Snow Storm...30º

Yesterdays snowstorm was intense but short lived...While the Write People, read and discussed, a raging blizzard was taking place outside...We finished up before noon and all had things to do so skipped lunch and stepped outside into a snow covered world...3 to 4 inches of snow, wind blowing a gale, our cars hiding under a white blanket.

I started the car cleaned it off and slowly made my way home on the unplowed road...All the time I'm thinking about the Garden Club meeting scheduled for 2pm...It is to be held several miles up Alder Slope, known for deeper snow and more wind...To cancel or not...I talk to Judy, the hostess, and we decide that the storm will soon be over and all will be well...Ahhh, we were right...10 women showed up, the sun came out and the roads were almost bare...We are hardy people here in Wallowa County and the thought of spring and planting seeds isn't to be missed...We munched on scones and biscotti while drinking coffee, talked about our successes and failures and what we are planning for this summer...We left Alder Slope with new seeds to plant...April we will visit a members greenhouse and May will find us at a small commercial nursery planting a container garden under the supervision of Pam Harshfield, a gardening specialist...We all look forward to those sunny days, digging in the dirt.

I heard from Pat this morning while she was at an Apple store in Baltimore, where they are hopefully fixing her computer...They tried a video chat with me but it never did connect...Haven't heard from her since and she is now off line...Waiting to hear what the verdict is...Technology! Great when it works but a pain when it doesn't...Hugs to all....  OWAV:)

Windy....39º

Slept late this morning after a restless night...Windy all night and supposed to continue today...So far it is a gusty wind but not nearly as strong as what we've had in the past...Maybe typical March weather, unsettled all week.

Yesterday I made another batch of bread...Herb and I took carrot snacks to Celia and Anna Belle...Worked on rewrite of my essay...Leftovers and hot rolls for dinner.

Today is a busy one with Write People this morning then moving on with an early spring Garden Club meeting in the afternoon...Herb will be dining on leftovers for lunch including the rest of the cherry crisp...That will make him happy...Hugs...OWAV:)

Cherry Crisp 

Potpourri...25º

Flag Amid Snowflakes 

Yesterday Herb and I enjoyed a quiet day in our warm home as we watched the weather change from rain to heavy wet snow and back again several times throughout the day...A big change from the warm dry weather of the past week...Late afternoon we, in one of the "big flake" storms treated the girls "mules" to carrots, conversation and company...They were very appreciative.

We arrived back home to the smells of a typical Sunday dinner of chicken, baked potatoes, salad and cherry crisp...Brings to mind Sunday dinners when I was a kid, growing up on a farm in Idaho.

Sunday dinners were often planned around chicken...Baby chicks that Mom had ordered in early spring arrived at the postoffice in cardboard boxes with holes all around...Normally we picked our mail up about once a week but when the chick order was slated to arrive we checked in everyday...We didn't have a phone...We hurried home with the "peeping, chirping" boxes of chicks, usually about 50 Chickens...In a few months we had roosters (fryers) to eat and hens for our supply of farm fresh eggs both for our family and to sell for added income.

I can hear my Dad's voice now as we sat at the breakfast table, on a warm summer morning..."Blanche, how many chickens do you want me to kill this morning?" "Joe, they aren't very big yet, so figure 1/2 chicken per person, that would be?" and the conversation went on from there...Soon the barnyard was filled with the sounds of squawking chickens, then the sound of the axe, whack, whack whack!..Then the sight of headless chickens flopping squirting blood everywhere as they died, kettles of water heated over a wood fire and Mona and I waiting and ready to start plucking feathers so Mom could begin the gutting and cleaning process...Mid afternoon on Sunday we sat down to a dinner of fried chicken, mashed potatoes with milk gravy, fresh veggies from the garden and one of Mom's unforgettable pies.

This was the era when Americans had been promised prosperity.. dailyreckoning.com/a-chicken-in-every-pot-and-a-car-in-every-gara. Which was shortly followed by the Great Depression of 1932...Will our Country ever learn from passed history?.  Hugs...OWAV:)

Daylight Savings...35º

Chief Joseph Mountain

No big hurry at our house to set the clocks last night...So I was up about 4am my usual time...But now, that is 5am and Herb is up, has set the clocks all ahead and now it is almost 7am and I'm thinking where did the time go?..DAMN, I hate this crazy system...But no I won't do a RANT & RAVE about it again...Just mellow out, relax, make the most of the rest of the day.

Yesterday was another sunny wonderful day, spent a short time on the deck in the late afternoon then inside to read...I'm reading "MAID" novel about Joan of Ark, it is ok, might or might not finish it...I'm rereading "Riding the White Horse Home" by Teresa Jordan...She is teaching the memoir class at Summer Fishtrap that Pat and I are signing up for...We are both nervous about the class but everyone tells us that Teresa is a very down to earth person and we will love the class....So we plunge forward into this new world!

Pat and I spent time on her computer again yesterday, thinking she could get the ichat going before they leave for Maryland, but to no avail...Seems the only fix was to reload the operating system and that was taking forever...Now they are winging their way back east with many issues on their plate...Brian not feeling well, his fathers decline and the new computer giving Pat fits...It will all work out we know, but it is hard when things just don't want to go smooth!...Weather is changing here along with the time and I must get on with my day...Hugs to all...  OWAV:)

Sunrise...34º

Joseph Sunrise 6:30 AM

As I sit here, my back to the east window answering emails, sorting and deleting I'm not thinking about what the sun is doing off to the east...Herb calls my attention to the morning sunrise so I grab the camera and in all my glory, (jammies, slippers) I tiptoe outside and get some photos...Above is the best one for all to enjoy.

Yesterday I mixed another batch of sourdough bread, using some hints Bobi sent...Doing a slower, cooler rising process...That meant I was baking bread at 6pm last night, must start earlier next time...I also added rye and buckwheat flour...The crust looks wonderful and it tasted yummy last night at 7pm warm from the oven.

Pat and I worked on Mac "stuff" still trying to get the ichat working for us...Went for a walk then met Amy at Arrowhead chocolates, where we sipped mocha's and talked writing...It is a busy place so not the best for our discussion, but since the chocolate is soooo good we made the sacrifice...Hugs to All...  OWAV:)

Mac Session...27º

It was almost 8pm when I left Pat's last night after our classroom session of her asking and me trying to answer her questions so she can become more familiar with her new Mac...Of course they "Mac" have upgraded their operating system to Lion and I'm still using Leopard...So I'm learning along with her and felt like we made some progress.

I had arrived at Pat's about 3pm yesterday and the next 5 hours flew by which is usual when we are together...After about 3 hours talking "Mac", Pat poured us a glass of wine, fixed a chicken salad and we delved into the death and dying issue they are now facing with Brian's father.

Both Pat and I have lost our parents and been through the Hospital, Care Center, Hospice, End of Life Directives, Etc...So we rehashed some of that and continued on to subjects such as; Why are we keeping people alive for so long in care centers? Are end of life directives really followed? Are lives being prolonged in care centers by the use of antibiotics?...Lot of questions and no real answers...We weren't being morbid or sad, simply realistic because when you reach our age these things are no longer about your parents but about "US".

So moving right along as I prepared to leave Pat's last night we stepped out onto her deck, stars shining overhead, a light, warm breeze blowing, a balmy 50º..It was a magical evening... Hugs to all... OWAV:)

Busy Days....22º

Sunny day again today, temperatures rising...Sorority luncheon today, Pat will join us to give the program on "handwriting analysis"...Should be interesting...Then I'm going to join her at her cabin for a "mac session" and her list of questions...Friday afternoon "We 3" will meet at Arrowhead Chocolates to discuss last months essays.

Yesterday Pat and I walked the track for two miles, had sooooo much to talk about that we didn't realize how far we were going...Makes exercise much easier...Hugs to all... OWAV:)