tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-189088582024-03-21T03:59:45.053-07:00View from EaglecapAn occasional journal by a veteran weekly newspaper reporter and photographer, with reflections on being a grandmother, traveler and human being.Zaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07800941368705987846noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18908858.post-83558680910405394132014-09-02T12:58:00.001-07:002014-09-02T13:29:03.349-07:00After retirement ... A photo a dayThis is the first real day of my retirement, if I don't count the three day Labor Day holiday. I mean, I should be at work today, putting out a new issue of the Wallowa County Chieftain, if I hadn't retired. So it is the first day of the rest of my life ... on permanent holiday!<br />
My goal is to post a photo a day ... maybe several days at a time to document my retirement life, so the days don't just slip away from me. I want to be productive, but not work at it (though I did get new cleaner bags today since maybe now I'll occasionally take time to vaccuum ... anything is possible in this brave new world of retirement.)<br />
I haven't done this blog in so long, I forgot how, and I was going to start a new blog for my photo somewhere else, and maybe I still will. Since my last post, my grandson Bryson was born and has grown to just over 3 months of 5 years, while Lily is 9 (almost 10) and Addie 7, starting fourth and second grades today. I don't even remember how to attach a photo, so I'll have to play around with it.<br />
Later ....Zaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07800941368705987846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18908858.post-75301165527355205412009-05-30T18:36:00.000-07:002009-05-30T18:58:50.539-07:00Memorial Weekend 2009The sun has been shining all day, and I have been inside almost all day, ignoring my lawn, now badly in need of its third cutting. For anyone interested in the saga of Lawn Mowing 2009, read * below; otherwise, it's fine to skip it.<br /><br />The almost annual Memorial Day Ranch Meeting Gathering at the Blanchet Ranch last weekend was full of chaos, drama, fun and family, with kids running around, the lawns turned into tent cities, the ATV in high demand and cameras heating up from overuse. I personally (with the help of two nieces, Susannah and Clementina, and 4-year-old apprentice granddaughter Lily) logged about 600 photos over the weekend.<br /><br />There were several babies in various stages of growth, the youngest being seven-month-old Elyssa, who was the same age as Lily at her first ranch meeting, as well as growing kids at every stage. Little Addie, who's creeping up on age 2, weighs about the same as Elyssa, Marley (almost a year) and Colton (just over a year) do now. Lily and Addie seemed to love their time camping out on the lawn with their folks and running around at the ranch.<br /><br />I trimmed my hundreds of photos down to about 100 for the Best of Ranch 2009 to share on Snapfish.<br />There's a some really good ones, but most are just a snapshot of time, the Blanchet Ranch family getting together for fun, food and business. Yes, the Blanchet Ranch meeting LLC took place Sunday afternoon and lasted over two hours; none of us are great at Parliamentary Procedure and getting to the point in a hurry.<br /><br />This year's Blanchet Ranch auction had lots of stuff – kids books, photo collages, candles, a homemade sox monkey (which I bought for my monkey-loving granddaughter), handmade leather books, an antique cheese grater and egg beater, and on and on. It brought in around $220, which we voted at the meeting to have old movies my dad took when we were kids onto DVDs.<br /><br />I won't even talk about all the food, though thanks to niece Rose's husband Rod I ate salmon instead of hamburger at the barbecue; however, it was hard to resist Marianne's homemade pies and all the other goodies I've been avoiding to the first of the year.<br />During the whole month of May I've lost .04 lbs. -- not very impressive, but not bad considering Memorial Day weekend. I was afraid to get on the scales for several days.<br />Drama included a one-car rollover a few miles away on the neighbor's ranch; luckily Mike (Elyssa's dad) was not seriously injured, but the poor old car of which he was so proud (it used to be his grandma's) didn't look so good when it hobbled by.<br /><br />Though I pitched my tent, I ended up taking advantage of the surprising opportunity of a real bed in the house ... Since there was no rain this year, everyone else was camping out instead of packing the house. I was the last one to disperse early Monday afternoon, and brother Larry and I took a tour of the wheat fields. Except for some extra rye, they didn't look bad, but already we need rain; fantasies of a bumper crop fade away quickly in Coombs Canyon.<br />In addition to the photos I took, trying to capture everyone on one weekend in time, mental images of sun, kids, siblings, nieces and nephews also remain.<br />My next family gathering will be much smaller – with Jenny, Lawrence, Lily and Addie in Tigard for a week's vacation (one night at the beach), starting in just over a week. Next Sunday I get to go see the Lipizzaner Stallions in Portland with my sister Caroline!<br /><br /><br />(* The first one I did get done on Mother's Day weekend, though my lawn mower – which I did get started with the help of the lawn cutting man, Jerry, who was working across the street – only lasted part of one day.<br />Then I made the mistake of thinking I'd finish on Mother's Day. Couldn't get it started again (the rubber primer is now good); neighbor Paul got it going for a little while, then I ended up borrowing his to finish the rest. I mowed the front again the Wednesday before Memorial Day, once again borrowing Paul's mower. Jerry is planning to fix mine (he ordered a new rubber primer), but it's still broken, and my grass is growing like crazy.)Zaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07800941368705987846noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18908858.post-51395841610056720212009-05-09T11:46:00.000-07:002009-05-09T12:26:52.240-07:00Sun finally shining again<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG829XEj15YaIXQlUfxBWZdPJTOLmSKZM-yvzDnM39aWJrvkMoeyQqIstM5b4leYw6KI7rITDD-YIhE5e4wowVIy6wqq2T5moFfOLzbTpW-shhYGQUlgsCnpcOtKVDXT4hRs8v/s1600-h/Addie+with+Egg.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 138px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG829XEj15YaIXQlUfxBWZdPJTOLmSKZM-yvzDnM39aWJrvkMoeyQqIstM5b4leYw6KI7rITDD-YIhE5e4wowVIy6wqq2T5moFfOLzbTpW-shhYGQUlgsCnpcOtKVDXT4hRs8v/s200/Addie+with+Egg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333904888358892514" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5JbkgvJYa6duDGgiq0Ojagc4KMRWc_gcvRDwttWKe851hWPf_uyYU7WJyEfYWCX7O-AVejb5OSStsJQ2vle2j0MR1YfJLIj5-bib_Iz2hQMoXQXtbFvSY1HOZfUNZo3OyEPgy/s1600-h/Scrapbooking+Lil.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5JbkgvJYa6duDGgiq0Ojagc4KMRWc_gcvRDwttWKe851hWPf_uyYU7WJyEfYWCX7O-AVejb5OSStsJQ2vle2j0MR1YfJLIj5-bib_Iz2hQMoXQXtbFvSY1HOZfUNZo3OyEPgy/s200/Scrapbooking+Lil.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333900489051747826" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNHk_UP5oy5N6qY7WL-gmjiAdX4VMB5CxpfoaZIuZ2CU-NGAQbDZSUd-YOtIvoacUZoaeqqWIdh-Pud14AE82IPsJO1t74oXjZXqi5XDcS8KNh2Y4eTtSUA94RciRrAikDV64/s1600-h/Egg+Hunt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNHk_UP5oy5N6qY7WL-gmjiAdX4VMB5CxpfoaZIuZ2CU-NGAQbDZSUd-YOtIvoacUZoaeqqWIdh-Pud14AE82IPsJO1t74oXjZXqi5XDcS8KNh2Y4eTtSUA94RciRrAikDV64/s200/Egg+Hunt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333899406414261282" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >May 9, 2009</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The sun is finally shining again, and I'll be going out in awhile to do my first yard work of the year, which involves going to the gas station, getting new gas and hoping against hope that my lawn mower will start.<br />It usually doesn't at the beginning of every lawn-mowing season, and I end up paying a yard care guy I know a bunch of money to mow my by-now overgrown grass, and also to fix my lawn mower so I can try to try to keep up with it during the late spring/summer.<br />Right now my grass is just middling long, and will be easy enough to mow if the mower starts. A couple of years ago I wrote a“It's All Relative” column about the trials and tribulations surrounding mowing lawns I may pull out and publish here.<br /><br />Why am I writing my first blog in a month and a half while the sun is shining?<br />Call it inertia or writers block or putting off dealing with the lawn for just a little while longer.<br />I mentioned coming out of hibernation on March 23, but I went back in, as best I could with life happening around me. Well we were still getting sticking snow as late as last week, and this week was crazy, with a combination of blowing (not sticking) snow, rain, wind, cold, and finally today a warm day with sunshine (though I see clouds creeping in).<br /><br />We lost another editor at work again, he left immediately after the paper was done last week, moving back down to the southern Oregon coast to be close to his 5-year-old daughter who lives in Eureka, Calif. He drove 600 miles all winter every couple of weekends to see her ... I think originally he thought she'd be able to live with him up here at least part of the time. Anyway, Andy is going to go back to being a free lance outdoors writer ... The fishing scene in Wallowa County never had such good coverage as when Andy was here, a much too-short five months.<br />Anyway, so now we're short-handed again, with Kathleen and Hector and I laying out the paper by ourselves Monday and Tuesday (I also came in for a few hours Sunday). The hardest part was that I was sick with a bad cold; took Wednesday off (except for an interview I almost forgot about at Vali's at Wallowa Lake for a story about their 35th anniversary), and by today am almost well, though I still look like Rudolph.<br />Ironically, the cold started coming on with a sore throat last Friday, the day they announced on Channel 8 news from Portland that of five “probable” cases of swine flu in Oregon, one was in Wallowa County. And I'd been scoffing at the international swine flue hysteria! Anyway, I didn't really think I had it, but it was a miserable cold with a fever at least one day, and I immediately started feeling better – mentally at least – when I found that probable case turned out to be negative.<br /><br />The high point of spring so far was definitely the Easter visit of the Herman family, and especially time spent with my granddaughters. I scrapbooked with Lily, read books, cuddled Addie after her nap, played barn, went to their first Easter Egg hunt (Addie was in the Chieftain – Kathleen picked out the photo as one of the cutest, no even knowing it was my granddaughter), etc etc.<br />I'm really looking forward to a June vacation with them (though I'm still not sure how the Chieftain will get by without me; our interim general manager from John Day, who could conceivably fill in the lay out part, is expecting her third child in June, and child birth -- or at least imminent child birth -- may slow her down a bit).<br />Anyway, Jenny will be between nannies and it's a very busy time at work for her and I already planned a vacation the second week in June before Andy said he was leaving.<br />Jenny and the girls may be able go to the coast for two nights with me; that would be really fun, if it works out, but in any case I'm expecting a week of quality Grandma Time.<br /><br />The Next big event will be the annual Blanchet Ranch LLC meeting (and mini-reunion of all my siblings and as many of our kids and grandkids that show up) over Memorial Day weekend. Lawrence and Jenny are coming with the girls, and it'll be Addie's first time on the ranch; Lily loved it, but it's been a couple of years, so she probably doesn't even remember.<br />Hope the weather's decent since they are planning to pitch their tent, as am I (despite wet feet the last time I tried it). Looking forward to seeing everyone. My sister Laurie estimated at least 30 there at one time or another during the weekend.<br />I've almost – but not quite -- mastered the collage feature on newly installed picasa.<br />Other news: Matt's in school at Lane Community in Eugene again, and will be off for two-weeks worth of National Guard sergeants school in June. I'm down 15 lbs., give or take a pound depending on the day of the week, since the first of the year; I'm still working at it; it's an awful slow-paced battle.<br /><br />Enuff for now, after bloggering on and on and on and on ....Zaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07800941368705987846noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18908858.post-16111156501813151202009-03-22T14:38:00.000-07:002009-03-22T15:02:28.768-07:00Coming out of hibernation<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyYLc_maQ-4ZG5PjODBIyknA_0zPXaBu6B3tixRen1Fq-Ok7pR1pfzbRv3Ix6NOsy8lH0jckIXagwPYokIfcAZSUo0y1gIUrGOy69ZK2T8CmSd4SvmLnnL2m54g5-86TLck1rp/s1600-h/Cousins+1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 143px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyYLc_maQ-4ZG5PjODBIyknA_0zPXaBu6B3tixRen1Fq-Ok7pR1pfzbRv3Ix6NOsy8lH0jckIXagwPYokIfcAZSUo0y1gIUrGOy69ZK2T8CmSd4SvmLnnL2m54g5-86TLck1rp/s200/Cousins+1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316135397504114642" /></a><br />Spring arrived two days ago in Wallowa County with warm temperatures (in the 50s), partly sunny skies and a gentle breeze until late afternoon when its started looking stormy and raining a little.<br />This morning it was trying to snow, just a little, without success, and the cold edge to the air is definitely gone, for now anyway. Winter never leaves the Wallowas without a fight, and I'm sure 2009 will be no different. <br />Wallowa Lake still has a skiff of snow on it, but I know the frozen water will melt a lot sooner than last year, when there was still ice on the lake into May.<br />I love seeing the brown, yellow and white landscape gradually change to green this time of year, but the lazy me hates to see the end of hibernation season, when the lawn doesn't need mowing, the big-event-every-weekend season hasn't started and the tourists haven't started arriving in droves.<br /><br />At least everyone is hoping the tourists will arrive in droves again this summer.<br />The economy is bad here, as elsewhere, with unemployment up to over 15 percent in February, the highest since March 2001; it's hard to believe we had a record low unemployment in just 2007.<br />Businesses that closed last year and in the past few months were: D & B Auto (a big multi-county bankruptcy), Radio Shack/Dollar Stretcher (bankruptcy) and OK Theatre (a family situation) in Enterprise; and Shell Mercantile in Wallowa. The Joseph Little Store just announced it is closing, but apparently when the word went on the street, the owners got word from real estate folks that there are people looking for just such a business in Joseph. So we'll see.<br />In the meantime, Joseph's main grocery store is expanding its shelf space just a little and installing new check stands and scanners, and word is that things are better than last year in some businesses, such as the quilt shop. Maybe people are staying home and spending $$ here more. At least one of the art foundries has hired back workers it laid off.<br />Real estate isn't moving well, but prices aren't coming down much yet, either. There's a wait and see attitude about the summer. Last year, in spite of record high gas prices, the motels/hotels seemed to have a decent year, but visitors didn't spend as much in stores.<br /><br />Anyway, I guess we're like every small tourist town in the country. Times are hard here, but people are used to hunkering down when they have to. All the mills are already closed, so at least that axe isn't hanging over every one's head.<br /><br />When I decided to get going and write here again, I didn't know I was going to write about the stupid economy!!! I guess because of work, and the fact I'm writing about Family Foods expansion and Joseph Little Store closure, it was at the top of my head.<br />As I said, after semi-hibernating this winter (even work hasn't seemed as stressful as usual most of the time), it will be hard to kick back into a higher gear.<br /><br />Sucking up part of my winter time was a welcome February vacation, with quality grandma time, plus a few days in Las Vegas, baby! <br />Also there has been Facebook, which I joined at Thanksgiving at Jenny and Lawrence's house so I could play word games with them. I just recently started back on in earnest, because my sister Laurie started playing Scramble and Word Twist with me, and I've also started putting together Facebook photo albums (the Wilke family, Little Jenny, Cousins etc) of old and more recent photos. The photo above is one of my kids when they were little in a traditional "cousins" photo, taken most times the Blanchet clan gathered.<br />I've also embarked on losing weight, as I reported in my New Year's Resolution post. I'm happy to report I am down almost exactly 10 lbs. since the first of the year. I wish it was more, but little by little ...<br />I'm looking forward to a possible Easter weekend trip by the Herman clan to Joseph, and if that doesn't work out I'll make another grandma trip to Tigard this spring.<br /><br />Anyway, I'm back, and I plan on writing more frequently, now that I'm coming out of hibernation.<br />Time to get back to spring cleaning!Zaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07800941368705987846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18908858.post-23716766161758791452009-01-23T09:47:00.000-08:002009-01-23T09:56:13.744-08:00View from my house<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZzqMDUwI443SFviWPA0Kz9rq0A_uB24dz3AxOGdfmvNaTZZ3zitxKW-lzc9OAAIE_MOW_aK4ZtZ-M_iWjXdVFav2NlJWd-G1ut-bLNw-Tx5jVvaJNSSV7DkxrsZ7O69Rvt4mf/s1600-h/Bird+1+sm.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZzqMDUwI443SFviWPA0Kz9rq0A_uB24dz3AxOGdfmvNaTZZ3zitxKW-lzc9OAAIE_MOW_aK4ZtZ-M_iWjXdVFav2NlJWd-G1ut-bLNw-Tx5jVvaJNSSV7DkxrsZ7O69Rvt4mf/s200/Bird+1+sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294549375227861922" /></a><br />It’s winter here in Wallowa County, but not much snow on the ground, at least in my yard, though there’s still plenty in the mountains. <br />It melted a little over a week ago when temperatures went into the 40s! just as all the mushers were coming to town for the Eagle Cap sled dog race. Luckily it stayed cold at night and the 200-mile trail to Halfway and back was icy rather than mushy --and fast!<br />The last week has been frosty fog and cold and beautiful.<br />Most every place in Joseph has a view of the mountains, and though mine isn’t as great as, say, Barton Heights where the Wallowas loom up in its backyard, it’s good enough that I’m always taking photos from my porch (usually of my car when it’s buried in snow).<br />My favorite tree is a mountain ash that produces lovely red berries each fall that the birds love to eat. This year, for some reason, the feathered diners failed to arrive in the autumn and instead showed up just last Saturday morning, when I woke up to their chatter. I took some great photos of them through the front room door window (when I opened the door they took off.) They were cedar waxwings, who tend to hang out in big flocks, though at first I thought they were robins, because of the bright orange breasts.<br />The red berries are all gone now, except for on another mountain ash, which has grown more like a bush than a tree, on my lot, which still has plenty of berries. I guess the waxwings are saving them for the next time they get hungry.<br />My kids used to love to climb that tree, and one limb is missing from over use. Last year granddaughter Lily was introduced to the ash, though she's so far too scared to climb it. She was only 3 at the time, so give her time.<br /><br />Every winter, this time of year, I feel like hibernating, but luckily have to work, so that keeps me able to fight my inclination to become total couch potato or computer artichoke (I just made that up).<br /><br />This year my newspaper is doing a “Biggest Loser” weight loss challenge to the community, and so I’m -- one more time -- on the downward path as far as my weight. I know I can do it, but whenever I give up the fight, the pounds just rush back. It’s a constant battle, but at least I’m back in the fray. Down 4 lbs. as of Tuesday.<br />I guess I’m not the only one fighting (or sometimes not fighting) the good fight. About 195 people have signed up on teams for the Chieftain’s challenge.<br /><br />Wallowa County will be featured on two TV things coming up: “Man vs. World,” Jan. 26 (10 p.m.) and Jan. 27 (2 a.m.), Discovery channel, filmed this fall in Wallowa County; and “The Logger’s Daughter,” about Gwen Trice, the daughter of a black logger who came from the South to a segregated logging camp town, Maxville, in the 1920s, and her research and documentation of her roots and Maxville’s history. It is supposed to air on Oregon Public Broadcasting’s “Oregon Experience” on Feb. 9. I plan to go to an early screening in Wallowa Feb. 5Zaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07800941368705987846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18908858.post-83020006262094751392008-12-31T21:57:00.000-08:002009-01-02T09:20:48.584-08:00New Year's Eve<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_5WqcrSCk_qps7wrjnPmDj1UvnP0A5lxNNWkWPlaPXu9OOjn8a1H4L0k5tzCtv-Ka5_4ZYqxvxuqLNYdehLy4yAhf6thlkw6ghDuQhNj3nf38W3Lj6QXvio_o8brMnceJghL8/s1600-h/Polar+Bear+Hector.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_5WqcrSCk_qps7wrjnPmDj1UvnP0A5lxNNWkWPlaPXu9OOjn8a1H4L0k5tzCtv-Ka5_4ZYqxvxuqLNYdehLy4yAhf6thlkw6ghDuQhNj3nf38W3Lj6QXvio_o8brMnceJghL8/s200/Polar+Bear+Hector.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286747341627699714" /></a>
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CElane%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceName"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceType"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">There’s less than three hours left to the year 2008, and time to look forward to 2009</p><p class="MsoNormal">.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">My New Year’s Resolutions are always pretty much variations of the same issues which reflect basic deficiencies in my character, moral fiber and self-esteem:</p><p class="MsoNormal">1. Lose weight
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">2. Get organized.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Since I had a good dinner, when I got home from work (halibut, given to all the Chieftain’s employees by our new fearless leader, who doubles as an Alaskan fisherman), I’m luckily not very hungry for all the New Years Eve munchies I could dig up, which actually means a head start on resolution #1. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">At different times I have been somewhat successful with the losing weight thing, but the syndrome that most people seem to go through -- lose, gain it back, plus a few -- has happened to me more than once. I did shed a few this summer again, but have been pretty stalled.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This new year I may have a jump start and a support group. Most employees of the newspaper could stand to lose some weight (everyone except Hector, five out of six), so we’re sponsoring a Biggest Loser challenge to other businesses and organizations in the county.
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">There will be a once-a-week weigh in, and everyone will see how much they can collectively lose in three months -- the businesses will pay $1 for each pound lost to the food bank. There's a few details to iron out, but that's the general idea.
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>A competitive element thrown in (along with way too much publicity)</o:p> should give me some real incentive to actually drop some real pounds (again); my motivation, to look good with Lily and Addie without carefully posing us and directing the angle of every photograph. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The get-organized resolution, well, I don’t have much hope. But maybe I could break it down into smaller components, like keep the kitchen drawers or my computer desk organized or something. We’ll see. I’ll try to come up with some more concrete resolutions. After all, one year I did quit smoking, so miracles do happen.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Christmas didn’t quite work out as we’d planned. After absolutely crazy winter weather dumped a foot of snow in the Portland area (a white Christmas record!), periodically closed 1-84 and made trying to forecast driving conditions a nightmare, Jenny, Lawrence, Addie and Lily celebrated the holiday at home in Tigard (with Uncle Matt) instead of Joseph.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>I missed seeing the joy and excitement of my little granddaughters on Christmas morning and the memory-building time, but wasn’t depressed or anything. It was just a quiet lazy day at home with my pretty Christmas tree, and a trip to <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Enterprise</st1:city></st1:place> for the community Christmas dinner (a nice meal and photo op), plus a drive home through our annual real-life Christmas card on Hurricane Creek highway.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Ironically, most of the snow storms missed us here in the Wallowa Mountains and places like <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Portland</st1:place></st1:city> and Pendleton had more snow than Joseph. On Saturday after Christmas I took photos of Ferguson Ridge ski area, and they said there was only 18 inches on top (5,800 ft elevation)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">New Years Day morning tomorrow, I’m looking forward to taking photos of all the guys who work at the Chieftain (all three of them) jumping into <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Wallowa</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Lake</st1:placetype></st1:place> for the Polar Bear dip with a bunch of other crazy locals. Last year the lake water temperature was 41 degrees, and the air temperature 14. Brrrr. No way I’d do it, but should be fun watching and taking photos!</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Time to take the tree down tomorrow, too. I'll miss it.
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> Zaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07800941368705987846noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18908858.post-48446257050172097722008-12-13T12:54:00.000-08:002008-12-13T13:14:39.091-08:00Finished 2008 Christmas letter!!Well, I finally finished this year's Christmas letter, and will probably start sending it out in cards Monday (after I get stamps). Anyone who might read it here is getting an early look. Even though there are always a lot of jokes about Christmas letters (people usually emphasized the good things), I've always enjoyed receiving them and writing them is a way for me to capsulizeing and share a year of my life.<br /><br />A winter storm is blanketing the area. It only snowed a couple of inches yesterday, but I just talked to my sister Laurie and it's snowing there now, and the forecast is 100 percent for snow in Joseph today.<br /><br />My son Matt was supposed to carpool with other National Guards guys to La Grande for drill yesterday, but after seeing the forecast, they decided to drill in Woodburn instead. As coincidence would have it, a bomb went off at a bank in Woodburn last night, killing two police officer and making national news. I doubt they called out the National Guard, though. If Matt had come to La Grande (70 miles away) I would have met him there for his unit's family dinner tomorrow afternoon. Since I probably won't see him for Christmas, I'm sorry to miss that chance to give him his presents, etc. He's not a big Christmas fan, though; his big holiday is Halloween.<br /><br />Finally have the lights on my tree. Am off this afternoon to take photos of Santa after the kids' matinee at OK Theatre, and also Santa, Mrs. Claus and kids in Joseph. Tonight is the Chieftain's Christmas pizza bowling party; it's women vs. men in the bowling arena, and I'm afraid I won't add a bit of clout to the women's team.<br /><br />Reading my December entries from two years ago makes me think my life is like "Ground Hog's Day" movie at Christmas time.<br /><br />Here's my 2008 Christmas letter:<br /><br /><strong>Written between Dec. 3 and 13, 2008<br /></strong> <br />In the blink of an eye, another year has passed and Christmas is fast approaching once again. I’ll have to admit that it was a very long blink and it was another eventful year, full of milestones.<br /> For one thing, I celebrated my 60th birthday on July 31 -- that’s a real biggie for someone who once decided that old age started at 50. Jenny had a very nice get-together for me at her house in Tigard, attended by my kids Jenny and Matt, sisters Laurie and Caroline, friend Marilyn, nieces Petra and Andrea, granddaughters Lily and Addie, brother-in-law Pat and son-in-law Lawrence, who presided at the grill in their backyard.<br /> <em>Another milestone</em>: my nephew John Joseph Blanchet (in cowboy hat) married Kristin Lorenzen in a beautiful beach wedding in August near Depot Bay, with the waves creeping closer and closer as they exchanged their vows in front of lots of family and friends. Larry and all four of my sisters were there for the momentous occasion, which included a fun reception in a gorgeous beach house.<br /> I have three new great-nephews and one great-niece born during the year, by far the most ever: Colton (mom Grace, grandma Sylvia), Demetrius (dad Titus, grandma Marianne), Marley (mother Amy, grandpa Larry), and Elyssa (mother Andrea, grandma Laurie).<br /> In February, in the midst of a very, very long winter, I took an annual use-it or lose-it vacation week, spending part of the time with my lovely granddaughters and part enjoying a seaside interlude on the Oregon coast, one of my very favorite destinations.<br /> My second vacation week in June I flew to Washington, D.C., and spent a week sightseeing, seeing Arlington Cemetery, the Capitol, the Holocaust Museum, the war monuments (WWII, Vietnam, Korean), the National Archives, the Library of Congress and on and on. Got caught out in a rainstorm waiting for a bus and got absolutely soaked, finally flagging down a cab I could barely see through streaked glasses. Though I like living in my little town, I also love visiting big cities.<br /> I spent part of my third vacation week helping out Jenny in September after she broke her foot (the night after returning from their ocean-side vacation in North Carolina with Lawrence’s family) and was trying to cope with kids, house and work, unable to walk or drive.<br /> The Herman family visited Joseph for the 4th of July, which included the old-time Independence Day parade in Wallowa and a 1st birthday party for Addie (her birthday is July 2). Addie is such a sunshiney little girl, with an emerging personality that is a joy to watch. Lily, who turned 4 in October, loves being a big sister and is, of course, at the top of her pre-school class. She still reminds me so much of her smart, non-stop talking mom at the same age. It’s so fun being a grandma!!!<br /> <em>Other highlights</em>: a 90th birthday get-together for Aunt La France at Hamleys in Pendleton in June, and the annual Blanchet family campout reunion in August at Hilgaard park, complete with songs around the bonfire with cousin Coyote Joe. The annual ranch LLC meeting was delayed from Memorial Day until September this year because of nephew Dylan’s h.s. graduation, and enjoyed by all us siblings (and many of the younger generation). 2008 was truly a year of family gatherings.<br /> Both my kids are doing well. Jenny keeps busy being one of the best moms ever. She was also promoted at work and has two employees under her in the accounting department; nurtures many close friendships; and writes a wonderful blog, titled “Addie and Lily make Four” on blogspot.com.<br /> Matt spent the summer in Joseph, earning rave reviews as #1 breakfast waiter at Wallowa Lake Lodge, adding to a long list of work skills. He was promoted to sergeant in National Guards; so far he hasn’t had to go to a war zone, for which I am thankful. He’s a great uncle and one of Lily and Addie’s very favorite people. He’s back living in Eugene now, about to go to work as a security guard.<br /> My work is as chaotic as ever. We now have only six employees, with one new reporter and our second new editor (who just started) since last November. Another milestone: as of September, I have worked for the Wallowa County Chieftain for 30 years, half of my life. That is so, so hard to believe.<br />After a wonderful Thanksgiving in Tigard with my whole family, Jenny, Lawrence and girls are traveling to a white Christmas in Joseph this year. I can’t wait!!!<br /><br /><em>Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all,Elane (aka Elaine and Lanie) </em><br /><em></em>Zaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07800941368705987846noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18908858.post-10560664333747403232008-12-12T09:59:00.000-08:002008-12-13T16:11:45.672-08:00Snow in Joseph<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3-erMbXHDQMWx7NluyN4Z5FwgDCl-K8emLLksQVu9CbJB3OEIfm1H6syHIRiuEVkiJEH-gk2z22YyVUZ51B7l45BuZDHtgHUA5e0AFyz75HB1ppzk8xgkImDAsRZy-kO4FbP/s1600-h/Christmas+on+Town+011.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279431116584252178" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 146px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3-erMbXHDQMWx7NluyN4Z5FwgDCl-K8emLLksQVu9CbJB3OEIfm1H6syHIRiuEVkiJEH-gk2z22YyVUZ51B7l45BuZDHtgHUA5e0AFyz75HB1ppzk8xgkImDAsRZy-kO4FbP/s200/Christmas+on+Town+011.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUn5woQOAyqqQW2mz4VMb6VEXKXYDnm_KHJrKqMX7cft9-2rOlsFETBuQWJPQPJTBeRS1bfUH1ksL11TrnICTjpjUGimqv4s3u-jvlHm9qnsblKwqMjX_yl3jJhb1OtM4Q6P6-/s1600-h/Snow+Main+St..JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279430078033683346" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUn5woQOAyqqQW2mz4VMb6VEXKXYDnm_KHJrKqMX7cft9-2rOlsFETBuQWJPQPJTBeRS1bfUH1ksL11TrnICTjpjUGimqv4s3u-jvlHm9qnsblKwqMjX_yl3jJhb1OtM4Q6P6-/s200/Snow+Main+St..JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>I still don’t have my Christmas letter finished, my Christmas tree decorated (though it is up in the living room, the top touching my ceiling) or one present wrapped yet.<br />We did had snow Sunday night and Monday morning, so it is starting to look a lot like Christmas; though there are now big patches where my lawn shows through, there’s a storm on the way this weekend, so I’m hopeful that there will be snow when Lily and Addie arrive on Christmas Eve. I just hope the roads are decent -- sometimes it’s hard to arrange for both.<br />I remember some pretty hairy trips over to Pendleton and back for the holidays; no real accidents but I did slid into a snow bank a couple of times and recall some white-knuckle driving when I was in the middle of several years of an “icy roads phobia.”<br />That phobia followed an accident in the early 1980s when a 16-year-old girl slid into me and we both ended up on our tops (unhurt) in the ditch outside Joseph. She tried to pass me on black ice, and kept screaming “he’s going to kill me,” apparently referring to her stepfather and the fact she was late getting home.<br />Anyway, there’s a lot to do to get ready for Christmas yet, but I’m one of the top “do it at the last minute” champs of all time. I think that’s why I ended up in journalism, I work better and faster under extreme deadline pressure.<br /><strong>Most memorable happenings of the week (so far):</strong> Putting out our first paper under new editor Andy, a young but experienced newspaper man with a lot of ideas and enthusiasm for his new job. I’ve learned a lot from all three other new editors of the past five years, and I know there’s a lot to learn from our new fearless leader. Maybe this one will stay!<br /><strong>Another fun experience</strong>: Taking photos of the Joseph Elementary School Christmas Concert. Not only did I get some cute photos of a cute program (focusing in on Maddie Nelson and Austin Lynn, in their pajamas for a darling “Twas the Night Before Christmas” recitation/singing segment), but it brought back a lot of memories when my kids were up on that stage, year after year. As usual, there was a packed house of parents, grandparents and everyone else in town.</div></div>Zaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07800941368705987846noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18908858.post-3720562436647591382008-12-07T12:58:00.000-08:002008-12-07T13:03:34.247-08:00Last Year's Xmas Letter<em>Though I still haven't finished my Christmas letter, which I send or e-mail to family and friends whether they like it or not, for 2008, I realized I hadn't posted last year's effort, which gives a blow-by-blow account of my 2007.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>So here it is:</em><br /><em></em><br /><strong>December, 2007</strong><br /><br />Actually I decided to start my Christmas letter in August, so I don’t know how this year will turn out yet, but that makes it kind of exciting.<br />My whole family, Jenny, Lawrence, Lily and Matt, spent Christmas in Joseph last year. So far they’ve been here for all three of Lily’s Christmases, but because it falls on Tuesday in 2007, they won’t be able to make it this year. Lily didn’t have a Christmas tree at her house last Christmas (because they knew they were coming here), so I left most of the decorating for her on “Lily’s tree.” The fact that the ornaments were all clumped at Lily-level made it all the more special. My special present to her was a pink Fischer-Price digital camera that takes real photos, because she always wanted to get her hands on mine.<br />The big news of 2007 was the birth of Adeline Faith Herman on July 2, 2007, weighing in at 6 lbs. and 2 ounces. I missed her birth by one day, and it was over a month before I met my beautiful new little granddaughter in person.<br /> In January, I scheduled a vacation for the last week in June (I had to use it by July 1 or lose the vacation time). Addie’s due date was June 27, but since Lily was two weeks early, we didn’t expect her to be late. So I kept very-pregnant Jenny company and spent very quality time with Lily, who had switched from calling me “Grandma Lanie” to “Grammy” by the end of the week (we had lots of fun, though Jenny told me to quit letting her boss me around.)<br />July and August is always VERY busy at work, and Lawrence’s parents arrived from New Jersey for two weeks to help Jenny and Lawrence out , so it turned out to be toward the end of August before I met sweet, sweet little Addie in person. She is a smiley, beautiful, blue-eyed, almost bald baby.<br />Work has not been fun this year, because of all the transitions that have gone on. When all the smoke settled, there was me, who had worked at the Chieftain 28-29 years and office manager Cheryl, with six years. At present, everyone else have barely a year or less seniority. It’s been a hard year.<br />A highlight of the year was the annual Blanchet Ranch LLC meeting and family gathering over Memorial Day weekend. All my siblings were there, and a good representation of nieces and nephews. Jenny and Lawrence didn’t come because of her advanced pregnant state, but Matt came from Eugene, bringing along one of his housemates, Majid from Saudi Arabia, who enjoyed meeting everyone. Another highlight was the wedding of my sister’s oldest son, Titus, to a beautiful young woman named Ruth at the end of June near Salem (they are now living in Korea and expecting a baby in May); her next to oldest son, David, was married to another lovely lady, Zyana, in San Antonio, Texas, in May.<br />Still another high point : the extended Blanchet Family reunion at Hilegaard State Park. It was fun seeing many of my cousins and their kids. Kim Futter was there with her baby, Dylan, and husband, who met the family for the first time. Both Aunt Cressie (and Uncle Carmon) and Aunt La France were happily there; next year we’re going to plan the reunion around Aunt La France’s 90th birthday in June -- so attendance is mandatory for all generations of the family!!!!<br /><br />Dec. 2, 2007<br />Other 2007 happenings: I bought the Chieftain’s old work car, a maroon 2000 Subaru wagon, this spring. My newest ever rig. … I took my third week (and final) week of vacation for the year in October to coincide with Lily’s third birthday (she’s a big girl now) and then spent a relaxing few days in Lincoln City in an off-season room over the ocean.<br />Matt was a contract wild fire fighter this summer and fall, finishing off with the big fires in California (he drove a truck to the Witch fire in the San Diego area and back with PatRick Inc.); his cousins Dan, Hailey and Andrea from Pendleton, who work for a different outfit, ended up there, also.<br />Both kids, son-in-law and two granddaughters came for a fun time for Thanksgiving this year, since Christmas seems unlikely.<br />Work is still topsy-turvy (we moved to a new building in September and a new editor started two weeks ago), but I’m hanging in there. Hope to see you all in 2008,<br /> Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year,<br />Elane (aka Lanie)<br /><em></em>Zaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07800941368705987846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18908858.post-13963272694399624502008-12-07T12:28:00.000-08:002008-12-07T12:49:22.873-08:00Getting ready for ChristmasWell, I took 196 photos yesterday for our next issue (we'll use probably six at the most) of: Fishtrap's Good Book Sale; Handcrafters Bazaar, including Santa with various kids and crying babies; Jingle thru Joseph elf at Lamb's Trading Post and photos of a mule-drawn wagon giving rides on Joseph Main St.; and the Enterprise Winterfest parade, featuring major farm equipment decked out with flashing lights and waving Santas. Whew!<br />Oh, I forgot a benefit flea market, across Enterprise Main Street from the courthouse in Stage One, where I picked up a few odds and ends; also bought $15 good books for $14.50. Last night instead of whipping my house into Christmas shape, I yielded to temptation and stuck my nose into one of the books, savoring a wealth of words.<br />Also did a tiny bit of Christmas shopping yesterday. I want to do most of mine in Wallowa County this year, to do my small bit for the local economy, though it's a little hard for Lily and Addie, since their holiday list is made up of Toy's R Us offerings; when I was a kid it was long lists from Montgomery Wards and Sears catalogues. So I also helped Black Friday at the mall and Target along on the day after Thanksgiving.<br />Speaking of the economy, all of a sudden after a fairly decent summer here despite high gas prices, there are a number of long-time business closing or about to close their doors. D & R Auto dealers (a biggie) and Radio Shack in Enterprise already bit the dust, and OK Theater is due to close at the end of December (personal issues of owners).<br />If anyone wants to own a great little historic movie theater, which has operated continuously since 1918, there's a gem in Enterprise. It has a couple of apartments and other business spaces attached, and has made brewers' yeast on popcorn a trademark of all kids raised in Wallowa County.<br /> I digress. Getting ready for Christmas: I should finish my annual letter today, and this morning I bought a great $30 8-foot tree from the Joseph High School FFA chapter. Now I just need to re-arrange everything to make it fit in my living room. The Herman family decided not to get a tree this year, so this will be Lily and Addie's special Christmas tree. So I'd better get busy.<br />So far there's no snow in the valley, though it has reappeared on the mountain-tops. There's only 18 days left before Christmas!!!!<br />LaterZaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07800941368705987846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18908858.post-76249471394964207782008-12-04T08:24:00.000-08:002008-12-04T08:45:15.094-08:00Back againI can't believe it's been over a year since I wrote anything, a very eventful year.<br /><br />Instead of the wild weather at the end of 2007, it's been extremely mild this fall, virtually no snow yet on the valley floor and no wild wind storm. Instead we've had a little fog, a little rain and some cold nights.<br /><br />Jenny is now on blog spot with her blog, "Lily and Addie Make Four", after a couple years on babysite.com. It's a wonderful look at family life, from Jenny's unique viewpoint. She doesn't believe me when I tell her she's a wonderful writer, but it's true. Her ability to tell a story and condense experiences into words is what good writing is all about.<br />When I signed up to become a follower of her blog, lo and behold, a link appeared for my own old neglected "View from Eaglecap," a circumstance which inspired me to revise and add to the poor thing.<br /><br /><br /><strong>The most memorable happenings of the week</strong>: The arrival of our new editor (the last one was here less than a year) and the inauguration of "Lilly and Addie Make Four."<br /><br />This weekend I'll be taking photos of Christmas stuff (like the Enterprise Winterfest Parade), getting an FFA Christmas tree Sunday and begin whipping my house in shape for a family Christmas in Joseph with the Herman family. I loved spending Thanksgiving with Lily and Addie (and Jenny and Lawrence and Matt) in Tigard, and am looking forward to their holiday visit.<br />Lily loves snow, so I hope it materializes in time. Joseph usually serves up a white Christmas, but there's no guarantee.<br />Oh, yes I have to finish my annual Christmas letter (which I will post here) and look for my left-over stock of cards from last year. I think there's a whole unopened box, somewhere.<br /><br />LaterZaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07800941368705987846noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18908858.post-74499605512795130922008-05-17T09:13:00.000-07:002008-12-07T12:16:14.342-08:00Spring finally arrives<em>I just found this post in my "drafts", so apparently I wrote it this spring and didn't post it. So here it is!!</em><br /><br />I usually like winter. It's a good time to hole up and get cosy with a good book on weekends, and I love to watch the snow fall, especially when I don't have to drive in it.<br /><br />Well, this winter drug out just a little tooooooooo long. Not only was there three feet of snow in my yard most of the season, but I swear I woke up to new snow (which usually melted during the day) every other morning during April and even into May. I got really tired of wearing my tall snowboots this winter -- they are heavy and half of the heel is worn down from over a dozen years of hard use.<br /><br /><br /><br />And it's been cold. I've been worried that our new editor, who started just as the snow started falling the week after Thanksgiving, would hightail it back to Arizona; he was truly in weather-shock all winter and into spring.<br /><br /><br /><br />This weekend a heat wave hit the Northwest and after last week with the highs in the 50s it's supposed to get up to 89 today in Joseph. (I think it was high 70s yesterday!) Yesterday it was 101 somewhere on the Oregon coast, by far a record, and the newscaster was saying it was probably a first that it hit 101 here this season before in Phoenix in Arizona.<br /><br /><br /><br />Anyway, instead of curling up with a good book, I should be out mowing the rapidly-growing grass, though unfortunately the lawn mower didn't start the last time I tried to start it last fall.Zaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07800941368705987846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18908858.post-40869683103403204532007-11-17T10:40:00.000-08:002007-11-17T11:13:25.624-08:00Big windstorm<strong><span style="font-family:arial;">The most enjoyable thing I've done this past week </span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Drive around Joseph and the north end of Wallowa Lake on Monday morning with my son taking photos for our newspaper of a wild, wild windstorm. He was driving most of the time, while I was trying to get photos out the car window, but it was blowing and raining so hard, even in the car, I could hardly keep the lens clear. There were gusts from 100 to 78 (depending on where gauged), with limbs and trees toppling, one barn fire, wires down ... Nothing like a natural disaster (no one hurt) to get the journalistic adrenaline churning.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">The <strong>worst thing</strong> that happened in the past week is that my trusty digital camera suddenly quit working last Saturday night, while I was covering the annual Healthy Futures dinner/auction given by the health care foundation (to raise money, this year for a new ambulance). </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">It's a Fuji S5000 with a 10X optical zoom that I bought on-line for less than $300 almost four years ago, in preparation for my first trip to London. I carry it everywhere, use it for work and easily take an average of 100 photos a week.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">One minute it was working at the dinner; I turned it off for awhile, and then it wouldn't turn back on. I changed the batteries .... nothing has worked. My theory is that after 3 1/2 years of hard use, it just wore out.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">For Monday's storm, my boss had left her camera home, and I borrowed a Cannon from the ad department; it has a lot more bells and whistles, but I had trouble adjusting during the heat of the storm. I know I could have take even better shots with MY camera. Alas. I think I'll be going on-line to see if I can find another, just like the one that quit. Unfortunately, there are no camera repairmen within 200 miles of my end of the road location.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong>Aftermath of the storm</strong> - We didn't drive up to the head of the lake, the resort area, during the worst of the storm, where it turned out the most damage was. Trees fell on cars, houses ... The state park lost about 30 big trees, which is sad, but amazingly no one was hurt. It was very dangerous, so it's probably a good thing I missed it. Geoff from our paper went up the next day and got some very good photos. He put together a really good slide show for our web site. (www.wallowa.com)</span>Zaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07800941368705987846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18908858.post-42116160530701214342007-11-03T19:38:00.000-07:002007-11-17T11:17:44.248-08:00Double Grandma<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2SA8TuSDhYTR9wA3yGlkqKem3ZXpgBWkw0-xaeDEzGWhVrIH0IyZ5sqeBR5veJOQXh4v-FXFvkmZ0WYn7mwKqZRYyYa0HU56DB8aZnk4ArJdXjYyNwdSCsASaxE7jO6fU2Y7/s1600-h/Addie,+Gma,+Lily+&+Mom+sm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133882935951686354" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2SA8TuSDhYTR9wA3yGlkqKem3ZXpgBWkw0-xaeDEzGWhVrIH0IyZ5sqeBR5veJOQXh4v-FXFvkmZ0WYn7mwKqZRYyYa0HU56DB8aZnk4ArJdXjYyNwdSCsASaxE7jO6fU2Y7/s320/Addie,+Gma,+Lily+%26+Mom+sm.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Being the grandma of two little girls is twice as good as having only one granddaughter<br />Adeline Faith -- Addie for every day -- made her appearance on Monday, June 2, 2007, the day after I returned home in the wake of a week-long vacation basically spent waiting for her arrival.<br /><br />Of course I had a lot of fun with granddaughter #1, going to a friend's birthday party at a kid's gym, discovering the library with her for the first time and of course coloring and doing crafts, her favorite. My daughter was very pregnant and somewhat crabby, but we had some good talks and though Addie chose to remain unborn, it was still a good time.<br /><br />Grandma Carol and Grandpa Steve came the day after I left, so were there taking care of Lily during the time of Addie's birth. and I saw lots of photos.<br /><br />Finally I met my new granddaughter during a long weekend at the end of August (her dad was in the Hood to Coast run!) She's fair skinned and blue-eyed and basically bald with the most darling chubby cheeks and a beautiful smile, a true darling.<br /><br />Lily is very loving with her "stister" -- except when she suddenly gets too rough. I'm sure she can't wait until Addie can do more than drool and flop over when Lily holds her. She turned four months yesterday, so it won't be long. Jenny says she's discovered her hands.<br /><br />Was in Tigard last for Lily's third birthday -- only five families (plus me and Uncle Matt) were invited, which meant a houseful. Lily loved her Dora castle, Dora furniture, doggy vet set, human doctor set, huge craft set, big play doh set and on and on and on. Addie loved being held and watching her "friends" (mobile animals in her swing chair or changing table).<br /><br />Lily is full of life, mischievious, curious about the world, very well-behaved except when she's not, so smart and articulate, always on the go. Addie is still in many ways an emerging personality, so new to the world, but so very, very much loved!</div>Zaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07800941368705987846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18908858.post-28561313422485184782006-12-30T09:36:00.000-08:002006-12-30T09:44:53.589-08:00Christmas LetterWell, here's my annual Christmas letter; I think I actually got it sent with a card to about a dozen family members and friends before Christmas, which is a big improvement over last year, when I only completed about half the letter and sent ZERO cards.<br /><br />Dec. 10, 2006<br />Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!!<br /><br />My hope is to get a Christmas letter written and sent to all my family and friends this year (I’m sorry about last year, everyone; the time just zoomed by too fast.)<br />Jenny, Lawrence, Lily and Matt were all with me in Joseph for Christmas 2005, with Lily, who’d turned 1 on Oct. 14, running all over and enjoying opening her presents. This year Lily and her folks will be back -- at age 2 she’s knows what she wants. She loves cameras and has asked her “’Mama Yanie” for a “cheese” (Lily language for camera)…. so we’ll have to see.<br />It’s been another busy year, especially at work where the entire editorial staff (writing/news) of four changed again (at least once)… except me. At my age, constant change isn’t as appealing as it once was, but I’m still hanging in there. We’re now in the market for a new sports writer -- again. I like everyone I’m working with, so just hope they stay put!<br />High points of the year:<br />At the end of February I spent a few days on the coast in Newport at my favorite spot, Sylvia Beach Hotel (each room is named for and decorated in honor of a different author -- I stayed in the Willa Cather room).<br />In October, I enjoyed my wonderful first-ever cruise (Carnival Pride to Mexican Riviera) with Jenny, Lawrence, Lily, his family and many of their friends, who also invited their families. I was able to spend Lily’s 2nd birthday in Disneyland with her the day before we sailed.<br />In May I was able to located Irene, my only cousin on my mother’s side of the family, and my mom’s cousin, Cecil, who’s now 85. It’s great to be reconnected. Cecil came for part of the annual Memorial Day weekend LLC meeting at the Blanchet Ranch held by me and my siblings (and attended by most of our offspring), and Irene & her daughter visited the ranch right after.<br />Our first family gathering of the year, sadly, was at the funeral of our dear Uncle Delbert in April. Then in June, we gathered again under happier circumstances at the annual Blanchet Family reunion, held this at cousin John Burns’ place outside Wallowa -- plenty big enough for RVs and tents. Aunt La France celebrated her 88th birthday during the reunion (truly unbelievable!), and Aunt Cressie brought her famous homemade ice cream. Later in the summer Aunt Cressie fell and broke her hip, but after tough recuperation from hip replacement surgery (which Aunt La France went through last year) is almost as good as new.<br />Other 2006 happenings:<br />Jenny and Lawrence moved into a bigger house in Tigard so they’d have a guest room when I came to visit; Lily needed more room for her stuff, also. They came to visit Joseph for the Bronze, Blues and Brews festival in city park for a fun weekend.<br />I went to my 40th high school reunion with my friend Marilyn outside Portland (more people live there than Pendleton, I think). It was lots of fun, even though attended by a lot of old folks.<br />Matt moved to Eugene and went back to college, at Lane Community this time, after spending 2005 mostly in National Guard training in S.C. and Georgia. He’s also currently working on the “Geek Squad” at Best Buy computer store. He’s still a weekend warrior and I’m hoping that’s what he’ll stay.<br />BIG NEWS -- Lily’s going to be a big sister in late June or early July!! (I’m waiting to send my cards until I get the word “it’s okay to go public” with the news).So that means I’ll be double grandma. I can’t wait.<br />Hope you all survive the holidays and I see all of you during the new year.<br /><br />Elane (aka Lanie)Zaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07800941368705987846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18908858.post-1165689681214620542006-12-09T10:33:00.000-08:002006-12-09T10:41:21.216-08:00Winterfest todayI'll be off to take Santa photos (and others) at the Winterfest celebration in Enterprise today. Need lots of Santa photos for my special kids section that will be published as part of our Christmas edition Thursday after next. Santa will be at Holiday Central on Main St. and he will be passing out candy after the free kids matinee at OK Theatre.<br />Then there will probably be more than one bearded man in a red suit during Winterfest's lighted tractor parade. Last year it took place in a blizzard, which was fun, until I ran into a white-out at Eggleson's corner on my way home to Joseph.<br />Will also be going to Fishtrap's Good Book Sale (everything on sale for $1); need to re-stock my reading material, though I actually need to be getting my living room in shape for the arrival of my Christmas tree from Joseph FFA's sale.<br />And then it's time to get started on my Christmas letters ... last year I only got half done by New Year's so hopefully will do better this year.<br />'Tis the season.Zaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07800941368705987846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18908858.post-1165433399413986012006-12-06T11:29:00.000-08:002006-12-09T10:28:58.373-08:00Winter in Wallowa CountyWinter is here; it's barely been above freezing and I haven't seen the ground since I came home from my daughter's house in Tigard where I went for Thanksgiving.Zaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07800941368705987846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18908858.post-1145731695825609732006-04-22T11:35:00.000-07:002008-12-07T12:26:55.383-08:00My Las Vegas column<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-LDbkMATOcXDYHbR3WroHKW4uKvBB2DUj9UUvDgVLTYJ2sbysZRa_3d1oWVmuRswRmKUs1J3yD7gdQKRPWEmEn9t3Ug58cPMVt6CUo5gllxa0tYHs-2WD4o0J_bg0ZVBzwryH/s1600-h/VTLosVegas$$.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277146808326107234" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 248px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-LDbkMATOcXDYHbR3WroHKW4uKvBB2DUj9UUvDgVLTYJ2sbysZRa_3d1oWVmuRswRmKUs1J3yD7gdQKRPWEmEn9t3Ug58cPMVt6CUo5gllxa0tYHs-2WD4o0J_bg0ZVBzwryH/s320/VTLosVegas$$.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3244/1861/1600/Las%20Vegas%20Bellagio%20Con.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3244/1861/200/Las%20Vegas%20Bellagio%20Con.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Here's the column about Las Vegas I wrote about.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>A trip back to Las Vegas, my favorite fantasy city<br /></em><br /></span></strong>It was in December of 1997 when I discovered Las Vegas, a fantasy world known for gambling, show girls and unfettered fun.<br /><br />The occasion was a unique alignment of stars in which the Chief Joseph Days rodeo committee had been nominated as one of the top five in the small rodeo category and Miss Rodeo Oregon -- Teah Jones (now Evans) -- of Lostine was in contention for the nation’s top cowgirl title at the Miss Rodeo America contest. The awarding of the top rodeo award and the cowgirl pageant were both occurring during the National Rodeo Finals in Las Vegas, and the Chieftain decided to send me to document the events.<br /><br />To say I was excited was an understatement -- in the previous 20 years the Chieftain had paid my way all the way to La Grande once or twice to cover a story.The newspaper got its money’s worth in terms of news coverage: a report and photos of the rodeo committee at the PRCA awards dinner (Sidney, Iowa, won the top award, I think) and the story of Teah’s second runner-up finish in a field of cowgirl beauties. I think I also wrote a kind of travelogue, talking about Las Vegas and the behind-the-scenes world of national rodeo.<br /><br />But I also managed to squeeze in a ton of fun in America’s neon city, traveling up and down the famous Las Vegas Strip, fascinated with the fantasy-themed and the energy of the City that Never Sleeps. I think I at least poked my head into every casino.Along with the CJD committee, I stayed in The Orleans, then a relatively new casino/hotel off the Strip with several restaurants, bars, a bowling alley, a movie theater and a million slot machines. I pretty much got lost every day of my four-day stay -- inside the hotel. My room was a long way from the elevator, and I remember that it seemed a mile up that hall after I finally came home to roost after already walking a million miles in exploring Las Vegas.<br /><br />I’d brought along at least $20 worth of nickels to gamble and lost them all in the city’s hungry video poker machines.<br /><br />Anyway, at that time they were still promoting Las Vegas as a family vacation spot, and that summer I took my 14-year-old son there for a week’s vacation. By then I’d discovered a LV forum site on the Internet and thoroughly planned our vacation.<br /><br />It was a week to remember. We stayed in the luxurious Egyptian-themed Luxor, went to the MGM and Circus Circus amusement parks, watched a jousting tournament at Excalibur and saw the magic of Lance Burton. We watched a free pirate ship battle at Treasure Island, caught strings of beads at the free Masquerade Parade at Rio and took a tour of Hoover Dam. We watched a lightning storm in the distant mountains and the lights of the Strip at night from the vantage point of the top of the Stratosphere. We went downtown to watch the Fremont Experience light show and had a free photo taken with $1 million dollars then displayed at Bunion’s Horseshoe casino. My favorite souvenir was a humorous pastel caricature by a New York New York artist of my son that he still hates.<br /><br />I think I budgeted $10 a day for me to gamble and him to play arcade games, and I think I ended up giving him part of my share -- I was always too tired at the end of the day to slip out to visit those video poker machines after he was settled down for the night.After that memorable vacation, which also included my son’s first ride in an airplane, I told him that I would take him back to Las Vegas when he was 21.<br /><br />Flash forward seven years, and we recently returned from our second trip to Las Vegas together. He had his 21st birthday in April while at advanced training for National Guard in Georgia.There have been a lot of changes in Las Vegas since the last time we were there together -- Bunion’s had gone bankrupt and the million dollars sold off, the pirate show now featured sexy girls (so I hear) and at least six major new hotels -- including Bellagio, Aladdin, Venetian and Paris -- had been built. Family vacations were no longer promoted, and the new slogan is “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”<br /><br />“Do you have every day planned like last time,” he asked on the plane. “No,” I said. “We’ll play it by ear this time.”<br />Though this was a G-rated vacation, relatively speaking, I’ve already used my allotted space so we’ll just leave what happened in Vegas in Vegas -- for now anyway.<br /><br /><em>I wrote a detailed trip report for my Las Vegas forum (<a href="http://www.lvtalk.com/">http://www.lvtalk.com/</a>) for the 1997 trip, but procastinated this time around and still don't have it done. Couldn't find photos of me and Matt on the computer when he was 14 (will look) so the photo above is of the Bellagio conservatory, decked out for autumn in October, 2006.</em></div>Zaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07800941368705987846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18908858.post-1138472016013822102006-01-28T10:12:00.000-08:002006-01-28T10:49:02.326-08:00Beautiful Oregon Coast<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3244/1861/1600/VT%20Cannon%20Kite%20Ecol.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3244/1861/320/VT%20Cannon%20Kite%20Ecol.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />After I compiled my my list of favorite spots, I wrote about my memories of one of those: Oregon's beautiful, wild coast:<br /><br />I think most Oregonians -- even those of us from the landlocked, wide-open eastern part of the state -- have a special place in their hearts for the Oregon coast.<br /><br />The Pacific Ocean bordering Oregon certainly is nothing like the warm water found in tropical climates, where a vacation means basking in the sunshine, snorkeling along coral reefs and riding the waves. At least not for most of us, though I've noticed on my last few trips to the coast hardy souls dressed in super-thermal wet suits braving the frigid waves with their surf boards.<br /><br />Everyone knows that the Oregon ocean is cold, the kind of salty cold that freezes cream into ice cream and numbs your bare feet if you wade along the incoming wave line.Then there's the wind. Almost every afternoon it seems, no matter the time of the year, it blows and blows. I remember at least one time when we walked the beach leaning into wind that approached the velocity and texture of a sandblaster, threatening to blow my kids away. The rain was falling on that trip and we all found a refuge in the beach access restroom, with the kids laughingly jockeying for position under the warmth of the automatic hand dryer.<br /><br />That's only one of many, many memories of the Oregon coast that started when I was a kid and we went to the coast every couple of years or so. I remember looking for dimples in the sand while digging for clams at dawn, when the minus tides always seemed to appear when my dad was around. We usually camped in our travel trailer at Fort Stevenson State Park near Astoria, though occasionally I recall staying in a beach house with some of my cousins and their folks. One year my brother and I dug up an impressive collection of beach agates, only to get in trouble when it turned out that they marked the grave of the beach house's owner's beloved pet dog.<br /><br />I remember going out once on a salmon fishing boat out of Newport with my dad and years later going on a whale watching excursion at Depot Bay with my son. We even saw a whale from a distance, though that sighting didn't compare with our visits to the aquarium in Newport to visit Keiko when he lived there.<br /><br />I remember staying in a $75-per-week duplex near the ocean at Tiera del Marr when my daughter was about nine -- she and her cousin Rosie spent every day building sand castles and going on scavenger hunts. I remember visiting friends who lived at lovely Oceanside and going out and picking mussels off the big rocks there for a fresh, delicious stew.My favorite thing to do is to just walk along the shore at low tide (I never seem to hit one of those minus tides unless it's in the middle of the night) and look for agates, shells, things washed up on the shore and tide pools.<br /><br />At one crossroads in my life I decided I would choose between the ocean and the mountains as a place to live -- I've never regretted deciding to move to the Wallowa Mountains, but I'll always have a soft spot for the wild, rugged and beautiful Oregon coast.<br /><br />I usually try to take at least one trip a year to the coast to spend a night or two, but at the end of 2005 I realized over a year had gone by without my usual visit. The last time was in late October 2004, when I re-discovered the joys of off-season prices (two nights for the price of one in Bandon!), sparser traffic and fewer other tourists.There's another vacation week coming up at the end of February and, along with time spent with family members, the plan is to stay three or so nights in one of my favorite coastal retreats, Sylvia Beach Hotel on Nye Beach in Newport.<br /><br />This hotel, which is owned by a friend from my college days, has gotten a lot of press in the travel world because of the fact that every one of its 33 rooms is dedicated to a different author -- such as Mark Twain, Edgar Allen Poe, Dr. Seuss, Willa Cather, Agatha Christie, Oscar Wilde -- and decorated to reflect that author's era and books.<br /><br />It's an old hotel overlooking the ocean with none of the amenities upscale travelers expect -- no television, no phone in the rooms, no pool or hot tubs. Some rooms have a fireplace with a balcony overlooking the ocean, while the least expensive don't have any ocean view. The bathrooms are outdated and the décor is even a little shabby in places.Some people think its quirky quality is a little overdone and its price is too high, considering that you don't even get a television.<br /><br />It's not for everyone.But what it offers is a true place to get away from it all, especially if you like books. The large upstairs sitting room has comfy couches and cushy overstuffed chairs with lovely views and a library stocked with all kinds of books. There's also journals scattered around, where folks who have visited leave comment, from a few sentences to a few pages, giving an insight into the lives and minds of fellow travelers to the ocean.<br /><br />We'll be in the middle of "The Big Read" in Wallowa County in February, so an inn dedicated to books will make an appropriate destination for a trip outside the county. Anyway, the Oregon coast is one of my favorite spots in the world and I can't wait to watch the ocean and walk along the shore again next month.<br /><br />I have a column I wrote about a recent trip with my 21-year-old son to Las Vegas, so maybe I'll publish that soon.<br />Right now I'm trying to figure out how to add a photo of my son flying a kite at the Oregon coast when he was young.Zaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07800941368705987846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18908858.post-1137874860247595602006-01-21T11:55:00.000-08:002006-01-21T12:21:00.263-08:00My favorite spots<span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Most memorable activity of the past week</strong>: Watching 21 sled dog teams take off in the dark for 100-mile and 200-mile runs in the 2nd annual Eagle Cap Sled Dog Race near Joseph.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br />I write an every other column for my weekly paper -- it was my boss' idea, not mine -- and I always have trouble thinking of ideas about to write about. It's usually more personal than I would like. For example my most recent one was about approaching old age and how my defination of that stage of life had changed since I was 18. My column is aptly titled "It's All Relative."<br /><br />The funny thing is that after 20-plus years of working on my newspaper (<a href="http://www.wallowacountychieftain.info">www.wallowacountychieftain.info</a>) I get more positive comments from more people about that silly little column than all the news stories and features in all these years. Probably the one I got the most comment on was one about the trials and tribulations of trying to keep my lawn mowed.<br /><br />My daughter suggested I start putting my columns on my blog (which I have neglected since starting in November) and maybe I'll start doing that.<br /><br />Anyway, I'm in the process of thinking of a new topic, and one idea is writing about my 10 favorite spots in the world. Let me see if I can come up with a list:<br /><br />1. Wallowa County, Oregon; my home<br />2. The Blanchet Ranch near Pendleton, Ore.; where I grew up and my father grew up and is still in our family.<br />3. The Oregon Coast; I love the rugged landscape, beachcombing, the ocean.<br />4. London, England; the only place I've ever traveled that I need a passport.<br />5. Charleston, S.C.; a lovely, lovely historical city in the South.<br />6. Portland, Oregon; the city I visit most often (my kids live here) and enjoy exploring.<br />7. Las Vegas, Nevada; perhaps I should put this up higher on the list, after all it is my favorite fantasy world and is second only to Portland and the coast as a travel destination.<br />8. New York, N.Y.; I've loved my two trips to this big city, what an exciting place to visit.<br />9. Utah -- I love the beauty of those sandstone formations.<br />10. San Francisco, Calif. -- I lived here for a year or two, many, many years ago, and plan to return for a visit one of these days.<br /><br />I'm taking a week off work at the end of February, and am planning a trip to Portland area (to see my granddaughter!) and the Oregon Coast.<br /><br />I'll writer more about some of these places. I'm going to start writing here at least once or twice a week, though I know no one but me reads here, at least so far.Zaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07800941368705987846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18908858.post-1131919068968197842005-11-13T13:38:00.000-08:002005-11-13T14:09:36.713-08:00It's SundayMy first entry turned out all right and I figured out how to enter a photo (I think), though not in my profile.<br /><br />I don't think I mentioned I worked on a weekly newspaper, and my week definitely goes in cycles.<br />Monday and Tuesday are crazily busy, with me usually working 12-14 hours, to get all the stories finished, photos ready and paper layed out. I work short hours on Wednesday off -- sometimes taking the whole day off -- and then work 6 or so hours on Thursday and Friday, and an hour or two on Saturday if there's something to take a photo of or an event to cover. Sunday I sometimes try to get a head start on the week ... Tuesday we lay out the paper via Quark (layout program) and send the pages to Pendleton to be printed at the East Oregonian; its trucked back here Wednesdays.<br /><br />Wallowa County (population about 7,000) is in the midst of building a new hospital and I covered the health district foundation's annual fundraising benefit dinner/auction last night; this year it's raising money for the new ER room. Last year the dinner raised over $50,000 and in the last 10 years its been $350,000.<br />Anyway it was sold out lots of people with lots of people all dressed up and pitching in for a good cause. Maybe I'll download a photo.<br /><br />I have to write a column every other week, so maybe I'll start including them there after they appear in our newspaper.<br /><br />Another thing going on this weekend is that two of the county's high schools' eight-man football teams were playing in state playoff games; it's the first time Joseph has made it to state since the 1950s, so it's a big deal (though I don't cover sports). Both teams won yesterday, and so eventually it's conceivable (though not likely) the two teams, Wallowa and Joseph, will meet in a game for the championship.<br /><br />I'm the world's worst housekeeper, so today I was cleaning out a corner of my living room filled with newspapers and magazines. Have to start somewhere.<br /><br />I want to thank Millie for being the very first person to view and comment on my blog!<br />I was thinking I would probably be writing it mainly to myself, as a personal journal, but she made me realize there may actually be an audience.<br /><br />I used to keep a written jounal, and in re-reading it, I realized that it kept alive memories of years that would otherwise be lost to the passing of time. View from Eagle Cap will be a combination of personal and informational, I think. The freedom to meander anywhere I want without an editor is pretty liberating.Zaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07800941368705987846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18908858.post-1131834398194526882005-11-12T14:03:00.001-08:002005-11-13T09:59:24.556-08:00End of the Road<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3244/1861/1600/Lily%2011mo%20GrMa.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3244/1861/200/Lily%2011mo%20GrMa.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />This is the first time I've ever tried to set up a blog, so I really don't know what I'm doing.<br /><br />I live in a small mountain community in Oregon that is truly at the end of the road, but that blog name was already taken (as was <em>Lost Corner of America</em>), so I ended up with View from Eagle Cap, the name of the wilderness area in my back yard.<br /><br />I'm not sure yet how to create a profile my profile or to add a photo, but I guess that will come with time.<br /><br />I am a baby boomer, with two grown children and one year-old granddaughter.<br /><br />My daughter is married, still trying to get used to being a working mom and has always been goal oriented, a theater major who ended up becoming a CPA. She's very social, always in contact with a large network of friends, way too busy on too little sleep (for the past year, anyway). She keeps me involved in her life, and I love her for that and many other things. My son-in-law is a good match for Jenny, and my granddaughter Lily is as busy, smart and sweet as her mother was at that age.<br /><br />My son is still finding his way in life, as I was at his age; he is a complicated mix (aren't we all): a self-styled theater and computer nerd, who finished advanced training in the National Guards three months ago, graduating as distinguished honor grad at the top of his class, repairing and networking computers and radios. In school he was a classic underachiever, top SATs in his class, C-plus average. Since then has become a vagabond, staying here and there in between drill weekends; plans to return to college ... sometime ... I think. Growing up as a video addict, he's a bookworm (fantasy) series, and only likes things like Simpsons, Family Guy and Spongue Bob Square Pants on TV.<br /><br />Both my children are very nice, interesting people ... with an edge. Very, very different and very loved. They were both raised by me as a single mother and I can't help but think I did something right.<br /><br />I personally drifted through life (ie., San Francisco Haight Ashbury, college at OSU, hitchiking, etc), until my daughter was born. Trying to decide coast or mountain, I settled into this mountain community 28 years ago. Of course, I never dreamed this would be my end of the road -- as in the place I decided to make final (perhaps) destination as a home.<br /><br />I guess I'll end this for now to see how it looks.Zaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07800941368705987846noreply@blogger.com1