Minnesota Arboretum

If you ever get a chance to visit Minnesota or if you happen to live here, you really should take the opportunity visit the Minnesota Arboretum. Joyce and I had a great day wandering the grounds looking at many of the flowers and trees that abound.

One of the attractions in front of the visitor’s center this year is the “Uffda House.” We were actually fortunate to be able to have seen it as it was supposed to have been taken down at the beginning of this last spring.

It is made of willow that is wound around and around and around.

It even has separate rooms.
It is scheduled for the compost pile at the end of this growing year. It will be interesting to see what will take its place.

There were soooooo many flowers. And there are so many different gardens through which one can walk.


But, it really boils down to us knowing we can visit this beautiful place and realize that we already have our own “Joyce designed” arboretum of our own.
















And, yes, the flowers here are from the "Joyce" collection here at Peaceful Pines.

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.

Winter has arrived- kerplunk !

So, what does Minnesota look like in the winter?

Well, that depends on the part of winter about which we are talking.

Are we talking about a week or two before a snow storm?

Or, are we talking about the day after the snow storm?

I must say though, Joyce is kind of enjoying removing the snow more this year than she did last year. It seems her back and neck and shoulders and legs and the rest of her body do not ache as badly as in the past.


I am the one who is a bit sore. But, that is because I am a clutz. I never could stand up on ice in the winter. Joyce always says I fell for her on the skating rink in Babbitt. Well, I am still falling for her, I guess :-)

I did have the opportunity to see some nicely covered trees.



and before plowing, the road up would have been a challenge had I "wanted" to try driving.

Okay, so the discussion begins something like, “ if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around……..”

Well, I don’t have the answer to that discussion.

But, I can suggest that regardless of the answer, when one comes upon the fallen tree, there is usually evidence.

These pictures lead me to believe that this tree may have “uttered a sound.” And, I have a hunch the little shed uttered a phrase or two as well.




Now, all I have to figure out is if there is going to be enough time (that translates into warm weather) to take things apart and reconstruct before my fingers will be too numb to cooperate. What to do? What to do? I think I’ll go brew a pot of coffee and think a while.

Well, Minnesota “summer” is here. I can tell because it is already up to 50 degrees at 11 AM. So, I suppose it will be like groundhog day knowing that when we hit 50 degrees by 11 AM, we know there is 6 weeks of summer left before we head back into winter. I guess I had better get Joyce’s snowblower ready and moved to the front of the shed just in case.

We have been blessed with the gift of friendship the last two weeks. And, we are looking forward to the end of the month when Linda and John will be spending a couple of days with us.

Joyce’s plants are taking off like gangbusters.



She sure has brought life to the surroundings here. We are going to be blessed with wonderful views from all our windows all “summer” long.



It seems like whatever flower she plants and wherever she plants it, it flourishes.




She claims she does not have a green thumb, but I politely disagree.