Luncheon/Cards/Bedlam

Bedlam is the only way I can explain the afternoon of card playing...Diane, our hostess, served a lovely salad luncheon, giving the seven ladies a chance to meet and visit, with the usual small talk of getting acquainted...Long time county residents and relative newcomers chatted like old friends, a prelude to the card game...Diane took a few minutes to explain that with "new and old" card players we would be helping each other or learning the game...I'm sort of in the middle, having played with these ladies several times, but still not understanding the counting and bidding because they are so good at it, that they leave me shaking my head and bumbling along...The "old timers" play the game by rote, all the time talking about life in Wallowa County...AND the only problem is they switch subjects, mid sentence, talking first about today, then back 50 years ago, then to last week and on to tomorrow...Occasionally you hear the word(s), pass, open, fifty one go, what is trump again?, who led that ace?...These phrases are all interspersed in and among things like, "Did they shoot the horse right there?" or "Is the bakery ever open?" or "Who got fired?" On and on it goes, until my head is spinning, listening to three conversations, counting the cards in my hand, keeping track of who played what and suddenly the room gets warm and luckily it is time to take a break and Diane serves her lovely "Brownie Sundae."..The chatter slows as everyone dives into dessert, Ahhhh, a respite.

I arrive home in time for Herb and I to go for our usual Thursday night outing on the court house lawn, where we listen to "Sky In The Road."..A husband and wife duo from Portland that comes every year to perform in Wallowa County...The play a variety of music, all upbeat, easily understood...Just what I needed to clear my head and calm my pounding heart...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Photo by Pat..:)

Relaxed...45º

Up early yesterday, I combined all the ingredients in my Bosch mixer for a large batch of bread, set the mixer to knead for 10 minutes...It made close to eight pounds of dough...Soft, stretchy, warm dough, left to rise in the large tupperware bowl.

I made my 9am appointment to have my teeth cleaned, stopped briefly at Safeway and back home to pan the well raised dough...Three hours later it was baked and our house smelled wonderful.

It was too warm outside to work in the flowerbeds, so I spent the afternoon/evening reading on the deck, just enjoying the view...So relaxed I forgot to take photos, so you will just have to use your imagination of how lovely the loaves of bread...Must get moving now while it is still cool and get some work done...I have a noon luncheon and card playing this afternoon...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Baking Day...45º

After feeding for three days, the sourdough start is bubbling away on the counter, ready to be added to bread flour, salt and water and made into enough loaves to freeze for the coming weeks...Herb eats at least one slice of bread everyday and some days more, never tiring of the homemade bread.

Home made bread was a staple on our table, when I was growing up...Toast, bread and butter, biscuits or warm dinner rolls was put out for every meal, along with homemade butter and jam...We also had bread and milk for supper and sometimes bread covered with thick cream, sprinkled with sugar for a dessert or a snack...We didn't know about "carbs" and didn't care, we only knew that we needed good substantial food in our bellies from one meal to the next.

I learned to make bread as a young bride, wearing out the "bread page" of my "Better Homes and Gardens" cookbook, as each week I measured and sifted flour, added salt, sugar and water, stirred, mixed and kneaded hoping that the two loaves would raise and be enough for sandwiches for a weeks worth of lunches for Herb...God forbid he would have to take store bought bread in his lunch...After weeks, months, maybe even years, this ceased to be a chore and I began to enjoy making bread.

Today is bread baking day, time for me to get dressed, start mixing (no cookbook needed) and by afternoon our house will have the aroma, to make your mouth water, of bread just out of the oven...A smell that reminds me of our farm house in Lake Fork, Idaho as I arrived home from school and that wonderful smell met me at the door...Not sure what else we are having for dinner today, might just be good ol' "Carbs."..Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Look close for the family of quail.

Brrrr...37º...Warmer at our house.

Yesterday morning was cold enough to turn on the space heater to warm up our living room and this morning is even colder on the 28th day of July...Garden veggies are at a standstill, wondering if somehow they have been moved to the North Pole!

Sunday we pulled the pea vines, brought them up on the deck where Herb and I pulled the pods off the vines, then he took on the job of shelling peas while I worked at cleaning up the garden space, propping up the asparagus stalks, etc...Creamed peas and potatoes tasted good for our dinner, along with a BBQ'ed pork roast.

Yesterday was a perfect morning for working outside, (no chance of sweating) I dug starts for Pat to transplant before cleaning up and doing a docent stint at the Josephy Center...Today is Write People, with a potluck lunch at Evelyns so I must get something cooking...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

BBQ'ed Pork Roast, delicious!!!

Greasy Delight...45º

Our once a year CJD's celebration...Many years ago hand dipped corndogs were ready available at the CJD's Carnival, a cheap meal and a change of diet for us...The corndogs started getting expensive and not so good and the carnival quit coming to town...So I tried making our own corndogs (without much luck,) then Bobi mentioned that Ci liked something called "Scooby Snacks," wieners cut into pieces, dipped in batter and fried...This seemed more doable, so we added another grease bomb to the mix that we only eat occasionally at cafes, french fried onions rings...That way we get out grease fix all in one day each year...I set up the electric fry pan outside the back door on the deck and we dip, fry and eat until we are stuffed...Clean up the greasy mess and put the fry pan away for another year...At the carnival we washed it all down with a pop of choice, at home we go for ice cold water melon.

Walla Walla Sweets

Hill Meats wieners and sausages

Hermiston water melon

All fried up, (not a good photo) but we were

so busy eating I almost forgot!

Chief Joseph Days is officially over as of last night, our town shrinking down to a manageable size for the summer and by the end of September we will be back to our normal size of 1000 people...Fall will really be in the air, gardens mostly died back, garlic ready to plant and hibernation mode just around the corner...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Guilty?..NOT...56º

Early morning work, lazy afternoons, seem to be the norm of these late July days...After spreading chips and cleaning up flowerbeds, I moved to the veggie garden to sow the experimental cover crop...Seeds of all kinds were mixed with sand and broadcast onto the 8 x 10 plot, (previous garlic spot..)Included in this seeding were lettuce, kale and swisschard that can be use on our table, others are flower seeds, none of which will have time to go to seed and can be covered and layered for next springs planting...I covered the new seeding with a light layer of straw, then hand watered to start the sprouting process.

Just as I finished this job, Pam stopped by for a visit and we spent several hours visiting about gardens, kids, jobs and life in general, just like old times...Our friendship dates back many years and sometimes we go weeks without a visit, but have no trouble picking up where we left off...It was soon "wine thirty" and the rumble of our stomachs signaled dinner time...Taco meat simmered on the stove, while we sliced, diced and grated and soon we were enjoying the messy process of eating a taco, along with delicious slices of cantaloupe and watermelon.

Late afternoon I started a book on tape, again sitting on the deck...Guilty thoughts running through my mind, such as "I" should be out digging more daylilies, and I did dig a couple, but decided the ground was too dry, so move the gravity feed sprinkler to the daylily patch and resumed listening to "Mom & Me & Mom," all guilty thoughts saved for another day...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Fall in the Air...43º

How can it be, it is still July?..The nights have cooled, daytime temperatures have dropped, thunder storms, rain showers and blazing sun all in one day...The hot morning sun drained my energy and forced me inside to shower before the sky clouded over, thunder roared and the skies opened up...The rain didn't last but the cool did and we wondered, "Should we or should we not go to the music tonight?"

It seemed crazy that I looked for comfort food, but our house stayed cool and chili over baked potatoes came to mind, garnished with onions, cheese and sour cream, it was easy and tasted good!..We read away the afternoon, before making sure we had our warm shirts, Herb parked the car so we could sit and listen if need be...But we joined Pam and Nancy and a small crowd, on the lawn surrounding the Gazebo...A Nashville song writer was the entertainment but the sun overshadowed him as it came out sizzling hot, he not so...Oh well, we enjoyed some of the songs, the sun, the company and have next week to look forward to.

Back home I popped some popcorn and we settled in for what was left of the evening, sounds of the second rodeo echoing in the distance...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Fall Blooms, oh no!

Pleasant Day...51º

Early morning found me outside spreading chips and the never ending watering (lucky that we have water...)Pat and sister Maureen arrived with iced mocha's for us to sip while visiting into the afternoon...Such delightful company.

Me and Maureen

Herb and I had comfort food, leftovers and melon for dinner and whiled away the day reading and enjoying our view, with Chief Joseph Days sounds in the background...Feeling lucky that we live several blocks away from the activity...I fell asleep to the sounds of the announcer at the rodeo broadcasting the last of the bull riding...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Creamed peas and potatoes 

from our garden

Hermiston melon

Zucchini from our garden

Barrels of flowers on the deck.

A lovely Day...54º

Sunny, warm, quiet, what more could one ask for as our small group, six members of the Write People, arrived on Barton Heights...We read, shared photos but mostly talked, jumping from one subject to another like ping pong balls at a tournament...We bounced, skittered, rolled off the edge, recovered, volleyed and served up another story...After two hours, conversation quieted, some leaving for lunch in town, others content to eat a sandwich on the deck taking in the view and touring the garden.

I made my 1pm volunteer stint at the Wallowa County Museum, where I sat with the other "dummies and relics" of years gone by, collected my thoughts, visited with tourists from central and western oregon, here to take in the CJD's activities...Back home I caught up on scrabble and settled in to a quiet evening at home...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Thanks Pat for the photos.

Idella and Janie

Annette, Lyn, and Katherine

Change of Pace...46º

Both of us up this morning at 4am, doors wide open to cool off the house for the afternoon, and we sit wrapped in our lap quilts, computing...A busy day looms ahead...The Write People will be arriving here at 10am for our meeting, due to a scheduling mixup at the Josephy Center...We are a flexible group and the deck should be warm and inviting by then or we will hunt the sun on the lawn...After Write People, I will be volunteering at the Wallowa County Museum for the afternoon...Herb will be mowing lawns, tending to water and scrounging his own dinner, while I am away!

Yesterday morning I worked in the veggie garden, prepping the empty spot, where the garlic had been growing...I plan to seed a cover crop in this 8 X 10 plot enriching it for next years cabbage and peas, wish me luck...Late morning found me spreading wood chips as I continue ridding flowerbeds of spent blooms and plants...The wood chips give the garden a clean and tidy look and mulch the ground in the process...A good soaking followed and I finally turned off the sprinklers at 7pm...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Yesterdays harvest

Moon going down before

 I went to bed last night (not sure 

how I got this double)

This is how it really looked.

Yardsales...54º

A big weekend for yardsales in Wallowa County...Pat and Mason arrived at 9am sharp, ready to hit the road...From one end of the county to another we hunted for the illusive treasure...Pat was the big winner as she scored with six chairs (four kitchen and two folding lawn) all cramed into the back of the volkswagon Passat...Mason was getting a little bummed as he hardly had room to sit and treasures for him were few and far between..."Nana" decided it was time to get "the grandson" a bite to eat and then he was ready to roll again!

Back home Herb was holding down the fort and cooking short ribs for our dinner...I made it home in time to fix potatoes and peas for the side dish and relaxed on the deck for the rest of a lovely afternoon...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Almost smiling

Crammed in

Loaded

  

Almost smiling and ready to go home.

Brrrr...46º

Instead of sunny and 70º, we had sunny, cloudy..I started early using round-up on some nasty weeds while Herb was getting a crown prep at the dentist...Finished that job and moved to the veggie garden to check one or two garlic plants to see how easy they would come out of the ground...They came out so easy I couldn't stop...Some of them I had to use the fork on but many popped right out...Herb arrived just in time to start hanging them in the lean-to shed for drying...Always a sense of accomplishment when that job is done.

I was very warm and needed a rest, but a breeze had come up and I was soon chilled...Comfort food was calling me and it was a good day to use the oven and heat up the house...A chocolate sheet cake not only warmed the house and made it smell good but tasted even better...Been a long time since we had this favorite, baked often when our kids were young.

Dinner was easy with hamburger patties, creamed corn and chocolate cake...The day sped by and we bundled up to go to the concert at the Gazebo...Should have taken our heavy quilt as the wind was brisk but the music was good and we lasted until the last half hour, when we listened from the car...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

A big one

Yummy

Over 200 

Dreamy Day..50º

I was outside early yesterday, checking out the garden, moving water, just puttering around...It was cool unless I was in the direct sun so I followed the shadows, snipping, digging and all the while planning what I can move where to gets blooms next year...Gardening has job security, the payoff comes when a certain combination jumps out and says, "Perfect."...The day passed with me working awhile, resting awhile...Repeat, Repeat...Today might be the same.

Herb has marked a couple of things off of his list this passed week, seems Rusty got him motivated...A new hand rail has been installed on the basement stairway...When we moved here forty two years ago, Herb removed the old rickity railing and we were young and never missed it...Now it is a must...Another day was spent repairing grout/caulking in the shower that shrinks and dries out over time.

The new hatches of baby quail are keeping us entertained as they are now flying as well as running fast...They love the cover of the flowerbeds and the insects and seeds that are found there, while Mom and Dad try to keep them corralled...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Lavendar and Correopsis

Whirlwind Day...45º

Twelve of the Write People crowded around tables at the Josephy Center, to share writing, family news, laughter and tears...Of course that is what we usually do but our group was much larger on this day...We welcomed Ruth, Lyn and Maxine who spend winters out of the county and Leita now from Richland/LaGrande.

Two hours later some of us moved upstairs at the JC to attend a "brown bag lunch" where three old time Wallowa Countians, Jean, Janie and Dwayne Wiggins,  shared their story of how the Wiggins Family became owners of the Wallowa Lake Lodge and several hundred acres of the surrounding area...Some of this was later sold to the Park Service and became what is now "Wallowa Lake State Park." A standing room only crowd listened with rapt attention as the "Wallowa Lake Wonderland," as it was called in the 30's, lost its luster during the war years and became what it is today.

Pat and I left this event and made our way to Donna Butterfield's lovely garden on "lower Prairie Creek." A light sprinkle of rain, with occasional thunder didn't dampen the enthusiasm of twelve garden club members, who were there to learn responsible ways of gardening with the use of chemicals, mulching and amending ones soil for easier digging to eradicate weeds.

Sunshine is in the forecast for the next few days so you will find me in our gardens waging my own war on the weeds...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Donna's Garden Shed

And Green House

Cooler...43º

High today will be 70º, mostly sunny...A break from the mid 90's and perfect weather for digging and transplanting...Yesterday, Herb helped me dig up some "worn out lupines" and other plants just taking up space and with the cooler temps I dug volunteer gailardia and transplanted them to this space...They are a bit droopy but with extra water I think they will thrive and give us some fall blooms.

The veggie garden has slowed a bit waiting for the hot days to return...All seems happy except for the raspberries, which I had such high hopes for...Seems they are victim of something called a "crown borer."...After looking so good this spring, they now have stunted berries, yellowing foliage and dried up stalks...From what I read on the Internet it takes strong chemicals to kill the "beast" or else we dig up the plants and start over, but still have to use chemicals to keep it from returning...Makes me sad!

More positive thoughts, we have had beet greens and lettuce to eat, cabbage is getting huge and starting heads, peas are about ready to pick...Tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and pole beans are blooming...Potatoes are almost 2 feet tall and it is time to let the garlic dry out so we can dig them and hang to dry.

Yesterday I took a quart of rhubarb juice, added sugar and boiled it for 30 minutes, then filled 4, 1/2 pint jars in the hopes that it will make jelly without adding pectin...Looks like it will make pancake syrup or Bobi suggested martinis?

Onward...Today is a full day, Write People, Brown Bag Lunch (maybe), then on to Garden Club (hope the rain holds off) in the afternoon...As usual when I made spaghetti yesterday, we have leftovers so Herb can heat that up for his dinner...Enough blather for one day...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Happy 17...54º

 Cienna Ashton Wall...17 years old today...Below are snapshots of the Girl with a smile...From 2 to 17 and to Thailand and back...Have a great Birthday today and keep smiling...Love you bunches...Oma  OWAV:)

   

                                      

Rain/Cooler...51º

As promised we had thunder storms with rain yesterday...A little more intense than what we need but moisture just the same, and more on its way for the next few days.

Yard saling with Pat and Mason this morning, then home for the afternoon and back to deadheading flowers and maybe spreading wood chips...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Gardens shots!

Cabbage

Beet Greens

Zuchinni 

Garlic

Pole Beans