Spring Tonic...37º

We spent the morning digging, transplanting, pulling weeds, cleaning out flower beds...After many years of having rhubarb take up space in the veggie garden, I moved it crossed the road to fend for itself...It flourishes every year, no added fertilizer, no special watering, every spring it grows big fat yummy stalks...Herbs Dad, "Grampa Allen" called it "spring tonic." He simmered it into a sauce and had it many mornings along with his breakfast cereal or slices of toasted homemade bread.

Yesterday Rusty pulled stalks, thinning out the plant so it will grow more...Instead of sauce, we had rhubarb pie with our dinner of meatloaf, rice pilaf and asparagus...They were all delicious!..Will it be leftover pie for breakfast or bacon and eggs?  Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Rhubarb custard pie, add

a dollop of ice cream.

"Spring Tonic"

Information on capital gains,,, yard sale, brunch,,, 40º cloudy.

 An early morning meeting, as we wade through the legalities of gifting, selling, capital gains, tax consequences, old laws, new laws etc...Decisions, decisions, makes my tummy hurt and my head spin...Breath deep, Idella.

From there we went to an estate sale, in a torrential downpour, lucky it was inside!..I wander through the house, maybe 4000 sq.ft. and wonder about the people, now deceased, who's possessions are up for sale...I wonder, "Did they have a good life?" A big house and expensive furnishings do not guarantee that...Whoa, how did I get off on that track?

I bought 3 boxes of wide mouth lids, for canning, and Rusty scored with an almost new pair of $150.00 insulated boots for $40.00...The rain stopped and we decided to stop at the local cafe for a late breakfast...Biscuits and gravy sounded good and had been recommended  by friends, only so so.

Rusty spent the rest of his day, at his house, insulating a north wall, and I worked on insurance claims for April, UGH...Later we ate, chicken strips, asparagus and leftover mashed potatoes, better than anything we've had at a cafe!..We did see and visit with old friends, that was good!...Hugs To All... OWAV:)

PS...Snow is forecast for Monday..

Gardens and lawn, 

love the rain.

Trees are just starting

to leaf out.

A Friendly Reminder...Sunny/Cloudy 38º

 A reminder to all, the race for Judge is only a few weeks away...I know many of you don't buy or read the Wallowa County Chieftain, but it might be a good idea to beg, borrow or buy for a few weeks to keep up on the race for Judge...More information comes out each week in both the Observer and the Chieftain...Be an informed voter!

On the home front, Rusty has two more garden boxes made and I hope to work on staining the fence today...I think it is our last warmish day this week... Hugs to All...OWAV:)

A taco to be eaten with a fork.

Second Day or Productivity...36º partly sunny, high of 60º

 Hoping for day 2 of getting things done...Rusty finished 2 of the new garden beds, that will be planted with potatoes...He will work on others today for the rest of the garden, leaving the garlic bed until we harvest it in late July. 

Boards are cottonwood

that Rusty milled.

Lots of digging and shoveling.

and leveling.

I can't help him with that project so he set me up with a tray and roller to stain the fence on the South side of the property...Herb built (I designed) the fence in 2002 and it still looks good, but needed to be stained again...I did about 3/4 of one side and want to finish that side today and the rest of it this week...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Property line fence.

Productive/Resting day...38º Cloudy

 It was an incredibly beautiful day yesterday, just the right temperature for walking, sitting on the deck, mowing the lawn and going for a ride...I did all of the above.

Rusty was back from a four day trip to Jim Creek, volunteering for the Forest Service...He said they worked hard, got repairs done, checked on the horses, knocked down some weeds...He always enjoys those trips but was tired and sore from all the rough roads and miles of travel to get there and back home...I was nice and didn't nag at him to do things for me.

He did get the lawn mower out and made sure it would start before turning it over to me...Oh boy, now I add that to my exercise program for the summer...My steps added up to 6,600 steps yesterday, so do I rest today or try to better that?

Mid afternoon, we went for a ride, to Alder Slope, then to the head of Wallowa Lake, visiting familiar spots and revisiting times of long ago, when he was just a boy...Back at Barton Heights, we fixed dinner, played a game of cards and he left for his house and hopefully a good nights sleep...Hugs To All, OWAV:)

PS...The anemones multiply and spread, so much of the front flowerbed is covered with blue anemones and bunches of yellow daffodils...The primroses are spotty...I love spring!   

Anemone

Primrose

A bit warmer...36º climbing to 60º

One good thing about the cooler nights and not very warm days is that the blooming daffodils last longer, sharing their sunny personalities for all to enjoy...I love bringing a bouquet in the house as well.

Late afternoon yesterday I joined 3 other ladies for dinner at the "Stubborn Mule." We don't get together often so we visited, laughed and reminisced about our lives now and years ago...Since we were the only "diners" at this early hour, our waiter was very attentive, making sure we had ample drink, food and  dessert...Only 1 dessert and 4 forks.  Hugs to All...OWAV:)

 PS Sorry for the "canned" photo, I forgot my phone!

Sunny Day on Barton Heights...31º

 Yesterday had snow/heavy frost covering everything, and it stayed cold most of the day...Today I'm looking forward to more sunshine and considerably warmer weather.

I enjoyed my  massage yesterday and today I have a follow up on thyroid/low energy and a low dose collagen treatment that I have been on for nearly a year... I will see Dr. Karlin, who is a naturopath for more guidance on the collagen treatment.

Summer really is just around the corner and I would love to have a boost in my energy, so I can work outside more...Still getting in a walk most days, so am feeling good about that...Rusty will be home from 3 days near the Snake River, later today...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

A little different view

walking the track.

Hyacinth 

A WINNING Battle...29º A layer of frost/snow covers the daffies...

 I will continue on with the battle against Judge Williams, even though this weeks Chieftain continues to print mostly glowing letters, in support of him.

How can Wes Williams have the time to campaign and the money to pay for his ads in the paper???? BECAUSE he is getting paid $166,000.00 a year to be a judge, BUT he has been disqualified and recused from most of his cases and therefore he not only has the money to campaign but the time to campaign...Please listen to the previous judges that have stated, they will vote for Jared Boyd!

The Honorable Thomas B. Powers

The Honorable Brian Drekte (Ret.)

The Honorable Russell B. West (Ret.)

The Honorable Eric Valentine (Ret.)

A surprise in the mail box...40º Sunny

In the age of instant messages, snail mail has almost become a thing of the past...I still have a few bills that come in the mail, the weekly paper arrives that way, because I still like to look at a "real" newspaper, not one that is online...As I checked out the flower beds yesterday, occasionally moving leaves/debris out of the way so another tiny bloom could surface, I was near the mailbox and thought, what the heck, maybe I better check for mail... Hugs To All...OWAV:)

This is what peaked out at me...A real live postcard.

A small city in 

Czech Republic.

And this in Cienna's very own handwriting was on the back of it!..It took 3 weeks to arrive.

Thank you Luv! 

More signs of Spring...40º

 More signs of spring are coming to Barton Heights, this week, warm days, light rain, cloudy/sunny and next week a wintery mix returns, for the last full week in April...We can hope that May will bring in the real spring weather for Wallowa County.

My gardens are ever changing, the snow storm last week only encouraged more little flowers to appear...I have "starry twinkles" and "wind flowers" everywhere...They are very hard to get a good photo, but they really brighten up the front yard...The daffodils are all in bud.

While in Lewiston last week, I purchased my usual 6 pack of pansy to adorn the sliding door entry on the deck...They smile and nod their pretty little heads in greeting. 

In the veggie garden, the garlic is now a good 6 to 8 inches tall and ready for a side dressing of aged manure...Rusty filled the wheel barrow and brought it to the garden, where I could lift out shovels full, to spread along each row...With the coming sunshine and rain/snow it will grow more and will be ready for a July/August harvest...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

200 garlic plants.

New endeavor for Joseph Charter School...36º sunshine...

Teaching children where their food comes from, how to plant, grow and harvest this food is a life skill...I'm impressed that this opportunity is forthcoming...Click on this link for information...   https://elkhornmediagroup.com/joseph-school-district-plants-the-seeds-for-a-student-run-garden/?fbclid=IwAR1ozour4PEmGLOHJprYu-4nko9aGu_AkUHX7yuvtAmnPnMK-wkf01oYHdo_aem_AZpXKmzHkHzh-CwiirwGFmAw_SQASFLBCkdRGwrsf2u4mhnG1CxNMTdB8Ay7usAIGKLn0BMP_gdmJSoLpYbQsL22

Questions arise in my mind as I read this information...They have $99,973 in grant money for this project, in my world, that is "a lot" of money...Of course in todays world it is enough money to get the project up and running.

Now for my question, will there be enough money to sustain the project?..If not, where will that money come from?..Will it be handed back to the school district to fund? Will it rely on volunteers to carry on the project and grow food year after year to supplement the school lunch program?

Gardening (this project) takes an immense amount of hard work, and dedication to bring it to fruition...Who are the people to do this and where is the money coming from after the initial grant money is spent?

I'm not trying to be a naysayer, but i've seen too many projects, funded by grant money, that after the newness and excitement wears off, no one wants to do the hard work...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

PS...The lunch program is dear to my heart, I spent almost 20 years at Joseph schools, working in this program and know how important fresh food is in children's diets.

freshly dug carrots.

A change in the weather....Sunny 38º

• Looking like a very nice day, sun shining on Barton Heights this morning...I have to admit, I thought the snowstorm last week was beautiful, but I really hope that we are done with the snow this spring.

5 days ago

                                            

                                                                    Front walk today.

I checked the garden yesterday, garlic looks like it loved the snow and is about 6" tall and waiting for a side dressing of composted manure...I think that will be a good job to do tomorrow...I have acupuncture today and a follow up Dr. appointment, about UTI and thyroid meds...And my mile walk around the track at Joseph Charter Schoo...Hugs to All, OWAV:)

This years first bouquet...39º cloudy

 Sun shining yesterday, I walked through the flower beds and snipped off the daffodils, that lay on the ground, after being bent over from the foot of snow on Thursday night...In the house, in water, it doesn't take them long to revive, finish their bloom and make my first daffodil bouquet of the year...They always brighten my day.

Yesterday morning was spent working on insurance claims, it seems to be a monthly ritual, me on the phone with them and a different "associate" every time. (I wish Blue Cross could get it right!) I'm lucky to have massage and acupuncture paid for, but they make it difficult, thinking I will give up.

Next I went grocery shopping and then to the lab for another blood draw...I did my usual "hot water glove" trick, that makes it simple...One poke and i'm out of there.

Rusty had been working on his house today, tearing out more boards, so he can put in insulation and sheet rock...We had dinner, played a game of cards and called it a day...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

lovely Daffies

Big Fish, the musical...Maybe sunshine today...32º

A new musical, Big Fish, was playing at the Elgin Opera House...Pam and I were on the road early, not to be late, and never knowing how the roads would be in the canyon...It was an easy drive and we waited for the rest of our group to show up from La Grande and Walla Walla.

Pam and I have been going to see shows at the Opera House since 2008, when we saw "The Sound Of Music." According to their website they have done 55 shows and we have seen most of them, taking daughters, granddaughter and a large group of friends over the years to many different shows and we have seen some of them twice!..It is always amazing entertainment, not often found near our county.

The show, as usual, was well done, featuring all the talent from the surrounding area...I love the singing, dancing and the sets...This show featured different backdrops, instead of "sets", they projected the scenery to the stage from a projector behind us?..I don't know how else to describe it...And the sets were few and very simple...I'm wondering if this will be the way of musicals of the future?..Another great production, this was the first weekend, so tickets are available for upcoming shows...Don't miss out buy your tickets now!..Hugs to All...OWAV:)

                                                                

Looks like a dreary day...31º snowing lightly

 It is hard to beat the feeling of a snow covered world, quiet, still, bright, luminous, surreal...That is what I woke up to yesterday...As the day warmed up, Rusty and I shoveled snow (knowing that if we left it, it would melt) but the urge to shovel is there...It is a satisfying feeling for me!..I like the deck cleared off, the paths shoveled, then watching the snow as it melts down to about half of what is started out...It was a good day.

This morning, looking out at a bleak landscape of half melted snow, thinking about the daffodils, tucked underneath, waiting for their chance to bloom...I'm hoping for the sun to break through, melt the remaining snow, where the grass will be even greener than before and spring will return...It will, I have to have patience.

On with my day, an afternoon of fun awaits...Pam and I will meet friends at the Elgin Opera House for the matinee performance of "Big Fish," a new musical, that is, from what I read, a fantasy about their lives and father/son relationship...I go for the music and dancing...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Shoveled front walk

The deck, snow piled 

around the trees.

The Weather People finally got it right...At least 12" of snow overnight.

 They have been warning us for the last week that a huge winter/spring storm was headed our way...Most days they predicted 4 to 5 inches...We usually got an inch at the most.

I was up at 2:30AM this morning because it seemed so light outside...I thought it was about 5AM...But no it was the reflection of the roughly 12" of snow everywhere...I took photos and stepped outside to measure the closest, largest pile of snow...Quickly back inside, I stoked the fire, turned my electric mattress cover on high and snuggled back into my warm bed...Sleep didn't happen, so at 3:30 I was up drinking coffee and doing the morning puzzles and watching the snow continue to fall...I've always enjoyed watching a beautiful storm...Not so much in April as Christmas Eve.

Rusty will be here soon, wondering why i'm not out shoveling snow...He says it with a grin, and I say, "Oh no problem, it will melt soon." And so it goes, another day on Barton Heights...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

This is quite a

balancing act.

Snow still falling.

No view this morning...34º

Totally fogged in this morning, gloomy and dark...But good news that last night's 4.5 inches of snow did not happen but looking ahead they are predicting Friday snowfall of 5.7 inches...I can only assume that this is happening in the higher elevations of Joseph...The daffodils are budded and would love to bloom, but they are hunkered down, waiting for spring to really show up!

I had a wonderful massage yesterday, 90 minutes flies by and I was wiped out for the rest of the day...I chopped/diced veggies and Rusty fixed stir fry for dinner...We played a couple of games of 5 Crowns and called it a day.

I haven't walked for 3 days now, so must get back to the track today, rain or shine!..Hugs to All...OWAV:)

This was our weather one year ago...

Road Trip...light rain...45º

 My internet is down this morning so no puzzles for me to do…Rusty and I had a good trip to Lewiston/Clarkston yesterday…First stop was Home Depot where he loaded his van with sheetrock and insulation for his house, plus we made a Costco stop for things I need in my house…We had  very good hamburgers at “Zany Grays” in Lewiston…The flowering  plum trees are in full bloom there and some flowers, and everywhere it is green…Love Lewiston in spring, not so much in the summer, as it get  beastly hot there. We made a stop at Winco for fresh veggies and bulk food…Back home before 4pm, unloaded van and sat on the deck to drink a glass of wine and soak up the sun, as rain/snow is in the forecast ...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

The photos are out of sequence.

top of Rattlesnake Grade

Wallowa Mountains as

we are almost home.

Round top barn

near Anatone

Blooming trees in 

Clarkston.