Friends brighten up the day...38º

What could have been just a bleak, foggy, dreary day, on Barton Heights turned into the perfect day...All it took was a pot of homemade noodle soup and card games with friends...Sue and Jan arrived, with a plate of Snicker doodles, just as the cornbread came out of the oven and we were soon, eating and chattering away about Christmas, family, friends and how life has changed over the years...We all prefer less travel, happy to snuggle in for the winter months and look forward to longer days and spring weather.

Noodle Soup

Yummy Snicker Doodles.

The hours zipped by, clouds covered the mountains as a storm threatened, but never materialized and darkness would soon follow, it was time to call it a day...The game of cards and food brought us together, but the main thing is the company we share as friends...We all look forward to next month, another game, more food, laughter and friendship.

After days of talking about pulling our little Christmas tree out of its storage bag, I finally did it!...The tree was up in a matter of minutes, brightening our living room...It is nothing like the trees/Christmas's of old, but we are content to have those memories and count our blessings as we simplify our life...Do I dare mention, I would still like to have a white Christmas...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

No fuss, no mess (if it only had that fragrance). 😊

Celebrated!...22º

Like "They" say, it is all over but the shouting...We didn't need decorations, just family...It was four days of crazy, while we cooked, ate, drank, played cards and reminisced...Memories of past celebrations with grandparents and friends, sledding parties, presents piled high, the perfect tree or Charlie Brown tree, Christmas on the coast, a margarita Christmas, to name only a few.

For other people it is 12 more days of shopping, wrapping presents, cooking and traveling before Christmas...Herb and I give a big sigh of relief, as the "kids" are all safely back to their own homes and we settle back into our routine...It is quiet and familiar...I'm thinking I might set up the little fake tree today and make another batch of mints, to give as gifts, maybe turn on some Christmas music and take a nap...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

 Photos were the last thing on my mind.

First batch of fondant, creamy melt in your mouth.

Mint fondant dipped in chocolate.

Breakfast frittata, oranges and "Pig Newtons."

Pig Newtons are precooked link sausages

rolled in biscuit dough and baked, 

a new taste treat for all.

Our Parting Shot, left to right

Rusty, Bobi, Cienna, Herb and Idella

Celebration...20º

We are celebrating the double digit temperature this morning and by evening we will be having a family celebration...Rusty arrived Thursday to fill his deer tag and the "Girls," surprised us with a text last night and said they will be headed to Joseph, at about 9am today!

Cienna finished up her fall classes at OSU on Thursday, moved out of her dorm yesterday, has about 3 weeks off before she leaves for Chile...Another travel adventure for her in conjunction with her winter term at OSU...A ten week stay in Chile, going to school and living with a local family, she is super excited and we are excited for her!

We will have a short, crazy, fun, exhausting visit and by Tues or Wed, they will all go home and Herb and I will recoup/collapse...A list is running through my head, make beds, cook food, clean/dust, put our some Christmas decorations, make candy...Hmmmm, guess I better get dressed...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Photos from 2010.

Buck Horn Lookout  2010

Our Parting Shot

Eye Care...7º

About every 4 months, Herb and I make the 150 mile round trip to the ophthalmologist in La Grande...Our hope is that with regular check ups we can keep our eyes as healthy as possible!..Next trip will be mid March, and we avoid the worst of the winter roads...I took photos as we left town yesterday of our snow covered mountains and frosty trees.

One of the views from our house.

A closer look at Ruby Peak

Hurricane Creek road, tree heavy with frost.

Sunrise behind us 7:30am

We had an uneventful trip, did a little shopping and had "pattie melts" for our dinner...Arrived back home about 3pm, just as the sun was going behind Chief Joseph Mountain...Our eyes checked out  okay, but some tests that are done we don't get the results for many days...Keep our fingers crossed.

I thought about getting on my soap box about the unexpected "Holiday" yesterday but will keep it short...A National Day of Mourning was declared for former president George Bush...Why, I asked, should we close down every government office, many state offices, disrupt the postal service to mourn a former president...If people care so much, they can take a day off work to "mourn."...I have to wonder how much it cost to give all of the government employees a day off,?..But then maybe I really don't want to know...OUR tax money at work, Grrrr

On a brighter note, it is above 0º and the sun is shining...Hugs To All OWAV:)

Cold Winter Week...10º

Our first winter storm is over, leaving a good 6 inches of snow on the ground and now cold temperatures until Sunday, when more snow is forecast...Herb spent the morning plowing with the 4-wheeler and I cleared the deck again...The snow is light and fluffy and the sun helped to warm the day up a bit.

I made a pot of soup, using Italian sausage, fresh veggies, roasted tomatoes, and canned beans from the cellar, with slices of homemade bread to round out the meal, perfect for a winter day...I think it will make a very good breakfast as well...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

PS...The photos depict the storm and showcase the Mountain Ash Berries, that are now bright red and frozen, waiting for the birds to come for a feast...Sometimes if they eat too many, they get a bit loopy (drunk) and have a hard time flying...They provide us with entertainment.

Our view to the Northwest.

Closeup of the berries

The tree is loaded.

Our deck, waiting for the next storm.

Wintery World...22º

Be careful what you wish for. 

More snow fell yesterday afternoon and overnight, maybe we have 5 inches total...It is a wintery world out there this morning and we have more snow to clear away...A good way to wake up and get moving on this Monday morning...A week ago I changed my window decorations from butterflies to a snowman, snowflakes and words that say, "Let it snow."...It worked and for the next few months we will shovel and pile, then it will probably melt, then snow again, that is just how winter is...The snowstorms of my childhood were always measured in feet rather than inches and they started in November and continued through March/April...And most years they didn't melt in between storms...I remember loving it, not thinking of the work my parents faced on a daily basis, trying to keep us warm and fed, along with all the animals to take care of...Must get dressed and brave the cold...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

PS...Looks like a good day to make soup.

7am starting to lighten up.

Toward the East.

Enlarge this photo to see the moon sliver.

Wintery Day...22º

December 2nd, 2-3 inches of snow overnight, still snowing but it is very fine and light, so will not amount to much...

This date brings a memory to mind...In 1950, I was 8 years old and my family moved from Porterville, Utah to Lake Fork, Idaho, on Dec 1st/2nd...We left late in the day after loading household furniture, farm equipment, and horses...No moving vans for us, just two big trucks, one pickup and a touring car, (that was what they called 4 door sedans, back then)...Rain fell as we left Porterville but soon turned to snow before we reached "Snowville," Utah...A snowy pass was almost our undoing...The big trucks finally chained up and with the help of roadside "sanding barrels" we were able to inch our way to the top in the car and pickup...Going down the other side was scarier than coming up...At midnight, after traveling about 200 miles, we stopped in Burley, Idaho, where we spent the rest of the night in a motel...The next day, we covered 300 miles, with more snow and bad roads and flat tires, we arrived at our new home after dark...The last 3 miles was on an unplowed, narrow dirt road in a blizzard.

My sister Mona and me, Lake Fork, Idaho

The winter of 1950/51

Looking outside this morning, winter has arrived, but we are cozy and warm in our house, no plans to go anywhere...After breakfast we will sweep/shovel walks and deck, getting much needed exercise on this snowy day...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Hand Rail

Snow covered bench.