Where does a month go?  When last I blogged the locale was in sunny Southwestern France, sitting on the top of the world in the village of Beynac, gazing at pie-plate-sized raspberry flowers and watching a matching colored hot air balloon floating past my cafe table.  Ahhh, the memories linger and don't worry, I have more journals to post about France in future days!
But today, I am sitting on the edge of the Zumwalt Prairie looking on the Wallowa Mountains, with not a cloud in the blue, blue sky.  The day promises to be extra fine, hitting 80+ temperatures.  I must say, it's a glorious time of year here on the Shire, with some of the finest weather of the year.  

Jason and Aileen's Country Weddin'


 So, what's been keeping me busy these last thirty days?  Well, sounds mundane, but mostly catching up with my family and life on Full Circle Ranch.  In that space of time we have had two major weddings to attend (Katie Boyd Moss and Aileen Rice Helsel) and every other weekend full. 


Katie G. Moss, ain't she gorgeous?

 I've made two trips to Moscow, Idaho to be with Henry and Anna, as her baby-time draws near. (I intend to be up there a lot more in the days and months to come! In honor of that, check out the cute, new little widget I've added to my blog!)  Yep, my life is settling into a pleasant hum centered around my loved ones, and I cherish it. 
On Tuesdays I help Christi with her two youngest, Isabella and Alden, while she is at our local homeschool co-op teaching high school history.  We have a ritual on that day of going to the library, picking out books and then on to Heavenly's, a favorite little Enterprise restaurant, for an ice cream cone--in that order!  On Wednesdays I pray with three other lovely ladies during the lunch. 


One of the cabins on Joseph Creek

  This weekend, our entire Wallowa County family is packing up and heading for the bottom of Joseph Creek Canyon to stay at Dub Darneille's Nine Bark Outfitter's lodge.  We are celebrating Isabella and Nana's birthdays down there.  Here's a sneak peak of some of the main dishes for the weekend:

Panko Burgers on the Grill (Check it out on the back of the Panko Box-DEEE lish!)
Black Bottom Birthday Cupcakes-an old fav!

Brazilian Chicken Curry Slow-cooker (Woman's Day issue June 2010)

Nine Bark Lodge Kitchen

Spaghetti w/ the ultimate quick & easy pasta sauce (Cooking Light Issue September 1998)

In the meantime...life calls!

Du, Du, Du Lookin' Out My Backdoor

When it comes to views, I have to say, there's nothing like the view out the back door of our destination restaurant, The RimRock Inn.  It sits on the breaks of Joseph Creek Canyon here on The Shire in Northeast Oregon.  The RimRock is thirty-four miles from Enterprise on Highway 3.  It's a twisting, turning track--more rattlesnake than road--linking Oregon to Idaho. The scenic pathway throws your senses into overload.
So the big news I hinted about in the last blog?  Well, probably no surprise, it's about the RimRock. Last week we made the decision to list it for sale on Loop Net, an online website that features motels and restaurants for sale.  It was a tough decision too. But, the Hostetters are slowing down and it feels good, though bitter/sweet! We've loved this property, its beauty, peace and tranquility, not to mention the wonderful food and camping experience.

If you've never taken a peek at this incredible spot, you really should before the website comes down! (But just in case, I'll post some of our favorite photos for all of you who read this blog and haven't seen our beautiful corner of the world.)

Honestly, I was struck anew, as I was posting the for sale listing, on just what a truly special  place The RimRock is. We will miss those hot summer nights on its deck, sipping the best Northwest wines and marveling at the ever changing panorama of the canyon at dusk.

We will miss the stunning views of hand painted, authentic tipis studding the canyon's ede.  We will miss the smell of sage and pine while dining on the deck and those hummingbird wars, where six or more of the tiny sippers could show up, jockeying for position at their feeders.

We will miss the extraordinary music events like our son-in-law's blues guitar, internationlly known musician, Eric Bibb, or a friend, Danny (a tenor with the San Francisco Opera).  One of his impromptu visits sparked an impromptu solo on the deck during a hot summer night. We will miss Chef Otto's melt in your mouth Filet Mignon.  In short, we will miss dining on the edge!  It is an awesome place in the truest sense of that overworked word! 
But, the times...they are a' changin!  And so are we.  Becoming debt free and  jump starting Rahn into semi retirement (in the not too distant future) is our highest priority. And besides, other adventures are calling...I can just feel it!