…it’s occasionally difficult to determine what’s appropriate for our discussions, if ‘internet etiquette’ in general, but I need to mention the loss of two friends and Home Orchard Society Stalwarts, Keith Cooper and Wayne Huffstutter. We've known it was coming, and after the best of lives, they’ve earned the rest… but it’s telling to have your children find you with tears in your eyes… as mine just did " title="Crying or Very sad" />

What will I tell them..? Keith went to my grade school in Portland; I believe he was one of the first graduating classes of Marysville public school. His eyes would alight when we stepped aside from a tour to reminisce about Marysville. With nearly 50 years between us, I e-mailed him the day it recently caught fire. Don’t know if he was informed, but we’d both have been deeply saddened over that…

But Keith was a walking advertisement for positive thinking - and like most of our older members, I was amazed to learn of his age – thinking, ‘if I get that far – in that good of spirits and shape – I will have won the game of life!’ Keith was someone you'd drop everything to talk with… I remember doing just that a few years ago. The ‘Scion Exchange’ was cooking but I just had to wash my hands, among other things. I spotted Keith sitting in the hallway, as engaging as ever …for some prime time we ignored the world … and I’m glad we did.

Keith is also to thank for his many (many) treks across Oregon (and beyond) to locate, map and identify pioneer orchards. He was “Orchard,” when orchard wasn’t so cool – and a pioneer to boot!

…Wayne (much the same) and I had a special relationship, too. Wayne took on the job of recruiting and reminding grafters of the HOS Scion Exchange and convinced me (seemingly early) to join. Wayne would set up his information table then spend the entire event describing and ‘whittling’ examples of various grafts – a real blessing for us doing the grunt work – everyone knew the concept and the terms! I never tired of listening to him describe grafts I’d done hundreds of times, his enthusiasm never wavered and the next ‘customers’ were as eagerly informed as the first.

Perhaps cut from the same cloth as Keith (and a life-lesson in positive thinking), Wayne was also a joy to pal around with. Neither of these guys seemed to age – perpetual kids, and time spent with them was the equivalent of your best friends in High School! Before (and after) the advent of custom color home printers, Wayne was known for his “Scion Exchange” personal invites – I’ve saved every one of mine! Meticulously hand-crafted on note cards suitable for mailing and/or farming -- if any of us had hesitations volunteering for that event, we agreed Wayne’s personal effort and invite was too endearing to ignore… “That’s why I come” said a longtime co-grafter!

When I think of these friends I envision laughter that would light up a grange hall and smiles with the power to pull you across a packed floor… Though their recent absences had been noticed, their passing leaves few holes – for they cultivated and inspired the next generation of Home Orchardists …and of course, behind every good man works a good woman – and Keith & Wayne had those, too …thanks for sharing them with us, girls.

Keith, Wayne (out there reading these threads for sure) -- a part of you lives on in me …and has likely been transferred to mine. Thank you for setting a mighty high bar