...Enjoy photo's from this past week...Check out Bobi's blog for more fun stuff... Bobi...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Market/Music Fun...60º

Taking advantage of Wallowa County entertainment we joined the crowd at the Courthouse Square in Enterprise where the Kupenga Marimba was playing and the Farmers Market was in full swing...Bobi treated us to Range Rider broasted chicken, friends joined us and an enjoyable time was had by all...Hugs...OWAV:)

Fun at the lake...55º

The perfect night for hot dogs and smore's at Wallowa Lake picnic area...No cooking!...There is some prep work as Herb & Rusty have to load wood, chairs, coolers etc. while Bobi and I load the picnic basket with all the essential wieners, buns, condiments, potato chips, marshmallows, chocolate bars and graham crackers...Cienna had been invited to go with Mason (Pat and Brian's grandson) to the go-cart track, which since the track is also at the lake made it perfect for them to join us for a wiener roast...The temperature was just right, mosquitoes stayed away, we all came home smelling of wood smoke after a fun evening of visiting and eating around the campfire...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Surf and Turf...65º

Write People for me yesterday while Bobi and Ci made another trip to Enterprise...On Monday afternoon/evening Bobi finally persuaded us to play "Banana Grams" and then Ci dealt the cards for "Kings Go Wild"...With the mosquito "repellers" burning we spent the last two evenings on the deck... Last night we were threatened with a storm but only a few drops fell.

Bobi, Rusty and I worked away in the kitchen in the afternoon making finger steaks, shrimp, bacon wrapped scallops, stuffed peppers and mushrooms, fresh fruit salad and macaroni salad...Herb gets everything ready at the picnic table, then does the cleanup...Cienna wasn't in on the action as she is madly studying for her drivers test....Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Broken Promises...56º

It was such a leisurely day yesterday that I forgot all about taking photos, so will try to do better today...We had an egg/leftover scramble for breakfast and Russ was in charge of ribs for dinner, with Bobi and I doing the salad and potatoes...Mostly we read, talked, played on the computers and tossed the frisbee and balls for the dogs...Cienna caught some rays as she worked on her suntan and tried to figure out the newest rubik's cube- "Void" ...Doesn't take much to entertain us...A short visit at John and Becky's house ended the evening.

The guys are going to the log deck this morning while we girls make a stop at Soroptomists before we stock up on groceries at Safeway...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Pandemonium Reigns...55º

Four adults, one teen, two dogs, suitcases and computers all in one house make quite a difference in our once quiet world...The fun began as we spent most of the afternoon on the deck, taking in the view and catching up on each other news...We made enchiladas for our dinner then visited some more until the mosquitoes drove us in the house and to an early bedtime...More of the same is in store for today as we make plans and decide on activities for the next two weeks...Stay tuned for "daily" updates with photos...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

5AM...50º

5am text alert on my iPhone woke me with a start and the message said "We are leaving Portland"... The Girls are on their way...I won't write in my blog this morning but will post some photos of the Farmers Market and Music where we were on Thursday night so I can do a whirlwind pickup, cleanup, dust and maybe vacuum this morning...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Look close to see the dragonfly

Poppies...55º

Took photos yesterday of the volunteer poppies in one of the flower beds...Usually the volunteer beds are much prettier than the ones I work hard at creating...Rusty dug more daffodils and we have them drying on the deck on old sheets, soon they will be ready to share with friends...Last night we had tacos and took in the music at the Farmers Market...Little windy and the music was okay.

Rusty did some "boot" planters with hens and chicks and other succulents...Will get photos of them to post.

Counting down the days and hours til "the girls" arrive and our activity level will increase...Must get outside and do more weeding then inside to get some cooking done...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Thursday...60º

Looks like a little cooler today and not sure what is on the mornings agenda, but afternoon I have acupuncture, buy a few groceries, then we are going to try the tacos at Range Rider and go to fiddle music at the gazebo in Enterprise...It is the annual fiddle camp at Wallowa and they have the instructors scheduled to play at the weekly music in conjunction with the Farmers Market...Should be a fun afternoon...Hugs to all...OWAV:)

Digging/bulbs...55º

I pointed Rusty to the garden spot that has become overgrown with daffodils and grapes hyacinths...About 2 hours later he had dug and we sorted out a 5 gallon bucket of daffodils and a small bucket of the hyacinths...I was deadheading and pulling forget me knots while he worked...Both of us managed to stay in the shade.

In the afternoon Pat and I decided at the last minute to attend the garden club meeting at Carolyn Dawsons..Nearly 20 women showed up for a day of conversation and education as we toured a large lawn area with flowerbeds and a hoop house (green house) then found the only shady spot for refreshments...Carolyn had a potting table for sale and after some thought I purchased it and sent the guys with the truck to pick it up and haul it home.

Last night we broke with the tradition of home-cooked meals and called in an order to the local pizza house for our supper, which we enjoyed eating on the deck along with a beer for our beverage...Must get moving, this morning, the guys are headed for the log deck and I'm in charge of watering and cooking...I think Biscuit and I can handle that...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Productive....55º

Another load of wood in the woodshed and 5 loaves of bread cooling on the marble...That is what I call a productive day in our little corner of the world...I think we have enough leftovers in the fridge to get through today, then start the cycle again of thawing, prepping and cooking.

Write people has been canceled for today, which is a rare event...But with Summer Fishtrap in session, family gatherings, gardens to tend and just the busyness (that really is a word) of summer we all needed a break from the weekly routine.

Last night Pat and I attended this years, first evening of Summer Fishtrap, to listen to the opening remarks, music and readings of the participants...Standing out above all the rest, for us anyway, was our friend and "cohort" Amy...Amy read from her childhood memoir that she has been adding to and polishing as she takes part in a year-long workshop to see her book come to fruition...A talented writer and we have heard most of her "stuff" but we listened enthralled as she read to a standing room only crowd...Can hardly wait to see it published!...Hugs to all...OWAV:)

Thunder/Lightning...50º

Another night of thunder boomers and flashes of light waking us with a jolt...We did get some rain with it which was good and the clouds are moving out this morning, starting to look like another nice day.

As usual yesterday was laundry day for Herb while Rusty and I spent time slicing, dicing, sautéing for a BBQ last night...We started with dolmas (stuffed grape leaves) as our grape vine is growing like crazy with the hot weather...Got them on to simmer then prepped for stuffed mushroom & jalapeño peppers and bacon wrapped scallops to go with a BBQed tri tip...On the menu for dessert was watermelon milkshakes...John, Becky and Pam joined us and a good time was had by all.

The guys are headed for the log deck this morning and I'm being lazy staying home to clean up after yesterday and get the sourdough bread started that I've put off for a couple of days...Hugs to all...OWAV:)

Flea Market...44º

It was a sunny morning as Pat and I headed for Lostine and the annual flea market that has taken place for over 30 years now on the 4th of July weekend...We stopped at every yard sale along the way, then went up river from Lostine...A beautiful drive as well as yard sales and gardens to view along the way...Back in Lostine we started the rounds of booths finding a treasure here and there before stopping at the Lostine Tavern (under new ownership)...They were doing tacos and soda's as a fundraiser to redo the buildings facade as they remodel the original building and hope to open it again as the place for families to gather in Lostine...We ate tacos and took a well deserved rest in the shade of the building then hit a few more booths before carrying our purchases back to the car arriving back in Joseph at about 2pm...Another fun day in the chronicles of "Pat and Della".

Herb and Rusty were relaxing on the deck after an early morning trip to Winding Waters Clinic where Rusty had a piece of metal removed from his eye and other than being a little swollen his eye should be back to normal in a few days...It was breezy and cool on the deck but we visited away the afternoon before having patty melts and leftovers for dinner...Biscuit is making her self at home and entertained us as she retrieved the ball, then later Rusty took her to John and Becky's to meet Tate.

Today I must get on with some of the Honey Do's that I have for Rusty, go to the Farmers Market to get strawberries and cherries (I hope) and think about the food we are cooking for the weekend and get the bread started as the sourdough start is bubbling and threatening to ooze out of the container....Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Shivery-Burr...50º

Heat wave is over for a few days, nights in the 40-50's and days in the 70º into next week...The garden is probably in shock this morning!..Rusty and Biscuit arrived yesterday about 1:30 and we spent the afternoon visiting on the deck and getting acquainted with Biscuit...She is a nice little "mutt" with some border collie and who knows what else...Not sure if she is just on loan, for Russ to socialize her or if she will be a permanent part of his life...She pretty much only has eyes for him and doesn't let him out of her sight.

After a dinner of steak, potato salad, asparagus and salad, we stayed on the deck until the mosquitoes and cool night air chased us into the house...Also the fireworks as this is Biscuits first 4th of July...She was a little spooked...I went to bed about the time the fireworks started at the lake, listened to them as I fell asleep...Then woke up about 2am to someone make big "KABOOM" sounds that jerked us out of a sound sleep...Damn people anyway!!!!

Russ is making a trip to the dr's office this morning as he has a foreign body in his eye...Pat and I are headed to Lostine for the flea market and yard sales...Have to figure out meals for days to come...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

PS...With a little pressure Rusty pushed the lens back into my camera and it seems to be working fine..

Biscuit (Not happy about having her picture taken)

Celebration...63º

A quiet day for us today...Weather has cooled so we can enjoy the deck and continue watering lawn and gardens as we relax...Haven't heard from Rusty this morning but he should arrive sometime today...Bobi just posted in her blog that they are headed for a water park to spend their day.

I think of years past and how we celebrated "The 4th"...As a kid we did a family picnic with soda pop and watermelon...That is the only time we were allowed to have soda pop (7-up or root beer)...We stayed close to home because there were alway cows to milk and farming to do...Harvesting the hay usually started around the 4th...The only fireworks we had were sparklers and occasionally we watched the fireworks over Payette Lake in McCall..After Herb and I got married, boating, camping, and our own fireworks display in the backyard was usually on the agenda along with picnics with friends...The first few years that Joseph started having fireworks, Herb would drop Pam and I off at the foot of the lake with our folding chairs, quilts and thermos full of hot chocolate laced with Baileys Irish Cream...The fireworks didn't amount to much but we always enjoyed a good visit snuggled under the quilts, sipping on the hot chocolate and some years watching the full moon rise over the moraine...Which quite often was more entertaining than the fireworks.

My hornet sting is nearly healed (no more benadryl) annual physical went well, healthy just too fat (as usual)...Wishing all of you a Bang Up 4th of July from Barton Heights...Hugs to All..OWAV:)

Groggy...66º

I awoke from a dead sleep to the phone ringing this morning...It was only 5:30 and Rusty said, "Mom, are you still asleep you are always up by this time?" Yes I was still asleep...I had awakened at 3:30, my foot swollen and itchy...I tried icing & medicating it and finally relented and took another benadryl...I was really zonked out...Now I'm up and drinking ice water because I  have an annual physical at 8am along with blood work so nothing to eat, no coffee!...I'm feeling drugged and grumpy...Herb has been up and has water going and is ready for a flight to Walla Walla with Brian this morning...Guess I better shake the grumpy mood and get moving myself...Gonna be another hot day...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

"Summer Shuffle"...64º

It was a Sunday to "chill" on the deck...Both Herb and I worked outside early morning getting chores done for the day as the temperature climbed into the 90's by afternoon...A friend stopped by for garlic scapes and a tour of the garden around noon...After that we moved around the deck keeping in the shade of the aspens...Late afternoon Herb set up the rain bird sprinkler on the lawn in front of the deck...Maybe it is my imagination but I think it gives a cooling effect with the sprinkler running...Staying outside as long as possible I moved one last time, scooting my chair to the last shady spot...Little did I know that under the deck was a yellow jacket nest and the bouncing motion I made brought them swarming out...Thank goodness only one of them got me on the top of my foot before I made a hasty retreat to the house...I slathered the sting with water and meat tenderizer to take away the pain and had no other ill effects...Herb has sprayed with wasp killer and maybe will have to take a board off of the deck to make sure no more are lurking under there.

This morning because of the high temperatures, we are doing what I call the "summer shuffle"...We open windows and doors up at night, turn on the fans to bring in the cool air and by 10am this morning we will have everything closed up to keep the cool air in the house and make it livable for the afternoon...Late afternoon Herb turns on the furnace fan in the basement and it blows the cool air from the basement into the ground floor..By doing this the house stays pretty cool and livable.

I will be the afternoon docent at the Josephy Center today so I must get moving and take care of the chores outside...Another day in the 90's...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

PS..Looks like a hornet nest after Herb got the board up and turned over on the deck...Now it has been well sprayed with wasp killer...Sure glad they showed themselves before our kids get here for a visit!!!!!