It was a good day...50º

June 10th, a quiet day, a day like many others...We worked outside in the cool of the morning, then sat on the deck taking a break, taking in our amazing view and giving thanks for this quiet life...Chatted on FaceTime with Bobi, then onto other things, like mowing, watering and weeding...A joint effort was made to put dinner on the table...Sauteed shrimp, finger steaks and a huge green salad, simple but delicious...Life is good, here on Barton Heights, as we start on our 59th year together...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

So many photos not on the computer, but enough here to tell the story!

It started

Til death do us part

Alaskan Cruise

My 70th 

Hawaii

Phoenix

A parting shot.

Our family vacationing on the Oregon Coast

Cover Dale (on the Imnaha)

The prospect of a day away was too good to turn down...Saturday morning found Herb and I taking one of our favorite drives, on the 39 road...We have traveled this road for 46 years and called it, the Wallowa Mountain Loop Road...When we first moved here in 1973, we took many trips over this road (it was only partially paved and a main road for hauling logs, from "the woods" to the local sawmill...This road was a shorter route to the snake river, where we boated, fished, and water skied in the warm waters of Brownlie, and Oxbow Dams...If we continued beyond the Snake River, we ended up in Council, Idaho and the home of Herbs Dad and our kids grandfather, where they spent time each summer, keeping him company...A summer vacation for them away from home.

Sorry I get carried away with the memories, back to yesterday...Herb drove the winding road, surrounded by mountains and trees, with every shade of green imaginable and all kinds of weather...We had been invited to a day of warmth, leisure and food at Cover Dale, where Richard has his trailer set up for the summer, where he not only works for the Forest Service but is a campground host as well...The sun broke through about 1pm and the smell of wood smoke and burgers cooking called to us...With the sun at our backs, it was warm enough to enjoy each others' company at the picnic table and a delicious burger, perfectly cooked, and all the trimmings!

Pam and I took a short drive to Hells Canyon Overlook, where I could get photos, then back to the camping spot, where we celebrated Herb's birthday with a cherry pie...Then it was time to follow the winding road back home...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

View from the picnic table

Into Hells Canyon

Off to the Wallowas (I think)

The following are all wildflowers, but I haven't kept up on the names, but I do love looking at them!

Front Porch...52º

Time was, when most houses had a front porch...We are lucky to have a house like that and although we don't use the porch a lot, it certainly adds character and charm to our little abode...The last few years I've come up with a combination of geraniums, house plants and wooden chairs, that make it very inviting...When I get them all in place, it means summer time is here...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Llamas Are Here...51º

It has been a week of thunder showers, cloud bursts and wonderful sunshine...The clouds are slowly moving out, leaving us with sunny days and warm nights, perfect growing weather...The garden is as planted as it is going to get, garlic will soon be sending up scapes, onions are growing like crazy, radishes are showing red and the hay bale gardening is still an experiment, don't think I will try that again...Fruit trees are done blooming, daffodils are done for the year, trolius and lilacs are putting on a show, poppies and peonies are budded, waiting their turn...Herb is mowing lawns twice a week...I love spring!

The llamas arrived last Monday and are in "hog heaven" in the lush pasture, behind our house...We find them very entertaining...Our friend Tater, (Becky and Johns' dog) came for a visit on Friday, so he and I gave our deck a good cleaning....I sprayed while he chased the hose and water, getting exercise and both of us got quite wet!..Yesterday H and I cleaned the front porch and added plants and chairs for our summer enjoyment...Washing windows and more cleaning is on the schedule this week, along with doctor appointments and regular acupuncture treatments are on our calendar.

Richard (official huckleberry scout) is back in the county for summer employment, so he and Pam joined us bringing a hot dog supper (along with lots of other food and drink) for a warm spring evening visiting on our deck...Becky and John begged off, after a busy week for both of them...That sums up life here on Barton Heights and I'm happy to be blathering away again!..Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Llamas coming toward the gate, curious as always.

Saying Hi and please scratch my ears.

Maybe I don't want my ears scratched today?

Taco Salad, food photo of the day.

Frustration...45º

Finally I think I have figured out how to write and post a blog, like I have for the past 8 years...Blogger has changed the "start up" page...Instead of clicking on "new blog," now I have to click on my photo and then on "omanumber1.blogspot.com...Magically the "new post page" appears...I figured this out by trial and error, with no help at all from Blogger!

The past 10 days is now all a blur, I know it has been raining, a lot, cool temperatures, with some sun breaks...Herb and I have kept busy, he mowing lawns between rain showers, tweaking the irrigation system, so that when the rain stops, it is ready to use...Me digging and planting, deadheading and just enjoying being in the sunny moments and yes we needed the rain.

The Gilberts brought 4 llamas to spend time in our back pasture, eating the new green grass and dandelions...They are here for food, we think they are here, for our enjoyment...They are fun to watch and are now our daily entertainment...We welcome back Macho and his mom Obie and two others, I will get photos.

Yesterday found us on the road to LaGrande, for a 9am appointment with the urologist...They still have no answers about my recurring UTI's..Now it is wait and see if it comes back again after being on low dose antibiotics for months!...Anyway it was a good trip, lovely scenery, pizza for lunch/dinner, and shopping...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

PS A new recipe/meal for dinner last week...Shrimp/chicken Alfredo...It was yummy!

Pasta

Cream, spinach, tomato

Sauteed Shrimp

Mixed altogether, covered with parmesan cheese.

Busy Beavers...44º

The past two weeks brought perfect weather for splitting wood...Herb did some of it by himself, but it was easier and faster if I helped...He ran the splitter, I loaded the trailer...Now he has it all in the cellar and mostly stacked, waiting for winter.

The rains finally came, mostly gentle and warm...Now the lawns need mowing, weeds pulled and soon all will dry out and we will start irrigating...Keeps us busy and moving...The garden is almost planted, just waiting for the nights to get a little warmer and the rain showers to lessen...It is good for us to keep busy and productive.

Last Friday, Pam and I enjoyed a day out of county, for haircuts and shopping...We both came home with bedding plants, that we have to protect until about June 1st, when hopefully the weather stays above freezing...We have a short growing season in our mountainous valley...The drive was lovely with all the shades of green, made even brighter by the rain showers...We always talk nonstop, with much laughter and reminiscing of the many trips we have taken, over the years...Coming home, a side trip after leaving Imbler, we traveled a winding dirt road along Clark's Creek and eventually found our way to Elgin...It was a very good day...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Sunny/Warm...43º

Sunny and warmer days have arrived...Now I'm looking for some rain showers to go along with the sun...It is amazing how fast things dry out...The ditch water is in but it takes a few days to get everything set up, pumps, hoses and drippers for the garden...The daffodils are in full bloom and fading fast without a spring shower or two...Fruit trees are blooming, trees are leafed out, beautiful spring days are here and May is almost half over!

Herb and I hosted a BBQ for friends last Saturday, taking advantage of an incredibly beautiful day, sunny but not too hot and minus the yellow jackets (wasps) that invite themselves later in the summer...The ribs turned out delicious, our guests brought salads, and dessert was pie...It was an enjoyable afternoon...So far this has been a "real spring" in Wallowa County, hope it continues...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Cheesy Peppers

Stuffed Mushrooms

Rhubarb Pie

Tulips that the deer didn't eat.