Barns of Wallowa County

I grew up on a farm in Eastern Washington and there grew my love for barns. The barn on our farm was/is a landmark in the area, and a beautiful tribute built by our ancestors. I've always loved old barns and their symbolism of America and hard work. They stand proudly, beckoning others to pass through their doors and sit on a bale of hay for a spell. Oh the stories those old barns could tell! Their musty smell of dirt, grease, leather, and barn cats don't make me turn away; I could spend a day inside, imagining people and animals before me using the barn, working, and enjoying its strong, encompassing beams. Of course, some barns are not so lucky. Time and weather have torn some barns apart, leaving just fragile pieces of boards and rusty nails behind.

On our trip to Wallowa Lake, Jeremy and I decided to do a "barn tour" on our way back home. The Wallowa County area has an abundance of old barns. Each time we stopped at a barn to photograph it I'd say, "hey, I can see 4 or 5 more barns just down the road!" We took in as many as we could before heading back to Idaho. Talk about gorgeous beauty. We both decided we want a house/cabin/ranch there some day. Those people are certainly blessed with some beautiful landscapes!

Views of Wallowa

We got back from Wallowa Lake, OR on Monday. We enjoyed such a wonderful time with my entire immediate family. It used to be a summer tradition to stay at Wallowa Lake every year, but with people moving, getting married, having children, and busy farming schedules, it hasn't happened in awhile. This weekend was our attempt to revive the old tradition. Some of us stayed in a family cabin, and the others stayed in their RVs. We were blessed to have spent time together making new memories and enjoying the fresh mountain air and scenery.

My brother made this canoe last summer and was testing the waters at Wallowa. He's a very talented craftsman.

We rented a boat for a couple hours and cruised around the lake. It was getting stormier by the minute!

My two favorite guys...

Bekah asked, "is this as fast as it'll go?" Travis punched it up a notch and she got her turn at the wheel.
Brrr It was cold!!
Yes, deer do like cherries... This one was smart to spit out the pits too. :-)
Jeremy and I also went on a horseback trip in the mountains on Monday. More photos of that to follow, as well as Barns of Wallowa County.

A Little Bit of This and That

This is a pretty random posting, but I wanted to share some of the food I've made lately. I love to cook and try new recipes and come up with my own versions of meals. Here are some of my latest creations...

The other Sunday we had some friends over for dinner. I made this lemon berry mousse parfait with dark chocolate shavings. Mmm This was a yummy treat.

Last night for dinner I made a prosciutto, pear, and carmelized onion pizza. It was quite divine and will definitely make it again! This photo is pre-cheese. :-)

Out of the oven!

Side salads

A pretty plate my grandmother gave me. I'm not sure how old it is, but it is special to me and matches my patriotic kitchen!

Going to AK

Yes, we are going to Alaska in... EIGHT days to be exact. Yea! Jeremy and I met up during lunch today and got outfitted with some good waterproof jackets and layering. Here's my new jacket! (In walnut) http://www.hellyhansen.com/product/Jackets/WSeattlePackableJacket/52373/view/957
I've never been good at keeping things clean, so there is no way I could buy a white jacket in a million years. :-)

I'm also checking out some waterproof covers for my camera. In case you didn't know, we will be going halibut fishing on the 4th of July! Our good friend Heidi, a true Alaskan, is taking a group of us up there to visit for a few days! We were told to bring rain clothes and rubber boots. Now I do have a pair of irrigation boots that I got back in high school to wear while bathing my horse, but I really don't think those will fit in my suitcase. hmm

Welcome...

Welcome to our new blog! This is what, my 3rd attempt at keeping a blog?... I tend to go in spurts. But I am resolved to keep this one updated and exciting! :-) Yea! My other attempts have been personal blogs, but this one is for our (my hubby's and I) photography business, Road Less Traveled Photography.

Stay tuned as I upload some new images from our recent trip to Wallowa Lake, Oregon. This is going to be one exciting summer!