It been along time since i blogged. I broke my camera when I washed up on this island. If this reminds you of a movie your right . It like Gone with the Wind. Im hopeing to get a camera soon .

Well Saturday it was gorgeous and record high temps .It supposedly was eighty degrees in Seattle but wasn't that hot on the island . Today it was back to cold and rainy . I still haven't finished my taxes ,so that is what is what I'm doing tonight . I'm pretty much finished ,but just checking it over because Ive screwed up before. I haven't writing much lately because I have been talking to my long lost true love ,---Kathy lately , and it makes my head spin. She is in the navy and is shipping off to Iraq in a week. She is just completing four months of battle training, that's sounds like it was some pretty serious stuff. Its been great talking to her lately but I don't like the idea of her going off to this dam war. Thinking about it has made me a little crazy, but I am sure she will be fine. Good luck Kathy ! I'm going to get back into taking some pictures ,nothing has caught my Eye lately. Halibut season opened up and a 96 lb. slab is the biggest that Ive heard of. I probably wont get out for them , but maybe ling cod next month. My mill is almost ready to go ,and I cant wait to get using it. Politics is just to pathetic to comment on .,just a bunch of low grade character assassination. Id give credit to the photographer of this shot butt it was posted anonymously .

I haven't felt very literary lately and have taken 500 pictures and not one any good. The big thing in politics is Iraq and more and more Iran. I have always thought we invaded Iraq to secure a base in the middle east. I don't know how we could get into another war if you believe what they say about are military being stretched thin but you sure hear allot of murmurings of it. I'm really surprised a draft hasn't been implemented. It will have to be a ground war we wouldn't dare nuking or heavily bombing the worlds oil supply.Talk about ww3 on the horizon. The Olympics are once again going to a big political battle ground . I heard the nuts in San Francisco put out the torch because it contributed to global warming. I guess Ihave temporarily lost my urge to rant and rave because there is just to much to rant an rave about. I started a book written by Jesse Ventura ,the former wrestler and governor. Dont Start The Revolution Without Me.--- I always took him as a joke but so far I really agree with the things he says. His points about change from the strangle hold the two party stem has on us is exactly how I feel .He says if he could get ballot access for the presidential race ,he would run and win. I actually believe he would. The only thing I don't believe in like he does is the 9-11 conspiracy stuff . I'm glad the weather is finally supposed to get nice here . 70 degrees forecast for Saturday.!!!!! I'm not sure that we have even seen 60 yet. I hope I can turn my political rant blog into a fishing blog pretty soon. I'm a little worried because they are talking about shutting down the salmon season because of poor returns. The last time they did that so many fished came back it choked the rivers so bad with spawned out salmon , that it was a heath problem . Halibut season open in a few days . Maybe Ill be able to get out .I sure would like to put a few 90 pounders in the freezer. I'm tired of chicken even though a few of these would fill the freezer pretty quickly.

Still gray and chilly here,for the most part. I sure get allot more done on the nice sunny days. Today I went up to Dave's house and he gave me a orientation on some of his new barbecue design ,that he is going to put me to work helping him fabricate . I think it could work out well being able to work on my sawmill or go up and work in the metal shop. I have a few projects rolling around in my head ,for a few projects combining the two ,and even enlisting the talents of some of my other friends. I have friends who's bailiwick's very from blown glass to sculpture ,from basketry to painting , and others ,that I have got visions of wild creations,incorporating them all . If I have to get rich and famous ,Id like to do it with my friends and I like to have fun doing it . That's the dream for now anyways. ------- Today in politics someone from Obamas organization called John McCain a war monger. I felt sorry for him, as he looked hurt denouncing it. He shook off the pain quickly by leading the crowd in a sing along featuring his ever catchy Bomb -bomb bomb ---bomb bomb Iran ,crowd pleasing parody and ending with ---ninety- nine more years of Iraq ----for us all ..... ninety nine bloody more years -- shoot one down pass it around ...... I think John McCain is a very brave American Hero who's service to our country was extraordinary but I believe he would jump resol ving conflicts with war ,before other options were exhausted. I didn't think joking about bombing Iran makes him look like any ing but a war monger when the situation calls for diplomacy ,---not words to aggravate the situation further. I think he is a man in the twenty first century with a nineteenth century mentality about waging war. Obama and Clinton continue ruining each other chances of winning,----completely blowing what was once a almost sure thing and still they haven't resolved anything with the two state primary debacle. I think both parties are falling completely apart. What a tragedy .

Thank you for all your concerne To answer your emails every thing here at Bucksnort central is going along swimmingly. Im sorry that your thirst for my insight has gone on unquenched for so long. Since I last wrote the weather has turned very nice with cold clear nights and mostly sunny ,mild days . I have been working very hard. Ive been too sore in the evenings to type my thoughts into my blog. To be honest ,Ive got so out of shape doing so little physical work this winter , that a few days of "bust in butt" really takes its toll. I have been to tired to even type .Even my hair hurts. It actually feels so good to have nice enough weather to get things done. Its funny how nice it is for it to be dry enough to sweep the porch ,mow the lawn. I think the weather here is the best in the world, for my likings. but I'm differently ready for our beautiful ,spring -summer weather. Among many other things I have been working to set up my sawmill .at my friend Dave and Louies's house . They have allowed me have a really nice space,to put it ,and I think it will work out so unbelievably nicely for me to use it, I'm very grateful. We have been cleaning up the area that he used for storage . He collected millions of water heater tanks that he uses in his welding -barbecue business ,and it was time to make the unusable surplus go away. We loaded them up on several steel salvage trucks,and it made for quite a interesting load. I think of them as the Whidbey Island bottled water trucks. When the rest of the Bucksnort central staff returns from their mission, i will get back on track to my political commentary that you all cry out for. The staff has completed their forth orbit ,and as mission leader , Gregg Steen reported ,all systems ---green - go -. Full steam ahead. Here is the salvage guy headed out . All he said was "Tanks allot for nuttin"

What a nasty day . It actually snowed here for a while . It didn't stick here but I guess it did other places on the island. Snow isn't unheard of in march but it has been allot of years for it to happen this late . It is supposed to get nice and be dry for a while so I plan on working on my log mill. Hopefully this is going to be the last of our winter weather. Politics is really getting nasty. It seems like both parties have allot of people that are taking a look at the other side. Mcainacrats ,Obamacans,and the like. I'm glad people are showing open minds and being less partasian . It shows voters just want our government to work together and solve some the countries problems instead of being stuck behind party loyalties. I have two friends that have both voted straight republican for 50+ years ,and for the first time in their lives are leaning toward voting democrat. A year ago ,I wouldn't have believed it could happen ,before hell froze over. I know there are allot of democrats that cant stand either Hillary or Obama . The republican party was on shaky ground early on, and now it looks like the democrats are imploding. I was most glad to hear that more proposals to reform the election procedure have been proposed by congressmen lately. With the Democrats still not resolving how two important states voters can be heard more attention is on how the two parties have the real control of choosing a leader . One congressman proposed -One person -One vote and getting rid of the outdated electoral college. It would take a constitutional election, but allot of political pundits made the case that it is long overdue. AMEN !!!! If popular vote in the primaries or especially the national election is not upheld again, people wont stand for it. When voters finally realize that the parties don't think we are smart enough to elect our own leaders without their corrupt ,expensive and long drawn out procedure they might be insulted enough to begin change. . I know I have said this stuff before but I just want to be able to look back in twenty or thirty years and see that I knew people would wake up sooner or later. "It may be true that you can't fool all the people all the time, but you can fool enough of them to rule a large country. " Will Durant Pulitzer prize winning anthropologist and philosopher 1905-81 This alien cat tried to hypnotize me today and put me under his power, but it didnt work. But tomorrow Im going to kill all the dogs in the neighborhood and take it to Washington D.C. to meet president Bush like it demanded just to make it think it did.

It has been unseasonably cold lately ,wet blowy and even some sleet .I think we had more sunny days in February than March. I went for a hike along the beach and found a secluded swamp at the bottom of a steep bluff .there sure was allot of wildlife in the little patch . I jumped several deer ,and saw a otter run into a drainage culvert. It was startled and made a sound like a baby giggling to alert its companion to my presence . They took off like greased lightening I found remnants of flounders they had caught in the surf .Even though we don't have rivers on the island these are river otters,and make use of the salt water to travel from pond to pond .They are a pest and can clean out a pond of fish in a short time. I have seen where they seemingly hunt for fun and just leave the fish in piles on the banks of the pond. I had a friend who was the last licenced trapper on Whidbey Island ,but since his death the population of otter and beaver has exploded. The beaver cause allot of flooding in lowland areas. Some friends came back to they're property ,from a long vacation,and found a family of otter had been living under the house.They thought it smelled musty in the house but said they nearly vomited when they turned on they're furnace. They said the otter waste was six inches deep and with a diet of fish and shellfish I guess its unbelievable bad. They are trying to find someone to clean it up ,but have had no takers. All the insulation and heating ducts have to be replaced,and maybe some flooring. Yuk! A job for Dirty Jobs. I found a dry patch in the swamp where you could still see the cracks from where it dried up last summer, with little sprigs of spring swamp grass coming up . I for one am going to do my part and eat as many beavers as I can more than I probably otter . sorry thats really bad.

I hope you all had a nice Easter. I started of the day ,having breakfast with a friend and totally ignored my diet with a killer plate of blueberry pancakes .Yumm yumm. I went for a walk on the beach to work of some calories but the light rain I started out in turned into a real gully washer. When I got home I was so soaked my jacket must have weighed 50 lbs. I couldn't take many pictures today since the camera would have filled with water if I pointed it any other way but down ,so the only picture I liked was water going down a storm drain. I think the blackness of the water and the bubbles look spacey and kind of cool. Politics is still making me sick . Allot of people think Obama is really on the ropes with links to some bad people in the underworld and his not denouncing the radical preaching of his minister. I think Hilliary is holding on in hopes that the media casts enough doubt on his character and finds more skeletons in his closet that he drops out .I think it is just his turn for abuse and people will sluff it of soon and McCain and Clinton will have their turns. The media is calling McCain " Teflon John" because nothing is sticking to him right now. He just came back from the war in Iraq and played up how good things seem to be going. I think his whole candidacy rides on a continuing lull in violence in Iraq. If the Sunni -shite conflict turns back towards getting Americans killed, I think the voters will go with a democrat that wants to get out sooner . Today rockets and mortars hit in the "safe " green zone. Nobody was killed ,but if there had been deaths I think McCains speech on the rosy condition of Baghdad would have sounded a little less believable. McCain said the Iraq citizens are going about their normal daily life . Personally I think their the normal daily life of the entire region will be violent whether we are there or not.We are just presenting them targets while we try to kill cockroaches with a steamroller, meanwhile Osama Bin Laden continues to run free and makes threats from our "allies " country. What a mess this world is in. I heard today we will probably be on Mars in less than 20 years--- if antibody's left by then . And that's the optimists report for today. Makes me want to eat a entire chocolate rabbit. Here is a picture stuff going down the drain---I wonder where it goes after that.

Well the first day of Spring ,goodbye and good ridens to winter. It was a decent day here with a lot of sun in the afternoon . I mowed the yard ,for the first time this year. It really didn't need it but I wanted to get the bugs out of the lawnmower ,before the grass really starts growing . It sure smelled good . Something about that smell from the first cut of the year.It always takes me back to childhood .Its like rolling down a grassy hill ,when you are a kid. There was one patch of tall grass, down in the meadow , and as I cut it ,the deer started coming out of the woods. They started grazing along the edge not afraid of the lawn tractor at all. I ran the mower out of gas and by the time I walked up and got the gas can and back ,there were six deer munching away on the tender ,fresh cut grass . They didn't seem to worried about me until I pulled out my camera. They all did their slow goofy walk into the woods. I drove the mower up the hill and looked back down in the meadow less than one minute later and all six were already back. That must have been some good tasting grass to them ,because they sure wanted it .The deer are taking over the place ,since I don't have a dog anymore to scare them away. We are constantly scaring the hell out of each other when we accidentally encounter each other at close range. I have just about stepped on them lately while out wandering around with a camera. I can never get a good picture when that happens. The deer are starting to look skinny and mangy because they are losing their winter coat now . It comes out in patches, and you see it in allot of places in the forest. I used to wonder if they had the horrible CWD (chronic wasting disease) until I found it is just natural shedding. One doe is very big-probably from eating everything but the sprinkler, in my garden, last fall. She might fit nicely in my freezer come next fall, we will see.I don't usually take the stupid neighborhood deer, but there are getting to be an awful lot of them and they taste the same or better than the wilder ones. I haven't been able to watch politics lately , its gotten ugly .Its all about race and religion and other garbage. The guilt by association stuff only goes so far for me ,and that goes for all candidates. The Shawn Hannity crowd reminds me of a lynch mob in old western movies.These radicals on both ends of politics are dangerous . There will be allot more of it before the election and after but I just hope they get around to debating some more meat and potato issues. Like the price of meat and potatoes . Milk and gas seem to be in a race to see which will hit five dollars a gallon first. Anyway happy Spring .

Here is a couple more shots my niece Laura

Blogger wasn't letting me load my pictures or maybe I wasn't patient enough The top picture is Laura .Hope ya had a great birthday kiddo. The middle picture is my brother Jim and his wife Denise ,and the bottom one is my sister Judi and her husband Allen. Everybody has a little Irish in them except Allen he has Scottish blood( just has to be different) but that close enough on St.Pattys day . I'm finally feeling better ,I really was green the last couple days

Begorah ! Hope ya had a Irish day! GRREEEEEEEEN Ladie and Lasses for sure. My name is Snyder from my father , but my mothers roots are all Kellys Brackens ,Courtneyneys , and other Irish names . Try to trace your family genealogy when your great grandmother was Mary Kelly . Every other woman in Ireland at that time was named Mary Kelly . I feel Irish today !!! A Lucky son of a buck I am !!!! I berled my taters ,and cabbage to go with my corned beef , and quashed it down with a pint ,of Guinness. I want to wish my darling niece Laura, a happy birthday who definitely has the beautiful Irish eyes ,my Grandmother had. She doesn't read my blob but Happy birthday Laura anyways!!! Here are some pictures of her and her Irish EYES

I haven't been feeling 100 percent the last few days ,something seems to be going around . Today I just slept in and added a bunch of junk to the Blog. Some of the younger staff here at Bucksnort had never heard or Asteroids of Simon .I'm not much into computer games but it took me back to high school memories playing them. And Pong was so fantastic when it first cam out. Then I found girls and didn't have any money to waste in arcade machines .Do they even have video arcades anymore? Have some fun and try some of the games and tests. Simon drives me crazy!

Well I think I resolved my computer problem at least I hope so. Today the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln left the port of Everett on its seven month mission to Iraq. I went down to the beach to watch it pass by the island and was there for a long time but never saw it . Ive seen it several times but am always impressed that something that big can float . The Lincoln is the ship with the infamous Mission Accomplished banner. I never did put much weight in that whole controversy---the mission of overthrowing Saddam's regime was accomplished. There is allot of missions in a war. I must have just missed the aircraft carrier going by because all the helicopters and coast guard ships cleared out. That thing sure moves fast . I did see several of the Alaskan crab boats heading out . They are the same boats from the show Deadliest Catch from the Discovery channel -a hell of a show. You couldn't pay me enough to do that work. I thought about it when I first came to the Northwest but they quit paying the big bucks and hired allot less people once they started regulating it heavily . A few guys I know that went told me some horror stories from working on them .Scared to death ,most of the time working like a slave for little money. Watching the show I was glad I never did it . Not much happning in politics--no sex scandals or anything. New York's new governor is legally blind .I wonder how he find the hookers. They figured out that the governor spent 84 dollars a minute-talk about government pork barrel spending Sorry I had to--- they missed that one on the late night comedy shows. Leno and the others have been having a field day -------" I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts." Will Rogers

everrt

Life is GREAT! My computer doesn't want me to voice my complaints . So I will only say good things . Spring is happening here even though its gray . I found a wild cherry blooming,in a opening, while hiking in the deep dark forest . The other fruit trees are about to bloom any day . I think it is very early. Tomorrow I will bitch and complain if this f7ck!n computer lets me. It just started to give me a little trouble, if IT doesnt like what I am writing. A few scotch broom blooming , cherry and plum are just about to pop . I think this is the earliest spring ever ,even if it isn't warm yet .Goodbye before blogger or my computer turns me off.

You just have to laugh sometimes. A self righteous governor, that prosecuted several prostitution rings getting caught up in one himself. Ha ha haaaaaaaaaa How about congress giving a huge defense contract to a foreign based company that is under indictment, and has no expierence in making that type of airplane. Instead of giving it to Boeing here in America and adding 40,000 plus jobs to a struggling economy. Who side are they one anyways? Soon theywill have to borrow money from the Chinese to bail out Boeing. Someday the military will just be buying planes ,straight from China . Our government that subsidizes the oil companies, one of which doesn't want to pay anymore money for the Exxon Valdez disaster ,(even though it would be only a weeks worth of their record setting profits) is leaning in their direction. Corruption is ruling the world---maybe the Mafia should be in charge ,at least they had loyalties to their own and made a profit. Probably fewer people would get killed in the long run. The pictures are just some menacing clouds that reminded me of the Mt. St Helen's eruptions. I watched the first installment of a new series on Discovery ,called Axmen. It is about the logging industry that I have always had a fascination and great respect for. I swear I have met several of the loggers from the show, while I was hunting . Its a great show with allot of colorful characters and some interesting logging techniques .Watch it if you can. My political quote comes from the Gipper ----Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.---Ronald Regan

I cant take it any more -- I watch shows like surviorman, and man against the wild and I think they are trying to kill people ! I just watched a navy seal ,that was so afraid of a twig that he heard snap in the middle of the night, that he abandoned the hole that he dug ,in a rainstorm, to sleep in , and decided to run through the woods at night because it might be a bear. In the light of day, he recommended running down hill as fast as you can to take advantage of gravity and covering as much ground as you can ,as quick as you can. After falling several times ,he came to a waterfall, and climbed straight down the middle of it. When he reached the bottom ,he decided to take a 40 foot plunge into a icy cold raging river to go downstream. In other survivor shows ,the host has camped inches away from alligator infested rivers or polar bear feeding places. They don't have shows where people that actually live in these places, but they have some guy that wrote some book on surviving doing the shows. Somebody is going to be killed listening to these idiots,== probably one of the people on the show . Most of the things they show go against all survival principals as well as human nature. I don't know what it is but , I have been ,hunting and fishing with allot of former military personnel ,that wanted to kill themselves using some survivor techniques. A few marines that I have known nearly killed us both, just doing simple camp chores. Some of the hard core military types scare the crap out of me. Yeah Im talking about John McCain .As far as the shows goes somebody is going to get killed soon. Sorry to ramble about crazy stuff but it is The BUCKSNORT blog ....you heard it here first. They wont let me post a picture today --oh well

I was cold and gray here today ,with the weekend looking decent, but looking cold and rainy next week. I sure get allot more done on the warm sunny days than this dreary stuff,but at least the day will be longer with the time change this weekend. I was down on the beach other other day at low tide and found about a dozen of these little oyster farms. I have never seen things like them before. Some of them had a couple dozen oysters in each bag, these were all empty. I don't know where the oysters went from this one because the bags were sealed up. Someone must be trying to seed the area with oysters, but I cant imagine who would be doing it. They went to a great deal of effort and expense but there was no names or identification. of any kind. they were spread over more than a mile of beach and I guessing there are many more in water that is to deep to see.Ive seen them grow in bags off docks ,but this is very different . I'm guessing that some private person ,or possibly an Indian tribe put them out ,the state would have marked them . I don't think they have much chance of working to seed the beach because it is the wrong type of beach ,but I hope it works. Politics is getting more absurd every day. At least I am starting to hear allot more talk about changing the primary system .If the democrats don't do something to fix their mess in Florida and Michigan soon I think there is going to be big protests and if the super delegates overthrow the popular vote there will be riots at the convention . I hope there is no violence but I hope it brings the issue up long enough so that people don't forget about it for four or eight more years. I think by election time comes voters will be so sick of the three candidates and the price of gas will be so high , nobody bother driving to the polls. McCain looks more and more like a older crankier hot headed version of Bush . Hilliary looks more and more like a untrustworthy conniving , bit(# , and Obama is all hopes and dreams and magic with no substance. God help us---one of these will lead us?

My intuition was wrong . Hillary is still hanging on, in fact some pundits ,think she still is hot and is the one to beat. I think she will end up as V.P. and then b!t(# so much she will end up as lead dog . I wonder how much ,Rush Linbauaghs push for republicans to vote for Clinton effected the vote. Huckabee went out ,very strangely,---finally giving McCain his support ,but voicing his messages to the end. I don't think we have seen the end of him, and I'm glad because I think he had allot of great ideas that people could have got behind ,if he wasn't such a religious figure. I'm sorry that people in the remaining states ,only have one option to vote for on the republican side.. If I lived in one of the many states , left to vote I would feel that my opinion meant ,very little in what candidate ,I could vote for ,but very privileged to decide ,which of the remaining candidates ,will be the president . Our system is idiotic . Some states ,get to cull the candidates , and some states get to decide which one of those get to represent their party. Things would be very different if we all got to cull each party's candidates equally by voting at the same time . The obvious reason is that it would allow a third party to have a chance of coming into play. Media controls who is in the race ,the same way as the do in sports. The world football league cant compete with the NFL , because it would water down the both leagues . Politics should not be -x-against - y , but as our founding fathers ,envisioned it ,as a multi party - forum .Other countries have this way of democracy ,but ours is held useless because of bipartisanship . Both party's have a stifled ,centrist mind but are bound by the far ends of their parties. We are screwed by this process ,because one party gives the other, radical concessions on each side, to accomplish an agenda that neither want. I'm going to bed and scream in my pillow now ,it makes me forget about this stuff that we seemingly can change . Here is one of my Siamese fighting fish --- I call him Dempsey.

They say March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, but the end of February and the beginning of March have been very mild here.It was breezy here today with a few sprinkles ,but other than that ,I cant remember the last time it really rained hard. Today on the beach I found this tree trying to hold on,while the wind tried to push it of the cliff. It seemed like the other trees would try to reach out and try to keep it from toppling. It was creaking and groaning like it was begging for help. Even when the breeze would stop it would shudder and shake like it was scared as more rocks and dirt would fall from its roots . I thought for sure it would fall while I was there but I could hear it along time after I went around the corner of the bluff. I think I answered the question -that if a tree falls and there is nobody there to hear it does it still make a sound - I think this one will go out kicking and screaming till the end. Its kind of how I think Hilliary Clinton and Mike Hucklebee must feel ,holding on desperately, waiting for the last wind to shove them off , crying and moaning , to their end . Ha ha ha Most of the media thinks Clinton will win Ohio and continue her campaign race but I still think she will lose Ohio and Texas and will give it up soon. Its kind of to bad that her and Obama are going head to head, I think allot of people are having a hard time deciding between them. As for Hucklebee ,I have to say that I really admire him for staying in if for no other reason than to let people be able to have a choice. Some people will vote for him ,even though he has no chance of winning , just to let McCain know they are not satisfied with him. Hell has officially frozen over with Rush Limbaugh telling republicans to vote for Clinton .Its just to throw a monkey wrench into the democrats election but still I never thought Id see the day. . I cant wait till tomorrow to see what happens. I wonder how many trees will be left standing.

Today I dusted off a couple of my bows and shot them ,for the first time ,since last fall. My first four arrows were all good shots around the bulls eye .I shot about thirty more shots and got progressively worse as I got more tired and my fingers got cold and sore. Tonight I'm feeling allot of muscles I haven't used in a while. I hope the weather stays decent so I can get in some practice this week. These bows are a couple of Mongolian replicas ,that my friend Tom Shorey made. He has made hundreds of bows, in styles of ancient cultures from around the world. Chinese, Persian ,Indian, Turkish,Mongolian, and others .He made them from aircraft grade aluminum but they look like the authentic composite bows made from wood and bone .They are hand painted and are true works of art. They are very powerful and allot of fun to shoot. The pictures don't do them justice. Well that's about all I can bear to type, the old traditional bows really do a number on your fingers until you develop some calluses. I hope I'm not to sore to shoot tomorrow.

The Quinnalt

One of my favorite places on earth is the Quinnallt area,of the Olympic peninsula . It is still so wild. The rain forest has some of the oldest trees and some of the greatest hunting and fishing in the world. . I will always regret missing out on a trip ,that I couldn't go with my family,there because I was sick. Dam I was sick. sick sick----dam,--they had a good time without me,and I'm so glad but I wish I had been there then. The movies of them, almost touching elk ,in the park almost mock ,the days and days that I spent hunting for them during hunting season. An archery hunting trip I took over there with my friend Fred "Tommy Gun "Thompson was a memory I will never forget . He just came from there on a fishing trip. He only caught one--- (a --F&(#ING -NICE ONE) ---, , but he said it was a hell of a time. I'm very envious, and want to get one like he did . Here is Fred with his beautiful native steelhead.

Took a hike on my favorite beach , a great place to beach comb. As always I came across some interesting stuff. I found some bones , and then some brown fur and then..........eeeeee...yuk. A girl walking her dog filled me in to what it was. She said it had once been a giant sea lion. She said she had found it ten days ago and it was beautiful even in death. She said she had seen sea lions all over the world but never one this big. when she first found it it was in perfect condition ,and was over twelve feet long. I know this is totally gross but ---hey that's life .These are pictures of a sea lion dead after 10 days on the beach. Its now twenty five feet long . Crab anyone?

There just aren't enough hours in a day sometimes .Ive been working at nights in the shop on a few projects ,and have neglected my blog. I want to thank all the thousands of readers who e-mailed me about your concerns. All is well. After flying back from the Oscars, and Elton Johns party afterwards ,I just had to get some rest and get some other things done. I just finished watching the democratic debate and thought the moderators did a great job grilling them on allot of tough questions . Hillary who has been acting unbalanced ,with strange mood swings against Obama, seemed to ease back a little. After sarcastically scolding him and calling him out for a street fight she was very even tempered ----she should not have been ,if she wants to keep in it.. I expected allot more fireworks with crucial states primary ahead next week. She really didn't like talking about disclosing her income taxes which mad her look shifty. She is favored to win in Ohio but in light of her tactics , and tone,making her look bad the last few days, I am sticking with my prediction that she is going to lose Ohio and Texas. I thought Obama looked calm cool and collected. he deflected Hilliary's weak attacks and when on to make his points.They spent way to much time on their plans for heath care and keep beating the small differences to death, like they are just going to decree their plan if they become president . On the war in Iraq Obama said she helped drive the bus into the ditch, and i think that kind of stuck pretty well .I think Hillary and her campaign team have totally blown it for her and Obama can turn his attention to McCain. McCains campaign is dealing with financing issues and distanced himself from dirty politics,aimed at Obama, that when on before one of his rallies by a right-wing radical talk show host. It made McCain look good saying he didn't think it was right. I wonder how many times things like that will happen before the election. With the democrats and republicans doing their same song and dance , a new light has come up on the horizon. Yup, its Ralph.The perennial third party candidate , its Nader to the rescue. I'm glad to see somebody else get into the race ,if nothing more than to put some other issue on the table, that get bulldozed under by the big parties agendas. Maybe he can point out how similar they are to each other and bring to light what a bi-nopoly the have on politics. Anyway I don't think he can spoil the democrats chances like last time because at this time I think either of the democrats are going to crush Mccain in a huge landslide. Allot of people think it will be close but I think voters want new blood in Washington and it wont be hard to make McCain look like another Bush. Here are a few pictures of the snow we had this time of year ,last year. I guess it could still happen ,but I doubt it. Just in case I'm cutting more firewood tomorrow ,cause I'm almost out. --------energizer bunny arrested ---charged with battery.

Another beautiful day. Actually working in a t-shirt and it felt warm. I almost went snow blind from the sun reflecting off my white arms. I went down to the beach, planning to try some new things with my camera ,but my batteries went dead after just a few pictures . These are pictures of a colony of sea squirts. Not much new in politics maybe there never is . They are really harping about some petty little things right now, I guess they have to pace themselves. ----Democracy becomes a government of bullies tempered by editors.---Ralph Waldo Emerson

Today ,I wasn't going to write anything, especially after watching the media , seemingly need to invent ,scandals about the candidates ,but after dinner I was treated to some fun. I noticed our security lights on and when I went out I saw three young girls running away towards the beach, laughing like crazy. With the sound of heart stopping bass going on , I knew that there was a big party happening on the street above me . I decided to stake out the deer trail that comes down from the party ,through the property that I live on ,that leads down to the beach. No humans ,go that way normally ,but as kids are kids ,I figured some would try to shortcut after seeing some girls had tried it. It wasn't long when about a half a dozen girls ,tried to make their way through the thick brush,following their friends. I busted out of an ancient old abandoned outhouse/tool shed along the trail, and scared the living $%it out them. They all dropped their strawberry wine coolers and all began apologizing at the same time. I told them it was o.k but to walk on the street from now on and they could continue on their way. I decided to hang out a little while longer ,knowing where girls go boys will follow. Sure enough 10 minutes later , here comes the boys. It was very dark then , and I waited till they were close. I stepped out of the outhouse ,with my flashlight shining under my chin ,holding a double bitted cruising axe , and said WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE? They literally ran over each other, trying to get out of there. They ran into blackberry bushes ,and brush that was 10 feet tall . I yelled that it was o.k. but they were all going places no man or beast had ever gone before. They left their half drunk Bud Lites and allot of blood ,but not one said a word. Tonight I'm laughing my head off remembering all the times ,that I got busted in the same way. Things never change but you get to see things from different viewpoints. I'm sure the old farts that scared me didn't mean any harm either and probably laughed themselves silly too. Hopefully the kids tonight will have a good story to tell . Sitting in a old outhouse--not much fun----scaring the (r@p out of some kids ---PRICELESS

2.

Well the skeletons ,real on made up, are beginning to come out. John McCain gets accused of a possible affair with a female lobbyist which he flatly denied. If the New York Times had any real evidence they didnt show it. But a sex scandal and a lobbyist scandal combined is a real double wammy,even if it is probably a complete fabrication. If it is true ,the republicans might as well start consintrating on 2012 election and give up on this one. Of course there is allot of time left. Obama and Clinton had a nice little debate, and I am believing that Hillary is hedgeing her bets and is being nice so that she may run as v.p. .She had several chances to slam Obama, but didnt take them. Hillary just isnt that nice . I am betting they have already begun to work out a deal. I think they can continue to work together against McCain where he has to divide his attacks between the two of them. The debates seems to rally and unite democratic voters more than divide them. I think more and more that the republicans are going to lose the election in a landslide. I think the democratic voters are happy with either of the candidates,and are turning out in huge numbers,where allot of republicans arent sure about McCain. I think he is committing political suicide running on policies that mirror George Bush. Well the navy shot the satelitte down--Good shooting team -and the eclipse was really cool. I didnt get any shots but my friend Louie did. Check out her blog that is on my links section to see them. For some reason my ant movie wont load,but Im going to keep trying.---------"The difference between golf and government is that in golf ,you cant improve your lie." ===Ronald Regan

Today ,I ran into , a very special person,who I have known ,all my life . A teacher ,that greatly inflenced my appreciation for nature. Thirty years ,ago she showed me a tiny park in Ohio called (called the Top Of The World) were she taught an astronomy class , and that spot became a very special place to me.---and others That little piece of ground ,with all the stars above will always be special to me and I have loved astronomy ever since . . Today I tried to take photos of the eclipise but couldnt get a good vantage but spent the rest of the night star gazing .Im hoping Louie ,the shutterbug got some ,that I can get from her. Here is a movie on the ants.They were out ten fold compared to yesterday. Ants are cool.

Today was primary day here in WA. I was kind of sad because when I went to the polls, there was no voting going on. I hadnt realized that the absentee ballot we got in the mail was the only way to vote this time. Apparently neither did allot of people ,and we had to go home a get our ballots and bring them back and drop them in the box, at the polls. I never liked the idea of absentee voting unless there was a reason you could not get to the polls.Besides the many scandals that mail in voting has had I like to pull the lever and get my I VOTED sticker. Ive always felt proud to show what a priveledge we have in this country to be able to vote. I really missed seeing my neighbors ,showing up to support their candidates, and how they all walked out smiling with their heads held high after participating in our system. A mail in vote is completly without nuance, and I think it really detracts from the process. I went knowing that I would have to swear an oath that I was affiliated with one party or another if I wanted my vote to count.. Since primary votes dont count for the democratic party, I toyed with the idea of becoming a republican for the day, but since early states have determined that McCain will be the nominee , my vote for a different candidate( R.P.) would also be a waste. I will never understand why people in the early states completly negate who the rest of the country can vote for. I think people in all states should have a choice of who leads this country. Since my vote wouldnt matter anyways ,I did what thousands of Wa. voters did and refused to swear alligence to either party . This protest vote is in hopes to change this states policy to force voters to declare party preference. Tonight Wisconsin -the state that invented the primary election over 100 yrs. ago ,to give the peoples voice a chance to be heard instead of just the wishes of a few caucass voters-----did things diferently. They had a open ballot where voters could register ,on the spot, and vote for any candidate without swearing to be one party or another. This allows independants and people, that just want to vote their minds, to vote. I think this is the true meaning of democracy, instead of the watered down version so many states are forced to keep doing. Why one state has this priveledge and other states dont ,I dont know. As I understand it, this is set by the parties and the voters cant change it. It seems like political engineering to me. In national matters we should have a standard in voting that is fair to all. There is some talk about addressing some of these issues (like regional primaries) in congress, but thats like asking children to freely give up thier candy. Still more and more people are seeing the flaws in this antiquatted system, that is badly in need of reform.Yeah in my opionon!! Wait till the democratic convention, it promises to be a real fiasco if they dont fix the florida michigan thing. Two million voters being excluded with no way to fix it except spending 30 million on a second primary .Both candidates basically agreed with the party to not count the votes from these states . -- Obama and McCain won in Wisconsin . Michelle Obama really made a huge mis-statement saying she was never proud of America before. We will hear those words on McCains commercials for nine more months . Look to Ohio to make or break it for Clinton. She thinks she will win there ,but Im betting Obama takes it, even after his wifes blunder. In fact the entire staff here at Bucksnort central thinks its bye bye Hillary . She will have to get real nasty before then to hold on . Not much for pictures, but this ant hill, I walk by every day.Today was the first day I saw them come out, and all kinds of birds are showing up lately. I think that groundhog blew it ,at least for us here in Wa, spring is creeping in. ---"Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys." --- Will Rogers

Ahh Presidents day--The day we honor our presidents, or at least the day we are supposed to honor them .I didnt see anything about parades or celebrations . Maybe the peaple that work at banks or the post office, get together and have a big party. There are allot of sales for presidents day, which is fitting since poloticans sell out so much. How terribly cynical of me , huh? Go figure. Tommorow , I get to vote in our states primary. Unlike some states we have to swear a oath to one of the two parties for our vote to count. Like so many people in this state I wont do that and my vote will only go to protest this policy. It dosent matter much anyways because no votes from the primary counts toward delagates on the democratic side and only half of the delagates are derived in the primary, for the republicans. Even though 8 to 10 times more people will turn out to vote in the primary as the caucass the parties want to get rid of the primary. It seems like a watered down version of democracy to me. I think we should do like the Iraqis and just vote, stick your finger in ink ,then go home and shoot our guns in the air. It doesnt bother me much that my vote wont count , I just do it to get the flag stickers that say I VOTED. Today Mccain promised that if he was elected he would promise to not raise taxes. Coincidently , he got a big endorsement from former president George H.W. Bush ,who made the same promise but didnt keep it . With McCain now wanting the Bush tax cuts for the rich to be made permanant , that he once called a outrageous burdon on the middle class, he seems to be falling in line with his party. Clinton and Obama just keep shooting the same spit wads back and forth, with just about as much attention going toward Bill. I keep waiting for some giant skeleton to come from the candidates closets. I guess they are waiting closer to the national election.------"Folk that dont know why America is called the Land of Promise ,should be here during a election campain."---Milton Berle Today was beautiful and warm --They were putting out the easter candy,at the market ,sure signs that Spring is one the way.

It was a really nice day here , and tommorow is supossed to be even warmer. After getting roped into moving a friends furniture in the morning , I went for a long walk on the beach all afternoon. Down at the park peaple were out , flying kites, playing catch,and just hanging out. While I sat on a park bench eating my lunch an eagle sat on his perch above me eating a fish. Some guy ,that I have an idea was somebody famous (cause he was really good), played guitar on the sunny hill behind me. Pretty soon a lady that played a flute joined him. If they arent famous they should be . Soon about twenty peaple, from 5-85 ,were all standing around listening to them. Kids that looked like they were hippies transported in time ,straight from the sixties started doing some really goofy dancing, and one old lady laughed and clapped like she was hopped up on goofballs. It was quite a show . A little sun comes out and everybody gets happy. Heres a picture of the eagle and a really pschydelic jellyfish. I didnt even think to take a picture of the concert in the park. A movie of the freaky hippy kids dancing could have made me 10 grand from Americas funniest videos.

Well polotics has been find of quiet .Just a little mud throwing, nothing very juicy lately. Today was pretty nice here, and I did a bunch of yard work .It feels good with the days getting longer and warmer. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and almost 60! Oh yeah! Again no pictures worthy of posting so I thought I would see if I could post a movie. This is my old dog Chopper chasing waves. This was near the end of his life ,when he was 15. He could still run pretty good even after he had recouperated after getting hit by a truck. You should have seen him when he was in his prime ,he would chase waves endlessly,and was fast as a greyhound . I sure do miss him. Yesterday ,at the market a lady had a whole pick-up truck full of puppies, she was giving away. It sure was hard not to take one.She almost had me then I came to my senses.

It was a great day today for allot of reasons,that I wont go into,but the best reason was that I heard from an old friend that ,I havent heard from in a while . Nothing like hearing from old friends,to make you feel good but it was a very long day and I am too tired to even do one of my favorite things like complaining about politics. . Tune in tommorow for in depth ranting and raving. Life is good ,call an old friend tommorow .

Ahh Valentines Day ,the day of LOVE. Well enough about that. Today in congress some republicans walked out because of a vote over contempt by former Bush aides ,Miers and Bolton,to not turn over info on firings from the Bush adm. .The vote was passed 223 to 32 but the White house said it would not seek prosecution. Go figure .The Bush adm. claimed that presidential privilege covers staff, from realising information to congress. Bush once again stretches the power of the presidency like never before. This is most dangerous because future presidents will do the same thing.With no checks and balances ,and no penaltys for their actions , our leaders powers grow way beyond what was designed in the constitution. The Republican minnority leader walked out saying time would have been better spent ,passing the bill for wire tapping and e-mail spying without warrants, instead of looking at the presidents staff. He never said their time could have been better spent, while listening to countless hours of looking at steriods in baseball ,but today he has more important things to do. Me thinks we need to keep our eye on the ball ,and watch that the powers of the president dont get out of hand, after all we dont know who will be our next president and what they will want to hide. Today I cleaned my chimney out (oh what fun) and took this picture of the shiny bubblely gunk inside.Still messing with the macro setting on my camera. My Quote for V.D.--"The heart has its reasons that reason knows nothing of." ~Blaise Pascal, Pensées, 1670

Today in congress they spent another day listening to testimony about steriods in baseball, is it just me or does anyone else think they have more important things to do? What is next, vollyball scandals in front of the supreme court? Give me a break ! I pray they settle this before their next long vacation. Here are some photos of last nights sunset . Nothing special but I am messing with stiching them together. I dont know if they can post like that. -------"I dont mind what congress does ,as long as they dont do it in the streets, and frighten the horses" ---Victor Hugo