Quite a Storm....49º

We saw the storm warning before we went to bed last night, but that didn't prepare us for the crack of thunder and hail, that woke us up at 1AM this morning...I got up, closed some windows, and promptly went back to sleep, but occasionally roused enough to hear more thunder rumbling through the valley...We have remnants of hail on the deck and we haven't been outside to see if we have any damage...Reports of power outages and wind damage is being posted on Facebook...Don't think we will have to irrigate today.

Herb and I did get the potatoes "planted" yesterday...The seed potatoes are now nestled in straw, covered with more straw, then a layer of well aged manure...Watered for about two hours and soaked again by last nights storm...That should get them off to a good start!

Potato bed.

It stayed warm and muggy most of the day, so I puttered outside in the shady spots, digging weeds and deadheading the last of the daffodils...Blooms are popping out all over, lilacs, trolius, dames rocket, alium, columbine and even a couple of irises.

Todays bouquet

We have an "overflow" garden acrossed the road from our house, when I put all the extra plants and some very prolific plants...It is just coming into full bloom.

Rhubarb blooming.

Alium

Rhubarb plant for pies.

 I'm thinking that this rainy day will be for cooking a beef roast and making a rhubarb pie for dinner and maybe do some house cleaning...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

To busy to blog...62º

Up and moving yesterday, I was on my way for an annual, fasting, blood draw at the hospital before 7am...Back home before 8am Herb had a mini breakfast fixed of coffee, toast and fruit... He also had laundry hanging on the clothesline ...Then we were on our way to do errands and our regular acupuncture treatments, before grocery shopping...Back home before noon, groceries put away, we unwound and relaxed.

Later in the day I planted lettuce, broccoli and chard starts, along with seeds of basil, radishes and cilantro...I put "mini green houses" on the starts, (milk or vinegar jugs work well) and I let them grow until they fill the inside of the jugs...The broccoli starts are then covered with a fine netting to keep the white fly out of them, I do the same with cabbage starts...These mini green houses really help the starts to grow faster...I also put them over cucumber and squash seeds, to help them germinate faster.

Some of the starts covered.

All of the starts covered with jugs and pieces of 

bamboo to hold them in place.

Late evening I started the deck cleaning process, hosing the deck with water so we can apply stain later this week, if it doesn't rain...Thus a day ends on Barton Heights...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

More layers added...46º

Yesterday I added a layer of straw to the potato bed and topped it with well aged manure...Next I will cover all of this with wet newspapers, then more straw...The seed potatoes will be "planted" in the straw, then add more straw and another layer of manure over all...Then water and wait for sprouts to show before adding more straw...Growing potatoes this way, will grow clean, mostly scab free, lovely   potatoes...But the yield will be less than potatoes grown in the ground...I'm happy with this trade off...That's a decision only you can make.

When I got too hot and tired from throwing manure etc, I moved to the shade on our deck and planted annuals in pots for summer and hope the deer don''t decide it is their very own salad bar...Here on Barton Heights we struggle with a deer problem...Most of my perennials are not a deer favorite, but their tastes change and some days/years, they eat everything in their path...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Layer of straw

Layer of manure

Planter on the deck, planted with

Monkey Flowers

More gardening, rain overnight...50º

I've spent the last two days in the vegetable garden...I should have it all planted by now, but I keep getting distracted, (my friend calls it, "Oh look, there's a bunny.")..What I know about gardening, came from watching my mom and actually helping her garden the last 15 years of her life...Mom was a rototilling, bare dirt, straight rows, weeding with a wheel hoe (hand pushed tiller), irrigating one or two rows at a time, kind of gardener...She grew beautiful, productive gardens and loved to share the fruits of her labor...She died at 96 years of age...Her birthdate is two days away May 28, 1909.

I practice a different kind of gardening, learning from years of trial and error, from books and the internet...Our garden has evolved from a 20 x 40 rototilled garden, to 4 main raised beds, down the middle and asparagus and raspberries on either side.,,I don't rototill...I continually layer the raised beds with straw, alfalfa pellets, well aged manure, peat moss, chopped maple leaves and compost...The edges and paths are covered in a heavy layer of straw to keep the weeds at bay...Not much dirt is visible, but if you reach down into a raised bed, you can come up with a handful of lovely soil...Today I will finish the layers on a bed and tomorrow we will plant potatoes on top of it (in straw) and this fall our yearly garlic crop will be planted in the underneath layers, that have been quietly composting into 6 inches of lovely soil...We grow a beautiful, productive garden and love to share the fruits of our labor...Continued tomorrow...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Alfalfa pellets and peat moss layers

A thin layer of straw.

Lovely Days...46º

It was a productive day yesterday and look forward to more of the same, we hope...Getting warmer each day, so will have to get outside earlier, then have more time sitting on the deck, enjoying our view.

I find it weird celebrating Memorial Day almost a week early, when so many years it was always on May 30th...I understand the reasoning but liked the later date...Peonies are not yet in bloom and that was always a memorial day flower...So much for nostalgia...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Violets all over, Mom called the 

"Johnny Jump ups,"

A cozy nook

Birdseye view of our mountain.

Sunny Saturday...46º

While Herb mowed lawns and made sure our irrigation water was flowing smoothly, I put a pork roast in the crockpot and mixed a batch of bread...By that time the sun was shining on a clean, green, wet world and the garden was calling me.

Most of the time spent in the garden is for thinking, while moving dirt around, building beds, amending the soil, planting and planning for another year...A garden is about memories, dreams, hopes and plans made in a peaceful, quiet place where I sort things out in my head...The world seems a little more sane when I'm there.

This weekend is set aside for memorials and memories of war veterans, departed family, and friends...Since our parents are buried in cemeteries many miles away we remember them, while tending our flower gardens, planted in their memory...We have good memories, hope you do too...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Cabbage starts in the ground

and under mini

 green houses,(milk jugs)

Look close, onion just

right for scallions.

This spot is ready for

cucumber seeds, milk jugs 

also will go over them.

Lilac drive.

Can you find the asparagus?..Click

on the photo to enlarge.

Grocery Shopping, the new way...36º

Yesterday started off when Herb said, "Della, i've been thinking about biscuits and gravy, maybe you could call "Old Town cafe," and order them for takeout...About 20 minutes later I was parked in front of the Cafe and Olivia delivered, pipping hot biscuits and gravy + a side of gravy for Herb and I to split...I arrived back home, where Herb had our orange and apple slices ready on plates, I divided up the B & G's and we slicked our plates clean!

We left our house about 9am, did errands on the way and arrived at 10am at Safeway...My iPhone was loaded with the grocery list and Herb was in charge of pushing the cart...The crowd was small, so we could take our time, filling bags with produce, checking off the list and I even did the barcode scan with the phone and it worked!...Back home and unloaded, everything put away, we were exhausted, but felt good with what we had accomplished.

Dinner was easy with lots of fresh greens, sliced chicken breast on homemade bread, covered with gravy...Uhhh, think we've had enough "bread and gravy" for several days...Maybe salad for dinner today...:)

Since my tulip and daffodil bouquets were dying on the coffee table, I braved the wet outside, looking for a few blooms...Red tulips and golden trollius (globe flowers) made a nice little bouquet for us to enjoy, until the lilacs come into full bloom...Sun is shining this morning, the overnight temperature was above freezing, the garden is calling...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Golden Trollius and red Tulips.

Grocery List...41º

I finally caved and put the Safeway app on my new iPhone 11...When they first came out with the "clip it or click it" coupons, my friend Pat said, "Della look, put this on your phone and you can save money."...I went into a tirade about how "that is a bunch of crap, I hate the whole coupon idea, with sales on different days and WHY can't they just give us a fair price and be done with it!"...I don't remember her mentioning it again...So here I an about 4 years later, app on phone and me trying to figure out, My list, just for you, rewards, weekly ad, my store, PLUS scanning a bar code like I have noticed people doing in the store...How does all this work?

Most of my morning was consumed with this, then I decided to balance the bank statement that has been patiently waiting since the 4th of May...By then it was afternoon and no thought had been given to our dinner, that I usually put on the table, no later than 3pm...I rummaged through the fridge, freezer and pantry...Mushrooms, greens, beef broth, frozen homemade noodles, and a pint jar of canned elk meat.

Herb said it was a yummy dinner, I thought so too...More tomorrow about our grocery shopping trip this morning at 10am...Phone list in hand, not sure my brain can handle this...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Elk noodles, salad, asparagus

from our garden.

Colors after the rain.

So Much for Nutrition....42º

Yesterday, late morning, found me outside again, digging and dividing plants...My friend MaryB was soon to arrive, so we could visit, (hard to do with masks and 6 feet apart, but we managed), and she could take starts home for her flowerbeds...This helps both of us, because her flowerbeds are new and mine are overgrown and plants need to be divided and thinned out...She was delighted and so was I, when she went home to plant and I went back in the house to fix our dinner...Below are two of the  many plants, that she took home.

Thread leaf Coreopsis 

Grape Hyacinths

Searching the fridge, I found a half pound of thawed ground beef, onions, olives, cheese, lettuce and tortillas...Perfect for tacos or nachos with a side salad...I gave Herb his choice and started to brown and season the ground beef...I sliced, diced and grated, not the most nutritious meal, but it was yummy and satisfying...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Nachos Supreme! Lettuce

on the side.

Sunny/Cloudy...47º

Scattered showers has been the norm for the past week, with enough sunshine thrown in to keep the temperature comfortable for working outside...Our days are pretty much the same from week to week...Grocery shopping is on for Wednesday or Thursday this week, acupuncture is twice a month and we have dental appointments coming up the first of June...Otherwise we spend time watching things grow and bloom and anticipate the summer/fall harvest...We always have the mundane chores of cleaning, laundry, cooking, weeding and deadheading.

This morning, bananas are ripening on the kitchen counter, (that means banana bread is in our future) and the sour dough start continues to grow at a rapid rate, (fresh loaves of bread will appear before the weekend)...I plan on spending this morning outside, rain is expected by afternoon...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Below, the geraniums are planted and patiently waiting until June 1st to decorate our front porch for the summer..

Run Away Day...46º

I should have stayed home, I should have planted, dug, weeded, deadheaded, cleaned house, cooked Etc...But no, Pam called and said, "Want to go play?"

Becky and John were camping on the Imnaha River, John bear hunting and Becky taking a few days off for her birthday...We visited, played cards, ate and sat around the campfire...It was a wonderful day!

When I got back home, Herb had the laundry done, kept the home fires burning and was happy to have fresh mushrooms to go with hamburgers for our dinner...We settled in for the evening, snug and warm, listening to the falling rain, and soon it was bedtime...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Selfi

Eating Breakfast.

It was a fun day.

Wet and Wetter...46º

Rain showers for the next week and maybe even some snow flakes...Daytime temps are hovering in the 50's with some sunshine...Typical spring weather, here in Wallowa, County...We will continue with our spring planting and enjoy the blooming trees and bushes.

One thing that continues to grow rain or shine is our patch of garlic (planted last fall) and all of the onions that i've planted this spring and the asparagus continues to appear on our dinner table...Wishing everyone a happy Sunday...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Garlic, almost 2 feet tall

with 2 more months

before harvest.

Planting Day...37º

Pam and I did a morning trip to both Alder Slope Nursery and Eastern Oregon Nursery yesterday...Spent a leisurely 2 hours looking, debating, visiting and yes, buying...I had geraniums set back waiting for me to pick up and other plants on my mind to fill in my planters...We went early and missed most of the crowd, back home by noon...I fixed chicken and baking potatoes, ready to go in the oven, then changed into my "gardening clothes, " and spent the next two hours getting pots ready for planting, plus deadheading, digging weeds and puttering...I also texted two friends to come pick up bulbs/starts from the garden because it is perfect transplanting weather...My neighbor Marsha and I traded plants for starts from her greenhouse...I love this time of year!!!

This morning I will soon be outside planting pots for the deck and the front porch..Too early to set them out but will get them climatized to the cooler weather...June 1st, we cross our fingers and put them out to fend for themselves.

Herb has breakfast started, so I will finish this blog and get dressed for the out of doors...The daffodil/tulip/fern peony, season is winding down, so I picked my last bouquet of these lovely flowers for our enjoyment in the house and a photo for all to enjoy....Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Pheasant eye daffies

Same bouquet different

side, tulips and

 fern peony

Middle of May...40º

Nothing like rain to make everything green and growing...Our yard is mostly green now, as the early daffies are done blooming and the late ones are not as showy...The little Japanese Maple tree has leafed out and makes a bright spot at our front door...Lilacs will soon bring blooms and fragrance our way...Spring is a time of rejuvenation and growth.

Speaking of that, our small town/county has been given the go ahead to do a slow opening, hoping that we have flattened the curve on Covid-19, and can now start anew...We have been closed down for 2 months and all spring, summer and fall events have been canceled...Ours is a tourist town and its lively hood depends on summer events...2020 will go down in the history books as a devastating year for small businesses.

On a lighter note, Herb and I had acupuncture appointments yesterday, Jamie and her staff, have kept a positive attitude, giving care to patients in a safe and loving environment...They are true professionals and are looking ahead to getting back to a more normal practice.

Grocery shopping was next on our list, and gets easier each time we do it, lending credence to the saying, "Old dogs can learn new tricks."....Hugs To All...OWAV:)

A lone Tulip.

Barton Heights.

Japanese Maple Tree.

The Rain Comes Down...40º

Once it gets started, no telling when it will stop, the rain that is...The grass is so green and looks like it grew inches over night, and more rain is predicted for today and showers for many days in the future...Normal spring weather and I got my wish.

Daffodil season is about over, I spent yesterday morning deadheading daffies, digging weeds, pulling tiny maple trees, that seed in and snapping a few photos of the latest blooms...I'm always amazed at how quickly the perennials appear and grow...The gravenstien apple tree is putting on quite a show this year...This is the only tree left in our yard that was here when we moved into this house, 47 years ago...It bloomed for the first time that year and every year since, and it makes for delicious apple pies in September, if it doesn't get frosted...😟

Apple tree in full bloom, 

with forget-me-knots 

underneath.

Single bloom, up close. 

Cluster of blooms.

I plan to spend some time outside this morning, maybe transplanting new starts or saving them for friends, then I will be back in the house to cook, clean and maybe read a book for a change...It should be a good day...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Another nice day, possible showers...49º

It was a good Day...Both our kids chatted in for a Mother's Day Face Time visit, always fun catching up with them, even if it is "virtual."...Don't know if that is the proper way to use that term?

It was perfect weather yesterday morning to hang sheets outside...Then we put garden hoses in the sun to warm up and lay out straight so we can set up our watering system...The ditch water is gradually increasing in volume and we continue to clean out leaves, twigs etc. until we have a good supply of clean water...We spent all morning outside, making many trips back and forth, slow and "steady" is our latest motto.

Inside about 1pm, it was time for showers and dinner...Steak, sautéed fresh picked mushrooms (thanks Pam and Richard for sharing) and asparagus from our garden...We had to settle for safeway "plastic" strawberry to top our ice cream for dessert...It was all very good...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Steak, asparagus and mushrooms,

Strawberries and ice cream.

May 10 2020...42º

It is a truly beautiful day on Barton Heights this Mothers Day, May 10 2020...In spite of Covid 19, our day will be filled with sunshine, blooming flowers, bird songs and memories...The full "Flower Moon," is on the wane and another month is almost half over.

The internet and phone lines will be busy today, flowers have all been delivered, family gathering will be small or not existent...Blessing will be counted and hopes that we can slowly move toward a more normal life..This year will not be soon forgotten...Keep a smile behind that mask, be kind to all the service people, remember to share and spread joy and love in your path....Hugs and Love to All...OWAV:)