New Additions...52º

Our days have been filled with sunshine and mostly blue skies...We get thunder clouds building up West over the Wallowa Mountains and East over the Seven Devils and maybe someplaces in our vast county, they are getting showers, but not here in Joseph...Our garden flourishes as everything loves the warm sun and our drip lines keep things well watered...The asparagus is now growing tall, turning into ferny stalks for the summer...Green onions and radishes appear on our plates at dinner time...Grapes and raspberries are blooming and the garlic is shooting up scapes.

Our flower gardens are bursting forth with columbine, peonies, and poppies...Lilacs are fading, yellow roses are in full bloom and the apples, plums and apricots are setting fruit...Now starts the struggle to keep the weeds at bay, while keeping everything else watered and flourishing.

We joined Becky and Pam on Saturday to attend the wedding of our acupuncturist...We have all gotten to know Jamie over the past year and along with their many friends and relatives we wished them a long and happy life...It was a full day of celebrating, but Herb and I returned home after the ceremony and left the young people to party.

While FTing with Bobi last week, she said, "Mom if you see kittens looking for a new home, "snag" us a couple, preferably a boy and a girl."...Yesterday found us driving 20 miles, choosing two kittens, stopping for food and litter, and got back home without incident...They had managed to get out of the box in the back of the subaru and roam around, meowing all the way, finally one sitting on the back headrest, surveying the passing scenery and the other snuggled down in a blanket, sleeping...We now have them secured in the back room with a big box bed, food, water and litter box (all the comforts of home) where they seem very content, eating, sleeping, pooping and playing...No problems overnight and we will continue to expand their territory as well as cuddle and play with them until our "girls" arrive to take them home...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Columbine

Poppiest

Bouquet

Cole and Gracie (names until Bobi and Ci pick names that fit.)

It was a good day...50º

June 10th, a quiet day, a day like many others...We worked outside in the cool of the morning, then sat on the deck taking a break, taking in our amazing view and giving thanks for this quiet life...Chatted on FaceTime with Bobi, then onto other things, like mowing, watering and weeding...A joint effort was made to put dinner on the table...Sauteed shrimp, finger steaks and a huge green salad, simple but delicious...Life is good, here on Barton Heights, as we start on our 59th year together...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

So many photos not on the computer, but enough here to tell the story!

It started

Til death do us part

Alaskan Cruise

My 70th 

Hawaii

Phoenix

A parting shot.

Our family vacationing on the Oregon Coast

Cover Dale (on the Imnaha)

The prospect of a day away was too good to turn down...Saturday morning found Herb and I taking one of our favorite drives, on the 39 road...We have traveled this road for 46 years and called it, the Wallowa Mountain Loop Road...When we first moved here in 1973, we took many trips over this road (it was only partially paved and a main road for hauling logs, from "the woods" to the local sawmill...This road was a shorter route to the snake river, where we boated, fished, and water skied in the warm waters of Brownlie, and Oxbow Dams...If we continued beyond the Snake River, we ended up in Council, Idaho and the home of Herbs Dad and our kids grandfather, where they spent time each summer, keeping him company...A summer vacation for them away from home.

Sorry I get carried away with the memories, back to yesterday...Herb drove the winding road, surrounded by mountains and trees, with every shade of green imaginable and all kinds of weather...We had been invited to a day of warmth, leisure and food at Cover Dale, where Richard has his trailer set up for the summer, where he not only works for the Forest Service but is a campground host as well...The sun broke through about 1pm and the smell of wood smoke and burgers cooking called to us...With the sun at our backs, it was warm enough to enjoy each others' company at the picnic table and a delicious burger, perfectly cooked, and all the trimmings!

Pam and I took a short drive to Hells Canyon Overlook, where I could get photos, then back to the camping spot, where we celebrated Herb's birthday with a cherry pie...Then it was time to follow the winding road back home...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

View from the picnic table

Into Hells Canyon

Off to the Wallowas (I think)

The following are all wildflowers, but I haven't kept up on the names, but I do love looking at them!

Front Porch...52º

Time was, when most houses had a front porch...We are lucky to have a house like that and although we don't use the porch a lot, it certainly adds character and charm to our little abode...The last few years I've come up with a combination of geraniums, house plants and wooden chairs, that make it very inviting...When I get them all in place, it means summer time is here...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Llamas Are Here...51º

It has been a week of thunder showers, cloud bursts and wonderful sunshine...The clouds are slowly moving out, leaving us with sunny days and warm nights, perfect growing weather...The garden is as planted as it is going to get, garlic will soon be sending up scapes, onions are growing like crazy, radishes are showing red and the hay bale gardening is still an experiment, don't think I will try that again...Fruit trees are done blooming, daffodils are done for the year, trolius and lilacs are putting on a show, poppies and peonies are budded, waiting their turn...Herb is mowing lawns twice a week...I love spring!

The llamas arrived last Monday and are in "hog heaven" in the lush pasture, behind our house...We find them very entertaining...Our friend Tater, (Becky and Johns' dog) came for a visit on Friday, so he and I gave our deck a good cleaning....I sprayed while he chased the hose and water, getting exercise and both of us got quite wet!..Yesterday H and I cleaned the front porch and added plants and chairs for our summer enjoyment...Washing windows and more cleaning is on the schedule this week, along with doctor appointments and regular acupuncture treatments are on our calendar.

Richard (official huckleberry scout) is back in the county for summer employment, so he and Pam joined us bringing a hot dog supper (along with lots of other food and drink) for a warm spring evening visiting on our deck...Becky and John begged off, after a busy week for both of them...That sums up life here on Barton Heights and I'm happy to be blathering away again!..Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Llamas coming toward the gate, curious as always.

Saying Hi and please scratch my ears.

Maybe I don't want my ears scratched today?

Taco Salad, food photo of the day.