The Giveaways

The sign that Stephanie made to welcome the Sisters














Our nametags















Home made apricot jam














Flies tied by Coyote Smith

A Good Time Was Had By All

The sisters came rolling in for an adventure in the high Wallowas...

The youngins',

the tweens,

and such...:), all ready for a fun time.

Julie and Michelle My Bell, ladies in red;

Sherri with her StellarFly;

Ginger's tin can Ginger Plum, that very likely will be purple the next time you see it,

Marianne and her Mansion

Stephanie's cute little trailer with no name yet

and Sandra's Cowgirl Cottage (guest quarters pictured above).

Marva took advantage of the lodge hospitality.

Junking brought some fun finds like Ginger's vintage wicker potty chair, and this cute little dresser Sandra scored for $20. Marianne is sporting her red boots and jacket she found out junking, as well. (see photo above with her trailer)

We took in a parade,

and lots of good food and drink (Ginger, Marianne and Julie earned their dutch oven cooking badges!)

And watched "The Long, Long Trailer" under the stars, starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez. It was a riot!

There was some not so wild life, fly fishing, trail riding, and a tram adventure up the mountain.

We thought we'd like to have an Oregon outdoor adventure every year, "Northwest Crossing", in the northern part of the state one year, and the southern part the next. That means keep an eye out for a southern Oregon adventure in the planning!

We hope to see you there!

Almost there

Thursday evening dinner at Stephanie (& Morgan) and Sandra at Sandra's campsite #C14 7:00 pm
Friday 12:45 pm check in for trail ride, $50 per person; dinner at Sherri and Julie's campsite(s) C21 & C22, gourmet tin foil dinners, bring an ingredient or two to share
Saturday - we lost our fly fishing instructor to hunting, but he is giving each sister a fly he tied: dinner at Marianne & Ginger's C23 & C27 (closer than they appear), dutch oven or cast iron cooking dish to share
Sunday dinner at Sandra's campsite, crock pot soup in a bread bowl, I will provide the bread bowls and home made chicken noodle soup. Each sister or pair of sisters can contribute an additional crock pot soup, or something else to go with.

Camp fire each evening in the dinner hosts camp(s).

Marva, our lodge dweller will be arriving on Friday and is welcome to help out all over the place.

I've been busy working on the 'giveaways' and getting excited. Just a few more days! I'll be bringing the paper products for the evening dinners, and a bag of charcoal briquets for dutch oven cooking if you all don't want to get a whole bag. Also s'mores fixins and some jiffy pop popcorn for snacking around the evening campfire.

Well OK then!

This Sisterhood Award goes out to the Bend area sisters for their determination to rendezvous and have a great time.

It looks like we're back on, albeit we may be quite a small group, but no one cares, so hitch up those trailers, bring those doggies, and let's have us a good old sister time!

Till The Next 'Fly'

It is with much regret that the rendezvous in the wallowas is being canceled. Several ladies have had to cancel for various reasons, some sisters that signed up have yet to reply to confirmation emails or send in any funds. Unfortunately the rendezvous would not be the sister event the rest of you are looking forward to and deserve. Please accept my sincere regrets as I was so looking forward to having a great time before winter sets in.

I will be sending refund checks in the mail this week, and I encourage you go take your trailers out anyway and have a great time!

Also, keep checking the sisters on the fly message board for upcoming events and I encourage you all to sign up for the northwest rendezvous next summer!

Catch you on the next 'fly'!

Sister #1024

Size matters!

Hi Ladies. I need to know your sister number (if you have one, I know some of you are waiting to hear back on that) and the length of your trailers...thanks!

Counting Down...

Ok, I'm getting things finalized, and here's the schedule and camp site assignments:

Thursday check in is at 4:00 but they said check out is 1:00 so if the campsite is ready you can check in after one (and since they don't vaccuum, clean the restroom and change bedding I don't know why it wouldn't be ready). Dinner provided by the event hostess (me).

Friday the 11th, 2 hour trail ride starting at 1:00. Check in at 12:45. Cost is $50.

Dinner Friday at event hostess camp site, bring an item or two to contribute to making a unique and delicious tin foil dinner. (veggies, meats, fruit, sauces, etc.)

Saturday morning (time to be announced) fly fishing lesson complete with souvenier fly tied by the instructor, Coyote Smith. If you don't have fishing equipment, you can still participate in the lesson and give it a try.

Dinner Saturday is the dutch oven/cast iron skillet potluck.

Unfortunately they said they are not offering parasailing this year. :( There are other water activities you can rent such as paddle boats, canoes, etc. if you wish.

Sunday is open for tram riding, water activities, bike riding, shopping, exploring. Dinner and farewell campfire at event hostess campsite. Still deciding what we'll do for that dinner, so if you have an idea, please share it!

Camp sites are assigned as follows (and contrary to how some of the numbers look, they are all quite close together)

Sandra C-15

Stephanie C-14

Julie C-21

Sherri C-22

Ginger C-23

Marianne C-27

Kathy C-24

Gina C-26

Cassandra C-38 (which is actually right by 14 & 15)

Marva the Lodge

I need everyone's full payment by the end of August so I can complete payment on the reservation. When you check in you just have to give them your name and license plate number and your check in will be expedited.

A schedule and event information will be posted at the event hostess campsite, as well.

As I think of things, I'll post them, and as you think of things, just email me.

Thanks!

Update on the Great Escape

We're getting closer to the event. I'm getting pretty excited and look forward to rendezvousing with you all!

I need you all to rsvp to my email for certain which events you want to participate in and I will make the reservations this week. The events we need to reserve are the trail ride and parasailing. Most of us are novices at fly/fishing but if you would like a lesson let me know and I'll round one up for us!

I need to contact the park to find out how they want me to check everyone in, i.e. assign a name to a campsite or what...so I'll have that info out to you soon.

Dinners will be together as a group every evening, breakfast and lunch will be on your own.

Thursday evening dinner is on me. Any food allergies I need to know about?

Friday is the campfire cuisine meal, where we will all contribute a food item or two to build our own gormet tin foil dinners.

Saturday is cast iron cooking potluck. You can cook a dutch oven or cast iron fry pan dish, or if you would prefer, bring a crock pot and we'll let you get away with that this time! You can google some great cast iron and dutch oven recipes that look simple enough.

Sunday I'm open for dinner ideas so let me know what you might like to do for that meal.

It's nice to end each evening sitting around a campfire. Bring your own bottle and feel free to share if so inclined. If you don't drink, no biggie, a non alcoholic drink is just as nice around the fire.

If you have a creative side bring any projects you might like to work on. There will also be plenty of local events and culture to explore. If you have never been to the Wallowas it is absolutely beautiful and should be pleasantly mild with the leaves just starting to turn. Pack clothing for warm as well as cooler weather.

Bring whatever creature comforts you would like to decorate your camp and make yourself as comfortable and pampered as possible! If you forget something, there are several local stores to pick up those items.

Bring cowboy boots, aprons, cowgirl hats, camp attire, whatever. It's a time to be as creative and fun as you would like.

Please send in the balance of your $100 by the end of August. I apologize for the confusion on fees earlier, campsites are $84 for the four nights, plus a $6 reservation fee, and the remaining $10 will go toward some little treat and surprises for everyone, as well as general supplies that we'll all use.

I welcome your ideas and input. This is OUR event and I want you to have a great time! Fair warning, we attract a bit of attention so be prepared for the curious visitors!

Old Sisters, New Tricks

Hi all! Sorry for the absence of anything new on the blog, I've been having blog difficulties, which apparently now are fixed.

There are 10 confirmed women attending. If that is too small of a group for you all, let me know asap. I think it's a good size for getting to know one another, and we can have tons of good times together!

I loved Champoeg, but it was a bit overwhelming with so many sisters, trying to meet and get to know them all.

I've heard from a couple of you about the trail ride, and one is interested in parasailing. How many takers for fishing? Please rsvp about your interest or lack thereof, in these three activities. Our campsites are confirmed in loop C if you look at the park map.

And if your trailer looks like the one above, no worries! We all have to start somewhere! And if you have a sister tent, it's all good too! The main point is to get together to relax and have fun!

Round 'Em Up!

Tentative Schedule for the rendezvous:

Thursday evening: Dinner provided for the weary travelers and drinks around the campfire

Friday: AM - free time to explore

Friday PM - horse back trail ride, dinner "campfire cuisine"; each sister will contribue a favorite item to combine with other favorite items for a delicious, one of a kind dinner: suggested items: chicken, beef, pork (stew chunk size) potatoes, carrots, onions, corn, green peppers, pineapple, bbq sauce, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, gravy, etc. If you've ever been to a mongolian bbq it's like that only cowgirl style and cooked in foil on campfire ashes.

Saturday AM - fishing

Saturday PM- free time to explore; Dinner will be cast iron cooking potluck; each sister will cook their favorite dish in a cast iron skillet or dutch oven, and we'll all enjoy each others vittles.

Cowgirl Campfire to end the evening

Free time ideas: Tram ride, junking, bike riding, quilt show, art walk, kayaking, Nez Perce art show, etc..

Badges you can earn on this trip: Native American Adventures Badge; Kayaking Badge; Outdoor Cooking Badge; for new sisters the Trailer Badge, Cigar Affectionato Badge, Potty Outside Badge; Fly Fishing Badge; among others of your choosing!

Events and Attractions

Wallowa Lake Tram cost $24, Hells Canyon Mule Days events, Artwalk in Joseph, OR to view the bronze statues that line the streets, Nez Perce Art show events; Parasailing; hourly ($35) or half day ($75) guided trail rides, (horseback of course!); Canoe, kayak, or row boats $15 an hour, Paddle Boats $15 an hour, fishing...so many things to choose from. Joseph is a small town just before the lake that has art studios, great eatery's, junk shops, saloons, etc. This trip promises to be a blast!

The only events I really need to make reservations for are the trail rides and parasailing, so if you are interested in either of these events, please let me know asap and I'll make the arrangements.

Cowgirl Up!

Wallowa Lake is a beautiful lake in the high Wallowa Mountains, and the area is often referred to as the Alps of Oregon. There is a 4,000 ft Tram ride up the mountain, great fishing in the lake, nearby rivers, lots of junking spots, buffalo ranch, and more. It's a great place for a cowgirl round up!

Campsites have full hook up, and cost for the event is $100. For more information on the area google Wallowa Lake State Park, Wallowa Lake Tram and Wallowa Lake Marina. In addition to campsites, there are yurts, cabins, and a rustic lodge, for an additional cost.

Reserve your spot by sending a $50 deposit to Sandra Leavitt, P.O. Box 2863, La Grande, OR 97850. Questions and special requests can be sent to sandraleavitt@yahoo.com

Keep checking back for more info and updates!

Yeehaw!