Today's Event...44º

Have hosted Sorority in June or July for several years now, some flowers are in bloom, weather is supposed to be decent, I've decided to serve Root Beer Floats, simpler than strawberry sundaes...So this morning will be spent "uncluttering" the house and sweeping the deck...Maybe with the incredible view from our house the ladies will overlook the dust and clutter, that seems to have taken up permanent residency at 109 Barton Heights.

Early morning yesterday I got my annual exam over with and have a couple of tests scheduled for late June...Walked our uphill trek at the lake and can now make it with only one or two stops, catching our breath, before we continue...Much different from when we first started doing this as I gasped for breath with each step...Perseverance does pay off.

Milestone: Cienna has graduated from 8th grade, gave a speech about choosing friends in middle school...Never mentioning "his" name she talked about her best friend Sam, not a "boyfriend" just a very good friend that she has much in common with and they can laugh and talk and enjoy each others company...Bobi said she did a great job with the speech, even if she did try to "hurry" it a bit...We are so proud of our Cienna!

I must get dressed and moving....Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Fresh strawberries dipped in chocolate and rolled in nuts!

OFF...50º

Off for annual blood work this morning, so drinking straight hot water out of my coffee cup, Yuk...Trying to keep hydrated.

I really pared down my activities yesterday, canceled write people (everyone busy on other things) didn't make the trek to Wallowa for garden club, because I had food to fix for Cathy's poetry reading last night at 6pm...She had a good kick off for her book and I was home by 8pm...Now only have to get through Sorority tomorrow, house cleaning and hope we can meet on the deck...Hug.....OWAV:)

Warming Up, Wood delivered....51º

Temps are warming up a bit this week, thunderstorms predicted...Lets say we warmed up the easy way yesterday as the first of four cords of wood that Herb ordered was dumped in our driveway, split and ready to go into the basement wood-room...Herb worked off and on late afternoon throwing the pieces through the basement window and I helped as the pile dwindled...This is a new experience for us as for all of our years together, we have gone to the woods for our winters supply of wood, doing all of the sawing, splitting, loading and unloading...Wood getting not only warms us for the winter but also during the process and also gives us much needed exercise...At this point in our life journey we have decided to take the easier way and purchase wood almost ready to burn, another load is expected on Friday.

I kept busy yesterday with weeding, watering and planting...Had a walk with Pat and lunch with Kathy Hunter...Spent time on the deck soaking up some sunshine and started reading this months book club book "Where the River Turns to Sky"...Subject--Nursing Homes, Care Centers, End of Life Stuff and possible alternatives, all fiction of course!..Also I'm reading a new book by a local author "Pure Beef" by Lynn Curry...It is a cookbook/kind of history, of beef via feed lots and local grass fed beef, from her perspective...Interesting with lots of recipes....Hugs to All...  OWAV:)

Busy Week....47º

Looks like I've managed to book way too many things this week...Lunch with a friend today, then tomorrow I have write group, garden club and an evening book signing to attend...Wednesday an annual doctor appointment and Thursday afternoon is a sorority meeting here on Barton Heights and everyday Pat and I fit in a walk..So much for the lazy days of summer!

That means I better take a deep breath and stick to the one-step at a time routine and somehow it will all get done...So much for today as I have to get dressed and get moving!

Hugs to All...  OWAV:)

Celebration time in the Allen household with Herb's birthday yesterday and our anniversary today...Pat and Brian invited us to dinner last night along with Wendy and Bruce Reininger, owners of Arrowhead Chocolates here in Joseph...We enjoyed wonderful food as well as conversation centered around past and varied history of Wallowa County and interesting life tidbits about all of us... And chocolate was mentioned a "few" times as we swooned over the new "Whiskey Truffle" that Bruce is perfecting and then after a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday" we topped of the evening with Pat's decadent chocolate cake, chocolate frosting and ice cream on the side...All that chocolate must have been what kept us awake and talking way past our usual bedtime or maybe it was the exceptionally good company.

Today will be low-key as we spend a quiet day at home, reading and doing computer "Stuff"...Maybe we will get a few rays of sunshine before the day is over...I'll do a repeat of photo's like last year, of the day 51 years ago in McCall, Idaho where Herb and I were married...It was an unusually hot, sunny day in 1961.

Idella & Herb

Fun Trip...40º

Leaving at 7:30am and back home at 6pm...Our day started with the beautiful drive over Tollgate, fog in places but then dropping into the WW valley sunshine, with all the blooms, roses and other flowers everywhere...We shopped, Pat had a good checkup, lunch was a bit disconcerting as the place was busy and the waiter seemed to ignore us...Finally our lunch arrived and we soon moved on as our time was wasting...Driving clear to the East end of town and a stop at Clickers where we bought fresh picked strawberries, then taking back streets in a torrential downpour we arrived at Andy's to blue skies...As we left there it was sprinkling again and by the time we arrived at Close Farms for asparagus it was pouring down rain again!..A quick stop at Clay in Motion (pottery making) and we were on our way over Tollgate and soon back to Wallowa County.

A little sun is peeking through in Joseph this morning and I can hear the rumble of engines from Main Street as the annual car cruise starts for another year and a quilt show is just a few blocks away in the Joseph school gymnasium...We will probably spend most of the day at home, staying warm and cosy as the temperature isn't going to rise much today...Hugs to All...  OWAV:)

Walla Walla...42º--Rain

Looks like a rainy day for travel to Walla Walla today...Only 65º for the high there today and showers likely...Shouldn't bother Pat and I much as we will be in and out of stores and she has a dermatology appointment.

The strawberries are just starting to come on, so will try to get some to make a batch of jam...We had lots of strawberry jam when I was a kid...Freezer jam made its debut and Mom made lots of it...We had it on toast, pancakes, waffles, and I remember ice cream sundaes made with freezer jam, sprinkled with nuts and topped with whipped cream...Over the years I grew tired of it, but lately have been thinking that it would taste good for a change, so will dig out the recipes and see what I can come up with.

Looking at the clock, almost 6am, must get dressed and ready to go!..  Hugs to All...  OWAV:)