Drought...48º

Barton Heights Ditch

For the first time in memory, the little ditch in front of our house is empty, dry as a bone...We were notified a few days ago that this would happen...Due to the low snow pack, Wallowa Lake has reached a level that usually doesn't happen until late fall...Water must be rationed, so valley farmers can continue to water crops, until they are ready to harvest...So for the rest of the summer we will resort to metered city water to keep our lawn somewhat green and flowers blooming...But most important keep the veggies watered  in our garden...Herb has rearranged hoses so it is easy for me to do this...We are also digging out some of the flower beds that have become overgrown and spreading chips to help retain moisture and keep the weeds under control...(Weeds seem to grow even without water.) At this time we don't know if city water might be rationed, as it also comes from the lake...Early forecasts are predicting another mild winter, makes us really wonder what next summer will bring...Over night we had scattered showers, giving us a wee bit of moisture and clearing the air.

It was a busy weekend here in Wallowa County...Bronze, Blues and Brews played until 10pm in the city park, just below our house...The Joseph Airport was busy all day Saturday with the second annual flyin...Over 80 planes were counted, flying in just for the day...A pancake breakfast was a sell-out...Herb and I opted to stay home as we could watch the planes from our deck and listen to the music as well.

I had a date last night with two friends from my "working school days." It was Margarets 91st birthday, and she had a free sandwich coming from the Lostine Tavern...Janice was the designated driver, Margaret and I indulged in a drink apiece and we left the LT as the crowd increased and the noise become almost unbearable...They really must to somthing about the acoustics!..Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Lucky/Unlucky...50º

Back in the 50's, it was common for farm kids to be driving at the age of 10 and I was no exception, as I followed my Dad around Valley County, Idaho (mostly on back roads...)He on the John Deere tractor pulling the JD wire tie baler and I in either an old pontiac station wagon or a ford, ton truck with a 2 speed transmission...My height only reached 5'2", so I suppose it was a stretch for me to reach the peddles and see over the steering wheel at the same time...But I managed and also learned to double clutch and properly shift the 2 speed transmission...Luckily I didn't have or cause any accidents and when my Dad bought a '57 chevy sedan, automatic transmission, I had no trouble driving it through my high school years...Not until about 8 years ago, when a deer ran in front of my subaru outback, with no way for me to avoid her, did I have my first accident...Two years later another deer ran into the side of my car for accident number 2...I felt lucky that neither of these accidents caused me bodily harm, although both deer were not so lucky.

The point of all this blathering is:..Yesterday Pats car was at Alpine Auto for routine maintenance and I was the designated driver for our weekly yard saling...Things were going smoothly with her reading the map and the YS list, a beautiful sunny day, we finished up the 2nd yard sale and headed back to the car...She checking the list again and I ready to start the car, saw a truck backing out of his parking space, directly across the road from us...He had plenty of room, but instead of turning as he backed, he came straight across the road, I hit the horn, but to no avail...He did hit the brakes but it was too late and it all unfolded in slow motion as I heard the sickening crunch and felt the impact, when the one ton truck connected with my left hand door and fender...Damn!!!

Pat was out of the car in an instant and I heard her asking in dismay, "Didn't you hear the horn?"...I on the other hand, I sat for a few minutes, getting a pad and pen to take down info, before I tried to open my door, knowing it was munched...I was able to squeeze out of the door, where the other driver was waiting, he willingly wrote down all of his info, apologized profusly, took down my name and number so he could contact me to make sure things were going okay with his insurance company...Again no one was injured, the car was driveable...We "hit" a couple more yard sales, went to Safeway and made another stop in Joseph, as I was in the process of buying a set of tires and rims, that were advertised on FB's swap and shop...Only then did we go home.

I spent the afternoon going back to Enterprise to Farmers Insurance, getting guidence to proceed with a claim, then to Neils Body Shop, for an estimate of the damage...And also a stop at Schawbs, hauling a tire around in the back of my car to see if buying the tires was in my best interest...Now the waiting game begins...I have insurance forms and will call the other insurance company, probably on Monday, after I get the estimate of damage on my subaru...And yes, I offered CASH and bought the tires...Back home, Herb becoming a pro on his new grill, was BBQing ribs for our dinner...I sat in a daze on our lovely deck and with a smile on my face said, "A glass of wine would taste really good right now."

I think I have been very lucky all these years, maybe in the wrong place at the wrong time in the last 8 years, but still lucky that a car is fixable and no bodily harm was done...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

PS...The ribs were delicious!

The Damage

The Truck

"General Discord"...48º

"General Discord" 234th Army Band

Gazebo in Enterprise

Early yesterday morning, friend Debbie called inviting me to come pick the last of her raspberries, some small zucchini and she threw in a small head of broccoli as well...I returned home to mix another batch of sourdough bread, had just finished that job when Pat called and said there was a must see Estate sale, just across town from us...I found a few treasures and Herb returned with the truck to get 6 steel posts for a dollar each...The day slipped by, dinner used up leftovers of sweet Lebonese Bologne, sandwiched between fresh zucchini patties and smothered with cheese.

\

Dinner

Fragrant loaves of bread sat cooling on the counter, and we made our way to Enterprise for the weekly music at the Gazebo.

Just out of the oven

Yummy

It was cool and breezy as a crowd gathered at the Gazebo for the weekly music...On tap was "General Discord." A small group of mostly woodwinds from the 234th Army Band, out of Portland, on tour of Eastern Oregon...Enterprise their last stop.

Last nights music was a rare treat as we sat enthralled listening to Marches, Overtures and Opera to name a few...It ended all to quickly, as they took their bows, ready to head back to Portland, where families await them...Many veterans, from our community, attended last night and stood to be recognized for their service...We were honored to be in their company and thank them for their service...It was refreshing to hear the Star Spangled Banner played and sung as I remember it as a child, instead of all the modern renditions that seem popular with todays musicians...After all it is a march and should be treated as such!

Thanks to Janice Carper and The Wallowa Valley Music Alliance for this Summer Concert Series that we continue to enjoy on a weekly basis, plus many other musical extravaganzas, played at the end of the road, Wallowa County, Oregon...We are very privledged to have a great variety of musical entertainment for our enjoyment...Your donations are always appreciated to keep this program going...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Unwind Wednesday...48º

Outside in the cool of the morning, I deadheaded, transplanted and tried to envision how things would look next year, after I move them around.

Herb had an appointment for his yearly physical yesterday so while he was gone I made an apricot pie to accompany our spaghetti dinner...As any kind of pie is his favorite, he was pleased.

I found a John Grisham audio book "The Summons" that I could listen to and give my eyes a rest...His books are always interesting, and easy to understand...Another lovely day to look forward to, here on Barton Heights...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Monday/Blur, Tuesday Write People...48º

I was up early on Tuesday...Monday evening I had mixed a batch of "no knead" bread and left it to raise in the fridge...Didn't work quite like I had invisioned but not bad...Herb and I enjoyed a slice for breakfast...My plan had been to take a loaf to Write People for our luncheon at Pats lovely cabin at Wallowa Lake...It wasn't up to par so I stirred up a small batch of dinner rolls, did a quick proof and had them out of the oven and ready by 9am...We did our usual reading and even had a new writing exercise, "A story in six words." (the original idea by "Hemingway")...Lunch was promptly at noon, with everything from salads, cheese/crackers, crustless veggie quiche, stirfry, and homemade (by Evelyn) fortune cookies, a special treat...I stayed late to help Pat with the cleanup and enjoyed the quiet outside as we wound down...My six word story: Yowling cats, garden hose, spay/neuter.
Hugs To All...OWAV:)

 Photo of the day.

Looking forward to a good day.

Weekend Photos...66º, Cloudy

The cloud cover makes it feel cool this morning, what a welcome relief, after a scorching Sunday.

Saturday was also hot and we worked outside early, then in the afternoon I fixed appetizers for the Joseph Center opening "The Wild Landscape." An outstanding show with 29 photos chosen for display, from 170 entered...The show was well attended on a beautiful Wallowa County evening...Pat and I fixed appetizers on behalf of the Write People, in return for a space to meet every week.

By Pat:

Cucumber delights

Blueberry/zucchini bites

 By Idella:

Pickled asparagus wrapped in ham

Deviled eggs

Sunday found me up and ready to go...Not thinking about how hot it was going to be, we invited friends to join us for BBQ'ed chicken, sausages and garden veggies...We had a wonderful evening (except for the yellow jackets) visiting and eating..Guess who forgot to take photos of the finished product again?...The chicken was so yummy, we will be having it again and I will get photos...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Wanting to share our garden

produce, is what 

prompted me to invite friends

for dinner.

Looking Back...55º

Always fun to go back in time and see what we were doing a year ago on this day...Huckleberries were plentiful last year and we (Pam, Herb and I) were on our way, early morning to Hells Canyon Overlook and a huckleberry patch...This year the berries are not so abundant and with the warm weather a few started appearing in mid July but soon dwindled...We still have berries in the freezer after using them sparingly through the winter...A couple of cheese cakes, occasional pancakes and the promise of huckleberry jam...When the weather cools again I will break out the large kettle, Herb will bring up jelly jars and we will make many jars of jam, thinking ahead to next summer and hope for another bumper crop of huckleberries.

Today is yard sale day for Pat and I...Herb has lawns to mow and garbage to haul...It was in the 90's yesterday and looks like another hot one today...So it is work/play early, shade up in the afternoon...I have appetizers to make for the Josephy Center this evening, and you can bet that nothing will be hot...Hugs To All...OWAV:)