J Richard Knapp

Some parts of the country have groundhogs to determine the coming of spring, but not in Western Oregon! Each spring the turkey vultures migrate from the tropics back to Oregon to signal the beginning of spring. In the fall, these large birds return to the tropics to give birth to their young. This week I saw the first vultures flying in the skies overhead. Spring is here!

Which U.S. President gave only 2 speeches in his two terms?  Answer to Link

    I recently overheard a person negatively state, " The children of today are not like the children when I was a kid! " Really? My mind immediately pictured events in my own childhood, my own children and grandchildren, and the many kids that I shared a part in their lives. The strange thing is that I heard the same exact comment in the  seventies  as a first year teacher and frequently as a principal throughout the many years of my career.      So just what is it that this statement is trying to suggest?  Most often it is associated with a negative back sided comment referring to the behavior of a child and a belief that behavior in children was far better years ago. That is nothing but old fashion 'hogwash'. Children have been children forever!      Let's be clear... it is us, the adults, that have not taken the time to understand the concepts of  childhood . Our forefathers and many of our adults today have ...

Want to know the secret of 44 years of marriage... never end a day without saying you love each other - and mean it! http://www. knappstory.com /  

Are you looking for a great Mar Far Chicken and Pink Sauce Recipe? Mar Far Chicken ·         2 lb. uncooked chicken breast or boneless chicken  ·         1-cup flour  ·         5 Tbsp. cornstarch  ·         1 egg  ·         1 tsp. salt  ·         1/2 tsp. Pepper  ·         Oil for frying  ·         1 1/4 cup ice water (you must make sure the water is very cold)  ·         Cut chicken into 1 1/2 inch strips. (Do not cut into nuggets this will dry out the chicken while you fry it.) To prepared batter - mix flour, cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Add beaten egg and ice water mix thoroughly till you have a thi...

     One of the greatest perks of being an author for children and teens is the opportunity to visit with the readers either in person or live on the internet. At a recent 'Author Talk', I was visiting with approximately fifty or so kids between the ages of 11-13. The subject of our discussion was the first book in the Cow Pie Gang Series - The Ghost of Lizard's Rock .       A young girl asked, "Why did you write the book?"      I explained to her that sometimes an author writes a book to just tell a story and then at other times we tell both a story and try to make the reader think about a message or many messages within the book. In the case of The Ghost of Lizard's Rock , my co-author and I wanted our readers to understand the importance of friendships.      But this isn't everything that I consider as an author. Long before any young reader has the opportunity to read one of my new releases, I take into consider...