Hey John – you volunteering for a tour? By “Hierarchy” I mean our rotating HOS board and directors, faithfully meeting on our behalf to keep this organization alive. President; Vice President; Secretary; Treasurer; Pome News Editor; Directors; Board Members; Webmaster; Arboretum Manager and Publicity Chair… An unbelievable amount of work goes on behind the scenes… and I feel guilty for not having served – other than here on my butt!

I had served two terms on our first and last (Luelling Memorial Chapter- still wear my button!) HOS Chapter… and that was work enough; organizing and scheduling meetings, speakers, ‘exchanges,’ picnics and tours… I’ve only been to one ‘real’ HOS Board Meeting… having driven a local member with his leg in a cast.

…now if you’re talking about our secrete tailgate cider tastings… you do have to earn those…

Actually, I suspect about now they’re lining up our regular summer picnic and orchard tours. As a Member, you get the quarterly addition of the Pome News and its Calendar of Events and Related Activities… My suggestion was for some of our hot-shot grafters to show off their deeds! Theirs is the kind of work that long ago, and to this day - inspired/s me! They don’t need acres of activities or decades of ‘experiments,’ just be willing to allow those of us willing to show up the opportunity to check out their work.

I’d thought of starting a thread specific to this ‘question’ – but you have!

Most of the ‘secrecy’ regarding various member outings seems to stem from the fact we’re all slightly nuts about fruit… and fear that getting out. Some are more than willing to trek to the deserts of Eastern Oregon in search of abandand orchards to see what’s survived and what they can identify. I’ve never tagged along, but have had the opportunity to hear about such adventures, always slightly envious … but also thinking - More power to you!

…did I answer your question..? Maybe some of those in charge will let us know how we stand on the annual tours… (don’t tell, but) There seems to be a bit of a lag using this forum to its fullest... One reason I’m approaching 500 posts is not that I can’t find anything better to do (though a Native Oregonian, rain gives me a little spare insidetime) but that I see this form of communication as ‘the future’ and have very much wanted it to succeed and prosper. Granted, with many of our ‘hierarchy’ the age of my parents, they’re doing far better in cyberspace than said parents " title="Wink" />

But putting our board minutes, the Pome News, or carrying on such ‘inside brain-storming’ online doesn’t seem their foray, yet. But as we age, I hope there will be enough of us with the time (and retirement income) to allow us to move the society forward, if online, or somewhere in King City on a dark winter night. And, there should likely remain some mystique regarding the ‘Society’ aspect of the organization …it’s taken me years to get that darn hand-shake down

Hey John – you’re in Portland, so is our VP, Shaun Shepherd… I think it’s time Shaun shows off that cider-production orchard of his! In the past we’ve split tours between a couple of places, sometimes with a park or public facility in the ‘middle’ for lunch. But here again – I’ve no idea where the scheduling stands, but I do know they’re often scratching heads for a ‘new idea.’

“I have some experiments that people might want to see, but I have never successfully chip budded or budded for that matter.” – Same here! …with all my yak about grafting, I’ve never budded, either. …Though I watched it done by a pair of migrant grafters laying on two carts in the August sun

Hey, it’s been years since I’ve seen a “Pluot” or an “Aprum” – and I’ve never seen a “Plumcot.” Sometimes it’s just ‘seeing’ the stuff you’ve read such glowing reports about in all the fruit catalogs... I remember getting off on someone’s PVC watering system; they drilled holes for a planting grid they’d rotate yearly, only pushing the pipe together ‘hand tight’ – thus able to break it down and store it in pieces all winter. Little things!

One of our members had grafted English Walnuts, that’s a chore! And though his successes were evident, he was more than happy to share his stories of failure. He also sold several 3-legged fruit ladders he had sitting around --- and, as he was unfortunately moving, perhaps his place!

…Maybe Shaun will stumble onto this… and if he doesn’t, I know where to find him next Saturday!