Baking with sourdough...Clouds/sunbreaks, 33º

 Covered the garden again last night and will leave covers on for the next couple of nights, hoping for warmer weather soon!

Rusty brought a sourdough start home from Bend (thanks Bee and Brian)...My start has been in the fridge for sometime so decided to use the new one. I followed a rustic sourdough bread recipe off of King Arthur baking...Instead of doing two loaves on a cookie sheet, I dumped the whole batch in the cold dutch oven and into a 425º oven...It rose nicely but is more dense than I wanted, tasted very good with our steak and salad dinner...Will be fun to try more methods of baking and make two loaves instead of the 2 1/2 pounder we will be eating on all week!

Have a friend coming for lunch today, making a quiche, will let you know how it turns out...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Cooling on the rack.

Just out of the oven.

A smattering of rain...Cool/Cloudy

I'm still thinking rain, gentle, steady rain but it is not happening...A smattering yesterday, barely dampened the ground...At least now the ditch water is in and Rusty is back home, so he will set up the pumps and hoses and I can get everything watered that way...Nights are in the mid to low 30's, this week, so everything is taking a rest, waiting for sunshine. 

I had a busy day yesterday, laundry, watering, cooking, after 3 days of going out to breakfast, lunch and a day in La Grande, Rusty was coming home and I had catch up to do!..It seems I need motivation, to get things done...So much for all this drivel, hugs to all...OWAV:)

A Bouquet to all the Dad's out there!

 

A Day in La Grande...Beautiful drive, sunny day

 We left Enterprise around 10AM, arriving in La Grande just in time for lunch at The Liberty Cafe...We ordered two different sandwiches to split, both were good and ample size...A quick side trip to Union and the Platz Family Market, featuring fruits and vegetables...I've been following them on FB, I bought strawberries and salad greens, later in the summer I hope to buy peaches and pears.

We were back in La Grande just in time to make a quick stop at BiMart, then onto my 2:15 appointment at the eye doctor...Eyes checked out stable again, don't go back until October...We made WalMart our last stop of the day...Neither of us are into "shop until we drop" mode of yesteryears!..It was a good day. Hugs To All...OWAV:)

PS, My friend Judy inspired me to make the last of our garden asparagus into pickles...I added garlic scapes, scallions, dried garlic and peppers for flavor, hope they are as good as they look.

Ready to eat in a few weeks.

So Many Blooms...Cloudy/Cool

I keep wishing for warmer weather but cooler is in the forecast...The best thing about this is the blooms last longer...The allium have all gone to seed, but now I have peonies, poppies, columbine, and Iris, putting on quite a show...Across the road from our house are dames rocket and centaurea (perennial bachelor button), both of these can be invasive so I try to keep them across the road and they are lovely right now...Also across the road, many years ago, we planted fruit trees, apricot, apple and plum...I will be making jam in August?

The blooms brighten my world and keep me moving forward each day...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Columbine

Days are flying by...Cloudy/Cool

 Just got a text from Rusty, he got all of his running around done, in Bend yesterday, and will be home on Saturday...Darn, now I have to cancel that party I had planned for Saturday night...Sorry, ladies, another time.

I had a wonderful massage yesterday, followed by a quick trip to Safeway and home to spend the rest of the afternoon, cleaning out the refrigerator, picking up after myself and resting as Linnaea, told me to do and drinking lots of water...Which means that I was up 3 times last night going to the bathroom!..I did sleep well but it is kind of eerie, knowing that i'm all alone in our home of 50 years...It is another beautiful day on Barton Heights and I have many things to do! Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Hermans Pride 

A Fun Surprise....Breezy/Cool

Rusty arrived at my house early yesterday morning, before leaving for a few days in Bend...We did our usual "dance" around the kitchen, he took over the little smokies in the frying pan, sliced bread for toast and broke two eggs...I sliced an apple, for our plates and added a few sweet cherries...We ate and visited about his trip and what I would be doing while he was gone...(Not eating bonbons, for sure!)..I have watering and weeding in my future, maybe lawn mowing.

On my first trip to the veggie garden, a morning ritual, I was checking the strawberries, when neighbor Bill called out a good morning and walked over to the garden fence...He said, "Wow you have ripe strawberries." I looked closer and sure enough 2 big almost ripe berries, hidden under the large green leaves...I was surprised, because I hadn't seen this happening!..Now they are covered with netting to keep the robins from eating them, i'm wondering are they going to be tart or sweet?..Will they be ripe before Rusty gets back home and I can eat both of them?

It was a lovely drive out North yesterday...I rode along with friend Janie, we met Steve, Leita and two granddaughters Flora and Prairie at Safeway for the 25 mile trip to "Joseph Canyon Lodge," where we joined Cathy for lunch...We visited about our years in "Write Group" and our lives since then...We left for the drive home in a pounding rainstorm, thunder and lightning included...Back home I was disappointed to find that the rain had missed us again!

Today I go for a massage, can hardly wait...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Almost Ripe

Lots of Green Ones!

Summer is just around the corner...Mostly Sunny

The spring flowers are fading away, iris, poppies, and peonies are taking their place...My gardens show more green than anything right now but they are beautiful shades of green!..We had a short rain shower yesterday late afternoon, we really need more, but happy for any moisture...In the vegetable garden, garlic is sending up scapes, asparagus is getting spindly (means it is time to stop cutting) and peas are sprouted, along with squash, lettuce, and radishes...Our irrigation water is finally in the ditch and soon ready to hook up the pumps and give everything a good drink.

Our friends Bob and Judy came for lunch yesterday, such an interesting couple, Rusty has known Bob for many years...He has done carpenter work for us and I met Judy through mutual friends at Arrowhead Chocolate shop, in Joseph...We visited nonstop for over two hours and look forward to more visits with them.

I have a lunch date today with old friends, more visiting and reminiscing...I love it!..That reminds me of the cards, phone calls, likes, loves and hugs I've gotten on FB...I'm trying to answer the many people that reached out to me in the past month...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

After many hints, I get my car washed.

Me with Utah nieces, Vicky, Blanche and Jannine

More relatives!