Smoky, Dry and Sunny...59º

My annual physical was yesterday, in good shape for my age...Always good to hear.

Debbie called last night and said the raspberries are going crazy at her house and she is busy with fair this week...So I will start a batch of bread, then head out to her house to pick before it gets hot...Our raspberry patch has a few berries this year after the deer helped themselves to the blooms early spring...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Berries that Cienna and I picked one summer

Hot, Smoky...56º

For the second day the sun is rising as a ball of fire over the town of Joseph...Smoke from a new fire near the small town of Imnaha, 30 miles East of Joseph fills the air, blanketing the sun...We are in for another hot one...I ran sprinklers continuously yesterday keeping flowerbeds watered...Herb worked on the garden fence, adding another 2 1/2 feet to the top to deter the deer...Hot weather continues for the rest of the week.

Instead of our usual toast or cold cereal for breakfast yesterday I fixed bacon, eggs and huckleberry pancakes for breakfast...Herb likes his with the HB inside, I like mine on top...Ohhh, they were yummy.

Dellas---Herbs

Another treat was in store for us as dinner time rolled around I checked out the garden and found potatoes close to the surface on a volunteer plant...Onions growing nearby were pulled and all placed in the dutch oven next to a pot roast...Later in the evening we both had fresh raspberries for dessert...Summer is a wonderful time...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Potatoes and red onions in the sink waiting to be scrubbed.

Bumper year for fruit...55º

Our apricot tree is about 20 years old and we have picked small amounts of fruit over the years...This year it is loaded with apricots and starting to change color...Herb and I have thinned what we can reach and wait anxiously for the first juicy bite.

Maybe ready in a couple of weeks.

Last night I attended a thank you reception for Joseph Center docents and major contributors, plus the opening of "For the love of the figurine", featured artists are Chris Antemann & Kendrick Moholt...Hugs To All...OWAV:) 

Huckleberry Fever Continues...55º

Friday August 1, 2014 found us getting an early start on the latest Huckleberry adventure...Pam, Herb and I have a long history...Starting almost 30 years ago Pam and I became friends when we were both working at the Joseph Schools, me in the kitchen and she in special ed and it snowballed from there...But today is not the day for that story as I must write about huckleberries, it is the season!

We took the "Loop Road" and traveled about 60 miles taking us two hours as it is a slow, winding, narrow road but a most beautiful drive...One we have traveled many times...We stopped near "Harl Butte" and checked a favorite huckleberry spot from other years but it was bare, so on we went to "Hells Canyon Overlook" stopped for a potty/photo break and from there soon found ourselves surrounded by huckleberry brush everywhere.

A couple of beauties at Hells Canyon Overlook

Buckwheat

Something happens to ones mind when they are standing in huckleberry brush up to their waist and the bushes are covered with fairly large berries...My mind forgot all about the iPhone/camera that I carried in my pocket...I wasn't carrying that phone to text my friends because NO phone service is found in that area but do you think I remembered to take even one more photo, hell no!

We picked for 2 hours, stopped to eat our lunch and continued picking for another 4 hours...A 12 hour day we returned home weary but jubilant, the smell of huckleberries filled the car...I didn't sort berries last night, we sealed them tightly in tupperware containers, placed them in the fridge, Pam left for home...Herb and I took showers and were in bed by 8:30... 

Wonderful nights sleep last night and now I must get dressed and get busy sorting and freezing berries...Actually huckleberry pancakes might taste good...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Pam in her glory

 

Lovely Berries

Huckleberry Fever...65º

After an early morning phone call from Pam, Herb loaded picking jugs, water, camp chairs while I scrambled to fix a snack of cheese, crackers and chocolate before we headed out north to a recently spotted huckleberry patch...Four hours later we were sharing a burger and beer at TG's after picking nearly a gallon of huckleberries...It was a good morning...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Let the fun begin...58º

Sunday on our way home from Boardman, we made a 25 mile detour into Milton Freewater to Edwards Farm where we bought peaches and tomatoes to eat and cucumbers to pickle...Kept the cukes in ice water overnight and started pickling early Monday morning...I gathered the dill and grape leaves from our garden, garlic from the lean-to, vinegar and salt from the pantry...Herb brought up jars, lids and hot peppers from the cellar...Jars washing in the dishwasher, I started to scrub the cucumbers, sorting the larger ones for sweet pickles and the smallest for dills.

Cukes in ice water

Fresh Dill

Fresh Grape Leaves

The larger cukes go into a salt, water, vinegar, alum brine in gallon jars where they sit for 6 weeks then they are drained, saving part of the brine, add sugar, slice cukes, place in pint jars, heat and seal.

Gallon jars of cukes for sweet pickles

The smaller cukes go directly into pint or quart jars, first I place chopped dill in the bottom, carefully arrange the cukes, add garlic cloves and hot red peppers down the side of the jar and a grape leaf on top...Pour boiling brine of water, salt and vinegar over top, heat and seal...They will be ready to eat in time for Thanksgiving.

Dills before adding boiling brine

Nine finished quart jars of dill pickles

Are any of you wondering when the fun part is going to start...It started at 8am with scrubbing the cukes and ended at about 2pm in the afternoon when the last jar sealed...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Family Fun in Boardman?...60º

Boardman is not much of a city, only a wide spot in the road, hot and dry, next to the freeway on the way to Portland...Why would we pick such a spot for a family gathering?..In the passed 30 years, since our kids left the nest, we have met in many different spots along the Columbia River in the "Gorge" for a family gathering...Herb and I driving from Joseph, Bobi from Portland and Rusty from Bend...We have met at Rufus, Arlington etc, at cafes or packed a picnic and found a shady spot for a few hours...Anyway you look at it we all drive for 3 hours, spend three hours eating and visiting and then drive three hours to get back to our respective homes...Family visits are important to us!

Yesterday was no different and we now know that Boardman is the closest to half-way for all of us to travel and meet...Also BM has a great little drive-in famous for its Bozo Burgers and milkshakes and it has a lovely city park, marina and RV park right on the river...Lots of shade trees, pavilions, tables, bathrooms and a swimming beach...Herb and I selected a spot, we brought lawn chairs, a tablecloth of sorts, Bobi and Ci brought napkins, forks, plates and a chocolate cake, Rusty paid for the burgers, milkshakes and tatertots...Not much of this had been planned out except that we were meeting for Bozo Burgers, the rest just happened.

Our family had all been together in Joseph in June but we got together yesterday to give "The Girl" (Cienna) a sendoff, get a final hug, made her promise to write in her blog once a week for the next year, while she makes her home in Thailand on a Rotary Exchange...She will spend the year with one or more host families, going to a Thai school, immerseing herself in the Thai culture and eating real Thai food and visiting sights that we only dream about...So we her family will be waiting breathlessly for these weekly blogs to keep in touch because Rotary tries to keep family contact to a minimum for at least the first three months so this Exchange Student will have to embrace her host family which includes parents, three year old boy, with a baby boy expected in September and a sister (also a Rotary Exchange student living with them for a few more months) from South Africa...Oh My!

Cienna and her family are excited beyond words and have been preparing for this departure for over a year now, from the time she applied and was chosen for this incredible opportunity...Are we really prepared?...As much as we possible can be...Our goodbyes were exchanged, no tears shed, only good wishes, spread those wings, keep your head on straight, make the most of this opportunity and fly away so you can return and share this incredible journey with us....A chance of a lifetime and a year of tremendous growth as you leave this familiar nest, Cienna keep your enthusiasm and adventurous spirit, you are destined to experience great things and above all Cienna, keep a sense of humor and smiling that gorgeous smile...Hugs to You...OWAV:)

Ci and Oma

Keeping Cool

Fly away Ci