Week Flies by...49º

The last week in July is always a busy week in Joseph, Oregon...46 years ago, when we moved here, it was the only week that Joseph ballooned, as people came from far and wide to join in the action of CJD's, Chief Joseph Days...Now nearly all summer our little town, fills with tourists, reveling in our town, with its' lake, unending scenery, Wallowa Lake State Park, hiking trails, campgrounds and a multitude of vacation homes, so everyone has a bed to sleep in.

When my sister Mona called in June and said, "Can we come for a visit the last week of July?.. " Without a pause, I said, "Of course, it is CJD's but we stay close to home and out of the craziness, that takes over, but if you want, I suppose we could take in a rodeo performance." "No, was her reply, we only want to sit on your deck and look at the mountains."

For the entire week, that is what all of us did, well almost...Herb and I had some appointments, we had to keep, I had signed up with Becky to make rolls for the hospitality room, for visiting law enforcement officers, that come every year to keep our town safe...The 85º weather was next to perfect, only two days close to 90º, and the nights cooled off...We moved out of our chairs to eat, two meals a day...Chicken, pork, meatballs, salads, fresh produce from the garden, raspberries from a neighbor and huckleberries from the surrounding forest and hot rolls appeared most days...We savored the huckleberry pie and made it last for two day's, with the addition of ice cream...We were in  "hog heaven."..Our niece Susan came for a morning visit, Pam stopped in to deliver huckleberries, other than that it was just the four of us...We visited, laughed and reminisced,

I can't say it was all peace and quiet because we live on the edge of town, near the rodeo grounds and about a mile from the airport...So we hear some of the action, but don't have to deal with the crowds...The week flew by and all too soon, Mona and Jerry were on the road, back to Utah and their family...Herb and I woke up early this morning, so guess we are rested and back in our groove...Of course the cleaning, laundry, watering and weeding is never ending, but it is quiet and peaceful...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

We made bread the first day.

Huckleberry pancakes for breakfast

Broccoli from the garden.

Hot rolls

Rustic huckleberry pie.

Jerry, Susan, Mona

            

Many Thanks...53º

I enjoyed seeing comments from some of the many people whose lives Margaret had touched...Thanks to all who posted a like, love, chuckle or a wow, she was loved by many and will remain in the hearts of her family and friends...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

PS...My flower gardens are planted in remembrance of family and friends, gone on before us...Margarets name is now included.

Poppies grow where seeds blows in.

A small bouquet of lavender.

Corn lilies from my sisters garden in Oklahoma.

A rather invasive but showy flower, 

called pinks by the old-timers. 

"It's me again Margaret"...50º

That was a traditional greeting when I called her or when I returned one of her phone calls...Margaret loved a "play on words," or a "joke" of any kind...She was a great teller of jokes and had an endless stream of them in her memory bank...Margaret was an adventurer, she was a strong, determined woman, always said what was on her mind, sometimes using her sense of humor to lighten it, but not always!..Margaret had started the lunch program at the Joseph Schools and was proud of the program and what she had achieved, but she had another agenda and that was too travel.

Margaret mentioned many times, that when Kyle graduated from high school and she was old enough to retire, she was going to join the "Peace Corp" and see some of the world...In 1983 she retired,  applied to the PC, was accepted, bought a plane ticket and flew away to Belize...A country she loved, for its warm weather and loving, kind people...They pronounced her name "Mawgret" and often referred to her as "lee white lady" (little white lady)...There she worked, made friends, and traveled by bus, (mostly broken down buses) boat, on foot, sometimes hitchhiking...After two years she returned to Wallowa County, bought her first and last new car and set out to explore the good ol' USA...But first, she rented a remote cabin, on big sheep creek, near Imnaha, where she relaxed, unwound and wrote stories about her life.

Next I think she flew to Alaska and cooked for a hunting/fishing lodge, she spent a summer cooking at Red's Horse Ranch before loading her station wagon and was off to Yellowstone Park and another cooking job, another adventure...Slowing down a bit she found happiness with Vanden and loved the life of living winters in Arizona and back to Wallowa County for the summers...After Vanden's passing she spent the rest of her years in Joseph, where her family and friends could come for a visit...She stayed independent as long as possible, but health issues made the decision for her to move to the Alpine House, where she renewed old acquaintances, made new friends and through it all, she kept her positive attitude.

Margaret had an extraordinary life and most of it was because she made it happen...She endured the lost of a daughter, husband, companion, son and great granddaughter, always putting on a brave front...I started this post with the line "I lost a friend last week," in a way I did, but I have memories that I will never lose...Thank you Margaret for being part of my life...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

PS...I have to include this paragraph

After my first day on the "fill in job," the next time I was called it was much easier and I was able to relax and even enjoy cooking for 300 people...The pace was set and well thought out, the hours flew by and soon I was thinking, "I can do this on a regular basis."..Time went by and Margaret and I were not sure about each other, still both of us wondering if our personalities would mesh, until the day that I was filling in as the bread maker...The dough was mixed and waiting to be shaped, but as I returned to "my spot," Margaret was standing in my way, taking her time, sorting through the knife drawer...I needed to get on with my job, so I gently bumped her with my hip and said, "Heist," she jerked around and glared at me, but I was smiling, then she laughed and we both knew that this was going to work...I had just called her a "cow" and got away with it...We both grew up on a farm and that was what you "lovingly" said to a cow, when you wanted it to move over...Our friendship was cemented.

Photos that Margaret would have loved.

Chief Joseph Mountain

Wallowa County Wildflowers

In Memory...

The first words that come to my mind this morning are, "I lost a dear friend last week."...Margaret Botts and I go back some 40 years, when she hired me to fill in at the Joseph Schools, lunch room...So first she was my boss, then my mentor, and lastly but most important, we became friends...One of the most important things she taught me was to always look for the good in people, pick up on their strengths, not their weaknesses...That would stand me in good stead for the years to come.

I arrived for my first day of work, wondering what I had gotten myself into...I was in awe, as I entered the kitchen, huge pots sat on the shelves, massive cake pans and cookie sheets caught my eye, an extra large cooking pot sat in the middle of the room...I had never cooked a meal for more than 10 people in my life and here I had signed up to make birthday cake for over 300 people...I almost walked right back out the door.

Margaret immediately introduced me to the rest of the staff, Monet and Joanne, the atmosphere was light hearted and friendly and the kitchen was spotless...She showed me the mixer (30 quart floor model) that I would be using and handed me a well worn, hand written recipe, labeled "Chocolate Cake,"...I noticed at the bottom of the card, it said, Make Twice!..Margaret was a very perceptive person and picked up on the fact that I was about ready to bolt and she said, "No worries, Idella, we will all help you, it is a simple recipe and hasn't failed us yet, just remember take it one step at a time and ask for help when you need it."

Over the next 2 years, I was on call, to fill in when someone was sick and once a month to make birthday cake...Margaret made suggestions about how I could do something different, encouraged me when I got discouraged, but never found fault, never raised her voice and worked right along with the staff, more as a coworker, than a boss...That was my introduction to Margaret.

Over the years I learned that in a short span of time, she had lost a daughter to asthma, her husband died of a sudden heart attack, leaving her alone to raise their youngest son, age 10, 3 other children were older and on their own...Most of this info came from other people, not from Margaret, she didn't complain, kept a positive outlook and made the best of each day...She was a strong, determined lady, with a wonderful sense of humor and compassion for all people...To be continued...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Margaret at her 90th birthday party.

Diversion, Road Trip...59º

Somewhere during all the whirlwind/craziness of kittens, time with family, sorting and cleaning, a day dawned bright and clear, signaling time for a little getaway...Our Girls had returned to Portland, Rusty had plans for the day, Herb needed a day of quiet to catch up on his reading and naps, and I needed a diversion...So when Pam called and said I have the day off, do you want to do the Twin Lakes trip that we've talked about for several years now?

This was really a busmans' holiday for her, she did the driving and I went along for the ride...The route was familiar, "39 road (Wallowa Mountain Loop)" a road we have traveled many times over the  the years, but a road with many side trips that we never took because we always had a destination in mind...I can't count the number of times I've seen the sign for Twin Lakes and thought, someday I want to go there...Our day not only took us to Twin Lakes, but since we were so close to Halfway, OR, we decided that would be a good place to go for lunch, and return to take the side trip of 30 miles to Twin...Fish Lake is also on our list but snow blocked the road so another trip is in the planning for a day when we can go to Halfway, visit Cornucopia and Fish Lake, maybe we will see Twin Lakes again...Another day when we need a diversion...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

A visit to "Little Blue" along the way.

Stream side, we reminisce.

Moss covered rocks, photo can't do it justice.

Taking a break from the drivers seat.

Twin Lakes mirroring the clouds

Sparkling water of a mountain stream.

All's quiet...59º

After having our "kids" here for a visit, the first inclination is to sit and stare into space, reprogramming our brains back to normal...But in reality, it is best to keep moving...Herb works on the laundry, the extra sheets and towels are washed, line dried and folded...I inventory the fridge, hoping we can live on leftovers for a few days, then go outside to water in the veggie garden...I harvested all the garlic scapes, most of them I delivered to a cafe in town, "The Dog Spot," where Arien, dries, ferments and uses them in all kinds of dishes...My friend MaryB stopped by to pick up the remaining ones, that she grills and makes into garlic pesto.

In the back of my mind, I know the upstairs is calling me...We are helping Cienna furnish her apartment with a small chest of drawers and wooden crates and I know that dust and cobwebs were left behind...Armed with swiffers, a bucket of soapy water and rags I'm in attack mode...I vacuum, dust and scrub and open some windows to let the warm summer breeze in...As I open windows, dust and dirt falls off of the curtains, my Mom's voice fills my head..."Della, don't do a half-assed job, the curtains need to be washed." The curtains from 4 rooms are soon in a pile on the floor and I see how dirty the window sills are..."Yes Mom, I'll do it right."..Downstairs to refill the bucket with fresh soapy water and get more rags, I drop the curtains by the washer, Herb immediately picks up that more laundry needs to be done...For the next couple of hours I clean sills and wash windows and by then the curtains are washed, dried and I fold them flat, thinking I will iron them before putting them back up...We call it a day...Hugs To All...OWAV:) To be continued.

PS...Bobi sent photos of the kittens, as they get aquainted with their new home.

Extended Visit...53º

Rusty had planned to stay for a few days after the girls left, and a trip with John to Jim Creek...He kept adding days, a shooting meet in Wallowa and vaccinating and worming horses and mules with John...He came home to eat, sleep and play cards, keeping me up until 9:30 every night...On the 4th of July with his time winding down, he got serious about my "honey do" list, then added more days before he had to go home.

The list included cleaning a rug in the back room, vacuuming the cellar stairs, thinning the apricot tree, and trimming maple tree branches, hanging over our front sidewalk, to name a few...Some how this snowballed into hauling all the rugs out of the basement, into the driveway, where he washed them with the power washer and left them hanging on the gates to dry...He set me up to vacuum the cellar stairs and that morphed into three days of cleaning and sorting...He and Herb sorted, vacuumed and cleaned...I dusted, scrubbed and vacuumed...At any given time we traded jobs and all kept plugging away...I got reprieves from the basement to cook and Herb time to do the never ending laundry, while Rusty uncover more stuff to be cleaned and sorted...By Saturday night, 2 loads had been taken to the dump, and one load, donated to Soroptimists...The basement is now rid of some of the accumulation of 46 years, after living in the same house...It is a start.

Rusty left on Sunday morning for Bend and his home and job, promising to come back for a short visit the 1st week in August, on his way to Challis, Idaho...I wonder what I will have on my "to do" list by then?...Maybe more tree trimming and possibly looking into the upstairs closets when we might uncover all kinds of treasures...Hugs To All...OWAV:)  To be continued.

PS...Sunday was a day to rest and enjoy our flowers, peonies are fading fast.

Most of the varieties in a vase.

On the bush.

Closeup.

Planter on the deck.

Petunias and Alyssum.

More Family Fun...55º

As the girls were winding down their stay, Rusty arrived in time to spend time with them, as well as volunteer for the Forest Service...It is all kind of a juggling act, where everyone comes and goes, we mesh our schedules, managed to get a few card games in, cook good food, and play our annual miniature golf game, at the head of the lake...The weather was cool and rainy, not good enough to plan our usual wiener roast, instead we made loaf size sandwiches, waiting for us while we played golf...Our golf game started out good and ended with all of us getting good scores but a bit wet, as a thunder storm rumbled overhead.

Back home, sandwiches were devoured and in celebration we ate brownie sundaes, to honor all of our family birthdays in April, May, June, July (Cienna turns 21!) and October...Again making the most of our time together with whatever celebration we can come up with!..It was the last big Hoorah, before Bobi and Ci loaded their car, including kittens and dog, for the 350 mile trip back to Portland and their home...Herb and I had a short reprieve, to catch our breath, do laundry, clean house and recharge our batteries, while Rusty was off to do his volunteer, change of pace, stint with the FS...To Be Continued...Hugs to All...OWAV:) 

Bobi, Cienna, Della

Rusty, Della, Herb

Our Parting Shot!

Sub sandwiches

Deviled Eggs.

Greens, fresh from the garden.

Jam Packed Week...51º

Our girls arrived on a Saturday, adding their dog Ginger to the mix...We spent many hours, slowly letting them tolerate each other, hoping that in the future they will be friends...After much hissing, back arching and some barking, we and they settled into a routine, where cats and dog could be loose in the same room!

Herb and I had several appointments (made weeks in advance) so we worked around those, cooked, played cards and sat on the deck...Cienna is moving into an apartment this fall, so I parted with some of my treasures (wooden crates, dresser, bookcase). Also warm quilts, made by her great grandma and her great, great grandma...We spent one evening when she modeled vintage clothing, including her great grandma's wedding dress, some of her Mom's clothing from the 70's and a black velvet dress from a yard sale, years ago...You just never know what you might find in Oma's closets.

On a rainy morning Bobi, Ci and I decided to play tourist in downtown Joseph, (and so did a bajillion real tourists)...Arrowhead Chocolates, in its new larger, location, was full with a long waiting line, so we spent an hour browsing in Anton's and B Crow B's, before going back to the chocolate shop to enjoy Mocha's and Lattes...It was crowded and noisy and we were happy to return to the quiet of our Barton Heights home!...To be continued...Hugs to all...OWAV:)

Biscuits

and gravy for breakfast.

Cienna modeling, a made by Mom, dress

vintage 70's.

Where to begin?...47º

In my last posting, Herb and I had added two kittens to our household, but only as visitors until our "girls," came to claim them...They entertained us, we spoiled them, and they settled in...We set up a small enclosure outside, but they promptly climbed out and then back in, but were not happy there...So we introduced them to the outside world and the mini jungle in our flower gardens, there they would stalk each other, play and wrestle as kittens do...As they emerged from the cover and spied the deck and the back door, they would sprint across the lawn ready to go back inside for food, water and a cat nap!..When awake, they raced around our house, hiding under the sofa, darting in and our of boxes and paper bags, and climbed onto our laps for some much needed cuddling...They made themselves at home.

Bobi, Cienna and Ginger (the family dog) arrived about 5 days later, for a visit and to take the kitties home...Neither cats nor dog quite knew what to make of this new development, they took several days and much cavorting around, before they decided to tolerate each other...We are hoping they eventually become good friends...The girls, dog and cats made a safe trip home to Portland, thus ending our time babysitting the kitties...It was good for an animal fix, but we have no intention of animals on a full time basis...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

PS...I will post more about the past two weeks, in the days to come.

Outside enclosure

Wrestling match, with Mr. Bean and Kirby

Kirby has the sweetest face.