Fall Photos...38º

 It was a quiet, semi lazy, sunny day...Herb did laundry, checked irrigation water, unhooked hoses and took breaks, reading a book on his iPad...I delivered apples to friend, Darlene, stayed for a catchup visit, and brought home fresh baked cookies in exchange for apples (Herb was delighted)...Then home to roll hoses while they were warm and flexible in the sun...We had a simple dinner, meat and fresh salad...Early to bed, catching up on our sleep...A few more photos: cloud formations, changing colors, roasted root vegetables, it is autumn on Barton Heights...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Normal Routine...38º

My "Honey Do" list was done and Rusty was checking off another list yesterday, before he started the trip back to his home in Bend...Fresh veggies from the garden, canned goods from the cellar, freshly baked sour dough bread, among other odds and ends...It had been a very productive week, a big help to us, preparing for winter...There are still jobs to do, but jobs we can manage, no climbing ladders to pick apples or balancing on the roof to clean the chimney, those days are long gone.

It was a quiet day yesterday, Herb did laundry, I cleaned the bathroom and covered the raspberries with straw...We had the last of the leftovers for dinner and settled back into life as we know it here on Barton Heights...The prediction for sunny, warm days all week are perfect for us to move water pumps inside, roll hoses to store for winter, and cut down more plants in the flower beds...Soon the leaves will start falling, waiting to be raked or picked up with the lawn mower, all chopped and ready to layer on the garden...These are all jobs we are comfortable doing...Hugs To All...OWAV:

Ominous skies Saturday evening...

 

Our parting shot.

Old Job Finished...43º

About 3 years ago we had railings installed on front and back steps into our house...It turned into a cold miserable day and the back one didn't quite get finished...It worked well like it was, but had that unfinished look...While I was playing in the dough, Rusty found all the parts, pieces and screws, (stored in the garage) bought a new drill bit, to drill cement, and by the time the bread was out of the oven he had the railing finished...This job wasn't even on the list!

Getting everything level and plumb.

Almost finished.

Our friend Tater came for a visit, he

supervised the job.

Usually our "kids," come for a visit at the same time, but Covid messed that up in the spring, so Bobi and Cienna came in July and now Rusty is here in September...Luckily we have the FaceTime option so on Thursday Bobi chatted in from their home in Portland and on Friday Cienna chatted in from Corvallis, where she is at OSU doing her student teaching (online.)...It was good to see all our family faces and visit like we were in the same room, on different days...We haven't tried playing "virtual cards, yet."...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Relaxed Day...39º

 Waking up to the sound of rain outside of our bedroom window, I breathed a sigh of relief...A day of rest and recuperation...Breakfast was an "egg scramble," using leftover veggies, meat and cheese with toasted pancakes on the side...My mind always turns to baking on a day like this...Rusty doesn't eat much sweet stuff these days so bread was my other option...Looking in the fridge again, I spied a jar with one lone dill pickle and all the dill, garlic and juice that went with it...Pickle bread was the choice.

I had kept the sourdough start working on the counter, so fed it more flour and warm water, it was soon bubbling away...Russ said, "Mom, have you ever tried making that bread with chunks of garlic in it,?" as he walked out the door, looking for a project to keep him busy for the day...Did I say rest and relax?

I mixed about 6# of dough, using bread flour, wholewheat flour, salt, butter, molasses, 1 egg and just sourdough starter for the leavening, (no yeast)...I wanted a strong dough but a soft crust to make hamburger buns as well as free shaped loaves and yes, one with chunks of garlic.

Chunks of garlic lightly sautéed in butter made the kitchen smell oh, so wonderful...I decided to add chunks of aged yellow cheddar to the loaf...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Ready to roll into a loaf.

Giant buns for 1/2# burgers

2 pickle and 1 garlic/cheese 

Giant Buns

Cooked, cooled, ready to slice.

6:30AM, daybreak, raining...50º

 It would be nice if this rain continued all day, but not likely...We had a doozy of a windstorm last night, blew stuff around, but in the dim light, this morning, we see no real damage, here on Barton Heights.

We worked outside yesterday morning, cutting down, digging up...It is good to have Rusty here to dig up plants that have gotten too big, he does it with ease...Then he took a break from here and hiked up the Lake Trail, where John is building a pole bridge, and spent the rest of the day...He arrived back home just as I was taking the "wiener wraps" out of the oven for a late dinner...My small batch of bread made buns for future french dips, BLT's and 7 wiener wraps...Rusty was in "hog heaven," hadn't had a wiener wrap in years!

More cutting up yesterday morning, included two heads of fresh cabbage, Rusty cut up and salted and later in the day I packed into jars for sauerkraut...It was another productive day....Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Working Sauerkraut

Autumn Joy protected from

the deer with netting.

A splendid Day...46º

 After Rusty trimmed the aspens' over our deck, I wasn't sure how shaded we would be, having dinner outside...But it was lovely, sunny, warm, little breeze, a splendid day...We took breaks there, after picking apples, cleaning more in the garden, (sweet peas are gone for this year), and the garlic and raspberries got their annual layer of well rotted manure.

In need of a longer break, we took a ride to the head of the lake, reminisced about the times we spent there and as always looked in awe at Wallowa Lake and the mountains that surround our valley...We drove East of town and "toured" the newest subdivision Meadow Brook and saw another unnamed subdivision that is just being platted...Not much to our liking, but guess it is something called progress...At least the new houses aren't in our backyard...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

A plate full of zucchini patties

(grated zucchini and egg)

fried to a golden brown,

made a delicious breakfast.

Sage leaves ready to dry, perfect for

Thanksgiving's sage dressing.

Joe Pye Weed waving gently in the breeze.

Working on The List...40º

Our mountains are in full view again, smoke is gone, air is clear...We had booming thunder and lightning early Saturday morning, with a small amount of rain, not nearly enough but will do for now.

Rusty arrived late Friday afternoon on the tail of a windstorm...Dinner was in the oven...We decided to brave the wind and harvest the potatoes, while dinner finished cooking...Wind died down and we soon had two lovely boxes of nice sized, clean potatoes...One thing checked off the list.

Early Saturday morning found us in the garden again, garlic ready to be planted...The ground was unusually dry (even with the rain shower) but we managed to plant and mulch 200 garlics...It will sprout next spring shortly after the snow melts.

After breakfast, since it was a chilly day, I started taco soup, mixed dry ingredients for cornbread and decided apple pie would give the guys a treat to make up for a soupy dinner...While I was in the kitchen, the "guys" were cleaning the chimney and stove pipe, getting it ready for the winter...The list is shrinking, unless I start adding more items...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Makes me smile.

Made us all smile.

Garlic...45º

 After Herbs' appointment with the hearing aid specialist, yesterday morning, we made a quick stop at Safeway, then the pharmacy, then the recycle...Volunteers have stepped in to help at the recycle station...New, descriptive signs are in place and on some days volunteers are there to help people better understand what is acceptable or not...Herb is very diligent about cleaning and separating, plastic, tin, aluminum, paper, glass and cardboard...We had our car unloaded in no time, thanks to the new signs that are colorful and easy to read, even for old people.

With the whole afternoon ahead of us and a quick look at the job list, Herb untied the garlic from the hanging shed, loaded it into the small trailer behind the  4-wheeler and hauled it to the deck, where I spent about 3 hours, cutting up the stocks and cleaning all the heads of garlic...The next step is separating cloves, some for replanting and others to slice, dry and powder.

The smoke still hangs in our valley, with predictions that it will start clearing out and rain showers are to be expected...The question now is can we get the potatoes out of the ground and garlic planted before it rains...Rusty is supposed to be here mid afternoon (we hope) and with his help, it might get done...Harvesting the potatoes is fairly easy, but planting garlic takes more time and more bending over!..Wish us well...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Garlic stalks, cut up, and  ready

to be layered on the garden.

All clean and ready for the next step.

Information...45º

Oregon Health Authority announced 6 new cases of Covid in Wallowa County yesterday...But of course can't release any other information, so it leaves it up to people to speculate, fabricate or put imaginations into overdrive as to the cause or source...It goes from friend to friend, neighbor to neighbor, relative to relative, like the old game called, "Gossip," it grows and changes with every repeat!

In a small county like ours, news travels fast...Sometimes no info is worse than giving people the CORRECT information...I immediately want to know if it is from one source, are they young or old people, is it directly related to Labor Day Weekend or the Joseph Car show, or just "tourist traffic" on the streets (no masks) in general?...Is it someone I know, is it in my neighborhood, do we put ourselves at risk going away from the house today...I don't know enough to make smart decisions, except stay home, but we still have to live, eventually we have to leave our house...It would be nice to have some basic information...Again common sense in our government would help....Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Oma's View

Check one off the List...43º

I roasted more tomatoes yesterday and have enough left to last us for a week of sliced tomatoes and maybe one last BLT...I couldn't resist eating a few tomatoes directly off the pan, and they went well with a glass of wine, when Pam came for our "catch up Tuesday."...I promise, this is the last photo of roasted tomatoes for this year!..Pita chips, topped with roasted tomatoes, fresh basil, parmesan cheese.

Gourmet

On another note, Rusty chatted in on FaceTime...If all goes well, he will be here on Friday, spend a few days and work on the "honey do" list...Number 1 on the list is cleaning our chimney...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Lost My Drive...

 Wow, I was going great guns, getting everything done, then took a couple of days to rest and now don't really want to get back to work!

Pressure is on this morning, some of the tomatoes have to be roasted, today...I did the mustard pickles yesterday...Hopefully sometime this week, we can harvest potatoes and plant the garlic...Our Gravenstein apples are very slow to ripen this year but they should be picked soon with help from the neighbors.

Our smoke filled days make it seem much more like fall, with winter just around the corner, yet the leaves haven't started to turn or fall...One day at a time, we will get it done and what doesn't get done, doesn't matter!....Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Mustard Pickles ready for the shelf.

The Last Batch...50º

 I have been thinking about making a batch of mustard pickles this fall, but it is always iffy to find good cauliflower...Luck would have it that on our trip to LaGrande last Thursday, Grocery Outlet had large heads of fresh cauliflower for $1.99 per head!..I snatched up two, one for pickles and one for eating...Today is the day to get them in the jars.

Smokey valley for the next few days, makes our world dreary, when it is actually quite nice outside, temps up to 80º today...After I get pickles done today, It is time to roast a couple of sheets of tomatoes...An easy dinner of leftover chicken, made into something...Herb is doing laundry to start off the week...That's life on Barton Heights...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Soon to be mustard pickles, a 

longtime family favorite.

On a Bright Note...43º

 We can't see our mountains but only because of smoke, not flames...We are still in our homes, not in a sleeping bag in a shelter far from a home that might still be standing or not...Yes the smoke is nasty and my heart goes out to those with breathing difficulties, hopefully the smoke will clear out soon...Stay inside, be hopeful, be kind.

When you are able to go shopping again, "Dollar Stretcher," in Enterprise has Imnaha Gala apples, fresh off the tree...They are sweet, juicy, crisp and add a smile to your face, put some in your shopping cart...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Taste as good as they look!

Road Trip...39º

 It's been a "dizzy" week or two, or i'm just a dizzy broad!..Two many irons in the fire, trying to make everything work...I think it is time to breath DEEP...I checked off the list, turkey done, pickles and relish done, tomatoes done except for the last box that needed to ripen more. 

In the back of my mind through all of this, my drivers license needed to be renewed...Since Covid, our Enterprise office has been closed and my notice said, go online and schedule an appointment at your nearest office, which is LaGrande...I had heard that it took weeks to get an appointment and my Oct 21 birthday was moving closer...Also a niggling thought was bothering me...Dr Pettit (eye doctor) has been watching my cataracts and we were going to schedule surgery for summer 2020...Well Covid got in the way and Dr. said, you will be okay, lets get through the worst of covid. and we'll get it done.

I was fine with that until I started thinking (that's my problem)...Can I pass the eye test for my drivers exam?..Will they pull my license as soon as I fail the test?...I had to get it done and quit worrying...I went on line and made the first appointment available 2pm Thursday..(yesterday)...That works, I thought, Pam can go with me and we'll have a getaway, until Herb remembered we had acupuncture appts at 12:30 on Thursday...I was more than upset, how could I be so stupid??? No way was it going to work.

I slept on it, canceled my puncture appointment, asked our neighbors if they could get H. to his appointment...Pam and I went to LG, I passed the eye test, no problem, we shopped for things on my list that has been building since last March and got home safely...The photo on my new license is "god awful," i'm competing for convict of the year!..Trivial problems, I have to be thankful for what I have...Hugs to All...OWAV:) PS...Sorry about the rant and rave!

.

I'm at a loss for words...40º

The devastation continues in Oregons' Santiam Valley, as the fire continues to ravage towns in its path, the destruction is unfathomable...I can't imagine the fear and heartache for so many people there and also in other parts of Oregon...What will history have to say about this year 2020...I feel guilty looking out and saying, "It's a beautiful day here in Wallowa County," We are truly blessed and our hearts go out to people far and wide, who have lost everything...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

A few random photos as fall officially arrived...1st photo is Cherry tomatoes that have been growing inside a tomato cage covered with a plastic bag all summer...2nd photo is harvest from 3 plants. (so far)...3rd photo is Golden Glow, a plant that originally grew alongside Grandma Parkins' house in Bountiful, Utah.

       

Today it is Relish...37º

 I did the cutting up, Herb did the grinding of the zucchini, onions and red peppers...I added a cup of salt, covered the huge pan with plastic and left it overnight...This morning, it gets "washed" drained, add the spices, sugar and vinegar, cook for 15 minutes, then fill the jars...The following photo is from 2011 but relish should look about the same...I like using all red peppers because it gives it such a nice color...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Lucky Where We Live...35º

 Looking out our East window this morning, sun is up, geraniums are still blooming, it looks like an absolutely beautiful day...Last night I covered tomatoes, cucumbers and squash in the garden, hoping to keep them alive because all this coming week temperatures are in the high 70's/low 80's...Then I will glean the garden and let the frost have it...It will soon be time to harvest the potatoes and plant the garlic.

As I look at reports from relatives in Wyoming, they had sustained winds all night with snow and ice breaking branches and covering everything...Also weather close to us in Pendleton, they had smoke, wind and dust, closing roads...Not a good combination...That is why, today we are very lucky where we live.

I'm looking forward to a peaceful day...The Walla Walla tomatoes are all roasted and frozen...20# of Imnaha tomatoes will continue to ripen in the box and I will get out the Zucchini Relish recipe and see if we have enough squash, peppers, onions etc to make a batch...I'm thinking maybe a simple tomato, basil, cheese pizza will be good for dinner...I will probably add some sausage to keep Herb smiling...LOL

Just sat on the front porch in my jammies (brrrrrr) snapped some photos to share...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Sorry forgot to move the water jug!

Geraniums

Begonia

Old Glory

Blame it on my Parents...45º

Holidays meant nothing, when I was growing up...Cows still had to be milked, other animals fed, watered and generally taken care of...Crops either planted, watered or harvested...Christmas was our most celebrated holiday...A family vacation never happened...Occasionally a picnic on the 4th of July, close to home but like I said, "The cows had to be milked, twice a day, no matter what."..It wasn't a bad life we had a warm house, good food and an abundance of love...On any given day we never had to worry about what we would do.

Not sure where I was going with this except, working was a way of life with my parents and they instilled that in their children...All of us have had an easier life, none of us took up farming, so no cows to milk...We had jobs that came with built in Holidays, we traveled by car, bus, train and plane...Visited lots of different states and some foreign countries, but we all worked to put food on the table, improve our living conditions and keep some of the basic life skills alive...Such as baking, canning, sewing, and gardening.

Which brings me back to tomatoes, UGH...A new job was added to the mix, when Rusty found a way to send home the turkey meat that we were supposed to get last March over spring break, but COVID changed those plans...I was gaining on the tomatoes, until I got the final delivery from Imnaha, another 20 pounds of tomatoes arrived, just after the two big boxes of frozen turkey from Bend...So for the past week, I wake up every morning knowing exactly what I will be doing!..To be continued...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

PS, not much time for photos, patty pans are finally coming on and in a new shade of green/yellow...They taste the same.

Tomåto/Tomato...50º

More about roasting tomatoes, as I try to use local produce...If not Imnaha, then close by Walla Walla...I have both this year in abundance...I ordered from both places to be sure and you guessed it I have lots of tomatoes...Using all fresh ingredients is important to me, so most years I dice our garlic and use fresh basil if possible...This year powdered garlic saves me time and energy, as does dried basil...But stubborn as I am, on one pan I chopped fresh basil and decorated the tomatoes...Its very pretty, but when heated basil seems to loose its' flavor...AAH, now I know why recipes say to add basil at the very end of simmering spaghetti sauce!..About some things, I'm a slow learner, hmm, maybe more than some...One more box of WW tomatoes to do today and now a new box from Imnaha is waiting for me, they were delivered yesterday...I guess I better get dressed and moving...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Summers End...45º

Labor Day weekend is the last "Hoorah," before fall begins in all its glory...Days are getting shorter, nights cooler, gardens slowing down and many locals are headed for one of our many campgrounds, for one last camping weekend...Some will get together with extended families, practice social distancing, while enjoying the fresh, clean air along a mountain stream, with a campfire close by...Be safe, be kind, ENJOY!

Herb and I will enjoy the solitude and quiet of Barton Heights, (our slice of heaven), listening to our little irrigation ditch, taking in our awesome view...I would love to have a campfire but by the time it cools off enough to do that we will be snug in bed, dreaming about the days we went camping in the great outdoors...We had our Days!!!

Tomatoes are waiting to be roasted, meals always need to be cooked, lawns and gardens still need to be watered and tended, so we have plenty to do, maybe that's why it is called "Labor Day."

While I took a couple of days off from writing a blog, I shopped for groceries, did some cleaning and baked the first fresh apple pie of the year...With the apple tree in our yard and a frozen crust, it didn't take long to have a pie in the oven...Reminds me of two years ago when Mona and Jerry visited at the peak of apple season and we had fresh apple pie several days in a row...Love those memories....Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Rustic apple pie.

Taking a Break...46º

 It is breezy and cold this morning, but warming up to 80º and continuing upward for the rest of the week...I have cleaning to do inside and watering outside, so will take a break from roasting tomatoes...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Basil is lovely this year.

Tomato Time...43º

 I used to think that there was something wrong with people who didn't like tomatoes...That just seemed weird to me, and I would ask, "How can you not like a tomato?" I look forward to tomato season every year but I now understand that some people are actually allergic to them and to others they cause major digestive problems...I feel bad for them.

I roasted the first two sheet pans of tomatoes yesterday, ate a couple right out of the oven, ate a few more on a slice of my latest pickle bread and slid the rest into ziplock sandwich bags to go in the freezer.

Ready for the oven.

Roasted and ready to eat or freeze.

One with added Parmesan and one naked.

I had a few tomatoes prepped, that wouldn't fit on the sheet pan, so I sliced and diced to make into fresh salsa and we had tacos for dinner...I'll be roasting more tomatoes today and probably making a batch of bread...Our kitchen is going to smell so good...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

I always put way too much filling on a toco shell & end up eating it with a fork!