Sept. 30, 2015
The summer has passed and it's already September. We had a busy month in July, and a few visitors in August and September. The weather has been up and down - really hot, in the upper 90's, on some days and then cooler spells when we could work outside. The gardens and grounds look beautiful, I must say. It takes a lot of time to tend to the grounds but it is worth the effort. I've posted photos on my facebook page.
Drew and Jenna are making good progress on their earth-bag house. Their chickens are full grown and we expect fresh eggs at any moment. They eat well - all of our scraps from the kitchen (except onion and meat) and their diet is now supplemented by some chicken feed that will induce them to lay. We went to Tulsa for a friend's wedding a couple of weekends ago and we were all of us thinking that we might miss the first egg (like missing your baby's first step)! We didn't miss the event... four of the hens are now laying.
I am now a member of the board of directors of the Red Carpet Country Tourism association and I am excited about it. I attended board orientation and the first meeting of the board in Enid. It was so nice to meet new people who understand tourism marketing and are willing to work at it together for the benefit of all of the communities involved, not just the county each of them come from. RCC covers 16 counties in northwest and north central Oklahoma. I have already run up against roadblocks at the local Chamber of Commerce in promoting Watonga, but I'm not going to stress about it. Andy and I are still pushing forward with promoting the businesses and events that do want publicity for Watonga and understand the importance of tourism as a tool for economic development. We have a gem right here in our midst, the Roman Nose State Park, and I intend to promote the area by working with the local park management and State tourism office. Blaine County also covers the towns of Okeene, Geary, and Canton. I am excited about the potential.
The Roman Nose Hills Trail Ride was last weekend and we had a quiet weekend at the Retreat. We always give a gift certificate for a night at the Retreat for them to auction off, and also help by working one or two of the meals they serve. This year Andy was in Portland Oregon to visit Blake and take Itzel back to her; and I pulled a muscle in my lower back and was pretty much in bed most of the weekend so we were not able to help serve food during this ride. The ride was a success, with almost 100 registered, and the profits will go to Kiwanis for their summer school programs.
We've opened The Oven and have had several dinners, and held several House Concerts as fundraisers for Phoenix Circle Foundation. We've served up to thirty people without any problems. When the weather is pleasant, it is a wonderful experience to sit out on the patio and eat and visit with our guests. On October 17 we have the former Oklahoma poet laureate (2013-2014) Nathan Brown coming out to play guitar and read poetry. We've heard from lots of our friends that they would like to come. It will be a good experience for anyone who shows up, I am certain. Fundraising is a continuous job. I applied for a large grant through Chase Bank, which would have given us the funds to finish redoing the building on Main Street, but we didn't get it. I am always on the lookout for grants and I know the right one will come along.
The annual Watonga Cheese Festival is slowly coming together, and Andy and I are both SO glad not to be involved with it this year. There have been questions raised as to whether or not it will happen at all, but I do see occasional posts on facebook and on the Chamber's website about the Rat Race and the parade and I've spoken to a couple of the Chamber board members who assured me that there will be a Cheese Festival, though different from past years. I will be helping with a Red Carpet Country Tourism booth on both days, but will have time to explore and enjoy whatever entertainment there is, and sample wines!! It will also be an opportunity for me to hand out flyers and rack cards to promote our projects.
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
PAZ in the country
July 25, 2015
It's been 7 years since we moved here to rural Oklahoma. Andy and I have worked hard over these years to make his family home a peaceful retreat out in the country, near the Roman Nose State Park. We are finally at the point where we are getting regular visitors and we've expanded our services to include an outdoor wood-fired pizza oven dinner and Oklahoma House Concerts. This is the first year for both activities and we are drawing people in. We love visiting with people and we get lots of complimentary reviews on TripAdvisor.
Over the past five years we've gotten involved with the local town and community of Watonga. Population is around 2600, made up of landowners and farmers and cattlemen and the businesses that support that way of life. Andy and I have both been on the board of directors of the historic Liberty Theatre and helped with live productions. Originally I worked at one of the local banks and got to meet a lot of people. Dr. Max and Marjorie Barrett had a stellar reputation in town, having been the town dentist for fifty years during which time he brought in younger dentists who worked with him and set up their own practice. They were involved with the Kiwanis Club, Board of Education, and the Methodist Church, among other community volunteer organizations. They set an example that Andy and I hoped to emulate.
Lots of change has happened in Watonga over the years.....
It's been 7 years since we moved here to rural Oklahoma. Andy and I have worked hard over these years to make his family home a peaceful retreat out in the country, near the Roman Nose State Park. We are finally at the point where we are getting regular visitors and we've expanded our services to include an outdoor wood-fired pizza oven dinner and Oklahoma House Concerts. This is the first year for both activities and we are drawing people in. We love visiting with people and we get lots of complimentary reviews on TripAdvisor.
Over the past five years we've gotten involved with the local town and community of Watonga. Population is around 2600, made up of landowners and farmers and cattlemen and the businesses that support that way of life. Andy and I have both been on the board of directors of the historic Liberty Theatre and helped with live productions. Originally I worked at one of the local banks and got to meet a lot of people. Dr. Max and Marjorie Barrett had a stellar reputation in town, having been the town dentist for fifty years during which time he brought in younger dentists who worked with him and set up their own practice. They were involved with the Kiwanis Club, Board of Education, and the Methodist Church, among other community volunteer organizations. They set an example that Andy and I hoped to emulate.
Lots of change has happened in Watonga over the years.....
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Birthday Party at the Retreat
May 31
Last night we celebrated Jenna’s 25th
birthday. She and Drew planned
everything, invited friends, prepared the food.
The weather was chilly in the early morning, but the sun came out and the
temperature warmed up. By early evening
it was perfect. The Larsons, Espy’s, Adam & Alison and four children; Sandy R.,
Lana and Julio, the Brickmans, and Teri and John from Tulsa came over. Who did I forget? We played a “guess the celebrity” game that got everyone talking to each other. The kids went up to the geodesic dome and the henhouse and ran through the woods on trails Andy has cut. They also played a game Becky brought -- it was nice to see these youngsters enjoying themselves in the outdoors.
Drew grilled chicken satay and vegetables on a skewer; Jenna
made a big salad with a variety of greens, beets, herbs and nuts. They also made a tarte and a chocolate torte for
dessert. We were entertained by Vernon on guitar.
We had a couple from OKC stay with us last night. They were golfing at Roman Nose State Park and were referred to us by the Lodge staff. It turned out that we have mutual friends!
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Ladies Tea
May 28, 2015
Several years ago, a couple of ladies from Omega dropped by to see what we were doing at the house they knew as "Dr. Barrett's house." They had come from Roman Nose Lodge after having lunch and saw the big rock with the roadrunner logo by the lane that leads to the house. Andy had completed most of the work inside by then and we gave them a tour. They were pleased that the house was staying in the family, and I think pleasantly surprised at the updates Andy had made while still staying true to the original character of the home.
Recently, we were called by one of those ladies and she wanted to know if we could host a Tea Party for her and a small group of her friends. I was delighted! Her daughter, who now lives in California, was going to be in town after Memorial Day weekend, and she wanted to include her so we set a date.
It was a lovely day -- not too hot, not rainy, and everything in the yard was in bloom. I cut flowers from the gardens and made several floral arrangements for the tables in the dining room. I put in some coreopsis, coral honeysuckle, indian blanket, purple salvia, and a few stalks of wild sage, for color and fragrance. I made a chicken salad with craisins, pineapple and sunflower seeds; cucumber sandwiches with cream cheese sprinkled with dill; tomato sandwiches with a parsley/spinach pesto spread, goat cheese drizzled with fresh strawberry sauce, some lemon cookies, and I put out some chocolate covered almonds. They had a selection of teas to choose from -- peach, red zinger, chamomile. They invited me to sit and chat with them. I listened to stories from each of them. Some knew Dr. Barrett and Marjorie, one lady had been a patient of Dr. Barrett, and the younger women spoke of their families lovingly. We talked about gardens and trading plants and what kind of plants grow in specific places. They were genuinely interested in the history of the property. I gave them a tour of the house and they enjoyed that. Each of them commented on which was their favorite bedroom.
We think of ourselves as stewards of this property and we love sharing the beauty and peace of it. We're always happy when someone wants to stop in and just visit!
/Linda
Several years ago, a couple of ladies from Omega dropped by to see what we were doing at the house they knew as "Dr. Barrett's house." They had come from Roman Nose Lodge after having lunch and saw the big rock with the roadrunner logo by the lane that leads to the house. Andy had completed most of the work inside by then and we gave them a tour. They were pleased that the house was staying in the family, and I think pleasantly surprised at the updates Andy had made while still staying true to the original character of the home.
Recently, we were called by one of those ladies and she wanted to know if we could host a Tea Party for her and a small group of her friends. I was delighted! Her daughter, who now lives in California, was going to be in town after Memorial Day weekend, and she wanted to include her so we set a date.
It was a lovely day -- not too hot, not rainy, and everything in the yard was in bloom. I cut flowers from the gardens and made several floral arrangements for the tables in the dining room. I put in some coreopsis, coral honeysuckle, indian blanket, purple salvia, and a few stalks of wild sage, for color and fragrance. I made a chicken salad with craisins, pineapple and sunflower seeds; cucumber sandwiches with cream cheese sprinkled with dill; tomato sandwiches with a parsley/spinach pesto spread, goat cheese drizzled with fresh strawberry sauce, some lemon cookies, and I put out some chocolate covered almonds. They had a selection of teas to choose from -- peach, red zinger, chamomile. They invited me to sit and chat with them. I listened to stories from each of them. Some knew Dr. Barrett and Marjorie, one lady had been a patient of Dr. Barrett, and the younger women spoke of their families lovingly. We talked about gardens and trading plants and what kind of plants grow in specific places. They were genuinely interested in the history of the property. I gave them a tour of the house and they enjoyed that. Each of them commented on which was their favorite bedroom.
We think of ourselves as stewards of this property and we love sharing the beauty and peace of it. We're always happy when someone wants to stop in and just visit!
/Linda
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
FTDW
We've had a busy month of May! The weather has been off and on with rain, storms, then a few hot dry days. We're having the most wet spring weather I think we've had since we moved here. Fortunately, our property is very sandy and the water soaks in pretty quickly. The rain has been wonderful for the gardens!
We have fish in the pond and lots of tadpoles.
Early this month we hosted a young singer/songwriter for an OKLAHOMA HOUSE CONCERT--Merry Ellen Kirk. The weather was iffy that Saturday so she set up her keyboard in the family room and played for us. It was wonderful. If you get a chance, check her out on the internet, facebook, youtube, etc. She and her brother were on a road trip, heading to California. We hope they will come back through here on their way home. There are a couple of great things we like about House Concerts -- the musicians are usually on a "circuit" or on their way to another venue, so we can show them hospitality and get to enjoy their music in our unique setting. The other thing I like is that we get to meet new people, usually make a new friend.
Drew led a paint party fundraiser for a Relay for Life team, and one for the Watonga High School After-Prom party. We haven't had a Liquid ART evening at the Winery in a while but have been focusing on fundraising for other groups this month. I really need to post some photos here!
For Mother's Day I pretty much relaxed. The rest of the week was busy with graduation activities.
We had a "soft opening" for The Oven at Chaparral Retreat and had a great time with friends who came out for dinner. We will be open generally on Friday evenings anytime we have reservations for at least 10 people. I'm working on a press release to get out to some tourism media.
Andy was mentioned as Chairperson of the Watonga Cheese & Wine Festival in a nice article in last month's issue of Oklahoma Today - tourism edition. He really worked hard last year to get some publicity for the event, and it worked! Neither of us are involved with the Cheese Festival this year, as we are focusing on our own efforts to develop the Retreat as a tourist destination in conjunction with Roman Nose State Park. Most people come to this area for the park, and since there is really very little to do in the town of Watonga, we are going to take advantage of the traffic coming out our way.
FUN TO DRINK WINE! This past weekend we hosted the third annual OGIC Oklahoma Wine Competition, organized by our friend Brad Stinson from Whirlwind Winery. Although the Watonga Chamber of Commerce and the Cheese Festival committee have nothing to do with the wine competition, it has been the tradition to feature the winners of the competition in the various categories at the Festival in October. I have the list of winners but will hold off publishing them just yet. They have been notified, I'm sure. We had seventy (70) entries this year and five judges. Tanya, Drew, Jenna, Andy, Brad, and I were all busy all day but everything went smoothly. We invited anyone who wanted to come out and taste the wines afterward but no one showed up. Andy lit a fire in the fireplace and we sat out on the patio. It was a lovely evening, nice temperature, no rain. Good times with good friends!
We're having a Tea Party for a group of women today at the house...... I'll write more later!
/linda
We have fish in the pond and lots of tadpoles.
Early this month we hosted a young singer/songwriter for an OKLAHOMA HOUSE CONCERT--Merry Ellen Kirk. The weather was iffy that Saturday so she set up her keyboard in the family room and played for us. It was wonderful. If you get a chance, check her out on the internet, facebook, youtube, etc. She and her brother were on a road trip, heading to California. We hope they will come back through here on their way home. There are a couple of great things we like about House Concerts -- the musicians are usually on a "circuit" or on their way to another venue, so we can show them hospitality and get to enjoy their music in our unique setting. The other thing I like is that we get to meet new people, usually make a new friend.
Drew led a paint party fundraiser for a Relay for Life team, and one for the Watonga High School After-Prom party. We haven't had a Liquid ART evening at the Winery in a while but have been focusing on fundraising for other groups this month. I really need to post some photos here!
For Mother's Day I pretty much relaxed. The rest of the week was busy with graduation activities.
We had a "soft opening" for The Oven at Chaparral Retreat and had a great time with friends who came out for dinner. We will be open generally on Friday evenings anytime we have reservations for at least 10 people. I'm working on a press release to get out to some tourism media.
Andy was mentioned as Chairperson of the Watonga Cheese & Wine Festival in a nice article in last month's issue of Oklahoma Today - tourism edition. He really worked hard last year to get some publicity for the event, and it worked! Neither of us are involved with the Cheese Festival this year, as we are focusing on our own efforts to develop the Retreat as a tourist destination in conjunction with Roman Nose State Park. Most people come to this area for the park, and since there is really very little to do in the town of Watonga, we are going to take advantage of the traffic coming out our way.
FUN TO DRINK WINE! This past weekend we hosted the third annual OGIC Oklahoma Wine Competition, organized by our friend Brad Stinson from Whirlwind Winery. Although the Watonga Chamber of Commerce and the Cheese Festival committee have nothing to do with the wine competition, it has been the tradition to feature the winners of the competition in the various categories at the Festival in October. I have the list of winners but will hold off publishing them just yet. They have been notified, I'm sure. We had seventy (70) entries this year and five judges. Tanya, Drew, Jenna, Andy, Brad, and I were all busy all day but everything went smoothly. We invited anyone who wanted to come out and taste the wines afterward but no one showed up. Andy lit a fire in the fireplace and we sat out on the patio. It was a lovely evening, nice temperature, no rain. Good times with good friends!
We're having a Tea Party for a group of women today at the house...... I'll write more later!
/linda
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Spring 2015
May 14, 2015
I just realized that it has been almost a year since I posted an update here. I've been focusing on Facebook and promoting the town of Watonga more than concentrating on our own place! We have been following the premise that what's good for Watonga is good for us as a business. In the meantime, we've also been working on developing our property for activities that we hope will bring people from Oklahoma City and suburbs to our little piece of paradise.
Andy has put in a pond! The Oklahoma room and the New Mexico room both have a nice view of it, with a thick green backdrop of trees. He has also built a wood-fired brick oven off of the back patio. We have been holding fundraisers for the art center we are working on in Watonga on Main Street, with paint and wine parties we call "Liquid ART". We are fortunate to partner with an excellent wine-maker, Brad, who grows his grapes in Fay, OK and makes his wine right on Main St. Watonga. Several of the paintings we and friends did last year at Liquid ART were entered into the Blaine County Free Fair last August and came home with winning ribbons in several categories.
Through our work with the Phoenix Circle Foundation and the support of many, many wonderful people here, we've been able to help the local Elementary School with their music program, helped with the VBS at the Methodist church, the 4-H kids, and the Live at the Liberty in Watonga. I was excited to see some of the children's art from these efforts were entered in last summer's County Fair!
Our friend John Diamond has been bringing music acts to the Liberty Theatre over the past year and the program has grown significantly. They are generally blue-grass, but the variety of musicians is ashtonishing - from a celtic group to a band named MilkDrive from Austin that plays covers with a touch of jazz as well as original music. As an alternative to the Liberty shows, we've started having "house concerts" at the Retreat. These are shows put on by musicians that are part of a circuit, some of whom will play for donations or just for the pleasure of getting to play somewhere unique. We aren't competing with Live at the Liberty, but rather complementing it by offering an alternative venue in a unique setting. We have several local musicians scheduled for the summer months -- watch our facebook page for updates.
[got to go for now, I'll be back tomorrow to write more -- There is so much to catch up on!] /Linda
I just realized that it has been almost a year since I posted an update here. I've been focusing on Facebook and promoting the town of Watonga more than concentrating on our own place! We have been following the premise that what's good for Watonga is good for us as a business. In the meantime, we've also been working on developing our property for activities that we hope will bring people from Oklahoma City and suburbs to our little piece of paradise.
Andy has put in a pond! The Oklahoma room and the New Mexico room both have a nice view of it, with a thick green backdrop of trees. He has also built a wood-fired brick oven off of the back patio. We have been holding fundraisers for the art center we are working on in Watonga on Main Street, with paint and wine parties we call "Liquid ART". We are fortunate to partner with an excellent wine-maker, Brad, who grows his grapes in Fay, OK and makes his wine right on Main St. Watonga. Several of the paintings we and friends did last year at Liquid ART were entered into the Blaine County Free Fair last August and came home with winning ribbons in several categories.
Through our work with the Phoenix Circle Foundation and the support of many, many wonderful people here, we've been able to help the local Elementary School with their music program, helped with the VBS at the Methodist church, the 4-H kids, and the Live at the Liberty in Watonga. I was excited to see some of the children's art from these efforts were entered in last summer's County Fair!
Our friend John Diamond has been bringing music acts to the Liberty Theatre over the past year and the program has grown significantly. They are generally blue-grass, but the variety of musicians is ashtonishing - from a celtic group to a band named MilkDrive from Austin that plays covers with a touch of jazz as well as original music. As an alternative to the Liberty shows, we've started having "house concerts" at the Retreat. These are shows put on by musicians that are part of a circuit, some of whom will play for donations or just for the pleasure of getting to play somewhere unique. We aren't competing with Live at the Liberty, but rather complementing it by offering an alternative venue in a unique setting. We have several local musicians scheduled for the summer months -- watch our facebook page for updates.
[got to go for now, I'll be back tomorrow to write more -- There is so much to catch up on!] /Linda
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Spring? Summer?
May 14, 2014
It has been a long winter, with not much outdoor work getting done on the oven and patio during that time But as soon as freezing temperatures subsided, Andy was hard at work on the project again. He now has a roof over the patio and oven, with the chimneys extended through the roof. We've invited a few people over as "guinea pigs" and I must say I've got the dough recipe perfected. We've done a variety of toppings and are still experimenting, but I have a "secret" olive oil mixture I brush over the top of the dough before the toppings and it really makes the pie unique! It is marguerite style and delicious.
We are ready to serve a larger group to see how smoothly the assembly line flows. If YOU want to be put on my list of potential guests, send me an EMAIL at phoenixcir@yahoo.com. and let me know if you're available on a weekday evening or a weekend (Fri. or Saturday). I'll reply by email rather than on facebook. The menu will consist of an appetizer, various Pizza as the main course, and a dessert. It is BYOB (we'll provide water!) We have a few seats open this Friday, May 16.
In the meantime, Andy and Jerry are also continuing work on the Arts building on Main Street. Their goal is to have it ready for occupancy in October. I can't wait to get some of the art out of my house and into the gallery!
It has been hot and dry at the Retreat, but flowers are blooming. I have a lot more leaves to rake up off of the gardens and I try to spend about an hour a day on that project. The birds are vociferous and let us know when the birdbaths are empty. I'll try to post photos soon!
Looking forward to serving Pizza!
It has been a long winter, with not much outdoor work getting done on the oven and patio during that time But as soon as freezing temperatures subsided, Andy was hard at work on the project again. He now has a roof over the patio and oven, with the chimneys extended through the roof. We've invited a few people over as "guinea pigs" and I must say I've got the dough recipe perfected. We've done a variety of toppings and are still experimenting, but I have a "secret" olive oil mixture I brush over the top of the dough before the toppings and it really makes the pie unique! It is marguerite style and delicious.
We are ready to serve a larger group to see how smoothly the assembly line flows. If YOU want to be put on my list of potential guests, send me an EMAIL at phoenixcir@yahoo.com. and let me know if you're available on a weekday evening or a weekend (Fri. or Saturday). I'll reply by email rather than on facebook. The menu will consist of an appetizer, various Pizza as the main course, and a dessert. It is BYOB (we'll provide water!) We have a few seats open this Friday, May 16.
In the meantime, Andy and Jerry are also continuing work on the Arts building on Main Street. Their goal is to have it ready for occupancy in October. I can't wait to get some of the art out of my house and into the gallery!
It has been hot and dry at the Retreat, but flowers are blooming. I have a lot more leaves to rake up off of the gardens and I try to spend about an hour a day on that project. The birds are vociferous and let us know when the birdbaths are empty. I'll try to post photos soon!
Looking forward to serving Pizza!
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