Menu Close
Avatar
Log In
Please consider registering
Guest
Forum Scope






Start typing a member's name above and it will auto-complete

Match



Forum Options



Min search length: 3 characters / Max search length: 84 characters
Register Lost password?
sp_TopicIcon
Dare I broach the question?
Avatar
Reinettes
Lewis Co., WA
429 Posts
(Offline)
1
March 9, 2020 - 7:21 pm

Gee, I hate to bring it up 6 days before-hand, but should I presume that everything is still on for the annual HOS scion exchange?  Personally, I'm looking forward to it, but my wife is spending quite a bit of time and concern over the systematic spread of the new coronavirus (--or what I like to call the "Wu Han Flu"--).  I'm still planning to attend, but I'm wondering whether there will be a decrease in the attendance this year because of the "coronavirus scare".  

For those involved in the planning and processing of the overall event, I presume that there will be certain changes and precautions made in order to reduce the possibility of potential transmission to attendees.  Personally, I'm not terribly concerned, but perhaps the elderly should be given especially high import and concern.

...Just my current 2 cents' worth.  [Wow.  I only just noticed that the keyboard has no sign for "cents."  Typewriters used to have 'em.  I really AM a dinosaur!  Bring on the meteor!]

Reinettes

Avatar
Pugs
40 Posts
(Offline)
2
March 9, 2020 - 8:27 pm

Reinettes said
Gee, I hate to bring it up 6 days before-hand, but should I presume that everything is still on for the annual HOS scion exchange?  Personally, I'm looking forward to it, but my wife is spending quite a bit of time and concern over the systematic spread of the new coronavirus (--or what I like to call the "Wu Han Flu"--).  I'm still planning to attend, but I'm wondering whether there will be a decrease in the attendance this year because of the "coronavirus scare".  

For those involved in the planning and processing of the overall event, I presume that there will be certain changes and precautions made in order to reduce the possibility of potential transmission to attendees.  Personally, I'm not terribly concerned, but perhaps the elderly should be given especially high import and concern.

...Just my current 2 cents' worth.  [Wow.  I only just noticed that the keyboard has no sign for "cents."  Typewriters used to have 'em.  I really AM a dinosaur!  Bring on the meteor!]

Reinettes  

I've been checking here to see if there was any info on this very topic Reinettes, so thank you for asking. 

Today Oregon officials announced that people over 60, or with underlying illnesses (diabetes, heart problems, etc.) should stay home as much as possible.  And I am in that group.  Joy.  But I plan on being at the Exchange anyway.  Plus I'm volunteering, so gotta uphold my commitment.

And just a few weeks ago I was looking for the cents sign (¢ had to cut and paste it) and it isn't on my keyboard either.  So annoying.  It looks like keyboards have been changed to have the symbols used in programming on them (which most people don't use)

Avatar
DanielW
Clark County, WA
519 Posts
(Offline)
3
March 10, 2020 - 9:11 pm

Im also in the high risk group.  I was really looking forward to the event.  For months.  

However, I feel like the thought of contracting or spreading a serious disease is too much.  Instead, I will do some grafting using scion I already have, and using rootstocks that came in the mail today.  I will also do some reading about fruit trees.  

Even if most people naturally think about "what is the risk to me, or my family," there is also the general public good overall.  Maybe the organizers can check with the Oregon Department of Health for advice?  

The propagation fair is an event where -how many?   Hundreds?  of people are very up close in a closed environment.  I don't want to overstep my humble place in the forum.  However, I think we should be careful when it comes to health and illness and what appears to be an epidemic.

The other aspect is potential liability.  If a number of people's infections can be traced to the event, what is the potential liability for the organization?  

my ¢¢  Now I really will step back.  Apologies if this is not in the spirit of the forum.  I mean well.

Avatar
sweepbjames
NE Portland, OR Cully Neighborhood
254 Posts
(Offline)
4
March 10, 2020 - 9:30 pm

We've got thousands of sticks and hundreds of roots stocks; plants, canes, and grafted trees for sale, ordered make-a-trees to distribute, grafters willing to graft. We're still onSmile.    

Lowell Cordas has been ill Cry won't be bringing his tools and replacement parts or sharpening for us.

The other tool vendor is also not attending this time, scheduling conflict, as are not Cider BabiesFrown.

I've not heard anything that would indicate anything other than that One Green World will be in attendance with their array of fruit trees, bushes and vinesSmile.

HOS will have a good selection of useful and nice publications for sale as well. 

 

Guess I should have read the previous post that came in while I was formulating mine. I had talked to Joanie this afternoon about another matter and was riding the wave as I perceived it.

 

¢ on the mac from the keyboard finder, is combination 'option' and '4'.

Avatar
jafar
859 Posts
(Offline)
5
March 11, 2020 - 9:41 am

The Fair is on as scheduled.  If you are a volunteer, and either have symptoms that are a concern, or don't feel comfortable spending time in public, please let the coordinator know as soon as you can that you won't be able to attend this year.

You might compare attending the event to shopping at Trader Joe's, for instance which is a comparable size and will see many more guests over the length of time, even compared to our typical turnout.  I suspect our turnout this weekend will be significantly lower than usual.

If you'd like to attend but want more space between yourself and other people, or want to avoid lines; you may consider that usually there is a bit of a glut in the morning and then things get more sparse as the day progresses.  

The WHO website emphasizes hygiene and modifying social interaction:

https://www.who.int/emergencie.....for-public

I plan to be at the event.  I'll bring hand sanitizer and try to be mindful of what I do with my hands.

Avatar
Rooney
Vancouver SW Washington
848 Posts
(Offline)
6
March 11, 2020 - 4:57 pm

jafar said
The Fair is on as scheduled.  If you are a volunteer, and either have symptoms that are a concern, or don't feel comfortable spending time in public, please let the coordinator know as soon as you can that you won't be able to attend this year.

You might compare attending the event to shopping at Trader Joe's, for instance which is a comparable size and will see many more guests over the length of time, even compared to our typical turnout.  I suspect our turnout this weekend will be significantly lower than usual.

If you'd like to attend but want more space between yourself and other people, or want to avoid lines; you may consider that usually there is a bit of a glut in the morning and then things get more sparse as the day progresses.  

The WHO website emphasizes hygiene and modifying social interaction:

https://www.who.int/emergencie.....for-public

I plan to be at the event.  I'll bring hand sanitizer and try to be mindful of what I do with my hands.  

cleanup.jpg

Exactly Jafar. Our grafting volunteers are usually above 60 which includes myself. We don't need germs. So just in case any needed I am bringing along a box of 50 face guards to share around. That and glasses there's no way to get cough particulates on our face and the foam sanitizing agent (left side) are for the hands.

Attachments
Avatar
Rooney
Vancouver SW Washington
848 Posts
(Offline)
7
March 11, 2020 - 5:05 pm

Oh. The 2 similar images above are intended to show a benefit of using a second party "save-as" function for those windows users wanting more efficiency or footprint size than what's available by default. The cropup.jpg (381 KB) was the first step with a true demo of inches as provided with the following application:

https://pixelmetrics.com/CapWi.....wnload.htm

The output results in a smaller 80 KB image!

See you at the fair, and see me wearing my guard!! 🙂

Avatar
Reinettes
Lewis Co., WA
429 Posts
(Offline)
8
March 11, 2020 - 7:19 pm

Hi folks,

A lot of good comments here, and I appreciate that.  I had planned on attending up until a couple of days ago (--and doggone it! -- really looking forward to it!).  However, my wife has had some pulmonary problems in recent weeks and is very concerned about her vulnerability.  I had thought that perhaps I could go alone, but there is the possibility of exposure that I could bring home to her.  Out of my legitimate concern for my beloved soul-mate, it looks like I'm gonna hafta give it a pass this year.  

I hope that this will not dissuade others from attending.  I think that one merely needs to be thoughtful in their behavior and put hygienic (--weird-looking word--) behavior at the forefront of all interactions.  If people are conscientious in their behavior, the threat is highly reduced.  ...If you want factual info on the matter, please visit the CDC website and ignore what politicians might say.

One of the reasons that I was still hoping to go was because, with potentially fewer people attending, I might actually be able to acquire some of the clones that I want which always seem to be depleted by the time I get to them. Wink

At this early stage, I sincerely doubt that there is much of a threat and, like I say, if it weren't for my wife's potential vulnerability I'd be there.

I guess that I'll have to wait till next year for some of the varieties that I wanted, but I do already have scions acquired elsewhere to graft, including 3 clones that I collected a couple of days ago from within 2 miles of home.  As someone, somewhere, once said:  "There's always next year."  For those of you who attend...  Wish I were there!

Reinettes

Avatar
sweepbjames
NE Portland, OR Cully Neighborhood
254 Posts
(Offline)
9
March 12, 2020 - 8:48 am

I am not the official channel but received this message from the official channel this morning:

 
 
 
 
 
 
Good morning,
 
Follow(ing) the notice from Gov. Brown, we are cancelling the Fruit Prop. Fair.  Tonia, could you please send a flash notice on the website.  Janet could you send a blast to all the places you have sent our notice?  Please advise any friends and associates of the cancellation.
 
I will be calling the fairgrounds, etc.
            
 
Sad,... Sad,... but better to be the proactive. Thanks for putting it on my radar Reinettes. I'll miss the event too.
Probably a more authoritative announcement will be forthcoming. Jafar?
Avatar
Reinettes
Lewis Co., WA
429 Posts
(Offline)
10
March 12, 2020 - 4:44 pm

I'm very saddened that the event now has to be cancelled.  I think of all the effort that has been made by dedicated HOS members and volunteers to collect cuttings and scion wood for this wonderful, annual event.  I almost feel guilty about the cancellation, but given the 2-week lag-time for development and manifestation of the virus; coupled with the average number of interactions that we humans have with each other each day and take for granted; plus the overly optimistic, wishful, and unscientific proclamations being made by some politicians, all suggest that we need to be as proactively careful as we reasonably can be.  

The rapidly developing situation really puts a crimp into our normal activities, but there was someone, somewhere, whose words are widely repeated:  "Better safe than sorry."  I'm guessing that people remembered those words because the guy survived.  🙂

It'll take awhile for this to play out, but y'all stay safe and behave conscientiously.  

Personally, as a naturalist, I'm curious to watch how the situation develops over time.  I wasn't around for the Spanish Flu (--which can't be blamed on the Spanish, despite the "common name"--), but I'm always fascinated by natural processes and being able to watch them in historic, real time....  I hope that that doesn't sound perverted.

Be cautious, careful, conscientious, and we'll all get through this. Wink  It's not the end of the world.

Reinettes

"Don't worry.  Be happy."

Avatar
sweepbjames
NE Portland, OR Cully Neighborhood
254 Posts
(Offline)
11
March 15, 2020 - 3:11 am

See the News 'Update' header under the Home or Events page from the top of the page. Or here:

https://www.homeorchardsociety.....on-fair-7/

Forum Timezone: America/Los_Angeles
All RSSShow Stats
Administrators:
Idyllwild
simplepress
Moderators:
jafar
Marsha H
Viron
John S
Top Posters:
Rooney: 848
DanielW: 519
PlumFun: 495
Reinettes: 429
jafarj: 422
davem: 388
sweepbjames: 254
Dubyadee: 245
jadeforrest: 237
Larry_G: 220
Newest Members:
lorenediederich
richiemcevilly7
celestablackham
brittnybrookman
amadoguu202956
robbor
danielgrissom30
linowar980
dominicmorris5
anitrawinters
Forum Stats:
Groups: 1
Forums: 4
Topics: 2965
Posts: 17248

 

Member Stats:
Guest Posters: 0
Members: 1600
Moderators: 4
Admins: 2
Most Users Ever Online: 355
Currently Online:
Guest(s) 17
Currently Browsing this Page:
1 Guest(s)