I Hit Send...clear, cold, hoping for some sunshine...36º

 After way more hours than I like spending on a project, I picked my favorite photos, (photos that depicted what was happening) in any given month of 2023 and turned them into the Calendar for 2024...I hit the send button, calendar will be here in a week to take its' spot on the kitchen wall...It was worth all the hours I spent!

Right now i'm watching the sunrise out the living room window, shades of yellow, pink and blue are coming alive as it unfolds...A very unusual year here, very little snow and none in the forecast...Our ski area "Fergi" is silently waiting for snow and the "Sled dog races" scheduled to start in 3 weeks are praying, doing "snow dances" and whatever else possible for the "Snow Gods" to kick in.,,This race is a qualifier for the Iditarod, so it wouldn't be good to have to cancel.

I'm looking forward to a quiet day, Rusty has a "logging" project in the works and maybe I can get serious about the clutter on the countertops or not!..I still have Christmas chocolates calling my name...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Calendar day...Cloudy, maybe sunshine...28º

 I posted a blog yesterday but never did get a photo to show up on FB...Internet problems...Some of you read that I was going to tackle the clutter in my house, well that didn't happen...I remembered that I needed to "make" my yearly calendar that hangs on a kitchen wall...It is a wonderful reminder of the previous year, brings back so many memories.

What should be an easy process, (I've been doing this for about 10 years) turned into an all day job and I still have to finish it this morning...They change the program just enough to mess me up...Plus there are so many photos to choose from...I will persevere!

I took time out from the calendar to make noodles, for our chicken noodle soup...Noodles hanging to dry, I diced onions, celery, peppers, carrots and put the broth in a pan, ready to boil...Back to the calendar, Rusty takes over in the kitchen, puts the soup together and as usual our dinner is ready at 4pm...A couple of games of cards and he is on his way home...I could finish the calendar but decide to leave it until morning!..Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Noodles hanging to dry in the kitchen.

It's a slow day...29º overcast, no fog yet.

 Thinking laundry, and the never ending job of trying to keep the kitchen, baking center, counters clear...I admire women whose counters have only the bare necessities on them, while mine are always cluttered...The remnants of candy making, and leftover candy seems to be everywhere...I must organize and clean clutter away from what is to be saved and stored, either in the cupboard or freezer...Also paper work/mail seems to have its own  landing spot, instead of most of it going into the garbage...I'm just a clutter bug!

I'm thinking about going to breakfast with "the ladies" this morning, then home to face the counters...Just another way of procrastinating the inevitable...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

PS...Photos from Christmas eve bonfire.

Rusty fanning the fire

Becky and I mugging for the camera!

Resting, relaxing, regrouping...28º snow, flurries and windy.

 The end of another year draws near, we have spent time with  friends, Chili and a bonfire, prime rib on Barton Heights for Christmas dinner. shared the Christmas candy and homemade goodies from the cellar, played cards and got our sugar fix, lots of laughter and love scattered everywhere...

The hustle and bustle of Christmas is over and we are coasting into 2024...I like this week between Christmas and the New Year...It is for relaxing, more reminiscing and some planning for the months ahead, before Spring arrives and then there is a million things that need ones attention, right now!..I look forward to that.

Rusty has donned his "logger clothes" and will be cutting slabs from a ponderosa pine, for future projects, and looks forward to another trip into the canyons, to check on the horses next week...I've picked up my knitting needles again, to relax between walking, PT, massages and acupuncture...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Our latest photo from

Cienna, with new

friends on Christmas

day.

Christmas Past...Cloudy, 21º

 Christmas for us has been celebrated in many different ways but always with Family, Presents, Christmas tree hunting, Candy and Food...Last year I wrote about our Christmas back East in 1966, that included a plane ride, an off broadway show, Cousins and old friends...With young children, for years, it revolved around Santa Clause, new snowsuits, boots, gloves and sledding with grandparents...Later years, sometimes we were in Portland, Bend or here on Barton Hgts, and one year we were at the Oregon Coast, that was the first year of a tiny tree, and lots of stocking stuffers. 

Other years we wore masks, noses, wigs or false teeth and laughed until tears flowed and bellies hurt...We buckled on ski boots and skis, headed for a nearby ski resort, frosty air, aching tired legs, ended in a good nights sleep. 

Then a grandchild arrived and Santa Clause returned, we read stories, listened for reindeer on the roof as we fell asleep and awoke to the wonder of Christmas through the eyes of a child...Again we played in the snow, built snowmen, went sledding, wrapped packages, hunted for a christmas tree, made candy, ate delicious food.

And now, that grandchild has spread her wings, flown off to a foreign country, on her latest adventure and will be making new memories with new friends, celebrating Christmas their way.

We the more cautious, "yes older," will stay off the slick, snowy, foggy, icy roads and be content to reminisce about those "Christmases Past." Our tiny tree, lights up the living room, as we stay cozy and warm on Barton Heights...Hugs To All, dear friends, OWAV:)

Herb made our tree, 

many years

ago, 

and it will last, as will his memory,

for many 

more !

Appreciate the Day Light...31º

 My favorite day of the year, has arrived...So far no fog, only a few clouds and a pinkish sky with a promise of a clear sunny day...Quite unusual for December 21, but I certainly won't complain...Tomorrow we start the gradual climb, more daylight, added to each day, and I appreciate each minute!

I am looking forward to snow, surely it will come, any day now...I know all of the skiers are praying for snow on "Fergie," our local ski area, and I love the stillness and beauty of a winter storm.

On the other hand, we want clear roads for all the Christmas travel, as families make their way home to be with loved ones...So lets get everyone home in the next few days, count our blessings, and then "Let it Snow, Let it snow."..Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Dec 14 2021

Give it a break...Fondant 101...Cloudy, Foggy...31º

 In 50 years of making fondant and hand dipping chocolates, I don't think it has given me this much grief...Time to regroup, concentrate on something else and come back to fondant another day.

Chex Mix sounds like the perfect distraction...All I have to do is open cereal boxes, jars of mixed nuts, bag of pretzels, then melt butter, add season salt, garlic, Worcestershire sauce...Pour butter mixture over cereal, nuts pretzels, mix well and put in a 200º oven for a couple of hours...Never had a failure yet!

I should be able to get this in the oven before I leave for an hour of walking, then acupuncture, and home to chex mix all done and ready to snack on...Yes the perfect distraction...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Chex Mix

OOPSY...Cloudy, freezing rain, maybe snow...25º

 It is hard for me to admit that I could have made a mistake...It had to be the new "wonky thermometer," that tested boiling water at 212º, at altitude of 4200 feet...But I couldn't blame the foaming fondant in the pan, that nearly overflowed on the stove top and when I tried the soft ball test in icy water, it dissipated into the water, not even a sign of a ball, on the "wonky thermometer." Nope it had to be something else.

I've played this over in my mind for the last two days and yesterday I again measured out the ingredients to make another batch of fondant (I don't give up easily,) as I picked up the jar of "cream of tartar," I did a double take as I read the smudged label, that said "baking soda." I have to admit that soda would probably make things a bit foamy...The jar next to it on the little turn table, was labeled "cream of tartar."

I finished measuring out the ingredients, then since Rusty wants to learn to how to make candy, I turned it over to him...He used his new digital thermometer to test, poured it out onto the marble slab, let it cool, before stirring and stirring until it set up into a nice creamy fondant...Looks like he has another job as chief candy maker.

We did salvage the foaming fondant, by adding some more cream, reheating it, and boiling about 5 minutes (it was still foamy) before pouring it over chocolate chips and miniature marshmallows...It turned into an excellent, creamy delicious fudge. Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Fondant and Fudge

Christmas Candy...NO fog so far? 33ª

 Candy at Christmas has always been at the top of "Things to do for Christmas."...My Mom was a candy maker, (without a candy thermometer) occasionally we would eat fudge holding a piece in our fingers, but usually it was eaten with a spoon, we loved it, none the less...One year, I remember, she was on a roll...The candy set up and she froze packages of it and would bring it out, after supper... She sliced pieces off of fudge and butterscotch (got the recipe off of the radio and used butterscotch pudding as the base,) and fixed a plate for all of us to share...The divinity even turned out perfectly and was a rare treat, tucked away in a cupboard, (only she knew where), it was also added to the plate...I remember these special moments, in our ranch house, in Lake Fork, Idaho.

Now more to the present, over the years i've taken classes and given classes, to make chocolates, (learned about using a candy thermometer, at this time) and usually love making candy.

One candy I left to Herb to make and that was peanut brittle...Someone that he worked with brought peanut brittle to share and the microwave recipe was handed out..."Della, do you think I could make this?" I said, "Of course, give it a try."   He bought the ingredients, studied the recipe, (this was the guy that never read directions) and made his first batch...It was foolproof and for many years after that he made peanut brittle at our house and shared it with friends and family...He beamed and even got a bit of a smile on his face, when someone would ask, "Herb, sure hope you are making that peanut brittle this year!" We do miss him and his rare smile... Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Herb's signature candy!

Limited View...31º Foggy/Frosty

 The fog has really settled into our valley for the last few days, seems like I am living in a bubble, here on Barton Heights...The road out front, houses on both sides and the pasture out back, but the mountain is hidden from view...Maybe today it will reappear.

Yesterday was an excellent day, Rusty was due home after his latest trip in to Jim Creek, and I was ready to cook a real meal, simple but real!..All week i've been eating ham sandwiches, fruit and occasional bites of chocolate and topped it off yesterday with Ramen noodles, decorated with a hard poached egg, onions, celery, and radishes...It has been 20 years since I had top ramen and it was delicious!

After breakfast I filled the dutch oven with the leftover ham bone, 2 cups navy beans, chopped onion, celery, pepper, garlic, added water to cover, put it in the oven on 200º and left it to cook for the rest of the day.

At 11am I had a FT date with friend Pat, who now lives in Maryland, always puts a good spin on any day, (we talked over an hour)...Then I FT with Bobi because i'm starting to knit again and needed her help using circular needles to start a cap,(it has been several years, since I picked up knitting needles.)...Always an upper to visit with her!

About 2pm, I mixed a small batch of hard rolls to go with the ham and beans, and friend Pam came knocking at my door...We sampled the cherry cordial that was made in July, (very tasty) and visited the rest of the afternoon...She was going out the door, when Rusty drove in, by this time I had the hard rolls in the oven, the kitchen was smelling very good and Rusty was ready to eat and give me a recap of his 4 days in the canyon...Ham and beans were delicious!..Yes it was a very good day...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Very Tasty!

It Was a Good Day...Very foggy, frosty and cold....28º

 The exercise venue (athletic center) in Enterprise is working well for walking, as well as "balance stations," set up along the way to break the tedious, walking in circles...This building is used for many things including batting cages for baseball, mats for wrestling practice and has "turf" on the surface, which is much better than walking directly on cement...Also the social part, meeting new people and getting reacquainted with old friends.

I went directly to my massage after walking, talking and stretching for 45minutes...Linnaea is the best, she took me in early to get my full hour before going to the dentist for a crown prep. 

I have been dreading the crown prep and going to a new facility and new, very young dentist...For almost 50 years, Herb, Me,  Bobi and Rusty went to Dr. Underhill for all of our dental needs...I didn't know what to expect from Dr. Pierri, but was pleasantly surprised...He explained everything in detail, was professional, kind and gentle. His chair side assistant was Trinna, a girl that remembered me as "the lunch lady." Of course it's never much fun having a dental procedure but they made the 1 1/2 hours in the chair fly by and I will see them in 3 weeks to get my new "crown."...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

From Lazy to Busy...26º, Foggy

 After a lazy day yesterday, I did do some laundry, kept the wood stove burning, did some exercises and made ham sandwiches for breakfast, lunch and dinner...I occasionally enjoy not cooking.

Today I start with walking at 9:30, massage at 11:00 and a crown prep at 12:30 UGH!..I suppose I better eat a good breakfast because I will be eating soup the rest of the day...Good thing I like soup!

I think today is the day that Herb's IRA will be deposited in a savings account in my name, after over a month of paperwork, a visit or two to Circuit Court, making sure all of the paperwork is in order and that I am who I say I am and they testify to that fact!..I write this because I want everyone to pay attention to the legalities of an IRA...Years ago when Herb opened this account, it was not common to add a beneficiary!!!! So to all my older friends out there, PLEASE check with your bank or financial adviser, if you or your spouse has an IRA, does it list a beneficiary??? IF NOT, get one on there NOW and save yourself a big headache, when one of you dies...That ia going to happen, get your affairs in order now and just because you are named in the will as a beneficiary, you still have to be named on the IRA and probably all other forms of tax sheltered annuities.... Hugs To All...OWAV:)

It is going to look like this

when the fog moves

back to Enterprise.

Christmas Candy...Fudge, Peanut Brittle, Hand dipped Chocolates

 I'm getting a late start on candy making this year, due to the fact, that I broke my candy thermometer last year and forgot to replace it.

Amazon to the rescue, sending a thermometer in just a few days, I set out to calibrate the temperature on the thermometer to our elevation, only to find out that the new thermometer boils water at 212º when it should test boil at about 202º...Now do I add or subtract to get the correct temp???? I'm thinking subtract the 10º to get it down to 202º, then subtracting another 8º for 4000 ft. elevation...So instead of softball at 235º, it will be about 217º ?

Rusty and I try the first batch of fondant...For some reason the temperature zooms up to 220º, quickly...We have ice water ready and I do the "Old softball test, in the ice water"...The soft ball forms...I quickly pour the boiling liquid onto the waiting marble, thinking, "It's not going to set up."

It cools quickly, Rusty starts to stir it and before we can get the fudge done, (always do a batch of fudge in the fondant pan) it is starting to set, but is very grainy...Not Good!  We finish the fudge (quite soft) and I wrap the lump of fondant in plastic wrap and put in the fridge overnight.

Kneading the fondant, the next morning, it starts to relax and get creamy, not my best batch but certainly better than I thought it would be...I added mint flavoring to half and butter rum & chopped pecans to the other half and will hand dip later today...I'll write about the peanut brittle tomorrow...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Continued Story...32º a dusting of snow.

 We lived on a county road with our nearest neighbors a mile away; the Lake Fork grocery store and post office three miles away, and our one room school house two miles down the road.  County road equipment was nearly nonexistent, and what was available couldn’t begin to keep up with the snowstorms that came in one after the other.  If the county crew was lucky, and got the roads plowed you could bet that within a few days another storm would move in and they would soon be impassable again.  This happened over and over every winter.  Sometimes after the roads were plowed, leaving a layer of ice and snow on them, Daddy would let us hooky bob behind the bob sleigh on our sleds to a nearby hill.  At the top of the hill the sleds were unhooked and down the hill we would go, then Daddy would come down, and pull us up again.

I remember being snowed in for two weeks, unable to go to school.  Shoveling snow was a daily chore.  Usually, in between storms the temperature would drop below zero, then it was a  struggle keeping the water pipes from freezing, and making sure the cattle had enough to eat, and keeping a hole chopped in the ice so they could get water.  Even when the roads were plowed, trips to the store to get groceries or the mail were far and few between.  My parents had planned well and worked hard so we had warm clothing, plenty of food to eat, and enough wood to last all winter. 

I don’t know why my parents decided to move and especially in the dead of the winter, unless it 

was so they would be ready to plant crops in the spring.  I’m happy they did because it made my childhood, a dream come true.  

This photo off the internet

is much like the sleigh 

that we had.

                                                                          

A story from the past... 16º

SNOWBOUND... I wrote this story a few years ago, how different Christmas was in the 50's...

A winter wonderland, that’s how I felt about it.  A move to McCall Idaho in December of 1950, when I was eight years old landed me right in the middle of this snowy paradise.  Snow falling daily, wind-blowing, roads drifted closed so that a team and bob sleigh was, at times, our only transportation.  It was like a dream, and made me think of all the songs about winter and sleigh rides.

  Our team of horses Bert and Dick were gentle and hard working.  With just a flick of the reins they turned left or right, walked slow or changed to a trot, they did exactly what my Daddy wanted, without him ever saying a word.  Morning and night the sleigh was loaded with hay to feed the cattle, with me holding the reins, while hay was thrown onto fresh, sparkling snow.  The cattle, steam rising from their warm bodies came running and bawling after us to get the first bite of hay.  Back at the barn the horses had to be unharnessed, brushed and fed.  I soon learned that I could help by walking under the horse's belly unsnapping and loosening the harness so we could get our chores finished and into our warm house for the breakfast or supper that Mom always had ready.

 More beautiful than ever was our Christmas tree that year.  Could it have been, because Daddy hitched up the team and with everyone bundled up against the cold wind, our breath visible in the air we found, cut and hauled the tree home?  Then Mom used her special magic, with a few treasured ornaments, strings of lights and icicles carefully placed to make it the tree, that every year we tried to duplicate. 

Christmas Eve a few packages were under the tree and our stockings were hung.  We didn’t have fancy matching stockings for everyone; instead Mom would get stockings from Dad’s dresser, one for each of us.  We used his because they were the largest, and would hold more candy and nuts, with a banana or orange sticking out the top...continued...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

This tree is similar to

our tree, I borrowed it

off the internet.

Holiday bazaars, lunches, music and more...28º 1/2 " of snow.

Bobi and I went to the first bazaar of the season in Joseph, the day after Thanksgiving...My first bazaar in many, many years...It was overwhelming, my mind, brain can't take it all in, the noise, crowds, and everything from homemade to made in china...I saw, spoke to a few people that I know and probably look over or past several others, as my eyes glazed over and my mind shut down...Bobi bought me a tiny pin for my coat, it says "Hello, I'm going to cry."..We left shortly thereafter. 

Many years ago I would have been waiting in line to get in the door and even for a few years, I set up a booth and sold homemade Christmas tree ornaments and hand dipped chocolates...Now i'm very satisfied to stay home, make my chocolates and share them with family and special friends.

Pam and I went to a soup luncheon yesterday, food was good and the noise level not bad...I hope to attend at least one music event because I do like Christmas songs...I will put up the little tree, that Herb made years ago, and Rusty and I will have a quiet holiday, here on Barton Heights, friends welcome! Hugs To All...OWAV:)

3 Good Years...very dark, cloudy, I think. 37º

 Today will be a wrap-up of our successful bread making/baking/selling adventure...We sailed through our 2nd year and had some help along the way...Cienna came for a visit and was a great asset to the market, she knew about "markets," after helping her Mom at the Tigard market for a few years...She was friendly, good at carrying on a conversation with friends or strangers and Papa usually bought kettle corn for the two of them to snack on...It was a fun addition to our usual summer visit.

In September that year, a family reunion was being held inTwin Falls and we decided to make the trip...Rusty, Bobi and Cienna arrived in Joseph a few days before, so we could visit and also Bobi had been to the coast and picked up fresh tuna for us to can/jar...So mid week found Herb and I doing the bread routine and Bobi and Rusty jarring tuna...Our kitchen is quite small, especially if you add 4 adults, 1 child, and 3 dogs...Luckily the weather was warm and the pressure cooker was setup outside...Cienna managed the dogs, keeping them outside, most of the time, and the rest of us "danced" around the kitchen, utility room, living room, and deck, trying to stay out of each others way.

Total for that week, was about 75 1/2 pints of tuna, our usual 40 loaves of bread, market ready...We made it to the market on time, and on Friday we drove to Twin Falls for the reunion and returned home Sunday, exhausted but happy.

The third year, I decided to do the market every other week, it was a good way to end our adventure...We were tired, we had a great time, we left on a high note...I still love making bread...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

My Mom's pressure

cooker, very old.

Bread Making Adventure...40º Cloudy

 Scrolling through hundreds of photos this morning I finally found the one I looked for yesterday...I didn't have an iPhone/camera or a laptop, back in 2007, only a cannon power shot for photos and I took way more photos of flower gardens and family gatherings, than I did of food...Maybe if I go through a shoe box full of "real photos" for 2007, 08, 09. I will find one of our "bread booth."

Continuing on with my story...Herb and I both became "professionals" in our specific jobs...I mixed, kneaded and baked the bread...He bagged, added labels, arranged in boxes (being careful not to mash the fresh loaves) and loaded them into the truck, on top of the canopy, tables and signage for our booth.

Arriving at the courthouse lawn in Enterprise, we quickly unloaded and Herb masterminded setting up the canopy...I would have been out of luck without him on this process...It took both of us to make it all work...I soon found out on our initial day, that giving away samples, sold the bread and cookies, so I had pre sliced a loaf of bread and cut a couple of cookies, to entice people to have a bite!..I'm a sucker for "free sample," so figured others would be also, I was right.

Normally people walk through markets, eyes straight ahead, glancing left and right, only occasionally, making eye contact, but as soon as I said, "Would you like a free sample?" I had them hooked, the bread flew off of the table.

Occasionally we had a few loaves left over, sometimes we exchanged with the other vendors, a loaf of bread for a pkg. of ground beef or a pkg. of salad greens...Other times we brought the bread home to share with friends or freeze...I might get a call on the weekend, "Della, we are having guests over for dinner on Sunday, do you have a loaf of bread in the freezer?"..."Yes, I do and I can slice it and wrap it in foil, so all you have to do is warm it in the oven, pick it up anytime."..We never sold "freezer bread" at the next market...It was made fresh every week.  Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Loaves cooling

Looking Back...Breezy, Balmy 49º

 As I pulled out my Bosch mixer yesterday to made an extra large batch of bread, it reminded me of years ago, about 2007, when I read in the local newspaper that Beth Gibbons was starting a "Farmers Market" and looking for vendors.

Herb and I had been retired since 1994/95, spent some years traveling in our RV, tending to our property here on Barton Heights and helping to care for my mom, who passed away in 2005...I must have been looking for something to do in my spare time, when I picked up the phone, dialed Beth and said, "Do you want a bread vendor in the market?" Dead silence, then, "Are you serious?"

That was the start of a 3 year run, (summer months) when Herb and I made and sold 40 loaves of bread a week...I had given no thought to what this would entail, I just knew that I liked making bread and had many years of practice at my job in the Joseph School cafeteria...So I could do this and Herb was will to come along for the ride...He would do the heavy stuff!

I soon found out that my kitchen-aid mixer would only make 5 loaves at a time and my aim was 20 loaves to take to the market...To start I mixed a batch in the mixer, another by hand and then did a repeat...Our first market day soon arrived, Herb loaded the back of the pickup, with a card table and the bread, we set up our "booth." and sold our 20 loaves in about 3 hours...The next week we bought a canopy, a 5 foot table and I was trying to figure out how I could make 40 loaves...A new mixer was in my future...The Bosch mixer would do 10 loaves in each batch.

We settled into a routine of making 20 loaves on Wednesday, and 20 on Thursday morning and arrived at the 3pm market with warm loaves, selling them first...I set up samples of the 2 kinds of bread, "Oma's Grainy Bread," whole wheat with seeds and the other choice, with raisin/craisins...We later added bread pretzels, with honey, that was a disaster, and finally settled on extra large, carrot cake cookies as an addition...Hugs to All...OWAV:) To be continued

Not the market bread.

More food and activities for Thanksmas...29º Breezy

It is breezy and cold this morning but we are lucky to live in the corner of Oregon, away from the bigger cities and freeways...I 84 seems to be closed, off and on, anywhere from Ontario to Baker City, to LaGrande, to Pendleton every time we get a storm. Mountain passes, semis, black ice, fog, freezing rain, seem to be the major causes...Thankfully we don't have to travel out of the county or even in county as we do have slick roads, and windy conditions, to deal with.

Continuing with our celebration, "stuffing/dressing" is always on the menu...Bobi makes her special stuffing adapted from a recipe off of the internet, it is so yummy...Artisan Bread is the base, onions, celery, broth, artichokes, Italian sausage, parmesan cheese and sage...We ate it for dinner with leg of lamb, had leftovers for breakfast with a soft cooked egg on top, and all by itself as a bedtime snack.

Artichoke, Sausage, Stuffing

Most celebrations find us working on a jigsaw puzzle...I bought one at a yard sale this summer that I thought would be good, didn't realize is was twice as big as we usually do, 1000 pieces instead of 500...Bobi got it started, Pam helped a bit, I mostly looked at it, but found it mind boggling, (not as easy as the ones I do on my computer) it wasn't nearly as much fun without Cienna here with her bubbly personality added to the mix...Bobi almost got it finished before leaving for Portland and Rusty finished it up...It is now crumbled up and put away in its box, think we will pass it on to some unsuspecting people at Christmas time...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

PS..For puzzle enthusiasts, this is a Portofino puzzle. 

Breaking Daylight...23º, high of 30º, cloudy/snowy

Light enough outside that I see a dusting of snow and the forecast says more could be on its way...Almost anything is better than the dense fog that enveloped our valley last week...It is bone chilling cold! 

Even in the fog, Bobi braved the cold, to take the lid off of the hot tub, where the two of us could soak away our aches and pains...We enjoyed soaking several mornings at dawn, nothing better than our view of the mountains as, on some mornings, the fog lifted and receded back to Enterprise.

Hot tubbing was a major source of entertainment for many years here on Barton Heights...In the late 80's, Herb and I purchased a 6 person hot tub and enjoyed it for many years...It was Cienna's own personal "swimming pool," when she visited us winter or summer...We took a family photo, Gramma Blanche, included, all of us in the hot tub and sent it that year for our "Christmas Card."..Pam and I spent many evenings soaking under the stars, mountain view, with a glass of wine and a floating bowl of popcorn to share...The last few years that I worked, found me soaking at 5am, a life saver for me as I struggled with vertigo...Eventually we place an ad on FB, free hot tub, you haul.

Two years ago, when Rusty moved back, he answered an ad on FB and we now have a cozy two person hot tub, for soaking and viewing the mountain on starlit nights/mornings...Hugs to All...OWAV:)