Octobers End...52º

52º and I'm wondering what the temp will do today...Halloween in our neck of the woods is notorious for cold, rain, wind and many times snow...Little kids decked out in costumes and then bundled up in winter coats to keep warm while they "Trick or Treat"...Parents standing in the background with thoughts of a warm house, finally say, "You have enough candy for this year, it is time to go home!" We get a trickle of "trick or treaters" living on our deadend street with just a few houses, so normally I pop up a big batch of popcorn and portion it into baggies for our treats...I like giving something besides sugar and also Herb and I have no problem getting rid of the leftovers.

I ended water therapy yesterday and now progress to "Stage 2" where I will do the water exercises on my own (in a class) twice a week, getting some exercise and still working on my knee.

For lunch yesterday Bobi fixed yummy tomato soup and we enjoyed a visit with friend Margaret, taking the soup and garlic bread to her house...We spent the afternoon finishing the "project" just in time for Bobi to make the trip back to Portland...It has been a short but good visit with sunny days, laughter, food, conversation and love!..Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Flash Back Friday....

Ci visiting the goat farm in Joseph, 2010

Renewing her visa in Thailand

 for 3 more months, 2014

More Sunshine/Chocolate...45º

A chocolate fix and a couple of hours of visiting made the morning speed by...It was quiet when we arrived at Arrowhead Chocolates where we ordered lattes/mochas and tasted the samples of an orange truffle surrounded by dark chocolate...It was sublime and the company of friends only added to it.

Back home Bobi and I kept busy on the "project" for a few hours, before I fixed our dinner of Philly cheese sandwiches and salad for dinner...Evening again was spent on the project and before bed I set my computer to download the new operating system "Yosemite..." All is loaded this morning and everything seems to be working fine...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Captured by the Sunshine...40º

Water therapy wears me out and makes me hungry....While I was at therapy Bobi visited soroptomist and shopped for a few groceries at Safeway...Back home we snacked on turkey noodle soup and she started on a sewing project and I a key lime pie...It was supposed to be cool, cloudy, possible rain...A perfect day for indoor activities...Taking a short break we followed the dogs outside to find it was warm, sunny and beautiful...Bob started taking photos so I followed suit, then we sat soaking up the sun and decided our projects could wait...By late afternoon it started to cool off and our dinner was soon on the table...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Yesterdays sky

Shrimp Stir Fry

Key Lime Pie

The Girls Arrived...30º

Two instead of three, seemed kind of strange...I know Cienna is in Thailand but in my head, when the black Volvo drove in the driveway, she would be in her usual place like always...As a wee girl she would be strapped in the back, car seat facing backward, waiting for Oma to unbuckle the strap...Then as the years moved on she graduated to ride shotgun for her mother as they made the long trek from Portland...She was in charge of changing DVD's as they listened to their latest book and calling Oma and Papa, giving updates as to where they were and when we could expect them.

Yesterday we received a call as Bobi left Portland, then Boardman and last stop Elgin before arriving in Joseph...Ginger bounded out of the car, happy to be free, we hugged Bobi and unloaded the car...We talked nonstop, Bobi brought us gifts of handknit stockings for our Birthday presents, We looked over the new baby lock serger and a project she has been working on...I've known forever that we needed to enjoy each of Ci's visits because as is normal as kids get older they get busier and spend less time with grandparents...That time has arrived and Cienna's named cropped up many times in our conversation but we are moving on, changing gears, as life changes and we adapt...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

I know I've posted this photo but I like it!

Frosty Morning...29º

Technical problems...Jim from eoni to the rescue...Now both Herb and I are able to send and receive email once more...With chat, texting and FaceTime I only use email occasionally now, but glad to have both of these accounts up and running again...More tech problems with scrabble on iphones and iPads turned out to be a problem apple created when they added ios8, they now have an update and it seems to be working again.

Bobi text us about 30 minutes ago and said she is on her way, guess I better get a roast in the oven so we can eat when she arrives...Looking forward to her visit...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Windy-Windy...40º

I have always liked the warm gentle winds of spring or fall but I don't like the the hard, gusty winds that seem to be a part of life on Barton Heights...Normally they come in the fall and before we insulated, replaced the old windows and reroofed our old house, it rattled and shook bad enough that Bobi and Rusty vacated their bedrooms for the living room sofa/floor, anywhere but upstairs...The winds of the passed couple of days originated in Hurricane Creek Canyon (I think)...They would start with a low roar, far away, building to a loud crescendo as they arrived, then the house would rattle and shake on its foundation and Herb and I cozy in our chairs waited for it to die down.

I went to the music program at the Josephy Center last night and the wind was still howling and gusting, sometimes so loud that it drowned out the performers...This morning it is calm and still, sun peeking through...Maybe the wind has worn itself out for this year!..Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Slow to move...37º

Photos of Joseph's Main Street in the fall.

More rain overnight, foggy early, then cleared for a pretty sunrise bringing out the fall colors across the road from our house...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

TGIF to FBF...39º

In retirement, fridays don't matter...Maybe that is why someone came up with Flash back Friday...Whatever, it works for me.

But first I will do Thursday...Water Therapy yesterday morning left me tired and hungry...Herb and I ate leftover spaghetti when I got home as Pam and Becky were coming for dinner last night...It was a fun night with our "other girls" as we caught up on their lives over wine and dinner...A friendship that has endured for over 25 years, since Becky was only 7 years old...They arrived with flowers and a gift certificate for Arrowhead Chocolates for my birthday, maybe they know me too well!..We have packed a lot into the years gone by, including hot tub parties, road trips to the Oregon Coast and the Redwoods, Silver Wood amusement park, family birthday celebrations, holiday dinners, BBQ's, trips into the forest hunting the illusive huckleberries and firewood and the biggest trip of all when we toured Australia for 3 weeks...No flashback photos just recent photos.

Pam

Becky

Now lets see what Cienna was doing 16 years ago and what she did last week in Thailand...Hugs to Cienna, Pam and Becky...OWAV:)

Spoon fed at Oma and Papa's

Having dinner with friends at

 Wine Connection-Bistro Mega Bangna in Thailand

Windy...53º

Internet conection is very spotty due to the wind...Wishing everyone a wonderful day...I'll be back tomorrow....Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Birthday Reflection...36º

My birthday started off with me in a mad scurry to make my dental appointment on time...I always schedule Monday or Tuesday at 8am (I'm usually done in time to make Soroptomist's opening at 9am) and several months ago didn't even think of the significance of this day, and as it got closer I thought about changing it, but didn't...I also had a water therapy appt. scheduled at 10am...Long story short, teeth cleaning, xrays, meeting new dentist (looks like he should still be in high-school) all took longer than usual...I have been putting of having a "cracked crown" replaced for about two years but now I've been asked to bite the bullet and get it plus another one replaced...GRRRRR...I had other plans for that money but my teeth are more important, so set up the appts for December.

I relaxed at water therapy as Pat was there with theapist Ann and she and Aaron make us work hard but we also have fun...A brief stop at Safeway and Soroptomist finished the morning.

Something I haven't mentioned on my blog is my lost car keys...Saturday morning found me ready for my getaway and Herb reached for my car keys to get the car out and load it for me..."Della, where are your keys?" "Where they always are in the front pocket of my bag." NOT...I used his keys and reassured him that they would turn up, not to worry...But we did worry, he searched, I made phone calls, to no avail...Soooo, yesterday I got home after noon and checked FB, email etc and alway check the trading post for Wallowa County on FB...I exclaimed "Those are my KEYS!" Herb looked at me like I had lost my mind (not unusual) and said, "What, Where?" "Someone found them and turned them into the local radio station KWVR, and they posted them on the trading post," said I...Whew, what a relief.

Pat and Brian invited us for my Birthday dinner to their cabin by Wallowa Lake...It was a lovely evening and delicious food...Special friends making memories...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Birthday Special...45º

1942, our World was at war, my parents had survived the Great Depression, lost a baby boy to pneumonia (before penicillin) already had four mouths to feed four other children and were struggling on a new farm to make ends meet...A new baby on the way probably wasn't the most joyous news...One consolation was that 50-50 chance that I would be a boy and that would make everyone happy...Mom told me many times in later years that upon my birth, none of my siblings would look at me and wanted to send me back...Of course as a newborn I had no idea that all of these issues surrounded my birth, so being a good natured "child" from the get go, I gurgled and cooed my way into their hearts and have never felt unloved or unwanted...My sister Barbara told me a few months ago that I was the "best mistake" our parents ever made...Hmmmm...wasn't sure how to take that but finally decided it was a complement...Always trying to look on the positive side.

I certainly can't complain about my life...Growing up on a farm, parents and siblings who grew to love me, made it though high school with only mild trauma, met and married into a family who soon grew to love me, have two children and a granddaughter who also claim they love me and a husband who not only does yard work for me but vacuums and does the laundry on a regular basis, so he must love me...Not to mention all the friends that overlook my minor flaws and love me as well...With that said...Hugs and Love to all of you on my Birthday...OWAV:)

What a Trip...43º

Continued from yesterday....After lunch and catching up on Leita's news at the Lone Pine Cafe in Baker City, Pat and I went our own way to do a little window shopping, checking out the Geyser Grand, Bellas and the Ice cream shop...YUM...Before checking into the Best Western when we caught up on "computering" and unwound for a few...Out for a light dinner, a pizza place sounded good with a nice assortment of salads...Salad was wonderful, the ravioli so so.

I have to back up a bit here as on Saturday when we arrived in the Baker Valley we went straight to the Oregon Trail Interpretive center which we were able to tour for over an hour...Both of us had been there before but still marvel at what an extraordinary exhibit this is and how over the years they have maintained the quality and added more exhibits as well.

Sunday morning we were eating the special breakfast at the motel restaurant, bacon, eggs, pancakes and coffee...It was very good and inexpensive to boot!...With the help of "Siri" (never tried this before) we made record time from Baker to Richland, where Leita met us and led us to her house for a tour before we left for her family cabin a few miles out of Halfway...She introduced us to Steve and his club cab truck for our ride into the mountains...I told Steve he might need a front end loader to get me in the truck but he was quick to pull our a set of steps to help Pat and I climb in, this guy is quite a gentleman!..After a bumpy ride up the mountain, through a small creek we arrived in a quiet, serene spot at a rustic one-room cabin...We spent the next two hours visiting, admiring the view as we sat next to a meandering stream (creek/crick) and shared wine, crackers and cheese...All too soon our time was up and Pat and I were again on the road heading back to Wallowa County...A quick stop at WalMart and another in Wallowa to pick up ribs for dinner, we were home before dark...Thanks Steve and Leita for a wonderful day and added memories...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Leita's new door in the old house

3 of us

Leita looking out the cabin loft

The bed hammock 

Steve and Leita

Greetings from Baker City...

Awake early as the bathroom is calling...Snuggled back into the motel bed, hoping for a few more winks...I had slept well so wasn't surprised that I was wide awake...with my iPhone i was able to check email, facebook and surf the web. By 6am other guests were banging doors, starting cars and running water...nothing to do but figure out the coffee pot.

We had a great day yesterday visited with Leita over lunch and will go to her home today to see her cabin and new/old house...continued tomorrow. Hugs to all OWAV:)

Get A Way...43º

Yard sales on Friday morning, that should wind up the season...Spent the rest of the day home, made an apple pie and pared and sliced two more bags of apples for the freezer, fixed oven chicken, potatoes and carrots for our dinner.

Fixed a fruit and cheese platter and mini cinnamon rolls for last nights reading by Molly Gloss at the Josephy Center...It was another beautiful fall day.

Pat and I are leaving this morning for a two day "girls" get away...We will meet Leita in Baker City for lunch, visit the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center and who knows what else?..Must get packed...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Flashback Friday...34º

We continue Cienna's Journey...A wee little one sound asleep on Oma and Papa's sofa before she was even a year old...Bobi and Stan have always encouraged Cienna to broaden her horizons and they have been generous in sharing her with us, the grandparents...Now they have granted her the freedom to really spread her wings as she nears the 3 month mark, on a years journey to Thailand...Hug To Cienna...OWAV:)

Maybe 6 months

Now at sixteen

Rain Yesterday...33º

Yesterdays soaking rain put me in the mood to bake...Sourdough starter had been fed for three days and had now risen to the top of its container...By 8am all ingredients were measured into the Bosch mixer and then kneaded for ten minutes...The soft, elastic dough, set to rise in a warm spot...Since the mixer was now "dirty" with dough, why not mix a small batch of sweet dough for cinnamon rolls...While at Costco last week, I looked at their baked goods and the bite-sized cinnamon rolls caught my eye...Just right for an event at the Josephy Center and I should be able to recreate them, I thought...I knew it would be touch and go to have all this done and make it to play cards by 1pm...I was on a roll, the kitchen was warm and both kinds of dough were cooperating.

Making tiny cinnamon rolls is more difficult and time consuming than making big ones...The clock was ticking down and bread and cinnamon rolls were taking turns in the oven, while I stirred up the frosting...I knew Herb could finish the baking if need be and maybe even do the frosting...I took the last pan of rolls out of the oven at 12:30...Six loaves of bread and two pans of tiny rolls and one pan of large rolls were cooling on the racks....Whew!

I had a fun afternoon playing cards and arrived home just in time to go to Dr. Underhills retirement dinner...Herb had bagged the bread for the freezer, cinnamon rolls were all iced and only a few had been sampled, what a guy...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

The sample pan of mini's.

Back in the Pool...48º

Water Therapy made possible by a donation from a local family started about two months ago at the Eagles View hotel in Enterprise...It is administered by our local hospital's Physical Therapy staff...Wallowa county's only indoor pool (that's right, sad to say we do not have a community swimming pool.) has, in past years, been used for water aerobics and kids swimming lessons...Yesterday I had my first Water Therapy session, still trying to rehabilitate my knee from orthoscopic surgery 2 years ago.

The hour flew by as Aaron and I picked up our conversation where we left off 3 weeks ago at my last regular PT appointment...We never seem to run out of conversation about my gardening, canning and his family...He is also busy helping his last two patients (both using walkers) making sure they get to the changing rooms and out to their cars...The pool is warm and relaxing as he straps 5# weights to each of my legs and with the bouyancy of the water and swim noodles, I easily move back and forth across the pool exercising my legs...I have appts. set up for the next three weeks, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Exercising in a pool is not new to me as in the late 80's Herb and I both started water aerobics in a private pool (Lockes) and went faithfully for 2 summers...Then in the early 90's I continued at the Eagle Cap Chalet (another indoor pool, rebuilt now into an outdoor pool) at a motel at the lake...And finally in the 2000's at the Best Western (now Eagles View) I attended classes for several years...Have always loved exercising in the water and realize its many benefits...Enough on this subject I have sour dough rising and card playing on todays agenda, plus a farewell dinner this evening for Dr Underhill, our dentist for the last 40 years...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

OH The "Lovely" Wind...56º

Woke up early morning with the wind gusting, then calm, just long enough to doze off when another gust rattled the windows and wind chimes and upset flower pots on the front porch...Gave up on sleeping at 3:30 and got up to start the coffee machine, do scrabble, cruise Facebook and read a short blog from Cienna...She is alive and well, having the time of her life in Thailand but having problems loading her photo's onto her computer.

Yesterday morning I worked outside redoing a flowerbed after Rusty dug out an old stump and Herb loaded and dumped two wheelbarrow loads of fresh dirt...I transplanted a few coneflowers and beebalm and have daffodil bulbs to plant this morning...My afternoon was spent as a docent at the Josephy Center.

I have my first "water therapy" session this morning...Trying this out on my knee, twice a week for the next three weeks, in hopes it will help to make it more stable...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Photo for today is of a Catfaced Spider residing on our deck..

Costco Run...40º

Waking up at 3:30am on Sunday morning and looking ahead at the coming week, my mind mulled over making a trip to Lewiston/Clarkston...Herb had been saying our list was growing.

7am we were on our way.

Not much color on the hillsides

Dry mountain

Shopping done...Dinner at Red Lobster and on our way back home about 2pm...It was a lovely warm, sunny day...Both of us "pooped and happy to be home...Bedtime was early...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Bushes changing color

Clouds covering the Wallowa Mountains

Sentimental Sunday...Hamming It Up...48º

From the time Cienna was a wee girl, she enjoyed making people laugh...Never self conscious about herself or how she might look, she was game to make people smile as she played a part or was just "Hamming it up..."As we sit in Joseph on this lovely autumn day we reminisce about Ci and her antics...Hugs To Cienna...OWAV:)

Little Miss Bucket Head

Acrobatics on the air mattress

More fun playing in the box than with the presents

Hamming up with Mom

Halfway around the world she is still at it.

Rain in the forecast...37º

Cloudy, cooler weather this morning...Wondering if it will be warm enough to work outside or if I bite the bullet and stay inside to clean, bake or tackle the pile of mending that I have saved for a rainy day?

Had an enjoyable evening at FishTrap Fireside last night...Fellow members of the Write People read at "open mic" from their collection of essays and/or poems...It was a good crowd for the first reading of the season, fire in the fireplace crackling and popping as writers, read their works...An abundance of snacks in the kitchen got people moving around, visiting with friends old and new, a good way to spent a warm fall evening...Hugs To All...OWAV:)Photos, thanks to Pat and Brian.

Kathy

Janie

Katherine

Evelyn

Pat

Letdown...37º

Always a letdown when a family visit comes to an end...Mostly I just want to sit and stare into space, thinking about how lucky we are to have "children" who want to come home, be a part of our lives, help in our many chores, before leaving to continue with their own lives...We do appreciate them!

Rusty did our selfie before leaving.

Yesterday I had too many things staring me in the face to sit so I got busy with some cleanup, then for the first time ever I roasted chilis under the broiler, let them steam in a plastic bag (got instructions from Bobi) then chunked them up to freeze for use this winter...Ground beef/deer was thawed in the fridge, so I made my usual meatloaf and fixed stuffed peppers for dinner...Since I had an afternoon of playing cards ahead of me I covered the meatloaf and peppers with plastic, wrote baking temp and time on the plastic and left it for Herb to cook, then he could eat his dinner when he got hungry and mine was waiting for me when I got home...It was yummy even warmed up.

Card playing was fun and I think I improve each time...Marsha patiently waited as I counted my own meld instead of me relying on her quick mental calculations...She can do it so fast, it makes my head spin!..I actually took the bid twice and was on the winning side with each of my three partners, as we moved around the table with each game.

I didn't get near enough done yesterday and have plans this evening to attend the FishTrap Fireside where members of the Write People will be reading...Must get moving...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Bush Whacker...40ª

Cookies baked by 8am, Rusty outside pruning the apple tree...Next came the lilacs, and we have quite a few, that is where the bush whacking came in...It was all Herb and I could do to keep up as Rusty used the loppers and hand saw, the lilacs fell to the ground...We piled them on tarps and pulled them to the brush pile...We finished about 11am and I said, "time to rest" Russ said no, "time to eat." Breakfast became brunch and showers were next on the agenda...Things look a little bare around here now, but next spring the lilacs will leaf out with renewed vigor.

We spent time on the deck, Rusty added more camping stuff to his already loaded truck and late afternoon we ate fresh beef heart, cleaned the fridge of leftovers, more time on the deck before playing cards until bedtime.

Now it is morning and and Rusty is loaded and ready to depart on his 3 week hunting trip in Idaho...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Slaughter/beef...48º

Early morning phone call reminding us that it is the day to butcher beef and ask, "Do we want tails, tongues, liver or hearts?"..Dale (the slaughter guy) will be in Wallowa at 7am this morning at the Harshfield Ranch to process 4 steers...It is a busy day so we divided up the jobs...Herb will go to Wallowa to get the fresh "by products", Rusty isn't going to Idaho until tomorrow so he will stay and start pruning the other apple tree and I will also stay here and bake the second batch of cookies...Fresh beef heart is on tonights menu.

Yesterday was another beautiful fall day in Imnaha, where the Write People met for soup and potluck in celebration of Birthdays, at Janies cabin on Big Sheep Creek...When we arrived a "bug hatch" was in full force...Yes, the air was literally full of tiny critters, so many that we opted to stay inside to read and later when they had thinned out we were able to eat outside...A visit to the Magic Garden before we left found us gleening tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers and tomatilla's...It was a beautiful day with friends.

Back home, cookie dough was chilled and waiting to be baked and a batch of chocolate chip dough in the making...Soon the baking cookie smell overpowered the drying garlic smell...Hmmmm...We sat on the deck to enjoy another Indian summer day...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Sunflowers

A pile of peppers.

The List...50º

More things crossed off the list yesterday...12 rows of garlic in the ground...Bush apricot tree and forsythia pruned and all the branches picked up...One dryer full of garlic should be ready to take out this morning and another batch ready to peel, slice and go into the dryer....Our house is very odoriferous.

Using up leftovers and new veggies yesterday, I had a batch of pie crust made in no time and soon the pot pies were bubbling and browning in the oven...Added a green salad and dinner was ready...Rusty's comment was "I liked the apple/huckleberry pie better..."Well of course who wouldn't but we can't eat fruit pie everyday.

We harvested our small grape crop a few days ago and have them on the counter for snacks and to add to our green salads...The grapes are sweet and sour all at the same time, a real treat.

Good Grapes!

Write People are meeting at Janies cabin on Big Sheep Creek today...Looks like a lovely day for that outing...I will leave Herb and Rusty here to fend for themselves...Herb doing garlic, Rusty getting more stuff ready for his hunting trip and maybe leaving tomorrow and won't be back until November...He might even get the other apple tree pruned before he leaves....Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Getting things done...45º

Our big apple tree is well pruned, potatoes harvested (not a very big crop but what we have are clean and scab free.) I made potato salad out of the tiny ones for our dinner, so yummy...Have the garlic separated and counted out for 12 rows of 20 each, ready to plant this morning...In the meantime the pungent smell of garlic permeates the house as Herb and Rusty peel garlic before putting it through the slicer on the cuisinart, then into the food dryer for a day and back in the cuisinart to chop into powder for use all winter...Thanks to neighbor Dave, we have a new kind of garlic to plant...He shared 4 heads of "Music" (name of the garlic) each head has 4 huge cloves so we will plant that in a row of 16, (included in our 12 rows.)

We had a nice sunrise this morning but by the time I tiptoed my way out the walk and across our little foot bridge it had faded away...Oh well another day...Hugs To All...OWAV:)