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

Well as expected, McCain and Obama won their primarys today .Obama really stomped Clinton and definitly has the momentum. I wouldnt want to be Bill Clinton tonight as Hillary is probably having a tantrum watching her chances getting smaller. It wasnt long ago she was already picking out the drapes for the oval office and now she is on thin ice. She has to win BIG in Wisconsin, Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Tonight Obama passed her in popular votes as well as delagates and Obama is getting votes from groups that he wasnt expected to get. The fat lady is warming up. John McCain did very well ,even getting some conservative votes signaling the party might be trying to get united . Huckabee just will not drop out,saying that he thinks voters deserve a choice of candidates not just a coranation. What a novel idea , voters having choices. Maybe the whole country will move to Iowa to get to vote for their choices next time. Ron Paul should sputter to a halt any moment now,and go back to,campaining for his seat in congress and balancing the budget of Texas, maybe McCain will make him Sec. of the Treasury,but I doubt it .He has probably already promised that to Rommny or (d?) Lieberman or Sylvester Stalonne for givinghim their endorsements. Maybe Rocky will be Secratary of Defense or Judge Dreed will be on the Supreme court. It looks more and more like it might be McCain vs. Obama but it anything could still happenIts the old expierenced,status quo ,Bushalike against the inexpierianced ,head in the clouds ,young ,new hope for change. A guy that says we could be in Iraq for 100 yrs vs a guy that promises to be out around lunchtime. What a choice. Changes in the economy ,and Iraq will really bounce things around with a nasty fight to the end and will make it the most intresting election possibly ever. As far a photography I am really getting to appreciate professionals and how hard it is to get something good .I am getting about one interesting photo per thousand taken. I had to pull this picture of deer jumping over a fence ,out of some shots from last spring.The deer both jumped the fence ,back and forth ,twice leaving themselves still on oposite sides, until they both trotted off, in the same direction , ,tired and confused ,though still divided ---(kind of like the Republican party) .Unfortunatly for them they were blindsided by a bus on the highway at the other end of the field. I think in the bus, was a bunch of young people headed for a Young Democrats rally . Just kidding -----It was a greyhound headed for Tacoma. For me the photography isnt so much as how the pictures turn out ,as it is to just get out and turn out some pictures. I guess I cant expect to take facinating ,award winning shots, like ballons stuck in trees ,everyday but Ill keep trying. Quote of the day --- "I have opionons of my own-----strong opinons----but I dont always agree with them." George Bush --I have always thought,that he is a man that believes in what he says.