A day to relax?...62º

I hugged Rusty as I pushed him out the door at 6AM, wishing him safe travels, and promptly crawled back into bed with a book, coffee and bonbons...A lazy day for me...Just kidding!

I am going to finish my coffee as I write but will save the bonbons for later and it is doubtful that I will take a nap...Rusty is helping John, pack supplies into the high lakes for a group of Sierra Club members, who will work, clearing trails for the next 6 days...Not sure Rusty will help pack them out, as he has a 40th (not possible) class reunion this coming weekend...Will he stick it out at the reunion or join John for another trip into the Eagle Cap Wilderness?

Our family never got into hiking or horseback riding,  when we were a young family...We had a boat, so spent most weekends either on Wallowa Lake or the Snake River, camping with Grampa Allen...Can only do so many things.

Anyway, Rusty in the 40 years he lived in Bend he has worked and traveled most of the US, (building ski lifts) worked in China retrofitting IKEA warehouses, visited Austria, Thailand and Vietnam...NOW he is back in Wallowa County and finally getting to see the amazing sites at home.

We have a busy week ahead, garlic to pull and hang to dry, more wood hauling, splitting, stacking...(mostly Rusty chores) while I am have balance class, acupuncture, grocery shopping, cooking, and watering lawn and garden...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

A natural bouquet

Summer day's are lovely...60º

Yesterday was a perfect temperature, with an occasion breeze, then cooled down last night...I love these summer days...Rusty unloaded and stacked wood, off and on all day yesterday, while I did my usual cleaning up, putting away, prepping for meals today and for future days.

I mixed pie crust, some for the freezer and used a small portion for two mini pies...Rusty brought black berries home from Jim Creek, so I picked our raspberries, mixed the two together and made a couple of mini pies...Sent one home with John to share with Becky.

Since we knew we had dessert to go with dinner, I made a light dinner of fried Zucchini patties, they are so good with fresh Zucchini and home grown eggs, fresh fruit on the side...The fruit pie topped with ice cream was delicious...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Zucchini Dinner

Berry Dessert 

Cooler weather, nice break...56º

 I went to sleep last night to sounds of the Chief Joseph Days rodeo, just a few blocks from our house...Remembering back, many years ago when a carnival also came to town, set up by the grade school and we could see the ferris wheel, off in the distance, from our front window and hear the screams of the kids as they rode the "tilt a wheel" and the "hammer." CJD's used to be the big event of the summer, now we have events every weekend, as our county caters to the tourist...We are lucky to live close to town but on the edge and out of the craziness.

Rusty has been keeping busy getting wood, before the woods close because of fire danger...While he is gone for the day I try to keep things watered so the garden will keep producing...My latest project is making "Cherry Cordial." Nang King bush cherries from our neighbor, sugar and vodka, mixed together in a mason jar, stored away for about 4 months, then brought out to enjoy during the holidays...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Cherry Cordial

Working in the early morning...56º

 Yesterday morning found Rusty cleaning up and adding to the fire pit in the back pasture, now that the animals have gone home...He also has the trailer filled with assorted garbage and recyclable metal to go to the dump on Saturday...Since we have ditch water the pasture is getting a good soaking and is greening up again.

I spent the morning in the garden, changing drippers on the gravity feed that also comes from the ditch...Raspberries are ripening and filled two hallocks to be enjoyed with our dinner...Two rows of garlic dug and hung too dry for making dill pickles in a couple of weeks.

I attended my afternoon balance class, it is hard work, and hopefully worth it!..Home to fix zucchini (fresh from the garden) patties for dinner, alongside pasta salad, green onions, watermelon, cantaloupe and raspberries.

Recipe for zucchini patties: 3 cups grated zucchini, 2 eggs, mix together throughly in a bowl...Ladle into a HOT frying pan with small amount of bacon grease and butter, in a patty shape...Fry just like pancakes, good for breakfast, lunch or dinner!..Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Garlic ready to hang

Yummy raspberries

Zucchini and onions

Purple cone flowers

Cooler day, yummy dinner...53º

 House cleaning, watering in the morning, lazy afternoon...I've been looking at different breads lately, especially one that I can cook and not heat up the kitchen...Naan keeps coming up, a quick yeast dough, that can either be baked, or cooked on top of the stove in a cast iron pan...We had leftover tri tip from Sunday, sliced thin, it would make a perfect filling for a sandwich or a wrap

The small batch of dough came together quickly, was soon double in size, and very stretchable, fun to work with...Cut into 8 "equal" pieces and rolled into 8 inch circles?..My circles were misshapen, oblong, triangles, sort of butterfly shape anything but round...While I played with the dough and a very hot cast iron frying pan, Rusty sliced the tri tip, and chopped onions, tomatoes and lettuce...Rusty had a naan slathered with blue cheese dressing and covered with meat and "salad" rolled into a wrap, and half eaten before I got my sandwich put together.

I think this recipe is a keeper and today we might have naan breakfast sandwiches, or dinner tacos, or  pizza or we might freeze them for another day, although I doubt it!..We have to do something with the rest of the tri tip...Hugs To All...OWAV:) 

Slathered with blue cheese dressing.

oops forgot the lettuce?

Ready for the first bite!

 

Hot, dry days of July...65º

 Trying to work in the cool of the morning and spend the afternoons inside and fix food that doesn't heat up the kitchen...I really need to make bread but it will just have to wait.

On Saturday afternoon, after our trip to Elgin and the late night music, I took advantage of a cool house and took a 2 hour nap, unheard of for me...Sure felt good.

Not much change in our routine here on Barton Heights, just watering and deadheading and weeding...It is nice to have a few veggies to eat, along with scallions, we have beet/beet greens, chard and new potatoes...Dill and cilantro for seasoning and a few raspberries to go along with the watermelon and cantaloupe from the vendor in Enterprise...Rusty did a tri tip on the grill yesterday that we both really enjoyed...We certainly don't lack for good food.

I've attended two balance classes so far and think it will be a good thing...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Just starting to bloom

A new color is showing up.

Fun Day, very short night...65º

I saw the advertisement a few weeks ago..."Evening outdoor concert on the lawn at the Opera House in Elgin." Brady Goss Band was playing...Pam and I left Enterprise about 2pm, passed through Elgin bound for La Grande...Our first stop as usual was Grocery Outlet, then to Asian Fusion for food...A quick stop at Walmart, and we were on our way back to Elgin...It was a busy day at the Opera House, "Frozen" was just getting over, so people were on the way out and we were on our way in...Pam snagged a parking spot, right in front, making it easier for me to navigate the short walk to the out door stage and the evening concert...We set up chairs and beverages in the second row.

The evening 7PM, was warm with a slight breeze, a good sized crowd was ready for entertainment. Grady is from Wallowa and has been playing piano, since he was about 4 years old, his fingers fly across those keys!..It was an enthusiastic crowd, and the dancers couldn't wait to get up and start moving. Three hours later, we were on our way home an hour+ away...I was in bed after 11pm.

A text from Rusty, mentioned that he would be at my house by 5am and maybe I could scrounge up some breakfast...I thought about putting out a bowl of cheerios, but since he is going after wood, (some of which will go in my basement) I managed to get up at 4:30, opened doors and windows, to cool off the house and started the bacon...I'm sure I can make time for a nap today, unless another adventure comes my way...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Stir Fry

Ready for the concert

On Stage