Mona and Jerry arrived...55º

Herb and I worked most of the day as I finished in the bedroom and he vacuumed, mopped floors, moved water and picked the apples...No one wants to know how much dust and dirt I found as I dug deeper into the corners but it was way tooo much...What a good feeling to know that it is now cleaner and cleared of all the containers and piles!..I didn't get everything done I wanted to, but it will wait for another time.

About noon I called Mona's cell phone to check on their progress...They had just arrived in Boise so that meant that I had about 5 hours before they would arrive in Joseph...I fixed us a little lunch and sat down to ice my knee, then went back to work...They pulled into the yard about 4:30pm with a trunk load of nectarines, corn, tomatoes and cucumbers...I had buns ready for the oven, bacon in the pan and with the fresh veggies and fruit, dinner was soon on the table.

We visited late into the evening, catching up on family news, before turning in for the night....Hugs to all....OWAV:)

Sourdough....49º

I had such good luck with my sourdough bread for several months, that I just assumed it would continue...So last week when I made 5 loaves and they turned into bricks, I blamed the cooler weather, when putting them in the hot sun to raise and the dough turned to a soggy lifeless glob, i decided they got too hot...BUT yesterday I thought I had it all figured out and when Herb suggested the new heated floor in the bathroom would make a good place for the dough to rise I took it to a higher level and decided that the shower might be even better, I ran hot water in the shower, and with the heated seat thought that would be the perfect place to let it rise in the moist environment...I did the first rise, it was okay but not moving like I wanted it to...Sooooo I keeping the bowl covered set it on the tile floor of the bathroom where the tiles seem warmer...Eh, moving but still not just right...I tried my old tricks used when Herb and I did bread for the market, I heated rice packs and set them under and on top of the bowl...By late afternoon I decided enough was enough and started to shape the loaves...Damn, it had the same soggy (not spongy and elastic) feeling of the week before...Yup you guessed it last night at 8pm Herb took them out of the oven for me and yes they are bricks...Didn't stop us from sampling one of them warm from the oven and it tasted good but I know that cold they will be better to start building a wall instead of making sandwiches!..Today I will make a quick batch of the HB buns for bacon, tomato and lettuce sandwiches that will be our dinner tonight when Mona and Jerry arrive...Since I don't give up easily, I'm thinking that I need to add more flour in the kneading process but I have to get the sourdough starter built back up before I try another batch...Any ideas for the bricks?...Hugs to all.....OWAV:)

Count Down....38º

Mona and Jerry will arrive in two days....I have myself on sort of a schedule for cleaning our bedroom, where they will sleep....Yesterday I sorted the closet, now I have 3 bags full of clothes, a few shoes, 1 bag of yarn (very old synthetic yarn) to donate to Soroptomists and 1 small bag of Bobi's clothes (YES, you read that right) I wonder if Cienna will be dressing up for a 70's day anytime soon or if they should go to Sorop?????...Now the closet is looking pretty empty and I have room for??...Soooooo on the list for today is to sort the "stuff" and my armoire, putting everything neatly away...Then on to straighten the bookcase, sort the new yarn and the old felted sweaters and my unfinished knitting projects...Aha!..Maybe there is room for these projects in the newly cleaned closet?..By tomorrow I should be able to clean out from under the bed and with Herb's help vacuum the room and have it ready for occupancy on Friday night....Herb will see that they have clean line-dried sheets and a down comforter for their slumber...Not a 5 star hotel but close, because the food at this establishment is darn good...Since that is probably more than you wanted to know I will end the blather and get moving.

Today we also have a lamb to cut up, wrap and get in the freezer, as well as clean up the rest of the house, pick the apples, and tomorrow, wash the windows and make an apple pie....Ooops, there I go with the blathering again...Hugs to all....OWAV:)

16 Jars of Salsa...33º

For the second night in a row we had a killing frost...Zucchini, cucumbers, cherry tomato plants all bit the dust...We can glean a few veggies from them and then it will be time to clean up the garden, let the potato vines die down and after we harvest the potatoes we will plant the garlic in that very spot...I think that will be a job for Herb and Rusty as it won't get done before my surgery...I know that with me wielding my cane, they will have it done in no time -:)

Yesterday I left the house about 9am, straight to the produce market and then to Safeway intent on getting onions, peppers, limes and cilantro...Had physical therapy from 10 to 11am and made it to the last 1/2 hour of write group, then to the Range Rider for lunch...2pm I arrived home where Herb and I immediately started on the salsa...Jars were scalded, tomatoes, peppers and cilantro all washed...I peeled and diced the tomatoes while Herb chopped the hot stuff...He shed a few tears but kept at his job and three hours later without stopping for a break we had 16 jars of colorful salsa to add to the cellar shelves...After cleaning up the mess, loading the dishwasher, he treated himself to a bowl of ice cream topped with cherry/rhubarb syrup and I ate leftover chicken, tomatoes and cucumbers, then we collapsed into our respective chairs until bedtime...Salsa is not our favorite thing to make and we say every year, NEVER again!...But it is so pretty in the jars....Hugs to all....OWAV:)

Angry Birds....34º

Okay, Angry Birds, that's what I've been doing for two hours but I am finished with this level and can leave it be until the next one shows up....Yes I must admit, I'm addicted and I used some cheats to find some of the magic spots, and the last golden egg.

And now, one last time, today is the day that the salsa is going to get made...It is not always easy to get the ingredients here in Wallowa County but this morning with a fresh food stand in Enterprise and Safeway getting fresh shipments in on Tuesday, it just has to happen!

Yesterday while Herb was in Enterprise picking up the last of the garbage from Mule Days, I roasted 3 sheets of tomatoes, made a batch of hamburger buns, simmered ham and beans, made more pickles (6 jars) then Herb and I went to Lostine to pick up our fall lamb and now have it hanging in the garage (lucky that the weather turned cold last night to cool it out)...Also we have it just in time so Mona and I can get our fill of fresh lamb...Lamb was a staple of our diet as kids and is still our favorite.

I have a PT appointment this morning and write group then will come home to get the salsa in the jars...We are still eating tomatoes and cucumbers daily along with the fall melons...I'm always so sad when I put the last one on our table...Mona and Jerry are bringing peaches so we will have a busy few days eating our fill and canning the rest...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Salsa, today for sure...42ª

A few days ago I posted that I (we) would be making salsa...Well it didn't happen...So today is the day along with roasting tomatoes..Now I've worked or procrastinated myself into a corner....It was easy with Mule Days to say oh I'll get it done tomorrow as I sat visiting with friends...TOMOROW is now here...The house is pretty much upside down, cucumbers waiting in the patch, tomatoes in the back room, write group and lunch tomorrow, company coming on Friday...OH MY!...Deep breath, one thing at a time and the first is to get out of this chair and get busy....Hugs to All....OWAV:)

LAST DAY....60º`

Yesterday went well for me...Belinda and I work well together, we fed 250 people, baked beans were a hit!..Few minor snags, nothing big...Walking on cement floors after all these years is not good for me but I'll make it through one more day...Got home at 6pm, quickly changed my shirt and got to the wedding reception for Erica and Tyler (Arrowhead Chocolates) in time for dessert (chocolate and pies)...Held outside at the ranch, it was a a warm balmy evening, tables made of planks and hay bales stretched across the lawn under trees trimmed in mini lights, band playing, people dancing...Lovely, lovely party....I visited and watched, got to talk with Brandon and Annie who came from Missoula, didn't stay long and sorry I missed the ceremony that was held in a grove of trees nearby...Arrived home, Herb was still up and it was after 8pm, his day had gone well and we visited about the different people that had crossed our paths during the day...Beautiful weather, friends, hard work and play...It was a good day...Hugs to All....OWAV:)