Cutting up...32º

Saturday morning Herb and Rusty started the job of boning deer and bear, then cutting and packaging it for the freezer...I fixed a pan of tomatoes, onions, peppers and herbs to pop in the oven, slow roasting while I went to Enterprise and lunch with friend Ruth, who is leaving for the south on monday.

After a relaxing afternoon Herb started a pan of sheepherder potatoes and onions in the dutch oven and Rusty coated deer and bear steaks in flour and fried them for our supper...I added a fresh cole slaw and we all agreed, potatoes seasoned just right, meat tender and juicy, coleslaw fresh and sweet, we enjoyed an excellent meal!

After Fridays final crew-cut on the flower beds, readying them for winter one of my favorite plants "Joe Pye Weed" still stands stately and tall, swaying with the breeze...Joe Pye slow to come through the ground in spring, does not have a showy flower, but his size over 8 feet tall makes him stand out head and shoulders above all other plants...Joe Pye doesn't take much care, a little shade, some extra water and he happily grows tall, with blooms on hollow stalks in September and October, the last blooms of summer....Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Joe Pye Weed

Saturday Morn...28º

Such a busy Friday...I had made plans to spend a quiet morning at Pat's perusing information on a workshop "A Roundup of Words" being held in Pendleton the end of this month...Do we want to go?..SURE, Is it really beneficial?...MAYBE, Can we fit it into our busy schedule?...OF COURSE!

My morning took an abrupt turn when Pat called and said, "How about if I call Amy and see if she can meet us for lunch and we can do a 'We 3'"...Sounds good to me because I think I will spend the morning at the hospital sitting with my friend Jane as she is now able to have company.

I headed for the shower, Rusty prepped the corned beef to start cooking at noon for an evening meal...Herb started cooking an egg scramble and toast for our breakfast and said he would get all the veggies peeled to add to the corned beef late in the day...We ate breakfast, I was soon out the door to be with Jane and meet Pat and Amy for lunch back in Joseph at 1pm...The guys had the morning planned for them to work outside doing the final deadheading of all the plants in the flower gardens.

I spent a quiet morning with Jane, trying to make her a little more comfortable, wondering why the CNA's weren't more attentive?..A mutual friend also came to visit so we were able to engage Jane in more conversation...After being very ill, her thoughts are jumbled and words don't come easily...I left there about 12:30, made my 1pm lunch date where "We 3" had our usual stimulating conversation, lots of laughter and left looking forward to our next lunch.

At home, I felt exhausted, the guys were relaxing, the corned beef was almost done...Becky, John and Pam had been invited to share the corned beef dinner...About 5:15 Rusty said, Mom should we start the vegetables?..I came out of my fog, dinner was scheduled for 6:00...A whirlwind of activity took place, Rusty worked on the carrots and cabbage, I cut up the potatoes and onions, Herb set the table, got out the extra chairs and voilà, a pleasant evening with friends...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Driving...28º

Here is an excerpt from a story I started this morning...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Starting at about age 10 Daddy taught me to drive the old farm truck while he threw hay off of the truck bed to our hungry bawling cows. The truck was put in “compound” or 1^st gear with the clutch engaged, then slowing letting out the clutch and steering, the truck would creep around the pasture while he threw off the hay. Easy, you might think. At the time I was approaching a height of 4'10", my legs barely reached the 3 pedals, gas, brake and clutch. Scooted way up on the edge of the seat almost able to see over the steering wheel I was ready. Daddy now on the truck bed, pitchfork in hand, gave me the signal. I let out the clutch but forgot to give it any gas and killed the engine. I tried again but with my short legs it took a few tries before we were finally off to a jerky start bumping over the ruts and old cow pies, Daddy still keeping his balance, he in control of the pitchfork, I circled the pasture until all the hay was gone. Whew, I promptly pushed in the clutch, turned off the key and scooted over to the passenger side and let him drive us back to the barn. 

Preparing for Winter....30º

The smell of garlic permeates the house...Herb has been busy the past two days, peeling, slicing and drying this odiferous herb...After the drying is all done he will do the final step of running it in the cuisinart until it changes to a dry powder form suitable for winter use...For many years we kept the garlic in the cellar using it fresh all winter and then in late spring when it was all sprouting we added it to the compost pile...Now we use and share every last drop of it until next summer when the new patch is ready to harvest.

Rusty spent several hours yesterday trimming the bear carcass and rendering the fat. Some of it will be used for boot grease but most of it will be for pie crust..

I made an apple/cinnamon pull apart cake yesterday but think I would rather have apple pie, not as much work from my point of view...Must get busy, day is wasting....Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Checkup, Bear Hunting...30º

Stitches removed, PT scheduled, back to the Doctor in 3 weeks to see if I need further treatment in the form of injections in the knee to help with arthritis pain...Thinking positive that that won't be necessary...From there Herb dropped me off at the hospital...I planned to have a short visit with Jane but instead I visited with daughter, Linda and son in law, Tom as Jane was sleeping...We caught up on family news and I left planning to see Jane on another day when she is more alert.

My taxi (Pat) picked me up at the hospital turn-around and we were soon gathered around the table at "Cloud Nine Bakery" for Write Group...Five of us reading and discussing...Exciting news is a chance that we can have a regular weekly meeting place in the new "Arts Center" in Joseph...Much easier for all if we know where we will meet and they even have a small kitchen so we can potluck our lunches!..Then we said our good-byes to Ruth who will be leaving for a warmer climate for the winter.

Late afternoon Herb fixed our last BLT of the summer then he and Rusty cut up Herb's deer and Rusty was off on the 4-wheeler to see if he could get his buck...Well not only did he get a deer but filled his bear tag as well...His excitement showed as he quickly started the hard work of dressing both animals to hang in the garage and cool out over night...This means one less bear in our neighborhood as they have become a nuisance this summer.

Rusty's first bear

Not sure what is on the agenda for today, hunting is over, Brian delivered one of Pat's luscious meat loaf's for our dinner this afternoon...Maybe its time to eat Bon-Bon's....Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Dither...46º

Trying to get my thoughts together this morning and write something for our "Write People"...I've spent the morning looking through all the documents I have written about my life in Lake Fork, Idaho...But I haven't written anything new!

Now I have to get moving, shower so I can go to Enterprise and my appointment with Dr. Burgoyne and my knee check up...Then to write group.

Made apricot jam yesterday...Now we have all the jelly jars full and Herb says the shelves for jelly are also full...Now I have to find another project to start on...

We had fresh liver, onions and heart for dinner yesterday...UMMM-GOOD...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Sweet October...43º

I do like October, the transition month before all the days get cold and sometimes dreary...It is the month the tamarack start to turn, their needles going from green to gold, before they fall to cover the forest floor with a new winter carpet...Cold crisp nights and shorter warm sunny days with cool breezes...The perfect time to finish the summer canning and then outside to put gardens to bed for the winter...It has been almost a week since my knee surgery and tomorrow I see the surgeon and find out just how much activity my knee will stand and still heal properly.

Yesterday started off with Herb "bagging" a nice two point buck on the second day of dear season...This guy was covered with a layer of fat and I think it was from all the flowers that were gleaned from our yard durning the past summer...I again have to think of the trade off, as he eats all summer and we eat all winter.

Back home from hunting, the guys got to work around the house, Herb doing laundry and Rusty helping me make the Oregon grape and plum jelly...19 jars were filled and taken to the cellar...Herb and I chatted with Cienna as she had set up an appointment with us to be interviewed about how being Senior Citizens affected us and how we adjusted to these changes.

I spent most of the afternoon sitting on the deck soaking up sun and reading until my conscience niggled at me to make an apple pie...Herb got the apples, I thawed a frozen crust, peeled, cored and sliced the apples for dessert....Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Rustic Apple Pie