Potpourri ...26º

Monday was a cold, snowy, rainy day here on Barton Heights...Clam chowder simmered on the stove, wood stove crackling downstairs and Herb catching up on the laundry, while I unpacked from my weekend getaway...Then I made myself open one of my essays started in 2011 named "Dumpster Diving Mama"...This essay is an important part of "the book" but one that for me has been a struggle...We start a new session with Katey next month and I'm determined to edit, rework and cut this piece until it is finished...GRRRR... Neighbor Marsha brought a box of tomatoes to our front door, that she gleaned from her greenhouse, sure that I would find a use for them, so she didn't have to throw them away.

On Tuesday morning I sliced and diced tomatoes and onions, place them on three cookie sheets and topped them with chunky sea salt, basil, garlic and a dab of oil, then into a 400º oven where they quickly cooked into a thick, fragrant sauce...I decided to try some homemade catsup by adding lemon juice and sugar and used the immersion blender on it...Still chunky and tasted pretty good so jarred it in 4oz jars and froze it...The other two pans were divided into small portions in baggies and labeled tomato paste, they also went into the freezer.

While this was cooking Herb was putting the garden to bed for the winter...He had covered the garden plot with a think layer of chopped leaves from our maple and aspen trees, then sprinkled llama poop over top...I joined him and started scattering straw as the next layer and topped it off with alfalfa pellets...We have lots of straw bales so a thick layer of straw was laid down on all the paths and the garden perimeter to keep the weeds at bay...We gave out before it was all done so will finish it this morning as we have one more sunny day before October ends...Chance of showers are in the forecast for Halloween...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Gail Swart as she finished her concert on Sunday night.

Fall Weekend...39º

The Fun Begins

Thanks to Pat's generosity, I spent two days with her at this lovely retreat on the Imnaha River...One of our fellow writers owns this house and shares it as a vacation rental...Our intention was to have other writers join us and when that didn't pan out "We-2" made the drive to Imnaha, taking food, writing material, laptops (no internet) for two days of laughing, exploring, sitting in the sun by day and by the wood stove at night...A comfortable 3 bedroom cottage, well stocked kitchen, this home has been remodeled by the owners using materials from torn-down barns and their innovative ideas to make it truly one of a kind.

Last Hollyhocks of the Season

The hours flew by as we explored the property, taking photos, sitting on the deck and looking out and up the rimrocks hoping to spot some wildlife, always with the sound of the river in the background...Our "guys" drove down on Saturday afternoon to also take a tour of this delightful spot and eat dinner with us...Saturday morning we drove up river a ways and marveled at the beauty in this canyon...The walls of the canyon are green from the fall rains but with oranges, reds and yellow as the foliage turns on these cool fall days... Every flat spot has been cultivated for crops or pasture land.

A cucumber for our salad

It has been a time to treasure and hopefully repeat next year.

Home shortly after noon on Sunday, Herb helped me unpack the car and return everything to its rightful place...I had spaghetti sauce leftover, so we invited Pam to join us for dinner before we took in a concert at the Josephy Center...Gail Swart was releasing her latest CD...We along with more than 50 people sat enthralled for over an hour as she caressed the piano keys as only Gail can...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Packing up...34º

This morning will be spent getting food etc packed up and in the car for a two day getaway to the Imnaha River House...I have a list made and hope to keep things to a bare minimum (wish me luck) so we don't have to haul as much back home as we hauled out.

I made both a batch of sourdough bread and buns yesterday...Some for Herb to store in the freezer for future meals and some to take on this getaway...Pat and I have the menus planned and I'm sure we won't starve even though we will be 40 miles from Safeway...Actually the Imnaha store (stocked with the bare necessities) and Tavern is only a few miles away...Hugs To All, until Sunday...OWAV:)

This photo blurred but looks kind of like a water color. 

Preparations...33º

It was a nice getaway to Lewiston/Clarkston yesterday...Many people avoid that road because of its ups and downs, hairpin curves and steep drop-offs...And of course people who are prone to car-sickness avoid it like the plague...It is a fun ride for motorcyclist and a grueling one for semi drivers...It is one of my favorite drives...The colors were lovely, sun shinning brightly...We shopped at Bi-Mart then onto Costco and by then it was noon and time for lunch...For my birthday dinner, Herb treated me at the "Red Lobster"...I had shrimp he fish and chips...We toasted to more years, dinners, sunny days and trips to Lewiston.

Today I'm making preparations for a two night stay at the Imnaha River House with Pat, where we will concentrate on relaxing, writing, eating and laughing...The weather forecast is perfect...Our guys will join us on Saturday afternoon so they can see this cozy home on the rivers edge and join us for dinner...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

North highway to Lewiston

Fall Days…39º

After a full but fun day of jarring deer meat with Becky and Pam on Sunday, Herb and I arose late Monday and soon made our way to my birthday breakfast at the Adelhardt cabin near Wallowa Lake…Pat and Brian do a lovely job of entertaining guests…We were treated to an apple pancake and sausage breakfast filled with laughter and love…Friends and family are the blessings in this journey called life…Back home Herb carried last years deer meat, now jarred, to the cellar and finished cutting up this years deer meat and put it in the freezer, while I mixed and baked a batch of sourdough bread to go with the liver and onions for dinner.

Our internet started being spotting on Saturday and Sunday and by the time I sent eoni a message Sunday night a connection was not possible…So until a service tech can get here today I have pirated service to get our email and catch up on scrabble games…There are drawbacks to staying with a "small local company" out of LaGrande, but they make it up to us with their personal touch and call us by name when we need their help.

Herb and I are making a "Costco Run" today, traveling in 3 states as we take the winding road down Buford Grade, up Rattlesnake Grade and down Asotin Grade to the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater rivers in the Lewiston/Clarkston valley…The colors along the way should be vibrant as fall is slowing moving into the colder season…Hugs to All…OWAV:)

My birthday bouquets for everyone to enjoy. ~Idella

OOOPS....40º

Blogging will have to wait, internet is down, Tech is coming from LaGrande..I'm headed for Imnaha...Have a great day...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Pressure cooking 101...35º

With this years deer meat in the freezer, it is time to take care of the meat left from last year...After being frozen for more than a year, even the best wrapped meat will begin to freezer burn...Pressure cooking is a good way to preserve this meat for quick meals during the winter or anytime of the year for that matter...One doesn't have to remember to thaw it, just open the jar empty it into the fry pan, add onions, garlic, spices then add it to noodles or rice or serve it over mashed potatoes or use it in tacos, enchiladas or burritos...You get the idea!

John and Becky also have deer meat left from last year and Becky wants to learn the skill of pressure cooking...John is presently in Idaho hunting for--you guessed it deer/elk to replenish their freezer...We have the meat thawed and will spend the day chunking, filling the jars, then "jarring" the meat...Becky has helped before but now she plans to get serious about learning this process to do her own canning at her house...She is a quick study and we will have a fun day while she learns a new skill...Herb has both pressure cookers hauled upstairs and jars in the dishwasher, so I must get moving and do my part...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Weekend...32º

Photo looking toward Hurricane Creek

The weekdays speed by, October more than half over...More yard sales today and still a few more pears to get in the jars...Nice weather continues for another week..

Yummy pears for winter.

Pat and I spent some time yesterday going over a possible itinerary for our trip to Florida and  Washington DC...I have hotels to check out, flights to look into and more planning will take place when the kids are home for "Thanksmas"...This is going to be one incredible trip...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

High Lights...30º

Cienna gets coverage...The "Girl" in the center just lobbed the ball for a goal!..I borrowed this photo from the web so hope it shows up...She made two quick goals for her team before the opponents realized they better double team her before she got the ball!

Cienna

We watched Becky being sworn in as an attorney as her final step..."It's scary" she said.

Becky and Judge West

Herb filled his doe tag, hunting done for the season...Didn't get a photo, too busy holding legs out of the way while he was skinning...I have pears to finish this morning and yard sales to check out...Rusty called, he flies out of Boise this morning to Savannah for a month...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Garlic Again...34º

Remember yesterday when I said our house had an "odoriferous" (I like this word) aroma, well it continued for two days...Becky walked in yesterday and said, "It smells so good in here." Not all people feel that way and I'm not sure what Herb and I smell like when we leave the house and go out in public...I haven't noticeably seen anyone repelled by the fragrance that clings to our clothing and hair, although the hugs at Write People yesterday might have been a little quicker than usual but I just thought people were distracted for whatever reason.

Herb has become the official peeler and dryer of the garlic...Years ago after sharing the garlic with friends, neighbors and family,  we hung the garlic in the cellar and used what we could before it started to sprout and get soft, come spring...Now we save a small portion to use fresh and dry the remainder...It is very good, quick to use, tastes like real garlic (not like the powdered garlic from the store with preservatives added)...Photos below show some of the process.

Garlic peeled and ready for the cuisinart

to slice in very thin slices.

Garlic when it comes out of the dryer

Now we let it sit for a few days, stirring it around occasionally making sure all of the moisture has been removed...It breaks/snaps easily with your fingers...Then it goes back into the cuisinart for a final processing to a granular/powder that can be stored at room temperature, I think forever...But it will be all gone by this time next year and the process starts all over again...Quick Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Sun in the Forecast...28º

According to the 7 day weather picture, we are in for some sunshine...Temps up to 60º which is great if you are outside working...Days of sitting on the deck are over for this year...Trees are rapidly turning all shades of yellow, orange and red, leaves will soon be falling to the ground.

The last two days saw me planting "The Bed"...It was a haphazard planting job...Years ago when I started gardening I would dig up an entire plot of ground and carefully place each plant just so, talking to them in a soft kind voice...Now I scatter the starts over the bed, take my small spade make a hole just big enough to get the roots in, cover with a little dirt then step on the entire plant pushing it into the ground and say "Grow Dam-it Grow!"

Herb is peeling, slicing (in the cuisinart) and drying garlic for the coming winter...Our house has the most odoriferous aroma...I have Write People today and tomorrow will start canning pears...They have been ripening for the past three weeks in the cellar and we have been enjoying them as they ripen in salads or just sliced and eaten like an apple...YUmmmy...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Pat's photo of the Aspen Grove

Flowerbed Shaping up...40º

Except for a few bare spots the chips are all scattered and a sprinkle of nitrogen fertilizer added...A couple of brief showers settled everything...Herb and I are working on the southwest corner of the yard...Golden Glow dug up and separated into about six pieces (took a few whacks with the Pulaski to do that job.), Joe Pye weed dug up and replanted, before we could set up the old bed frame...We are adding the bed frame mostly to help support the Golden Glow and add another feature to the garden...My plan is now to transplant delphiniums next to the head board and add iris starts to the rest of the bed, add some cosmos and poppies..It always takes at least two years to see if this is going to look like the picture I have in my head...It should look good with the old weather fence behind it and Chief Joseph Mountain as the backdrop, if only the old red barn was still in the picture.

Close up of the headboard

I miss the old red barn

Use your imagination

It was getting close to noon when we decided to call it a day and that was about the time a phone call came from Pat...Was I interested in going to the yard sales?..A quick wash-up, change of clothes and we were off...Yard sales a bust so we walked through Joseph's last Farmers Market of the season and consoled ourselves with steaming hot mocha's at Arrowhead Chocolates.

Herb said pizza sounded good for dinner...A homemade crust, quickly shaped, added roasted tomatoes, seasoned browned ground beef, sliced a sausage, olives and onions, added this along with cheese and as the pizza come out of the oven I sliced the last of the fresh tomatoes to top it off!..Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Yard sales...35º

Yard sales advertised in the paper this week, one yesterday and a couple today...Seems hardly worth the effort but it gives me a break from the yard work and one never knows what bargains lurk out there...NONE yesterday, maybe today.

Beet pickles were made yesterday morning...An oven dinner simmered while Herb again loaded chips and I unloaded them...The back corner of the flowerbed is being rearranged with Joe pye weed dug up and moved and today Herb will dig up the Golden Glow, divide it and replant it back in the corner of the fence where we hope to contain it and keep it more upright...Golden Glow is a tall daisy like flower from the rudbeckia family...It blooms profusely and needs support...Commonly called "Outhouse Plant" because in the 'olden days' it was planted near the outhouse to screen it from view...When my Mom moved from Utah to Oregon she brought a start of this plant with her...Now I have it growing in several spot around our property....Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Photo from Dave's garden on the internet.

Clean Up...35º

After working all morning and into the afternoon, Herb said, "As slow as we are getting, next year we will have to start fall clean up in August instead of September." He is right as October is flying by and our energy is on the wane.

I must put this in perspective though as last year I was recuperating from knee surgery and basically did nothing to help...Herb and Rusty did all of it....So this year I want more done, killing stuff out that is overgrown, moving plants to different places and spreading the chips...That has been a big job in itself, we only hope the payoff is what I envision, and that means less work next year...We will continue at our snails pace and maybe the weather will cooperate and all of the gardens will be put to bed by Oct 31st...Why do we do this you might ask?..The continual blooming of flowers from April through September and the produce we raise make it all worthwhile, which reminds me I have beets to pickle this morning...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

PS...A couple of photos from Pam's...The jaw bone of a cow that she found while hiking the rimrocks above the River House...I think Cienna will enjoy looking at these...(Remember, click to enlarge.)

Bleached and Weathered

Close up of the grass growing through the teeth...

"More attention to flossing maybe" :)

Looking Cold/Wet...35º

Yesterday was perfect weather for cooking and baking...A good nights sleep had followed a fun but exhausting day with the "Write People"...Chicken noodle soup was on the menu and the cold/wet weather called for cinnamon rolls...The roll dough was soon mixed and set aside to raise while I stirred up a 2 egg batch of noodle dough, that would be enough for todays soup and some to freeze, for another day...I suppose all of you have figured out that I have a love affair with "dough"...I love the way it feels in my hands, whether it is stiff stretchy dough for bread, that snaps and crackles when I punch it down or the soft, airy dough of yesterdays cinnamon rolls...While the roll dough raised, using the rolling pin I rolled out the noodle dough into three large circles, stacked the circles, rolled them into a cylinder and with my bench knife quickly cut them into noodles about 2" in length...Set them to dry a bit and turned to the roll dough.

The dough had risen to fill the large tupperware bowl...I floured the marble before gently easing the dough from the bowl...Then with floured hands and a soft touch I stretched, lifted and patted it into place, covering the 18 X 24 marble slab...No need to use a rolling pin with dough this delicate...Next came the thin layer of soft butter spread on top, then a layer of brown sugar...I was so enthralled and taken with this dough and the beauty of it all, at that point, I quickly rolled, sliced and placed them in the pan to raise before baking and finished making the pot of chicken noodle soup.

The smell of dough baking filled the house...I lifted the pan out of the oven admiring my work...One of the rolls had oozed over the side of the pan begging me to sample it...My mouth started to water as I gently broke off the small piece, dipped it into the frosting and into my mouth...OH Darn!  I forgot the cinnamon...No sense crying...Cinnamon was mixed with a little powdered sugar, sprinkled over the rolls, it slid into the cracks...A layer of butter cream frosting over the top and except for the frosting turning a light brown they taste very much like cinnamon rolls and I'm sure they will get eaten...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Yummy

Imnaha River House...37º

Pam and her husband bought this house many years ago when it was just a 3 room cabin (click the link to see the entire story)..Yesterday she invited the Write People there for our weekly meeting...We all arrived with our potluck dishes and our writing...The following photo's will tell the story of our day in this enchanting hide-a-way...(click on photo's to enlarge)

Pam giving us a tour

Pat & Della posing in the portable sauna

(Not operating at the moment)

The River at the edge of the property with the

end of the rock wall (more to be built) that encircles their

 property.

The Garden

Rimrock View

Corn Patch with cemented rock wall

Path & steps leading to the river

We finished the outside tour then seeking a warmer spot Pam welcomed us into her comfy home where we would spend the rest of the day laughing, talking, reading and eating.

Pam inviting us in

Pat, Pam and Leita strike a pose on the rock wall.

Ruth getting ready to read.

Marsha (Ruth's daughter joined us.)

Annette sharing a story.

Janie deep in thought.

Charlotte waiting to come inside.

Another special day in the life of the "Write People"...It was hard to leave but it was getting late so we took the winding road up out of the canyon and back on top to our homes in Joseph and beyond...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Potato Harvest, Garlic Planted...36º

Early morning found me in the dentist chair, Kathy and I visit before she starts, then she talks while she digs, prods, scrapes, suctions and rinses...I found myself hanging on to the arms of the chair similar to my first ride in a small plane...Photos as promised.

Starting into the canyon out of Wallowa

Cricket Flat and beyond to the Grand Rhonde Valley

Wow look at those Mountain Ridges

Chief Joseph Mt up close

West shoreline of Wallowa Lake

While I was in the dentist chair, Herb was busy with the potato harvest and readying (is that a word?) the garlic to be planted...The soil was rich, loamy and damp, just waiting...He using Mom's old V-shaped hoe to make the 4" deep trenches as I placed the largest garlic cloves giving them a push into the soft soil, before he covered than with dirt and mulched them with straw...Ten rows, about 200 plants will push their way through the ground next spring as soon as the snow melts...He finished up while I changed clothes one more time and arrived on time for my Docenting stint at the Josephy Center...Today will be spent at the Imnaha River House of fellow writer Pam where our Write People will gather for todays meeting...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Flying High...37º

An email from Brian delayed my morning plans of being in the garden early, continuing my clean up for winter...It was a beautiful sunny, cold morning and my turn had arrived for a flight over the Wallowa Valley...I have to be honest and say, flying makes me nervous...Before my 50th birthday I had been in the air just one time, flying to New York to spend Christmas with Herb's extended family in 1966...Later in my life, the first few times in a jet flying to Hawaii and Cancun, I was a basket case...Just being in the airport made me hyperventilate and going through customs, catching connecting flights and airport security turned my hair white!..Guess it was time but flying played a part...I always had the feeling that I wouldn't return home.

Over the years it has become easier for me to fly the big jets, with trips to Australia, Hawaii and Cancun...I rationalized that flying was safer than driving but when it came to small planes my mind would go to the isolated incidents of a short hop to Lewiston or Walla Walla, plane disappears and no survivors...Until this summer I had only flown in a small plane one time, when Pam and I hiked into Red's Horse Ranch spending the night and our plan was to hike out the next day...A sudden bout of "flu" cut that trip short and we hitched a plane ride out of Red's...I don't remember much about the flight except hanging on tight the entire way...I just knew Pam was very sick and we needed to get home where she was close to medical facilities.

Back to the present and yesterdays flight.

OMG am I ready for this?

Brian is all business as he readies for takeoff.

Now here I am approaching my 71st birthday, throwing my fears to the wind, knowing that some things are now or never...Yesterday I took my camera and positive attitude as I drove to the Joseph Airport knowing that I would return and be here this morning typing away and posting photos of our flight...Both of us buckled in tight, Brian went over his check list as I calmed my breathing and he explained about airplane safety...Before I knew it we were in the air.

Up Up and Away

Flying High

Brian kept the plane steady and smooth...No sudden turns or loop de loops and only a few bumps as we cruised at 110 miles per hour (it felt like we were standing still) we flew to Wallowa, Minam, looked at the Grand Ronde Valley in the distance, back over the mountains, skirting Lostine Canyon, up close to Chief Joseph Mountain, over Wallowa Lake, Ferguson Ridge to Salt Creek Summit before we turned and soon were landing back at the Joseph Airport...I was too busy taking photos to hang on and couldn't believe that we had been in the air for over an hour...My thanks to Brian for a great flight as I anticipate maybe another one next summer...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

PS..More photos tomorrow.

In The Chips...34º

Wood chips are delivered for $30.00 a load...That's a big load!..I ordered 5 loads to start with, (NO WILLOW) then when nothing arrived, changed that to three loads but still no willow...Two loads of mixed spruce and pine arrived and a third of poplar and maple...Herb loaded it into the wheel barrow and I unloaded it on the flowerbeds after cutting down the perennial's...All of my flowerbeds have become overgrown so I've killed some things out and others I am just covering with chips to retard growth but not entirely kill it...Also the chips keep the weeds down and the moisture in...We finished spreading about 2 1/2  loads of chips yesterday and hope to finish the other half today...Lucky us they delivered a 4th load so we have some in reserve...I will let you know next spring if we still have flowerbeds or "chip beds"...All beds will get a sprinkling of nitrogen fertilizer to help break down the chips.

In between chipping we are cleaning out the vegetable garden where everything has frozen back...I pulled beets (to pickle) and carrots (bad crop) just enough for dinner and Herb hauled away zucchini plants, tomato and cucumber vines...Will harvest the potatoes soon and plant garlic in that bed...Raspberries, asparagus and grapes will have to wait for their final trimming...Garden will then be replenished with manure, alfalfa pellets, peat moss, leaves and straw before winter sets in.

This morning has dawned another sunny day and its my turn for an airplane ride...Must get ready and yes I have my camera...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Another Beautiful Day...33º

Sunrise 10/05/13 

Sunrise from Barton Heights lasted only a few minutes  this morning and the photo doesn't begin to capture the brightness of the colors...Starting out to be a nice day with temps in the low 60's...Perfect for working in the yard...Yesterday also a nice day and we made some headway spreading chips, cutting down spent flowers, digging starts to transplant and share with friends.

After working for several hours we came in tired and hungry...I still had bread to pan and dinner to fix...What was going to be spaghetti leftovers soon turned into a small pizza just right for the two of us...A small piece of bread dough rolled into a crust, leftover spaghetti sauce slathered on top with a lone sausage sliced, lots of cheese and as it came out of the oven, fresh tomatoes layered on top...We shared a beer and soon retired to the living room, with smells of fresh cooked bread wafting form the kitchen.

Pizza For Two

Today will find us outside again, coming inside tired and hungry...Leftover meatloaf is in the fridge...Maybe I can turn that into Salisbury Steak with mashed potatoes and fresh sliced tomatoes...If we have learned nothing else in life, we do know how to eat good food!...Hugs To All...OWAV:)