Great Joseph Shopping

Usually we have at least one shopping day in Joseph but this year it was a bit harder with the extreme temperatures. I did make a point to shop at my favorite stores -- Mad Mary's and Simply Sandy's. They seem to have home decor that I just don't see where we live. I did a little shopping with birthday $$$ and picked up a few Christmas ornaments. I always get good decorating ideas at Simply Sandy's. Now that I'm home, I'm in the mood to give them a try.
One hot day bonus: Paula, Jenn, baby Ava and I were just too hot to shop. We found a great root beer float at the R&R Drive-In. It hit the spot ... we felt renewed by the time we got back to the lake.

Ouch!

Seems like each year we have a few physical catastrophies at Wallowa. This year included a few falls and tumbles. Paula fell off a log near the river while walking Petey and fell face first to the ground. She has several cuts and bruises. We were thankful ... she could have had some serious facial injuries with the large rocks on the riverbank. Colin seemed to have one day where he fell or rolled several times. He has several bumps, scrapes and bruises.
Probably our most serious injury involved Brian. He was bit by a Hobo spider and after a few days had to go to the hospital in Enterprise. They put him on prednisone and an antibiotic. I'm glad he didn't wait to see a Dr. until we got home! Now I'll be a little leary while sitting around camp ... since I don't wear long pants all week ... I'll need to be more observant.

My Favorite Cowgirl and Cowboys

Wednesday night is Family Rodeo night in Joseph. Here are a few of my favorites ...

Ember's Brewhouse

One of our favorite spots in Joseph is Ember's Brewhouse on Main Street. It's so refreshing sitting out on the patio ... a nice breeze and beautiful scenery of the Wallowa Mountains. They offer free internet access while enjoying appetizers, drinks and entrees. We highly recommend the Veggie Calzone -- delicious.
At night the trees are lit with small lights and they have several gas fires ringed in rock. A wonderful atmosphere. It would be fun to have one at home.
On rodeo night we had a table for 16 and our server John was amazing at providing great and timely service.
If you're ever in this part of Oregon, check it out. Here's a view from the patio ...

Back on the Trail

Thursday morning Walt, Lynn and I went hiking on the same trail as our Tuesday hike. It was fun to hike the same trail, as Lynn helped us focus on the flowers and vegetation we had missed on the previous hike. She is a great hiker and I think that if we had brought more supplies along we may have attempted the trip to the alpine meadow up there or perhaps have made it to the final destination: Aneroid Lake!
Maybe next year :)
I love the lighting in this picture.

Caps to the Capital

The day before leaving for Wallowa Bernat emailed me with a project knitters can participate in, "Caps to the Capital." I quickly packed some leftover yarn and as many needles as I could find to take up to the lake -- just in case someone would like to join me in making these tiny baby caps. Marcia, Michelle and I completed several during the week. They're a quick project, small enough to take-along and for a good cause. If you are interested in being a part of this project, check out this site:
http://www.savethechildren.org/capstothecapital/

Old Wallowa Traditions

Back during the first few Wallowa years a tradition got started with our kids. Their grandparents would give them a little spending money for a treat during the week. Their favorite shopping spot was the Marina store where they could buy what I used to call "penny candy." They could buy anything they wanted and somewhere along the line they discovered the rack with candy cigarettes. We couldn't convince them to make another choice, like Neccos or Chick-O-Stix.

While we were shopping at Mad Mary's in Joseph Brian spotted a rack of retro candy and bought a couple of packs to share with his childhood buddy and fellow cigarette candy consumer,Steve. Can't believe they still make these!
Since the kids were small the go-kart track has always been a highlight of our trip. Each one racing to pick out what they believe is the fastest car. This is still an annual event and soon we will have some third generation drivers on the road ... oh, my! In the old days the karts were pretty primitive and we did have some back and neck injuries from getting rear ended by one of the kids. Today's karts are very sleek and fast in comparison but also costs about 4 times more to ride. Doesn't matter ... it's all about the race :)

Psalm 8

Since I would miss my Bible study Tuesday I brought my lesson along to work on at Wallowa. What an amazing surrounding to be reminded of the vastness of God's creation. Read Psalm 8 to see what I mean!

Grandpa Walt's Helper

How sweet it was to have a Wallowa kitchen helper! After raising all boys it was nice to have Ammy's help with K.P. duty.

Wallowa Coffee Break

It's always nice to go up to the air-conditioned Wallowa General Store and start the day off with an iced coffee ... even nicer surrounded by those you adore!

Aneroid Trail

Early Tuesday morning we drove up to the trailhead with Byron & Heather and started our journey up the Aneroid Lake trail. Our goal was to make it up to the dam/spillway but we even went a bit beyond. We enjoyed beautiful views, refreshing cool breezes, and the sound of the rushing river. What a way to start the day.
Our reward for exceeding our goal ... Mt. Huckleberry icecream at the Swiss Village. yummmmmmmm.....

Happy Birthday Wallowa Style

What a fun way to celebrate another birthday … actually it seems to be an annual event! No matter … it is always a joy to be surrounded by family, friends and fellow campers. What a treat it was to have a special helper with the candles. Enjoying our time here!

Summer Projects

Our old oak tree had to come down in May leaving a large void in our backyard. I spotted a garden bridge at Al's Garden Center and "Byron The Builder" went to work on creating one for our yard. I told him he may get requests/orders from this advertisement!
We got inspiration for landscape plants from our trip to the Cannon Beach Inn.
They had Crocosmia "Lucifer", yellow Yarrow, purple Sage, Lavender, white Hydranga and varigated Hebe growing all over the property. The Crocosmia was new to me but now I see if everywhere! The varigated Hebe is going to be a tough one to find. I know I can get it by mail order but I would like to find one locally if I could.
In addition, we got the shed up and a start on the fence. Next will be exterior paint and a new deck. If you try to get in touch with us, we'll probably be in the backyard! Our summer projects have been a lot of work but the end result is so pleasing : )

Tea Party

What a surprise … with my birthday less than 2 weeks away … my Bible study ladies planned a birthday celebration for both Loree and I. The gifting theme was “tea” and if you’ve ever spent time in my kitchen you know how much I love tea, teapots and accessories. Each gift was unique … not a single duplicate … I love each one!
To top off the evening we spent time studying Psalm 1 … a life of blessedness vs. barrenness. I was encouraged by the openness and insights each had to share. I am so thankful to be a part of this study/group.
Thank you, ladies, for your special gifts of friendship and being a part of my journey.

“There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be much diminished by a nice cup of tea.” ~Bernard-Paul Heroux

Sudoku

On a recent Cannon Beach getaway for our anniversary Walt brought a Sudoku puzzle book and it didn't take long to get me hooked. Completing the puzzle requires patience and logical ability -- even though some may seem difficult -- I love problem solving : )
We spent a lot of time on the sunny beach relaxing, reading, and working Sudoku puzzles resulting in sunburned wrists!
I read two books from our school library: "Sun and Spoon" by Kevin Henkes and "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson ... both very good.
What a great way to start my summer break ....