All About Pickles...46º

 The dill pickles are done and we are about pickled out!..Just kidding...I will finish the sweet pickles in about a month from now, but before that we have zucchini relish to make and maybe mustard pickles and confetti pickles...I can't imagine fall without pickles.

Today I will start on the tomatoes...I grew up on home canned tomatoes, they were a staple in Mom's cellar...She used them in soups, casseroles or cold from the jar, add salt and pepper, we ate them for dinner...She made something she called "sop." Butter was melted in a fry pan, add diced onions, sauté to cook the onions, then add a quart of tomatoes, simmer until thickened, then add stale bread chunks, season and simmer until hot...We ate it with gusto, simple foods are sometimes the very best.

Now I oven roast tomatoes, package in 1pound packages and freeze for winter meals...Below is a link to the process for roasting, plus a recipe for a zucchini casserole that I call "Mock Eggplant Parmesan."..Eat in good health...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Roasted

https://omanumber1.blogspot.com/2015/08/roasting-tomatoes-rerun-81515.html

PS: The photos below are what it takes to make dill pickles...Add a brine of vinegar, water and salt.

Chopped Dill

Grape Leaves

Hot Peppers

Garlic

Mouth watering, but must wait until Thanksgiving. :)

My latest loaf of pickle bread.

Overwhelming...47º

 A phone call from Elsa, at Edwards Farm in Milton Freewater, OR. on Thursday morning, alerted me to the fact that she would have 30# of "small" cukes and 80# of Roma tomatoes ready for pickup on Friday morning...Herb and I left at 6:15, for the 2 1/2 hour drive and had time to visit our friend LeaAnn, who recently sold her small vineyard/home of about 30 years and moved to a retirement village in College Place/Walla Walla, WA., before we picked up the cukes and tomatoes.

I use the word overwhelming to describe the traffic and the never ending growth of what used to be small cities, that I have driven in for the last 40 years, but it has probably been 8 years since I did more than go to Edwards Farm, pick up produce and return home!..We had a short but good visit with LeaAnn, and wished her well in her new home...It was good to reconnect.

At Edwards Farm, the freshly picked cukes were being sorted and almost ready for us...Herb stacked boxes of tomatoes neatly in the car and nestled the 2 bags of cucumbers on ice in our cooler, for the trip home...Since breakfast had been a granola bar and almonds, by the time we drove back to Elgin, OR, lunch sounded good...The hours drive on our winding 2 lane road home was a piece of cake, compared to city driving.

We arrived home at 2:30, unloaded, rested for awhile, then I gathered dill and grape leaves to wash and get ready for this mornings pickling session...

We are up early this morning, coffee finished, scrabble games done, time to get dressed and moving...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Herb's burger.

I had a Ruben

Color Us Happy.

Sleeping late...46º

 I feel like I should be on my way out the door again this morning, but evidently both Herb and I needed some extra shuteye and it felt good for a change...With the temp at 46º,  the garden cleanup will wait until later...For many years now, we have gotten up early, watched the sunrise out our front window, while we catch up with the world on our "devises."..Years ago we did crossword puzzles in the newspaper, while welcoming in a new day...How times change.

Yesterday, garden vegetables made their way to our dinner table...Stuffed green peppers, alongside roasted potatoes, carrots and onions...Later in the day, I couldn't get the idea of a chocolate zucchini cake out of my mind...Finally I gave in and soon had a chocolate/zucchini mess mixed up in the kitchen...A giant sheet cake, frosted while still hot, was cooling on the counter...Herb helped cleanup another of my messes, before we sat down to a luscious piece of chocolate cake...Tomorrow, if I remember, I will post the cake recipe...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Dinner

Fresh veggies

Chocolate/zucchini Cake

Stuffed pepper/meatloaf.

Random Photos, Random Thoughts...48º

 Last week while shopping at Safeway in the newly remodeled store, phone in hand, looking at my shopping list I actually took a couple of photos...The produce section is huge, with shelves that are so high, I can't began to reach them...Much of the produce is "artfully" arranged to catch your eye, such as the pepper display...It makes me wonder, if I pull out the "right" pepper, will they all come cascading down?

Peppers on display.

On one of our cooler days last week, I looked for comfort food for dinner... Mixing noodle dough, rolling, cutting and cooking kept me busy.

Rolled out and cut with the pizza wheel.

Ready for boiling water or broth.

Turned into creamy chicken/shrimp Fettuccini.

The sweet peas just keep growing and blooming...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Busy Bees...50º

 Our neighbor is new to keeping bees and has only 3 hives, he keeps them here on Barton Heights in the summer and moves them to Imnaha (lower elevation) for the winter...I assume some of what we see are from his hives...Early spring I hear them in the apple trees, then raspberries, lilacs, lavender, poppies, sea holly, asparagus and now on the globe thistle...I worked close to them all summer, they doing there gathering of pollen, as I quietly do my garden chores...Sometimes there are so many that it sounds like a quiet motor humming away...Yesterday as I checked the cucumber plants, hoping to find one big enough to eat, I was surprised with a sting on my middle finger and my automatic reflex brushed the honey bee to the ground..."Darn," said I, and moved away...The cucumber is still quite small, just big enough for a pickle, but what does one do with only one pickling cuke?...Leave it be.

I FaceTimed with Bobi yesterday, and our visit centered around making pickles...Bobi and Cienna (granddaughter, age 22) are keeping up the family tradition of pickle making...Especially dill pickles...(Bobi made pickles with her Grandma Blanche, when she was a teenager, riding the train from LaGrande OR to Bountiful, UT to help in this endeavor)...Bobi and Ci make 8 quarts of dills on Saturday, after driving to Sauvie Island for Gherkins...Cienna wanted to taste them right away and was quite disappointed to learn that she must wait until Thanksgiving for the first bite...That's what Grandma Blanche would have said...So until then, they can only count the days and admire the jars on the cellar shelves...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

The honey bees didn't want 

their picture taken.

Things Happen for a Reason...50º

I'm not a firm believer in this phrase, "things happen for a reason."...But yesterday I found that in some cases it works...For some reason, I haven't been excited about deadheading or weeding in the front flowerbeds...My excuse was, "I don't see that part, when I'm looking at the mountain."...That particular flowerbed requires extra water, because of the big trees, so on a regular basis, I flip the pump switch and let it sprinkle for a couple of hours and it didn't look too bad.

Yesterday I got a good look at it and it needed attention...I stepped over the small irrigation ditch, pulled hand pruners from my pocket and moved the "dead oriental poppy" to one side and reached in to make the cut!..What was left of a quails' nest came into view...Two eggs didn't hatch and broken shells of about 6 eggs were left, from hatched babies...It had been there for awhile, mom and babies long gone, but what went through my mind was the Mom sitting on the nest, protecting the eggs from the two hour soaking with the sprinkler...I cleaned and deadheaded the bed and yes it needs another good soaking!..We have seen the babies, now teenagers, in the yard, eating bugs and seeds, following Mom and Dad Quail...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Early Clean Up...55ª

 I spent most of the morning in the raspberry row, cutting out old canes and pulling small spindly ones, that don't bear much fruit...It is a bit early to do this, but I'm trying to get a head start on fall cleanup...There are some good strong canes, for next years fruit...Before leaving the garden I thinned a few carrots from the middle of the patch, they are straight, colorful and sweet and will be on our dinner table today...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Aren't they pretty?

\

Buns made on Thursday.

BLT's for dinner on Friday

From Cucumbers to Tomatoes...54º

We have eaten about half of the 20# box of tomatoes, they are tasting better each day as they ripen...Remember that phrase?.."Vine ripened or tree ripened fruit," it was the ultimate in flavor...As people demand fruit that isn't the least bit soft, doesn't have a bruise mark on it, the growers have opted to pick fruit before it is ripe, so it will travel well...Rock hard peaches at Safeway, come to mind...They never ripen up to taste good and in this day and age, some people have never tasted a good peach!...Luckily the tomatoes continue to ripen off of the vine, but still not like "true" vine ripened.

I have more cukes and tomatoes ordered, more pickles to make and tomatoes to roast in the days ahead...Herb has hauled all the newly made dill pickles downstairs to the waiting cellar shelves, I couldn't do all of this canning/jarring without his help...He carries empty jars upstairs and full jars down, he has opted to bring big boxes up and small boxes down, making more trips, but easier. 😀

Last night as I checked water, I took some photos in the evening light...The sweet peas are putting on quite a show...They continue to bloom as long as I keep them picked, so they don't go to seed...It was another lovely evening after a very hot day...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

PS...The recipe for the cream sauce over potatoes and carrots, is light and delicious...1/2 cup thick cream, bring to a simmer, add juice from half a lemon, add garlic powder, salt, pepper and simmer until it starts to slightly thicken, add finely grated Parmesan cheese...Much thinner than cream sauce with flour...I like it better.

This angle make the sweat peas look as tall as the house.

Leftover sweet pea seeds on another fence.

Back drop of clouds.

Sun just going down.

Pickled...62º

At 5pm, nine quarts of pickles, processed and cooling on the kitchen table, I decided to call it a day...The wisdom of "old age," said, "Enough for today."..A few years ago, I would have kept going until all the pickles were done, and me totally wiped out!

The day had started early, Herb carried jars up from the cellar, loaded them into the dishwasher and set up breakfast of cold cereal, fruit and a hard boiled egg...I had been outside, setting sprinklers to run in the cool of the morning, before I gathered dill and grape leaves from the garden and garlic from the drying shed...By 8:30 we were ready to leave for Enterprise for our twice monthly acupuncture appointments.

A quick stop at SW for vinegar and salt and somehow a rotisserie chicken flew into my cart, hot out of the deli case...A few years ago, I got on a major rant about how bad rotisserie chickens were, I went on and on...I have to admit that at 3pm (remember breakfast was cold cereal) that chicken tasted "damn good,", maybe it was the sliced Imnaha tomatoes and Walla Walla cucumbers that were also on our plates.

By 6pm Pam and I were on the deck, enjoying a glass of wine and conversation, a breeze blowing, and our mountain view in the distance...I was very happy that I had put the cucumbers away to finish in the morning...Now it is morning and I must get moving...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Don't forget the hot peppers.

Ready for the cellar shelves.

Color Me Happy

After my friend Joyce made the trip to Walla Walla for Cucumbers, she came to get dill for making pickles and surprised me with 30# of cucumbers...The guy she bought them from had a very large picking that day and really wanted to get rid of them...I was tickled to get them, although I wasn't very prepared to start scrubbing cucumbers...It is all working out, I have them all sorted, 1/3 of them scrubbed and in gallon jars, in brine where they are for 6 weeks before I turn them into sweet pickles.

Herb and I had acupuncture appointments this morning, so I was able to buy more vinegar and salt while in Enterprise...Home now, taking a break, while the jars are washing...When I finish my blog I will start scrubbing more cukes (my least favorite part of pickling)...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Waiting to be scrubbed.

Gallon Jars to make into sweet pickles

!st quart ready for brine

Musik Garlic

Very Hot for Joseph...94º

 Outside at 6:30AM, I knew I had to work, while it was cool...I rummaged in the freezer before leaving the house, found a package of beef stew meat...Frozen solid, I put it in the crockpot, added 2 bullion cubes, pepper, garlic, celery, onion and half a cup of red wine.,,Back in the house by 8am for a quick breakfast and back to work until 10:30...The raspberries are finished for this season, so I cut the old canes and pulled all the small canes along with quack grass and other weeds...Herb hauled them to our pile of debris...I took time to thin carrots, pull a couple of onions and robbed a few new potatoes, as the sun was getting into full gear!..The house smelled heavenly as the crockpot simmered away

Becky dropped in for a catchup visit and we sat on the deck in the shade and heat for a nice visit...I texted off and on most of the day with Bobi and Cienna who spent a rare day on the Oregon Coast...Nice to be a part of these trips by photos and texts...Hugs To All...OWAV:)  PS more tomorrow about a new recipe.

Tomato Season...45º

 My favorite time in summer is when tomatoes, corn, cucumbers and yes even zucchini are in season...These vegetables make summer meals easy, especially when melons are also on the list...Add small amounts of protein and dinner is on the table...Our first delivery of tomatoes arrived yesterday, for our eating pleasure...BLT's made their first appearance on our table...Tomato sandwich for breakfast anyone?

Tomato and cucumber season also makes more work, jarring pickles, roasting and freezing tomatoes will be on our agenda...But for right now we will slice and eat them daily and relish every bite...I think zucchini patties sound good for dinner today...Time for me to get moving, outside to set water in the garden, next few days are going to be hot...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Imnaha Tomatoes are in season.

Relax/Recoup...37º

 It was an enjoyable visit with friend Sue, sitting on our deck, catching up, and talking about our annual "Hot Springs," trip in October...The condo has been booked for months, and we wait to see how Covid will affect us...As of now, our trip will happen, we might find a hot spring that is open or maybe not...No matter, we will have a "girls" get away and find new adventures to pursue.

The rest of my day yesterday was spent "puttering and muttering," as I looked at what needs to be done and what I want to do...Looking ahead at the forecast, we are in for warmer/hotter temps, both day and night, for the next 10 days...It will be interesting to see what the garden does...I think watering will be nonstop and our top priority, as well as keeping the house cool and comfortable.

We had some disconcerting news yesterday...My sister Barbara (Bobbie) 92, called to say that she is now living in an assisted living facility, moving from her long time home, seven days ago...No longer safe for her to live alone, this seems the best option...She seemed to be taking it in stride, but is very frustrated by the restrictions because of Covid...She is in quarantine, for another 7 days, but that and other rules change hourly...She feels sorry for the employees, as the guidelines are iffy, always thinking of others, rather than feeling sorry for herself...I will close on that note, and add a few more photos from our "Hat Point," trip...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Amazing how the wildflowers grow

out of a rock pile.

An Interesting Root Wad.

Indian Paint Brush is still 

a Vivid Color.

Cabin Fever was the winner...44º

Call it what you like, "cabin fever, temporary insanity, restlessness, itchy feet."..It seems like all of these applied...Herb said he would be content at home, reading a book and wished us to have fun, be safe and get home before midnight...We managed to do all three.

At noon it was a late start, but with Pam navigating, we were on our way...A quick stop at the local store, we found our favorite snack for a road trip, cheetoes and cherry coke...The conversation was non stop and the miles sped away....I got to choose our destination...Hat Point, here we come!..This was to be my 2nd trip to Hat Point in 3 years, because the 1st time we climbed to the top of the tower but forgot to take a photo and I wanted to look back in my memories and say, "See, I was there."

The traffic was light and the road mostly good, with a few rough spots...Along the way Pam pointed out where in past years she has seen elk, mountain goats, bear, cougar...We didn't see any animals...We stopped to take in the awesome views, stretch our legs and take photos...Back home, Herb had a glass of wine waiting for us, as we recapped our adventure, it was a great day...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

The view

The Tower

Almost to the top.

After the climb

In The News...51º

 Schools will open in Wallowa County on Sept 8th, not the usual opening but it is a start...Time will tell, if Covid-19 rears its' ugly head and increases its' numbers...We hope not.

On the national news, Biden has chosen his female running mate, Harris from California...We have 3 months to endure all that goes with that on the political scene.

Here on Barton Heights, it is cooler, feeling more like fall, but the garden continues to grow and produce, zucchini, greens, peas, potatoes...Coming from out of the county are watermelon, cantaloupe, corn and tomatoes.

It is quiet and peaceful in our neck of the woods...We are blessed...Sending hugs to all, stay safe, and be kind...OWAV:)

Freedom

Figuring our Blogspot...44º

 As most of you know, I've had trouble adding photos to my blog since "blogger.com" updated/changed its format/appearance...Sometimes a photo would upload no problem, but the next time I tried it with a different photo, it would lock up my computer and eventually I would have to do a reboot/restart and try again, until finally I would give up and publish without a photo.

Two days ago, no problem, yesterday frustration, until I wanted to scream...No matter what I did, the photo I wanted would not load and sometimes, it would completely disappear...I taxed my "brain" to figure out what was different...Finally it dawned...The photos that wouldn't load and locked up my computer were the ones that I edited, (even something as simple as turning it clockwise), AFTER, I uploaded them to the computer...Since my new phone will let me edit them, I did that and then uploaded them to computer...It seems to work, but I don't like editing on the small screen of the phone, compared to my computer...I will do it this way for now and hope that in the future I have an epiphany of a better way...Everyone keeps saying that us old people have to keep using their brains, i'm trying and sometimes my children say, i'm very trying....Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Coneflowers starting to bloom.

Yucca in full bloom!

The Veggies of our Labors...44º

 The carrot tops are about a foot tall, waiting for me to pull a few for dinner...Potatoes have bloomed, so I find the base of a plant and carefully reach in, move straw/soil around until I feel a round ball and lift it out of its' bed...My mom called this, "robbing the potatoes," and the plant will produce more...Next I add a few golf ball sized onions, pick all the snap peas, that are big enough and go to the drying shed for garlic...Dinner will soon be in the oven to bake alongside a meatloaf...Later in the day dessert was again, fresh raspberries over ice cream...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Don't like this photo, but it will have to do.

Raspberries on the vine.

Sunshine Today...44º

Early morning sun coming through the East window is like a blast furnace in our living room, but soon it moves on and the temperature drops...Hard to have a warm house in the morning and keep it halfway cool by the late afternoon...We do the ritual of opening/closing doors/windows, trying to make it work...Most of the time we are quite comfortable.

Had a brief visit with old friends yesterday, catching up while taking in the amazing view of Wallowa Lake, in our fresh mountain air...It is still hard to believe from our vantage point, that the world/USA is in such chaos.

I took a few photos in the evening light for your enjoyment...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

                       Eastward

Southwest