Schnoor family reunion

The Tracy and Bob Schnoor kids, minus Al, had a get together today.




There was a pretty good turn out. Dale and Judy, Ralph and Viola, Marg and Joe, Joyce and Gary, Katy, Bill, Brooke and Blake, Mike and Jill, Mona and Mike, Ginny and Bill, and Lady.

Everyone had the opportunity to visit and eat – the Schnoor family chili and Joe’s bacon wrapped smokies were the main course. And, yes, there were desserts headlined by Tracy’s birthday popcorn cake brought by Marg.

We had good weather and good competition in the fair sport of ladder golf. First time players were first time winners.

At the end, It was agreed that Dale was going to work on getting tickets for all the brothers and sisters the next time Oregon hosts Tennessee. And when he accomplishes that task, Ralph and Viola will drive to Oregon in time to see the game.

It doesn't take much to entertain older folks - Fall camping

So, Monday, Joyce and I decided to go camping. It brought back memories of other happy days. The weather was beautiful. We had a campfire all day long.



We enjoyed a game of scrabble (who won does not matter). It was a good day to just sit, read and relax.



Then, when day was done, we returned home.
It wasn’t a long trip home, though.



It is good to know that when we want to get back to nature, we only have to camp out in our own back yard.

Back to Nature never tasted so good.

In a person’s life, it is fun, sometimes, to return to the earth. Living here at Peaceful Pines affords us the opportunity to do just that. This is the year I decided it was high time I learned to tap our maple trees and make our own maple syrup. After all, $40 a gallon is a bit pricey for those with limited resources.

So, first I had to find a tree. That was relatively easy. Finding trees that were actually maple was a little more of a challenge. The tree in the foreground is the maple.

The other is a poplar. And let me tell you, a poplar is not a good sap tree.

So, the sap drips and drips and drips.


I was anxious to start the process, so decided to boil down my two-day collection of drips. Believe it or not, when I tasted this raw sap, it tasted like rainwater. I thought it was going to be a little sweet, but not so. Here is the batch in the collecting pot.

Of course, one needs a fire. We have enough downed wood here to take care of all our needs.


I had read that a ready supply should be on hand. I didn’t believe it then, but I do now.

I suppose a person could multitask. But, I thought it would be much better to keep a constant vigil.

I did not know how long it would take to boil down. What you see there took 8 hours.

But a person has to do what a person has to do.

With all that sap,



one would think the there would be a bit more of prize at the end of the boil.