Page 2 - Inside the Bronze Antler Bed and Breakfast

Who is Inside the Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast

There are four of us in addition to Heather that keep the Bronze Antler Bed and Breakfast up and running strong.

Bill, Heather's husband, is the primary chef and logistician plus all around handyman. Bill is a Rotarian and is president-elect fof the Wallowa County Rotary Club #317 (District 5100) for 2009.

Joanna is our stalwart housekeeper--she who keeps everything lovely in the bed and breakfast.

Tiffany is Joanna's daughter and helps out with the housekeeping when she can. She's a sophomore at Joseph High School and hopes to go to Japan next year as part of the Rotary International Youth Exchange Program.

Madigan, our resident feline, has her own opinions about how the Bronze Antler should be run. She drops in her comments on life, guests, the weather, and what it's like to be a bed and breakfast cat.

You'll see comments from each of them listed with "___sends:"
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Bill sends:

My contribution to the bed and breakfast revolves around the kitchen. Heather & I assess the upcoming week's menu, taking into consideration guests with specific food allergies, religious restrictions or preferences. We serve breakfast from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. to give the early-birds a jump on the day. Those that want to snooze to the last minute can do that too. We usually alternate our menu from savory dishes to sweet dishes.

I am surprised at the number of people who typically start the day with little or no breakfast. But here at the Bronze Antler, I try to give them a full, balanced and tasty experience.
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Joanna sends:

My name is Joanna and I have lived in Wallowa County for 6 years. I have lived all the way from the base of Chief Joseph Mountain to the Imnaha Canyon where I live now. I enjoy an orchard with Pears, Apples, Cherries, Plums and Apricots. I also enjoy a healthy Vegetable Garden every year and my Berry and Flower beds grow bigger each year.

The Imnaha Canyon has many species of wildlife including Bears, Cougars, Coyotes, Turkeys, Deer, Elk and Big Horn Sheep for starters. The Imnaha River usually has 2 Steelhead seasons a year and this year, 2008, had a very good salmon season.

I am happily married to an avid hunter and fisherman. I have a 16-year old daughter who is preparing to go to Japan for her Junior year of school and a 13-year old son who plays defensive nose tackle on the Joseph Oregon Junior High School Football team.

I shot my first Buck Deer this year. A non-typical 3x4 with double eye guards. He was HUGE!! I will be back out hunting with my son at the end of November, trying to bring home a Cow Elk.

I have worked at the Bronze Antler Bed and Breakfast for 4 years. I have been through interesting upgrades to the rooms and the entire construction of the newest add-ons, the Mirror Lake Suiteand the new private den. Bill and Heather have proven to be fun and relaxed innkeepers and employers.
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Tiffany sends:

Hey everyone. My name is Tiffany and I've lived with my Mom in Wallowa County for two years. I am in the 10th grade in Joseph High School and am looking forward to going to Japan in August for Rotary Exchange.

I am currently going into Softball this spring and am making a 4.0 GPA. I've been going to school in Joseph Oregon for almost two years and have made many good friends. I am also currently taking AP classes, Algebra 2 and advanced Art.

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Madigan sends:

Every bed and breakfast ought to have a cat and I'm the cat-in-charge around here. So what that I'm the only cat. Everyone does my bidding, especially the two that live here full-time.

She prepares my breakfast, then I spend the morning on the back of the couch. Later, I'll move to my bed for a late-morning to mid-afternoon nap. It's so tiring supervising this place! In the evening, I'll be back on my couch on the cushion. Unless, there's a guest in the way, then I'll scowl and make smart remarks until they leave.

I enjoy surfing the Internet (I watch over her shoulder). I'm also thinking about a literary career but haven't pursued it yet. Something about opposable thumbs and keyboards that just doesn't work that well.

Literary Events in September in Wallowa County Oregon

Monday, August 31, 2009 by Inside the Bronze Antler

Madigan sends:

Literary events in September in Wallowa County Oregon? Geez, an' I thought I had the corner on the literary end of Wallowa County with my Observing Literacy program here at the bed and breakfast.

But she was surfing on my couch today an' reading her email, and read this from Rick Bombaci, the director at Fishtrap:

"While I was 40 miles north of town, dancing under the moon, those storm clouds were pummeling Enterprise with hail. But locals shouldn’t complain. In 1903, a hailstorm led to a flood which devastated the town of Heppner, Oregon, killing one out of five residents. Join us as former journalist Joann Byrd reads from her book, Calamity. Friday, September 25th, 7 pm at Fishtrap. Admission is free.

"And on [Wednesday] September 30, R. Gregory Nokes will read from his book Massacred for Gold, The Chinese in Hells Canyon, the first authoritative account of the long-forgotten 1887 massacre of more than 30 Chinese gold miners in Hells Canyon. Admission is free."

So there's still room at the Bronze Antler Bed and Breakfast if anyone wants to come out and attend these Fishtrap events. I might think 'bout goin' myself if they'd dare let a cat into a Fishtrap (whatever that is). An' the price is right--free!

Eagle Cap Extreme Sled Dog Race comes to Joseph Oregon in 2010

Thursday, August 13, 2009 by Inside the Bronze Antler

Madigan sends:

Well, against my better judgement, I have to announce that the Eagle Cap Extreme Sled Dog Race will take place next year January 14-16, 2010 (Thursday thru Saturday). The race president just announced the dates on the Eagle Cap Extreme website.

There's a bright side to this--a really cool video shot by Oregon Public Broadcasting's Oregon Field Guild team last January. You can watch it here.

I just cringe at the thought of all those dogs here in Joseph Oregon for the vet checks on Wednesday, Jan 13th. . .too much noise--all those barking, happy mutts!

So our Joseph bed and breakfast guests in January 2010 could have the chance to see the start of the race, or the end, or attend the Mushers Ball. Or they could get really crazy and become a volunteer. Guess they need a lot of folks to put this thing on.

I don't think she's taken any reservations for January yet. If you just have to see the action, the Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast in Joseph Oregon might just be the ticket. Give her a call at 866-520-9769. She'll be happy to make your reservation.

Nora The Piano Cat

Friday, July 31, 2009 by Inside the Bronze Antler

Madigan sends:

I have to take a break from my observing literacy program at our bed and breakfast to comment about Nora The Piano Cat. I'm truly impressed by this cat's command of the keyboard. And the composer is so clever to capture her enthusiasm for her instrument.

Gee, if they got a piano for me, we might be able to turn this place into a Wallowa Lake hotel with me in the lobby on the keyboard. . .I could serenade the guests in the afternoon when they first arrive on their Eastern Oregon vacation, or mebbe after coming in from a Wallowa Mountains hike. The possibilities are endless. Nora The Piano Cat is such an inspiration--and a fine keyboardist to boot!

Observing Literacy at our Wallowa Lake lodging in July

Wednesday, July 22, 2009 by Inside the Bronze Antler

Wallowa Lake image courtesy of the Wallowa Land Trust at wallowalandtrust.org

Madigan sends:

So here's a new twist. In the evening the guests took their books out on the porch of our bed and breakfast to read.

Then the next morning they drove to the north end of Wallowa Lake and sat on the picnic benches at the Wallowa County Park so they could read and look at the Wallowa Mountains with the lake in front of them, sorta like this picture.

Then in the afternoon when it got hotter they went to the Wallowa Lake State Park at the south end of the lake where it's a little cooler so they could read their books some more. Have to watch out for the deer at the north end of the lake. If they think you're got food, well, they just get really interested

It was hard keeping up with them, but here's some of what they read:

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Secret Prey by John Sanford

They said they had a good time with all the reading they did. I hope they bring some fresh books when they come back again!

Observing Literacy in July at our Wallowa Lake Lodging

Saturday, July 11, 2009 by Inside the Bronze Antler

Madigan sends:

My observing literacy program has been slowing down a little lately at our Wallowa Lake lodging. I'm not surprised. It's summer and most of the guests at our Joseph bed and breakfast are more interested in getting outside and hiking rather than staying on the porch and reading a book. Last week we even had guests that hiked all the way to Ice Lake and back in just one day!

So here's an abbreviated reading list:

Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating by Mark Bittman

The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid

Loving Frank by Nancy Horan (I saw this one on the porch in June too)

I think food matters. Every morning I start with a little wedge of Iams pate-style chicken or fish (don't care for beef or lamb). I follow that up with just a splash of concentrated Meyerberg goat milk (can you say "goat milk"? Yum!). Then it's off to the bathrooom for a drink of water, a brushing and a treat of hairball remedy.

Time for a snooze, then I'm ready to observe more literacy.

Life doesn't get much better than this!

Observing Literacy at our Joseph bed and breakfast

Saturday, June 27, 2009 by Inside the Bronze Antler

Madigan sends:

Well, here's another installment in my observing literacy program. It's been pretty busy this week at our Joseph bed and breakfast now that the rains are over. I'm thinkin' it's really summer for a change--nice and sunny, dry, and not too hot. The guests are liking it too. Plenty of hiking and some of them are riding the Wallowa Lake Tramway to take in the view from the top of Mount Howard.

So here's what they're reading:

The Google Way: How One Company is Revolutionizing Management As We Know It by Bernard Gerard (I actually saw this one before and forgot to comment on it. Oldie but goodie, I hear).

The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides

The Informant by Kurt Eichenwald

Oprah Magazine (and this one had a cover with a lot of dogs--shoulda been cats!)

Coastal Living Magazine

The weather's so nice that some guests are taking picnics to the Hat Point Lookout Tower. It's about two hours away from our Hells Canyon lodging but definitely worth the trip. Lotsa pretty wildflowers and a long-way-down view into Hells Canyon.

Iff'n you come stay with us at the Bronze Antler Bed and Breakfast I'll betcha she'll loan you a picnic backpack you can fill up for a trip to Hat Point.

Are we there yet? How long does it take to get to Joseph Oregon?

Wednesday, June 17, 2009 by Inside the Bronze Antler

Madigan sends:

She answers all sorts of questions for people on the phone. A common one is "How long does it take to get to Joseph Oregon?" These are her typical answers:

Coming from the east (Idaho):
4 hours from Boise, ID via Interstate 84 to OR Highway 82
5 hours from Boise, ID via Cambridge, Brownlee Dam, then around Forest Road 39 (don't try this one between November and April as the Forest Road 39 will most likely be closed!)

Coming from the north or northwest (Washington):
4 hours from Spokane via Clarkston and Asotin
2 hours from Clarkston/Lewiston area
2 hours from Walla Walla via Milton-Freewater, Weston, Elgin, Wallowa
3 hours from the Tri-Cities (Richland, Kennewick, Pasco) via I-82 to I-84 to OR-82
7 hours from Seattle (via the Tri-Cities)

Coming from the west (Oregon):
6 hours from Portland
5 hours from Hood River
2 hours from Pendleton (via I-84 to OR-82 or equally via OR-11 to OR-204 to OR-82)
1:20 hours from LaGrande (exit 261 on I-84)

Coming from the south or southwest (Oregon):
7 hours from Bend
4 1/2 hours from John Day
13 hours from Crater Lake!

I don't know if I could handle running a Joseph bed and breakfast. So many questions, but she always answers them nicely. And the guests have a better idea of how long it'll take before they can start their Joseph Oregon vacation!

Observing Literacy at the Bronze Antler Bed and Breakfast in June

Sunday, June 14, 2009 by Inside the Bronze Antler

Madigan sends:

June is turning out to be a banner month for my observing literacy program. Just this weekend I observed five different titles. I'm thinking that the Diane Mott Davidson series might be the thing that the he-innkeeper would like to read--some sort of "who done it" mysteries combined with recipes and cooking.

Fatally Flaky by Diane Mott Davidson

The January Dancer by Michael Flynn

Medusa: A Kurt Austin Adventure by Clive Cussler with Paul Kemprecos

The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

Not bad for a weekend's work. With more and more guests coming out for their Eastern Oregon vacation I'm sure that my powers of literacy observation will come in handy. And if he starts reading Diane Mott Davidson, maybe he'll be more prompt getting my breakfast ready in the morning!

Observing Literacy in May at our Wallowa Lake lodging

Sunday, May 31, 2009 by Inside the Bronze Antler

Madigan sends:

The guests are reading about Wallowa Lake again. Couple of guests had books that talk about Wallowa Lake--not the Wallowa Lake Hotel (there isn't one, but there's the Wallowa Lake Lodge). I especially like it when they read on the front porch. It's so cool out there in the afternoons with the light breezes and I can really snoop

The Shack by William Paul Young. Story starts at a cabin near Wallowa Lake.

The Nez Perce Indians and the Opening of the Northwest. Classic by Alvin M. Josephy, Jr. and a must-read for anyone interested in the Nez Perce Indians.

Action Plan for Osteoporosis by Kerri Winters-Stone, Ph.D.

Web of Lies by Bradilyn Collins.

A Life of My Own: Meditations on Hope and Acceptance by Karen Casey.

Digital Photography: The Missing Manual by Chris Grover & Barbara Brundage.

5th Anniversary of the Water Feature

Monday, May 25, 2009 by Inside the Bronze Antler

Bill sends:

It was five years ago this summer that I conceived the idea for my water feature. I began my quest with having a hole drilled through a piece of basalt. The excitement lasted one week because the next week I fell down some stairs, broke my arm and had surgery to fix it. 'Brought the whole thing to a screeching halt for that summer.

I went on another quest to research the size, type and location of a water feature I wanted to add to our Joseph Oregon bed and breakfast garden. Took me four years to figure this one out. As the garden matured, the possible fountain location kept moving!

Memorial Day Weekend 2009 I took the plunge into the project and started on my fountain. It's a disappearing fountain that trickles into a gravel-filled pool. The water bubbles up through the drilled basalt, runs down the face of the rock onto another concave-faced rock, drops off into a recycled copper birdbath basin, and finally disappears into the gravel.

When it all works, it will provide a gentle sound of splashing water for our guests in the new Mirror Lake Suite and upstairs in the Chief Joseph Mountain Room that overlooks the garden.

Tomorrow it's electricity and water. Stay tuned for developments.

Forest Road 39 is open for the 2009 season!

Saturday, May 23, 2009 by Inside the Bronze Antler

Madigan sends:

I heard her talking to newly arriving guests from Boise Idaho today. Apparently they came to Joseph on the Wallowa Mountain Loop Road (aka Forest Road 39 aka center section of the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway).

So, the road is open for the season! Now the guests can drive the full length of the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway from Baker City to LaGrande with our little Hells Canyon lodging about halfway through the trip.

I can hardly wait for the guests on motorcycles to start arriving. . .mebbe I can talk one of 'em into giving me a ride. . .I hear the twisty-turny parts of Forest Road 39 are lots of fun!

Observing Literacy Extravaganza at the Bronze Antler Bed and Breakfast

Friday, May 8, 2009 by Inside the Bronze Antler

Madigan sends:

Wow! What a literary extravaganza at our Joseph bed and breakfast this week! I'm gettin' the opportunity to observe all sorts of books here. These guests are making the most of their Joseph Oregon lodging with plenty to read when they're not having breakfast or drinking coffee or going out on the town.

Sword Song: The Battle for London by Bernard Cornwell

Top Secret Tourism: Your Travel Guide to Germ Warfare Laboratories, Clandestine Aircraft Bases, and Other Places in the United States You're Not Supposed to Know About by Harry Helms (This one looked interesting. There wasn't anything listed for Oregon, but there were entries for Washington and Idaho.)

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan (not a problem for me--I don't like most foods except chicken and fish, an' of course milk!)

Lost Boy No More: A True Story of Survival and Salvation by Agraham Nhial and DiAnn Mills

Concerning the City of God against the Pagans by St. Augustine (translated by Henry Bettenson)

Now that the guests are done with breakfast and gone for the day I'll have plenty of chance to look at these since they left them on the coffee table in the living room.

Observing Literacy at the Bronze Antler Bed and Breakfast

Friday, May 1, 2009 by Inside the Bronze Antler

Madigan sends:

Interesting guests at our Wallowa Lake lodging this week. The he-guest came into the living room an' started talkin' about his books. He said he's a book addict. It was just my chance to get into the game. . .

It started with him talkin' about Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard. He says it's a 1970s classic. I wouldn't know. I wasn't around then.

But it starts off with the words, "I used to have a cat, an old fighting tom, who would jump through the open window by my bed in the middle of the night and land on my chest. . ." THAT got me interested. Hope he talks more about it!

Then he wandered through the exchange bookshelf and lit upon the Bill Bryson book, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid. We heard about this one before. The guests from South Africa left it here last summer. Then He-who-feeds-me-breakfast picked it up and read it last January when we were slow around here at the bed and breakfast.

That exchange bookshelf is a pretty nifty thing. Just what the guests need from a bed and breakfast when they're on their Joseph Oregon vacation. The guests take books away and leave books they're done with. And they don't have to worry about finishing what they started 'cuz they can take it away. I'll betcha that shelf turns over completely by the time summer is over.

Sometimes they find something unexpected. There was a she-guest last week who discovered a Leon Uris book she'd never read and she was a Leon Uris fan. That book flew out the door. . .mebbe she'll bring it back when they come for another visit.

Observing Literacy at our Hells Canyon Lodging

Saturday, April 25, 2009 by Inside the Bronze Antler

Madigan sends:

It's been an interesting week at our Hells Canyon lodging. I'm saying Hells Canyon lodging because so many of the guests coming here have an interest in Hells Canyon. It's too bad that Forest Road 39 isn't open yet so they could get there from here easily!

And here are the books I observed this week:

Last Chld in the Woods by Richard Louv

Ecological Literacy (the she-guest said it was a compilation of articles)

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

I'm hoping that one of the innkeepers will pick up a copy of the Louv book. I'm all about nature and this book's about getting children to enjoy being outside in it. The book looked pretty interesting and I'd like for her to read it on my couch so I can get a better look at the inside. There's only so much a bed and breakfast cat can do by herself.

Maybe when Forest Road 39 opens for the season to Hells Canyon we'll see more guests coming through to enjoy the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway and bring me more stories about it!

A Twitter Enabled Cat Flap?

Saturday, April 18, 2009 by Inside the Bronze Antler

Madigan sends:

With all this talk about Facebook and Twitter and social networking, she was on my couch again this morning surfing the Internet and found this article on a Twitter-enabled cat flap (that's a cat door for American folks).

Ioan Ghip, the Romanian inventor, lives in Salem, Oregon (not too far away) and it lets his cats get in and out of their garage so that other animals don't get in and eat their food. But it also sends images to Twitter. The door tweets every time one of the cats goes in or out. He put up a summary of how it works here.

If you want the full article, Spiegel Online has it in English in their International page.

Now, I don't have a need for this sort of thing at the Bronze Antler Bed and Breakfast. At least not yet. Whatever critters run around here at Wallowa Lake or Joseph Oregon don't seem to get near my cat flap. It's mainly deer that come into my yard.

But these innkeepers here would probably put one of these Twitter cat flaps in for me if I needed it. That's the kind of people they are. Bravo Ioan for helping out Gus and Penny!

Observing Literacy in April at the Bronze Antler Bed and Breakfast

Friday, April 17, 2009 by Inside the Bronze Antler

Madigan sends:

Well, here's a new one for my Observing Literacy project. The bed and breakfast she-guest was reading a book written in Spanish.

Lituma en los Andes by Mario Vargas Llosa. The she-guest said it's an older book but she likes to read in Spanish to keep up her language skills.

Surfing around, I found a book review from The Atlantic Monthly. Looks like a tough read in English or in Spanish. Lots of violence. Cats appreciate that sort of thing.

Too bad she left before finishing the book. I would've like to have heard more about it.

But it's just starting to become our busy season so there'll be more guests coming out for an Eastern Oregon vacation. I'll have more chances to observe literacy soon!

Surprise You Have Guests

Monday, April 13, 2009 by Inside the Bronze Antler

Bill sends:

Surprise, surprise! A guest is only a phone call away. Heather & I had just said our good-byes to our departing guests on Sunday morning. We thought we'd settle into a Sunday afternoon routine with no guests at the Bronze Antler Bed and Breakfast, when suddenly the phone rang.

And bingo, we have guests for tonight. They called from Halfway, Oregon. They'd spent the night at the Clear Creek Inn, a Hells Canyon lodging facility and Oregon Bed & Breakfast Guild member. Vickie, the innkeeper at Clear Creek, had recommended the Bronze Antler Bed and Breakfast since the guests were going to Joseph Oregon.

Halfway is only 30 to 40 minutes as the crow flies, but it's 3 hours by road this time of year because Forest Road 39 is still snowed in (see another blog post about this here).

Our guests are from the Tri-Cities, Washington, and out on a weekend jaunt to explore Northeastern Oregon. It's only a 3-hour drive from the Tri-Cities to here, so it's easy access even in winter.

If I'd wanted predictability I would've taken a 9 to 5 job. But I really enjoy our drop in guests. They're often such serendipitous folks and spontaneous. Just the reason we opened our Joseph bed and breakfast.

Innkeepers on the Road: Atlanta, Georgia

Sunday, March 29, 2009 by Inside the Bronze Antler

Bill sends:

Joseph bed and breakfast innkeepers in Atlanta Georgia

It's Sunday, March 29th, so it must be Atlanta and the Hyatt Regency. We are on the 11th floor of a 23-floor building which has a whole lot more rooms than our little four room bed and breakfast near Wallowa Lake. I wonder how many housekeepers they have?

And there might be more people in this hotel than there are in Wallowa County! The skyscrapers in Atlanta are a fine view, but I'm already missing the Wallowa Mountains.

An early dinner this evening at Max Lager's Wood-Fired Grill & Brewery. It's a good place to eat dinner although the beer at Terminal Gravity Brewery near our Eastern Oregon lodging is better in my opinion.

We're registered for the PAII conference. Heather & I also volunteered to be introducers for some of the speakers during this week's workshops. It looks like a full schedule for the next four days. Lots of good topics to immerse onesself in.

Tonight we're settling into our room, pressing our clothes and getting ready for a nonstop week. More later. . .

A video glimpse of Wallowa Lake

Saturday, March 28, 2009 by Inside the Bronze Antler

Madigan sends:

So. you're debating whether or not you want to take an Eastern Oregon vacation this year? I came across this video produced by Feister Dills Images about Wallowa Lake. They used to be our neighbors and I miss them.

The video is about a family vacation at Wallowa Lake and all the things to see and do there. Since it's only 6 miles away from Joseph Oregon, I thought it'd be worth sharing. . .

Wallowa Lake Sights & Sounds from Feister Dills Images on Vimeo.

Lots of guests who stay with us at the Bronze Antler Bed and Breakfast like to do some of the things in the video. They take the Wallowa Lake Tramway up to the top of Mt. Howard. They go for a trail ride on the horses at the Eagle Cap Pack Station. Some of 'em even go parasailing (but not too many--I certainly wouldn't--it'd mess up my fur).

Enjoy the video and click on the links at the right of the blog so you can come stay with the best bed and breakfast cat in Eastern Oregon--me!

Joseph Oregon Bed and Breakfast Sponsors Mountain High Broncs and Bulls

Tuesday, March 24, 2009 by Inside the Bronze Antler

Bill sends:

Jace Berg at the 2008 Mountain High Broncs and Bulls Photo by Pro Rodeo Pix

Our little Joseph Oregon Bed and Breakfast has stepped up to the chute and become a sponsor for a bronc and bronc rider at the 5th Annual Mountain High Broncs and Bulls event.

I must confess I've never been on any horse wilder than the calmest trailriding horse. But having watched the Mountain High Broncs and Bulls bronc riders in past years, it must be a kick in the pants (or rather painful when you bite the dust).

We think it's important to be involved and supportive of local activities in Wallowa County. It certainly is good for our bed and breakfast but it's also being a good citizen and a good neighbor.

The 5th Annual Mountain High Broncs and Bulls explodes on Friday night, June 19, 2009, and continues into Saturday night, June 20, 2009.

Location: Enterprise Rodeo and Fairgrounds (6 miles away from our Eastern Oregon lodging).

Price: $12 for adults. Quite the deal for an event where you can get right down next to the fence in the dirt.

If you want to get up close and personal with a bull, think about trying out for the Ring of Fire event--last one in the ring with the bull gets the purse (you won't find me there--I'll hold your hat).