Clear Roads...33º

Eye appointment was scheduled for 10am...We left Joseph at daybreak, roads clear, little foggy but an enjoyable trip as we saw newborn calves in several pastures along the way...River are running a little high, grass greening up and willow trees turning that yellow/orange shade of spring...Had time for our Grocery Outlet and WalMart shopping, then the appointment and on to BiMart, lunch at Kentucky Fried (thinking about my Mom, we enjoyed our hot lunch) before a quick stop at Kaufmans in Island City as we headed back home.

While waiting in the Dr.'s office, the general topic of conversation was about, I 84,  both east and west had been closed off and on for the past two days, sometime clear from the Oregon/Idaho border to Pendleton...Evidently the fog was dense and ground level on both Mecham and Ladd Canyons causing freezing fog...Numerous wrecks had blocked the freeway, cleared away, opened and then closed again...In our own little world, we had no idea that roads were bad out of Wallowa County.

We arrived back home late afternoon, again on clear roads, cloudy skies with sun breaks...Unloaded, Herb fed B & J's livestock and we were cozy and warm in our snug little house on Barton Heights, thankful for another safe road trip...Hugs To All...OWAV:)...Cloudy skies on the way home.

Leftovers...34º

After a day of mostly sunshine and temps in the high 40's, it felt like spring was in the air...This morning it is snowing lightly, just to remind us that spring is still far off.

Herb worked outside yesterday pruning a crab apple tree taking advantage of the sunny weather and later met John at the horse pasture as he will be feeding the animals for the rest of the week...I got a package ready to be mailed to Cienna and did other humdrum household stuff.

Dinner was easy and I love it when leftovers turn out just as good as the original dish...I sautéed onions and red peppers, added leftover roast pork and sauerkraut, covered it all with a thin layer of cheese, then let it melt into yummy goodness...Dinner rolls warmed and spread with blue cheese dressing were the perfect combination as I turned it all into roast pork sliders...Leftover veggies and fruit salad on the side...It was a little messy to eat but enjoyed by both!..Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Dinner and Games...38º

Busy day yesterday as I started another batch of light dough...While it proofed I browned a medium sized pork shoulder roast, covered it with homemade sauerkraut added a couple of German sausages and set the oven for 200º...While the roast and sauerkraut simmered I played in the dough making cinnamon rolls and dinner rolls, cut veggies for a relish plate and made a fruit salad for dessert...Late afternoon I took the roast out of the oven to bake the rolls...Smells of cinnamon and dough baking covered the smell of sauerkraut...(Not sure how something that smells bad cooking can taste so good when eating!)...Herb peeled potatoes and later did the mashing as Becky and John arrived for dinner...The table was cleared and we did a marathon of "Five Crowns"...In bed by 10pm, I slept until 7am, those young people sure wear us out!..Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Flutter Flakes...26º

Looks like a gloomy day ahead...On days like this I just wish it would really snow and get it over with...Instead it spends the entire day making flutter flakes and hiding the sun...Since I have nothing else to complain about I guess the weather will have to do...Herb and I were just talking about how lucky we have been in life and how thankful we are for everyday that we are relatively healthy and that we should not complain about little aches and pains or gloomy weather.

It seems that Cienna is feeling a little left out when her Oma made cinnamon rolls and didn't send her any...Maybe tomorrow I will make another batch and put them in the mail Monday morning...Think it will make her sweeter than she already is?

Enough blathering for one day, here are a couple of photo's from dinner yesterday...Chicken strips, asparagus (probably from Mexico) but it was very good, steamed with garlic, salt and butter and an avocado half, filled with homemade salsa...Not quite an ordinary dinner but very good...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

iPhone

Cannon Elf

Rollin' in the Dough...20º

About 5am I mixed a batch of "sweet roll" dough...This is a soft delicate dough, doesn't need much kneading and really doesn't take long from start to finish...I wanted the dough ready to roll when the "girls", Becky and Jen arrived...They arrived at 8am, almost awake and anxious to get started...Hands were washed and we were ready!...I removed the lid from my big green bowl, let them breath in the aroma of the rising pillow of flour, water, butter, eggs, sugar, salt and yeast, as I said, "This is what you are going to make." The dough was ready, but first we had to get their batches of dough mixed so it could raise (proof) while I demonstrated how to shape dinner rolls and cinnamon rolls...I had rewritten the recipe so that ingredients went into the bowl as listed, first I demonstrated, then watched as they mixed their very own batch of dough...(For me a recipe is but a rough outline, good to have but not set in stone.)About a half hour later, sticky, doughy fingers were cleaning off as the dough began to take shape...A little bacon grease was spread over all and the dough was left to proof.

On a nicely floured surface B & J took turns patting, stretching and rolling the dough (batch I had made earlier) into a rectangle...Softened butter was then spread over the surface...Taking a pizza cutter we cut long strips off the side, then cut them across into small rectangles, folded over and voilà, dinner rolls...The remaining, big rectangle was then covered with brown sugar and liberally sprinkled with cinnamon, rolled into a big long roll, cut across with a bench knife, into cinnamon rolls...Sorry I didn't get photo's of the entire process...We had a little time to wait, so played a few hands of "Five Crowns" and ate a bowl of soup.

The two batches of dough were nicely raised and now B & J got to proceed on their own, making rolls and cinnamon rolls out of the dough they had mixed and kneaded...By 1pm our house on Barton Heights resembled a first class bakery as the rolls came out of the oven and smells of cinnamon had our mouths watering...We had made over 4 dozen cinnamon rolls and 3 dozen dinner rolls...I sent them out the door amid cries of "Thank you and we want to pay you for the ingredients at least." And I said, "No, all the thanks I need is for you to go home and bake!"...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Ready for the oven

Jen's

Becky's

Ready to eat.

Home for the day...24º...Skiff

Little snow overnight, still breezy with snow/rain in the forecast... Thinking about what to have for dinner...Have to makes plan for tomorrow as Becky and Jen are coming to learn how to make dinner rolls and cinnamon rolls...That is actually relaxing for me even though it is work...Much less stressful than our write people as of late...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Snowy Morning...24º

Snow covered tree on the deck

Not very much snow, 2-3 inches...But we again have a winter wonderland outside...As soon as it gets light I will be out "brooming" and shoveling...Forecast says we have rain coming :(.

Today is a regular meeting for Write People and in the afternoon I have an acupuncture treatment...The big read is over for another year, winter sports are drawing to a close (basketball) skiing should still be good at Fergie and maybe the ice rink is still open...Enjoy your day, Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Food and Cards...36º

All kinds of weather yesterday, a good day to stay inside, read, do laundry and make a treat for last nights dinner at Becky and Johns...It was a fun party to celebrate Jen's birthday...lots of food including fresh pineapple, veggies, potato casserole, green beans, chicken bbq'ed and oven fried and rolls...Dessert was ice cream and cinnamon rolls...A rousing game of "Five Crowns" with two tables playing found Pam and Jen the winners.

Today is Presidents Birthday, all banks and state and federal offices are closed...However we still have our monthly book group and I will be the afternoon docent at the Josephy Center.

Weather is breezy, sun peaking through..Life is good on Barton Heights...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Windy...33º

Woke up early to the wind blowing, strong and gusty...Just a dusting of new snow on the ground...We are in for a stretch of winter weather, better now than in May.

Have been invited to John and Becky's for dinner tonight so will make dinner rolls, easy for me and a treat for them...Yesterday Herb and I had our homemade sauerkraut and sausages for dinner...Sauerkraut is so good this year and we have almost finished one 2-quart jar...I have another one waiting in the fridge downstairs.

I'm working on corrections on this months essay, just back from Katey...This month already half over so I have to figure out what I'm sending in next month...That's all from Barton Heights this morning...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Ho-Hum...33º

Rainy, cloudy and dreary describes yesterday...A little brighter this morning but still rain/snow in the forecast...It seems like I spent a good deal of time on the phone or sorting papers...Papers to go to the accountant for our yearly tax appointment...Seemed like hours on the phone (landline) because my cell said no service...Is is time to get a new phone?.. Probably, after restarting, reprograming this one it still says no service.  The technician explained everything, but I'm not sure he knew what he was talking about anymore than I understood what he said...Bobi will do some research for me and then I will make the decision...Life was much simpler before all this electronic stuff!

Got my critique back from Katey so will spend time today going over that and making corrections that she has suggested...Then sort through my other essays for this months project...Nothing on my calendar, so it might just be another ho-hum day here on Barton Heights....Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Get-Away...32º

Having a few problems with my laptop lately and it is a long way (Boise, Portland) to go for help when laptop is an Apple...Did a search and found an authorized dealership in Moscow, Idaho, only 30 miles from Clarkston where we go to a Costco store...I knew that it needed a new battery, so talked to "Tom" at VGH and got him to order a battery, call us when it arrived and we would be in Moscow the following day...His call came Wednesday afternoon and Herb said "Lets go today, we can get there before they close and back to Costco, then home."...Didn't sound like much fun to me..."Why don't I see if I can get us a room at the Quality Inn, where we always stay in Lewiston, spend the night and go to Moscow on Thursday?" He agreed...An hour later we were on the road...Did most of our Costco shopping before checking into the motel...Saw a special Wednesday "Happy Hour" was on-going in the lounge, so we took advantage of the half price appetizers for our dinner, included a discounted glass of wine each...Walked by the desk back to our room just as the cookies came out of the oven, yum, dessert and in bed before 10pm...Up early, had coffee in our room and soon were seated in the dinning room as this motel gives you coupons for a free (off the menu, not continental) breakfast...Any breakfast from cold cereal and yogurt, $3.95 to chicken fried steak, $12.95 was ours for the asking...Herb settled for biscuits and gravy, I had pancakes, eggs and sausage (shared with Herb).

Arrived in Moscow as the store opened (repair shop, plus a mini apple store)...We window shopped for the next 2 hours while Tom ran all sorts of diagnostics...Now I have a new battery and a checked out computer...Tom said "It looks good, let me know if you have other problems." Back to Clarkston/Lewiston where we stopped again at Costco for our cold stuff and then to Red Lobster for dinner...Home about 5pm, unloaded and in bed at 8pm...It was a fun little trip!

Cienna is swimming in their District swim meet today and tomorrow, asking everyone to give her a little extra push and maybe she will improve her time a second or two...Go Girl Go....Hugs to all...OWAV:)

View of Lewiston coming back from Moscow

A peak of the Wallowa Mts. (Snow Hollow Hill)

Almost home again

Fly Away...40º

Cienna has posted on FaceBook and written her blog, the official news: Barring unforeseen circumstances, she will in August 2014, be winging her way to Thailand to spend her junior year as a Rotary Foreign Exchange Student...The scope of this is hard for me to fathom...She and her parents have taken a great leap of faith as she prepares for this journey and we her grandparents are along for the ride...Offering our support in any way possible...She started on this journey almost a year ago when she applied for an exchange, was chosen and they (her family) have spent the past year jumping through all the hoops to make it happen...Where to go?..(Europe, Asia, South America, Mexico, India and others) was of utmost importance when she started, but then she concentrated more on the "experience" no matter what part of the world she might land in...In the end she let the Rotary Committee place her...In another month or so she will find out where in Thailand, she will live...Start corresponding with her host family (she can have one or up to three before the year is over) through emails and learn all she can about the country before she boards the plane...We are all excited, scared, proud and full of questions as our minds sort through the mind boggling ramifications of the year ahead...She is young and has been encouraged to follow her dreams...To dream big and work hard to make them come true...Her parents have given her opportunities, love, encouragement and support in what ever she choses to do...In other words they are the "Wind Beneath Her Wings"...So Fly Cienna, Fly Away, only to return home a different person but still our sweet, smart, lovable, kind and compassionate "Girl."....Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Sunny, no new snow...20º

We have sunshine here on Barton Heights this morning, no new snow...Warm temps yesterday 40º, settled the snow and melted to bare ground on sidewalks and shoveled parts of the deck...Possible snow "showers" today or maybe rain.

I've been very lazy for the last two days, resting up after a few busy days coming into the weekend... Another docent stint is on my agenda today as one of our team is laid up with a broken shoulder.

Haven't heard if Cienna is on her way home today or still waiting out the storm in Eastern Oregon...Schools are still canceled in Portland so she isn't missing any classes...More photos of our winter wonderland...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

More Snow...30º

Slept til after 7am this morning and awoke to a snow globe world...About 4" over night and still snowing at 9am...This is what we have been wishing for, we need that snow pack in the mountains.

Yesterday worked well for me as I continued prepping food for last nights opening at the Josephy Center...Work awhile then take a break and work on my essay...Continued through the day...When Pam F. arrived late afternoon I had everything on platters and ready to go except for the sandwiches... We soon had six dozen small sandwiches with turkey or ham with cheese, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, sprouts and assorted mustards, mayos etc. made and ready to go...Money from our Write People "fund" will go to help defray the cost of tonights spread.

3 doz. choc. cake bites

4 doz. cookies

Veggie tray

1 doz. deviled eggs

2 lg. trays of sandwiches

A lovely collection of art was on display at the JC, featuring couple's art, all from local people...Spent a fun evening visiting with friends and making sure that the food table was kept full and looking nice...Wish I had a photo of the entire spread as members of the Josephy Board also contributed more food to the table.

Time for me to get dressed and go play in the snow...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

More Events...19º & 1" snow

Coen Brothers remake of True Grit was on at the JC last night...Arrived in time to help make popcorn before we settled in to watch the movie as the "Big Read" is winding down...Two events are left with the battle of the books on Sunday and the Grand Finale February 16th, at the Hurricane Creek Grange...Sandwiched in between these programs is opening night of Sweethearts at the Josephy Center.

I enjoyed this movie, I think, more than the original...It seemed to move faster and seemed a little more believable...Although Mattie Ross spent a couple of scenes in the water and never seemed to get wet or cold...I closed my eyes through the snake scene as I knew what was coming and saw no reason to endure...I like endings that give closure and wrap things up, which I thought this did a better job.

Today I will prepare food for tonights opening at JC...Have cookies and chocolate cake already made...eggs boiled and peeled, the start of deviled eggs, sandwich makings and veggies (for a tray) ready in the fridge...Have to finish editing another short essay then will send 15 pages winging their way through cyber space to Katey...This said, guess I better get out of my jammies and get moving...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Blooming Orchid...-3º

It is nice on these cold winter mornings to have at least one bloom in the house...An orchid I bought about two years ago was blooming when I brought it home and sprouted a new baby plant...So last fall I repotted the mother plant and put the baby plant beside it in the same pot...Mama quickly died but baby flourished and soon put up a bloom stem...It couldn't have bloomed at at better time than these cold Jan/Feb days of 2014.

News from our Portland "Girls"...The Girl is embarking on another adventure this weekend...A much anticipated trip for Cienna to Eastern Oregon with other Rotary exchange students...A long bus ride will take them to Cove's Ascension camp, their base for the next 3 days...A side trip to Anthony Lakes ski area where Cienna will try snow boarding for the first time...Most important she will also find out the name of the country where her Rotary exchange will take her...Hugs to all...OWAV:)

Brrrr...6º

Temperatures are staying cold for the next few days, below 0º tonight...I just looked back at last year and on 2/5/13 it was balmy and 30º but on 2/8/13 we had 8" of snow...We were getting ready to leave for Utah/Arizona...This year we will leave for Florida in March for a week, then on to DC for a few days.

We had a little snow over night with more in the forecast...Usually when it is this cold the snow doesn't amount to much...Yesterday I "broomed" snow off of the deck and porches while Herb did our driveway and Barton Heights neighbors, with the 4-wheeler...It was cold and invigorating!

Acupuncture with Amy yesterday left me totally wiped out...Barely stayed awake until 7pm...Slept for 7 hours, made a trip to the bathroom, then slept for another 2 hours...Feeling rested :), thanks Amy.

Will make bread today and mix cookie dough to chill, before baking cookies on Friday morning for the "Couples" opening at the Josephy Center...Plan to also make deviled eggs and sandwiches...I have enlisted Pam to help me Friday afternoon/evening as WP are busy with other commitments...Stay warm...Hugs to all...OWAV:)

7"--Fluffy Snow...14º

It lived up to its promise of snow, most of the day yesterday and on through the night...However when the temperature is in the teens the snow is more like frost...Several inches of the frosty fluff accumulated over night...I took this photo out the back door last night before I went to bed...It looked like thousands of feathers floating to the ground.

Click to get a better view

Write People is on the agenda today, then home to revise another essay to send to Katey for this months submission...Also I will be making cookies and other snacks for the Friday night opening of the "Couples Art" display for February...Making/prepping stuff ahead will make my Friday much easier...Hugs to all from a snowy Barton Heights, maybe I will go sweep some snow and get some fresh air...OWAV:)

Brrr

Snowy morning

Looking toward town

Super Bowl...19º

Super Bowl Sunday came and went without much notice at our house...The usual Sunday laundry took up the morning and bread baking the afternoon...We had breakfast for dinner (ham and eggs with sliced fresh pear)...I googled the SB at half time and found the score very lop sided so were not disappointed that we might be missing something...A sunny day turned cloudy late evening and 1-2 inches of snow fell overnight.

Got a call last night from friend and fellow docent Bev, who fell and broke her arm/shoulder over the weekend...So I will be filling in for her at the Josephy Center this afternoon...I have an 8am appointment this morning with Kathy to have my teeth cleaned and a trip to the grocery store after that...Maybe a quick stop at Soroptomists to cruise their basement for bargains...Supposed to snow off and on all day, looks like a winter wonderland on Barton Heights this morning...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Crabby...25º

A fun evening with friends, old and new...Everyone was in a crabby mood or at least in the mood to eat crab...The Elgin Crab Feed is famous in Eastern Oregon for its, all you can eat crab, fresh caught on the Oregon coast...Cracked and then transported across the state that same day to be served family style, help yourself to all you can eat...There is nothing fancy about the setting as it is held in the rustic "Stampede Room" at the Elgin Rodeo Grounds and is their main fund raiser for the year...Long tables set up, paper plates, plastic spoons and forks, styrofoam cups for either water or coffee...Large bowls of crab meat, cole slaw, potato salad, baked beans and warm garlic bread line the center of the tables...We waited in line for nearly a half hour before getting in the door, then waited again as we watched the first "wave" of people finish eating...As seven chairs were vacated volunteers replaced their plates with clean ones and seated us at the table...We helped ourselves to crab and side dishes, again and again...More food just kept coming as busy volunteers moved from table to table making sure no one had to wait for a second or third helping...We visited over the noise of the crowd taking in all the activity and catching a glimpse of other people from Wallowa County, who had traveled the 50 miles to eat crab...All I saw was people smiling and groaning but not a crab in the bunch!...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Pot Pies...26º

Down memory lane this morning, I go back in time over 40 years ago...We lived in Utah before moving to Oregon...Herb was always on fire call and during the summer could be gone from home for days or even weeks...A vacation for us left behind...I took time away from cooking and we all got a break from meat and potatoes...In Utah from 1966 to 1973 our favorite was a little "Arctic Circle" just a block from our house, where we could each have a hamburger, fries and a milk shake for $2.00...Mac and cheese from a box with wieners another speciality....In Oregon we often went shopping for Banquet meat pies, each picking our favorite..."Meat" pies was a misnomer as usually the meat consisted of itty bitty chunks of tough gristle swimming in gravy with small pieces of carrot and peas...But fresh out of the oven, burning our tongues on the first bite, the crust was crusty and rich, we were in heaven...We branched out as the kids got older, going to the "Gold Room" in Joseph, for homemade soup and pie, sometimes a baked potato with butter/sour cream/bacon bits (think big) and a cup of soup...The "Snack Shack" in Enterprise had the best burgers or "Russell's" at the lake with outdoor seating and real fries was another choice...Then "Toma's" opened in Enterprise with their burgers so juicy that you needed a bib...Aaah those were the days.

Sorry I got off of the subject just a little...Yesterday's dinner had me scratching my head, what to fix?...A small amount of leftover turkey and gravy was in the fridge and turkey soup sounded good...As I rummaged through the freezer for veggies and broth, I found a frozen round of pie crust dough and the light bulb went off...In all these years I have never made a pot pie from scratch...I could have ignored all the leftovers and sent Herb to the store for pot pies (I hear Swanson's is better than Banquet) but no it would be much more fun to make my own...Three hours later, dishes piled in the sink, flour dusted everywhere (just kidding) I fixed our plates...My version of "Turkey Pot Pies...I was having so much fun that I rescued another round of pie dough and frozen apples and we had apple pie for dessert...I better finish up I think Herb is eating apple pie for breakfast...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Pie in its own little tin

Cooling on the plate

Yummy