Craziness on Barton Hgts...25º

Late afternoon the rest of our family arrived from Portland and the craziness began...The car was quickly unloaded and now there were six humans and three dogs, suitcases, computers and gifts all wrapped for Christmas...We managed to contain ourselves long enough to eat dinner before Cienna assumed the role of Santa and passed out the gifts...(The Allen/Wall family Thanksmas.)

Many years ago before Cienna was born and Gramma Blanche lived in Elgin we were all at Barton Hgts for a Christmas celebration...Bobi and Stan put "noses" in our stockings that year for Christmas...Laughter filled the house as everyone tried on their new nose that we were to wear while opening gifts...Gramma Blanche found this especially entertaining and her laughter caused everyone else to laugh just because she was so tickled...(you all know how that happens)...Anyway it was a Christmas not soon forgotten and other years we have worn wigs, masks and santa hats, but nothing quite as funny as the noses...This year Bobi and Ci shopped, hoping to ramp up the entertainment...Our first gifts to open saw us trying on "tattoo sleeves" and "teeth"...I'm not sure who laughed the most this year but we are sure that Gramma Blanche joined us in this latest escapade, as we laughed until we cried...It is going to be hard to top this one...Hugs To All...and Happy Thanksgiving...OWAV:)

Scary

Tough Girl

"Thanksmas Eve"...26º

The day before Thanksmas and all through the house, a creature is stirring, with one little louse...She patiently waits for playmates to join her...Chaos will reign as they run and jump, establish a pecking order among the disorder...The clicking of toenails as Ginger, Biscuit and Tate dance all around...Soon they will be banned to the great outdoors with room to race, until with tongues lolling they sneak back inside looking for rawhides to chew and toys to steal as their masters are busy in their own chaos...Suitcases, presents, food, love and laughter...The next few days filled with cooking, eating, games, and joyful banter...In a wink its all over and quiet will reign, another celebration comes to an end...Hugs to All and Have a Wonderful Holiday!...OWAV:)

Biscuit patiently waiting for the fun to begin.

Groceries...27º

I'm planning an early morning trip to Safeway this morning, where hopefully I will have the store mostly to myself...I think we are having ham for TG dinner...Bobi is doing her dressing, which could be a meal in itself but we probably should have a couple of choices...I'm thinking main dish and pies.

Yesterday Herb did the final cleanup at the no-longer log deck so we can put that behind us with several cords of wood stacked in our backyard....Whew.

Fondant and fudge were made yesterday, with another batch to do today...Bread will be rising while I'm grocery shopping this morning...Should be ready to go with our dinner of oven fried chicken this afternoon...Me and the handy cuisinart will mix pie crust this morning so it can be chilling in the fridge.

The list in my head is getting longer so I better put the computer away and get moving before I hyperventilate...Sun is just inching its way up off in the distance...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

November sunrise

Another view

Pickling lesson....31º

Herb and Rusty were out early, unloading the juniper wood while I made pancakes for breakfast before we started on the pickled garlic.

Rusty had requested pickled garlic this year and I had resisted making it, although I held back some fresh garlic from the dryer, either for gifts or "pickling"...It gave him the chance to do the process start to finish, which is good...He enlisted Herb to help him peel, I got him started with a basic recipe for the brine...Jars, lids and dried dill, brought up from the basement and we were in business...Now the hard part is waiting for them to cure.

Ready for the Brine

Finished Product

Fondant to make this morning, dinner to prep before my stint at the Josephy Center as a docent today, and adding more things to my list to do before Wednesday night...Must get moving because I run out of steam by noon...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Last of the Log deck...22º

It was cold, brisk and frosty yesterday morning when we arrived at the log deck, but the end was in sight...The sun shining brightly we were bundled against the cold...I quickly marked the logs into stove lengths and Herb started sawing...As long as we kept moving the cold didn't bother us and the higher the sun rose in the sky the warmer it got...By noon we were back home and by 2pm Herb had the last load unloaded and stacked...I had dinner ready and we were able to call it a day...He will go back this morning for some cleanup of small or long thin chunks that can either go on our burn pile or be used for kindling.

At 3pm the phone rang and it was Rusty saying, "I'm headed your way, just leaving Nampa, ID...Will see you in a few hours and I have a load of juniper wood for you."...He and Biscuit arrived at 6pm our time...The load of juniper stayed on the truck while he had a "soup supper", Biscuit a bowl of dog food and a rawhide...We talked and yawned until 8am before giving up and calling it a day...Wood to be unloaded this morning.

I have a list: chores to do, groceries to buy, as the other half of our family will arrive late Wednesday night for our annual "Thanksmas Celebration"...There is chowder to make, pies to bake, candy to cook and gifts to wrap...Our little tree must be set up to give the house a festive air...Gifts this year are mostly things to eat or everyday necessities as our wants and needs are few...Plus we are saving up for a spring trip to tour the Nations Capital...I guess that Motels and airline tickets are on our Christmas list...The next week will soon be a blur as we cook, visit, play cards and games, put puzzles together, laughter and love abounds at the start of this Holiday Season!..Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Count-Down...14º

The calendar is moving right along, Thanksgiving a week away...Also in only a month my favorite day of the year arrives and the days start getting longer, meaning a little more sunlight in our everyday world...Temperatures are dropping and the cold crisp days, with a brilliant blue sky of winter are here.

Herb and I ventured out yesterday with our eyeglass prescriptions to the local shop in Enterprise...Usually we buy our glasses in laGrande but have decided to try the local shop as we have heard good things about them...They actually still had us in there system from many years ago...Herb had no problem choosing his frames as I tried on, discarded and the helpful girls kept bringing more choices for me...If only I could see what I look like in the glasses it would help but since the frames for sale just have plain glass in them, a blurry vision is what I see...Herb is no help, so he went to do some grocery shopping and the girls kept saying no- those aren't for you until finally we narrowed it down to two pairs, but one had black frames and I needed a lighter color, which could be ordered...So I don't have to make a decision for another week...Gives me time to think! :)

Holiday time for me means making "TV Mix"...I think this recipe came out in the 70's (just googled it and they say the 50's) Whatever...As with all recipes to my way of thinking they have to be tweaked to our likes and I have to make a huge batch.

Original recipe
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (way too much)
1-1/4 teaspoons seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
3 cups Wheat Chex square cereal
2 cups Rice Chex square cereal
1-1/2 cups peanuts
1-1/2 cups small pretzel rods

My Recipe (All measurement approximately)
1 1/2 cups butter
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1Tablespoon lawrys season salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound Rice Chex (yes a full box)

1 pound Corn Chex

1/2 pound Wheat Chex

1 pound mixed nuts

1/2 to 1 pound peanuts

1 pound small pretzels

Either of these recipes are then roasted in the oven at about 300º for one hour...I bag them in quart or gallon zip locks  depending on the recipient and store them in the cellar until  Christmas...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Supplements...Yes or No?...10º

I really don't want to get on a rant today but confusion reigns when talking to any doctor...I have age related macular degeneration...Many people do...We get old, body parts wear out...Fact of life when living past 50...(That's when everything started to go to Hell pieces for me.) The conversation starts, "Are you taking your eye vitamins?" as he reads my chart..."Oh no, I see they hurt your stomach." I nod yes and say, "I take lutein." "The latest studies show that you can take lower doses of zinc and still do the same thing, zinc is what causes your stomach to hurt." We have been down this road before and I bite my tongue to keep from saying, "Yes and I could eat a tablespoonful of dirt every day and I might live for 25 more years like my mother did or I might die tomorrow."

I think they mean well, but sometimes I think they have stock in the drug/supplements companies and I dare say that in 5/10 years from now tests will be done and zinc will be causing something besides just  making my stomach hurt...I do know that they do miraculous eye surgeries now, keeping people from loosing their sight as we live longer and somebody had to be a human guinea pig for this to happen...If only we knew what or who to believe...Sorry for the rant...Hugs to all...OWAV:)

Missed Post...33º

Regular meeting of the Write People was yesterday, so instead of writing a blog I was busy browning ground beef, grating cheese and chopping veggies for taco salad...Pat was cleaning more stuff from her fridge as they prepare to leave for the winter...She filled in with salad condiments, chips, and ice cream for dessert...Seven of us shared in the lunch and after group "banter", catching up on Leita's (joined us from Richland) life as well as the past week for the rest of us...We are a noisy, rambunctious group, everyone talking and laughing.

Back home Herb was just finishing his dinner and I had few leftovers to put away (which is good) then we spent the afternoon reading and computing.

This morning we are up early, showers taken as we will leave before 7am for eye appointments in LaGrande...Leita is catching a ride with us to LaGrande where she will meet her Mom, then on to her new place in Richland...Should be an interesting trip to LaGrande as Leita always has stories to share about her life and family...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Book Group...27º

After a 6 month hiatus our book group is starting back up today...The third monday of every month for the past 10 or 12 years I've committed to this group, reading what ever book was chosen for a particular month...My reading habits have changed some but I still don't care for espionage, gory stuff, edge of the seat thrillers, science fiction or totally dysfunctional family memoirs...Our house is littered with books that I have picked up at yard sales and soroptomists...Some are in sacks to be given away, some set aside to read eventually and some are actually on book cases, already read but I can't bear to part with them...I also have a collection of cookbooks and gardening books (recently thinned out)...Now I get books from the "Sage System"...A lending library where I can order the book online and it is delivered to our local Joseph Library for me/Herb to pick up...The selection is incredible and I can get new books almost as soon as they come out in Costco, at no cost to me...Only problem is no matter how good the reviews are I find very few books that grab me or hold my attention from beginning to end...Most likely I read the first few pages, then the end to see if the book is worth spending my time reading it. :)

I spent most of yesterday writing (editing my essay) and reading..."Mrs. Kennedy and Me" by Clint Hill, kept my attention and yes I read the ending first, but then we all know that it ended with the assassination of President Kennedy 50 years ago this month...Clint Hill was Mrs. Kennedy's personal body guard, assigned to her by the Secret Service...He was not happy about that as previously he had been a body guard for President Eisenhower and felt this as somewhat of a demotion...Although not particularly well written, he tells a heartwarming story of getting to know Mrs. Kennedy and the trust that developed between them...Plus the difficult, demanding job of making the world safe for any president and his family...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

PS...I must share this photo of the Barton Heights Sunrise on November 12, 2013...Other photos from around Wallowa County are beginning to show up as other people post what they saw on that day.

From This

To This

Wintery...35º

Yesterday as forecast was a wintery, blustery day...Here on Barton Heights the snow added up to maybe 2 inches...Just enough to cover the ground and probably made the roads slick in places.

Temp about 35º.

Couple inches of snow on the railing.

Herb unloaded our wood, made a trip to the dump, then took a nap, mid morning...I edited on my essay and fixed pork schnitzel, mashed potatoes and salad for dinner...Stayed inside and watched the storm...I even passed up an evening with Pam to attend a music program...Our house was warm, my chair comfy and a book to read..."Mrs. Kennedy and Me" by Clint Hill...Clint Hill was Mrs. Kennedy's personal body guard during President Kennedy's term and ends with his assassination in 1963...An inside look at a very private person and the part she played in the history of our country...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Storm...32º

Storm Warning..Severity-Minor...Over the past two days I've heard that possible snowfall of anywhere from 3" to 18" could fall Saturday through Sunday...So far we have about half an inch and Pat said they have maybe 3 at the lake...Skies right now are showing some blue and the sun is trying to break through.

Yesterday Herb and I got another load of wood and were wishing for just one more good day and we will have that log deck taken care of...Maybe later in the week we can finish it up.

Rusty called yesterday from the Boise Airport, back from a month in Savannah, Georgia where he has been working on a project for LTW...He will be heading our way in a couple of weeks and the Wall family will also be coming from Portland for our Thanksmas Celebration.

Cienna posted on her blog yesterday about her exciting season playing water polo...We are just a "little bit" proud of our girl...Monday morning at 5am she will report for practice with the swim team...When Ci was about 5 years old and swimming on a "splash" team, the comment was made that she was part fish and she quipped, "No, I'm all fish!" and she still is...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Imnaha Ending...24º

Not Pat's favorite thing.

We navigated the suspension bridge back across the Imnaha river after refueling our tummies and continued south exploring the upper Imnaha...Janie has stories to tell, not only about Mary Marks and the homesteaders but also about her and husband Doug...About the old days when Doug had cattle and Forest Service allotments...She talked about cow camps, brandings, gathering cattle and moving cattle both spring and fall, to best use the land...Good times and hard times that make up ones life.

So many things in the canyon have outlived their usefulness, such as in the photo below is the remains of an old "root cellar", a must for every homestead...Some were made of stone and a few still stand, this one made of logs and rocks, no longer usable, just a reminder of days gone by.

Dilapidated Root Cellar 

Forest Service, College Creek Guard Station, seldom used.

We continue as far south as the Imnaha Grange Hall, a stately building no longer used...At one time it was the life blood of this valley, with people coming on horseback or horse and buggy bringing families and food for a night of dancing and socializing...Up until just a few years ago this tradition continued only now people arrived by car...Granges are dying out all over our country as life changes and we find new activities to fill our busy lives...Although the Imnaha Canyon has little access to the internet or cell phones the people that live there have more connection to the outside world, making more trips to Wallowa Valley and beyond...Improved roads and cars make the travel much easier than in the late 1800's when the homesteaders arrived.

Imnaha Grange Hall

In wrapping this up I must include a couple of things...First a grade school K thru 8 is still educating children before they are bused out to Joseph to attend high school and second a church was built in Imnaha about 15 years ago after services were held for many years in the grade school.

Another photo shows what changes only with the seasons...Breath taking views everywhere one looks.

There is so much more to tell but I will stop for now and recommend that a good book for the coming winter is "Four Lines A Day" written by Janie Tippett...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

PS...Please share this post with friends.

More about Imnaha...28º

Settlers arriving in Wallowa County after 1883 found that the fertile valleys of Wallowa, Enterprise and Joseph were already spoken for...To get the free land offered them under the "homestead act" these settlers, left with few choices traveled farther east to the rugged canyons of Imnaha...The canyons were lush and green in the spring but the searing heat of summer turned all except the river bottoms brown and dry by mid July and created a haven for rattlesnakes...The Imnaha River runs the full length of this canyon with its headwaters starting in the Eagle Caps, it travels mostly north over 64 miles, ending as it empties into the Snake River at Dug Bar.

Imnaha River

With Janie as our guide we turned south, headed up river, taking in the scenic sights on a beautiful fall day...September and October rains have kept the canyon unusually lush this year...Traveling the dirt washboard road, we saw alfalfa and grass fields in the bottoms and winter wheat growing on the benches...The Warnocks and Marks families still own and farm the original homesteads as well as manage other farms bought up by absentee owners.

Freeze Out School House

We arrive at the mouth of "Freeze Out" and the surrounding area by the same name...Janie has picked this spot for us to have lunch... We take turns crossing the expansion foot bridge to Drivers Cabin...Clouds have moved in hiding the sun and bringing a cold wind...We bundle up in coats and brave the cold to sit on the deck overlooking the Imnaha River...Finger food of pepperoni sticks, cheeses, veggies, bread, trail mix and nuts take our minds off the cold...Janie has spent many weeks of the last 20 years in a small tree house on this property where she wrote "Four Lines A Day"...Her book about Mary Marks, who married into the original Marks family and spent her life living on the Imnaha...Continued tomorrow...OWAV:)

Imnaha History...37º

After reading the book "Four Lines A Day" by local author and historian Janie Tippett and spending a weekend at the River House, Pat and I wanted to know more about this isolated piece of Oregon...Pat immediately started planning to make that happen...Possible dates were sent to Janie and she responded with "Lets plan on Monday, November 11th.".

The sun was shining as we set off yesterday morning...Pat and I furnished lunch and gas, Janie was the driver and tour guide...We were joined by Jerome, caretaker of the "Magic Garden" and a newcomer to Wallowa County, also interested in the history of Imnaha.

Imnaha, 30 miles east, is much different country than where we live in Joseph...The elevation drops from over 4000 feet to under 2000 feet and the topography changes drastically...We left the fertile, valleys and towering mountains of Joseph and soon wound our way down, making a brief stop at Janie's cabin at the confluence of Little Sheep and Big Sheep Cricks, where her cabin is surrounded by rimrocks with small open spaces along the rivers called "bottoms".

   
            Janie's Cabin (spring of 2012)

                                                                                           Rimrock View

Janie kept up a running commentary as she drove and occasionally stopped at places along the way such as "Devils Gulch and Bear Gulch"...We explored Camp Crick and Midway Road (Duckett Road). Before the Imnaha Highway was built this was the road to Joseph via the Zumwalt Prairie...In the horse and buggy days it was a two day trip, hence the name Midway was given to an overnight stop as the road topped out on the Prairie, midway between Imnaha and Joseph.

Back on the main highway we stopped at the Imnaha Post Office that was opened in 1885 and the town of Imnaha platted in 1902...The Imnaha Store and Tavern sits across the street and the Imnaha Motel about one quarter of a mile away...Mail arrives at the postoffice Monday, Wednesday and Friday of every week...Mail is also delivered up river to individual mail boxes on a rural route...The Store and Tavern is a town meeting place where locals gather for food and drink and socialization.

Imnaha Post Office

Imnaha Store and Tavern

Imnaha Motel

In the early 1900's the Imnaha Store and Tavern was originally the Imnaha Mercantile...A store where the early settlers not only came to buy staples such as flour, sugar and coffee they were also able to purchase canning jars and kettles to preserve the abundance of fruits and vegetables growing on their homesteads...Preserved food was a must to feed their families through the winter...The early settlers were a hardy bunch. Making a living off of and proving up their homestead was not an easy task in country as rugged as the Imnaha Canyons...Small cabins and a cellar were built and they eked out a living by farming the "bottom's" along the Imnaha River and "benches" just under the rimrocks...Later a barn would be built on the property with neighbors coming together for a barn raising...The family cow grazed the rimrocks in summer and wintered on hay grown on the bottoms...Chickens provided eggs and meat and a steer and pigs were also raised for meat...The early homesteaders were Marks, Warnocks and Fisks...Only the Fisks no longer reside in the Canyon....To be continued...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Good Days...32º

Another day, another load of wood...The sun shone, we worked up a sweat...The shower felt really good...The log deck is shrinking...What started out about a year ago at 12 cords is down to 2 left on the ground, still to be sawed, hauled home and stacked...Over the year Herb did most of it, Rusty and I helped...Herb will unload this morning while I'm getting ready for a different adventure.

Today is shaping up as our last day of sunshine in the foreseeable future...Pat and I have a trip planned to explore the Imnaha...Janie will be our tour guide...Come back tomorrow and read all about it.

Our house this morning is permeated with the smell of garlic...More garlic came our way when Becky mentioned that someone had gifted her with a bunch of fresh garlic and she asked, "How long will it keep?"..."A long time if we dry it." I answered...I had the idea and Herb was willing to clean, peel, slice and dry another batch.

My essay titled "Dumpster Diving Mama" came back from Katey yesterday...I've been writing this for 2 years now and it is (hopefully) in its last stages...Katey asked if I wanted a line-level critique?..Sure "I said."...The reason I flunked "punctuation 101" is now perfectly clear...I didn't show up for the class!..She is hopeful that by her making corrections on the first 10 pages that I will be able to get the idea and clean up the last 15...Wish me luck.

Sun is peaking through a few clouds here on Barton Heights...I must get moving and actually I'm only sore in my arms and diaphragm from splitting and lifting (not a bad feeling)...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Perfect Working Weather...34º

Sun shining brightly, Herb and I decided it would be a good day to get a load of wood...It's not as much fun as it was a few years ago when we headed for the woods (sometimes just the two of us but more often with John, Becky, Pam, sometime Rusty and Herb and I...We drove a long ways to find suitable "dead wood trees"...John did the falling, then he and Herb/Rusty sawed the logs into stove length pieces...Pam, Becky and I worked at splitting and loading until the guys caught up with us then we all worked until we had truck and trailer loaded...I was in charge of lunch and it was usually heating on a small campfire, ready about noon when we needed more fuel in our bellies...Breakfast had been consumed in the early morning hours...Yes a lot of hard work but fun as well as we breathed in the fresh air, usually saw wildlife, breathtaking views as well as enjoyed the camaraderie of friends.

Yesterday just the two of us pulled on our "wood getting clothes",  drove maybe 3 miles to our log deck...Herb wielded the saw, I split and loaded, almost keeping up with him...We worked slow but steady for two hours and came home with a nice jag of wood to stack out back...This wood for another year is like money in the bank...It was a picture perfect day, sunny but not hot, just good working weather...We moved a little stiffer than usual last night but were up early this morning and although the sun isn't shining it should be a good day to get another load!..Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Log Deck

Load of Wood

Last Nights Sunset

Artistry...27º

Blue Cheese Dip still to be added to the Pepper.

Hours on our feet, quality time together...Pat purchased the "groceries"....I did the grunt work, washing, trimming, and slicing...She did the arranging and decorating...Money was provided by the Write People (yes we are back to our original name) and the two of us were in charge of supplementing food prepared by a local caterer, for opening night (Indian Art) at the Josephy Center.

A Work of Art

We arrived early to set up the food, Lynn dropped off meat balls, mushroom phyllo pie, spinach cheese dip and onion dip with chips...

Other people brought potluck dishes...The tables groaned under all that food...People arrived, most had eaten dinner, a few had not...Toward the end of the evening lots of food was uneaten, we were tired...Pats pear bars were almost gone and our fruit tray was well received but the veggies trays still looked quite lovely in their nearly virgin state...We wrapped up one veggie tray to turn into a tasty soup for next week and left the party, still in full swing...Adults were visiting and nibbling while kids in the back room were dancing to really loud music...Only us and Dana, the other Docent, showed signs of fatigue!..Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Pat's Yummy Pear Bars.

Quandary...38º

Usually my blathering comes easy, but this morning the mind is blank...The ink well has dried up...The keyboard is stuck...The pencil is but a stub...Am I in a funk?

I have things on my schedule today...Pat and I will fix trays of finger food for tonights opening at the Josephy Center, "Native American Art Show" and we will meet Pam there at 7pm to visit and enjoy the show.

Yesterday I did send my essay to Katey, fixed a nice dinner and started reading a decent book..."The Ordinary Truth" by Jana Richman...It is definitely not a page turner and for my taste they are taking way too long to get to the meat of the story...No problem because I have another book waiting to be picked up at the Joseph Library...At this stage of my life I don't waste much time trying to find the "story" between the pages...So it better get more interesting really quick...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Writing 101...41º

I'm back to writing on my essays assignments for Katey to critique...After a 6 month hiatus it is very difficult to get into the writing mode again as it is much different than blogging...It seems to take a deadline to get me moving...Had a couple of questions for Katey this morning and when she answers I can send this months submission winging its way through cyberspace.

This daylight savings time is really getting to me, the dark, dark evenings have me yawning and falling asleep over my book at 6:30pm...Actually stayed up until 8:30 last night after Becky and Tate came for a visit...But I was awake at 3:am this morning...GRRRRrrrrrr.

Yesterday Herb and I did errands in Enterprise and grocery shopped...Stocking up a bit so we could get a turkey for the sale price of 59 cents a pound...It will eventually be boned, cut up, put in jars and pressure canned, right now it waits in the freezer.

Our "Thanksmas" is quickly approaching and my mind is a blank, also I better get started on next months essay for Katey...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Fall Days...32º

The beautiful colors are all but gone and now fall is beginning to look bleak...My least favorite time of the year...Black and white is what I see...The time of year when you have to think about wearing a coat, then add gloves, hat and boots...I learned to love winter when living in Lake Fork, Idaho, as a child...Snow piled deep, drifts covering fences, cold, a bone chilling cold...Rides on a sleigh pulled by our team of "work" horses...Crisp, cold, sun filled days...That was my world...I knew little of the struggles of my parents, snow to shovel, ice to break, animals to feed and shelter...Enough wood  and food for the winter to feed a family, vehicles that wouldn't start...Snow and cold for months on end.

Looking for a little sun to break through this morning...Hugs to all...OWAV:)

Last of the tomatoes.

Mundane to Important...22º

That annual time of "fall back" arrived on a cold, snowy night...Officially at 2am, Sunday, November 3, 2013...Herb is the changer of the clocks in our house, if left up to me (especially digital clocks) they might or might not get changed...The entire concept makes little sense to my practical, common sense brain...I would be perfectly happy leaving the time as it is year round...No matter what the clock says I go to bed early and get up early or you could say that in the summer I go to bed when it is still light and get up when it is light and in winter I go to bed in the dark and get up when it is still dark...It doesn't matter what the CLOCK says..Having said that I better get moving because daylight is burning and its not ever 7am...Hugs to all...OWAV:)

PS...Cienna has found a sport she loves, (of course it takes place in a swimming pool)she had a great season, learned a lot and improved as a player and team member...We are so proud of "The Girl".

Cienna as she finishes up her second water polo season.

Oyster Stew/perfect day...29º

Oyster Stew (borrowed from the internet.)

I haven't always been a fan of oyster stew...Way back in time my Mom, on a cold blustery evening, would open two small cans of oysters (the only way they were available to us in the 1950's) and make oyster stew for my Dad...The smell coming from the can made my nose wrinkle up in distaste...She quickly dumped the oysters and liquid into a sauce pan added, cream, milk, salt/pepper and heated it to just below a boil...This was now poured into a flat soup bowl, a dollop of butter floated on the top, tiny oyster crackers on the side...Dad ate it with gusto, a welcome change to our diet of beef, pork and lamb.

Smattering of snow.

Mom ate a small bowl of the stew and the rest of our family had a different kind of soup (maybe chicken noodle) that tasted better than usual because we also were treated to oyster crackers on the side...The oyster stew smelled better after it was heated and Mom would offer me a taste from her bowl... "Della, you don't have to eat an oyster, just taste the broth." Over time I developed a liking for oyster stew, so when I married into the Allen Family and they always had oyster stew for Christmas Eve supper, I didn't wrinkle up my nose but dove right in...It has become a tradition at our house on Christmas Eve although to please all palates we serve oyster stew and/or clam chowder, sans oyster crackers...Toasted, crunchy sourdough bread is usually served.

Might be the only sun we see today.

I don't limit oyster stew to Christmas, and on our recent trip to Costco I spied the large jar of oysters and added them to our cart....Oyster stew yesterday and fried oysters for dinner today...It snowed just a skiff last night perfect weather for oysters....Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Breezy...36º

Melodic sounds of the wind chimes on our front porch, brought me out of a fitful sleep...Now as I sit in the living room, scrabble games are done and the sky is lightening in the East...Winds at times are picking up, the front of the storm coming in...Soon the wind chimes will have to be put away or the wind will cause havoc with them as it blows and bangs them every which way...The geraniums that graced the front porch, all summer, Herb had carried upstairs to winter in a south window...When I went to water the geraniums yesterday they are all blooming or budded ready to bloom...So I carefully carried one downstairs to brighten the living room...Maybe if I am diligent enough with watering and fertilizing,we can have blooms most of the winter...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Stormy Rainbow...33º

Another sunny day with prediction of snow coming this weekend...Still amazing to me how fast the wether can change...The last couple of days Herb finished putting the garden to bed for the winter, then anchored the leaves, straw etc down by laying fencing panels over top everything.

Four little "trick or treaters" visited our house last night...We handed out baggies of fresh popped popcorn...A small serving of something other than candy...That's whats happening on Barton Heights on this sunny first day of November...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Below are photos of our view of a storm and rainbow moving down the mountains Wednesday morning.