PIONEER PORTRAITS Judith Henderson’s Wine & Country Living

Ten Years Ago

August 1, 2002

The Waitsburg Downtown Revitalization Com- mittee has raised $25,000 to initiate planning a proposed downtown streetscape renovation in its first year of existence. The group recently got a boost from the Washington Office of Trade and Economic Development (OTED) in the amount of $15,000.The plan allows Waitsburg to go after the eight tenths from taxes that is earmarked for economic development. Susan Kempf, head of the Downtown Revitalization Program for OTED took a two-hour tour of the downtown businesses and determined that the community is approaching the revitalization not a moment too soon since some of the building were starting to show deterioration.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

August 6, 1987

According to local farmers, the crop of wheat this year is projected to be the best since 1981. The yields are about 8 to 10 percent bigger than in the past years. Some estimate this crop could be as much as 50 percent above anticipated yields. Prescott wheat farmers have yields as high as 80 bushels per acre, and the average is 65 bushels per acre. Eureka farmers are averaging 45 to 75 bushels per acre. Due to the anticipated large crop, wheat prices have dropped from $2.66 to $2.34 per bushel.

Fifty Years Ago

August 10, 1962

Pomona Ranch, a 192 acre apple orchard east of Waitsburg, has been sold to John Korsberg of Top- penish and Seattle, according to word from Loren F. Dumas, orchard owner. The orchard was planted in 1898 by J.L. Dumas.

Exciting archaeological discoveries dating the pyramids of Egypt by a couple of thousand years have been uncovered on the Palouse River in Franklin County by a group of Washington State University students led by Dr. Richard D. Daugh- try.

Dr. David Dilts has opened his dental offices this week in the Drumheller Building in Walla Walla.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

August 13, 1937

Graveling of the Weston-Elgin Highway over Tollgate will be practically completed this week- end, according to announcements from the contractors here.

Sixteen carloads of sheep were shipped from this valley to Chicago the last of the week by A.L. Hales.

Bloor & Son's Market is adding a grocery de- partment to its meat business.

A little daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Albert Land on Thursday, Aug. 5, weight 9 lbs. 12 oz. She has been named Deana Alberta.

One Hundred Years Ago

August 9, 1912

Earl Butler and Lou Hubbard left Sunday eve- ning accompanying Willis Hales to the C.A. Hales & Son sheep camp in Cabinet, Mont. The boys will spend ten days enjoying the excellent trout fishing which abounds in that locality.

The Pacific Power & Light Co. has just installed a 7 ½ hp electric motor in the big grain warehouse at the Preston Shaffer Milling Co. for the purpose of supplying power for the grain elevator. The mo- tor takes the place of a gasoline engine.

S.F. Patton returned Friday from DeSmet, Ida., the home of his sister, Miss Alice Patton, and where Mrs. Patton and children are spending the summer.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

August 5, 1887

Austin Wilkinson and Co. have erected a sub- stantial warehouse 30x100 at Bolles Junction.

H.H. Hungate has a peculiar harvest crew on his mammoth wheat field. Managed by W.J. Duncan, who with the crew, neither drink, chew, smoke, quarrel, gamble, nor use cuss words. But then Hun- gate has three unmarried daughters.

There is no change in the style of fishing tackle this year, except that the jug has more body and not quite so much neck.

J.P. Turner threshed 2568 bushels of barley from 25 acres on his ranch on Whiskey Creek. Beat that if you can?-over 102 bushel to the acre.

The Bunk House: Over 10 years living in Dayton, I have only heard stories about the wild animals of the Inland Northwest. Last year I did see a magnificent elk and of course, everyone has a wild turkey story to tell. But nothing compares to what I saw today. I just happened to looked up out the door and there she was, a mature female cougar slowly walking the ridge 30 feet from the bunk house. I whistled to her, she stopped and crouched, turned and looked at me.

Her ears were like a stuffed toy, chubby and rounded at the tips and her nose was enormous. She lifted her long round tubular tail, skipped a pace and slowed to a casual gate up the path to disappear.

Harvest Time: Each morning at 3 a.m., I head north up Kellogg Road and across the valley to Mead Ranch bunk house where for the time being, I make breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner for a harvest crew.

This morning the drive across the valley was eerily beautiful as a waning full moon danced and shimmered among a gleaned threshing floor.

I remember my mother telling us kids, "the moon lights the way for the animals," and this was the case this morning, wildly prancing on tippy toes.

Come and get it! With such an exciting morning, I ran a simple breakfast menu of eggs over easy, thick platter bacon, cut fresh Hermiston melon, buttermilk pancakes and blueberry syrup made from scratch. The trick in mak- ing old-fashioned blueberry pancake syrup is to take your time stirring in the reduction stage. After such an exciting morning, this time-honored recipe by yours truly was a pleasure to make and I have included it here for you today.

Readers, until next week, "Eat Art, Drink Imagina- tion!"

Blueberry Lemon Pancake Syrup

3 cups blueberries

1 cup sugar

¼ cup each: water, sweet vermouth

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon clove

1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest

In a sauce pot, simmer all until reduced by half. Mash slightly, cool 10 minutes and serve. Also good as a basting for chicken paired with a Lowden Hills Merlot red wine: opens in a delicate anise nose, with a million cherries swooshing the cheeks and the tongue gently swaddled in velvet ribbons.

Hear Judith Speak at: www.chefjudithhenderson.com