The Lovely Visits Hogle Zoo with Gretta & Eliza

We had a great day at the zoo.

The Lovely and Gretta Hogle Zoo Salt Lake City

We enjoyed a day at the zoo with Gretchen's children. The lovely and Gretta rode the merry-go-round. Aren't they a pair of divas? We were in SLC for Whitney Klomp's wedding to Tom Gourley. Tom is the nephew of my brother from another mother DelRay Maughan.

The reception was held at Sundance Resort.

Halloween 2008

Halloween 2008. An old Hippie and a 70's undercover cop showed up at 2566 East Plateau. Looking forward to next year I'm throwing a Halloween Party on Friday, October 30th to celebrate my 60th Birthday. You're all invited. Mark the date on your calendar. Remember it's a costume party so start thinking about your costume.

The Sawtooths

This summer in for the first time in 31 years the Idaho Fish and Game opened a salmon fishing season on the upper Salmon River. I just had to give it a try. To catch a wild salmon has been a dream of mine for some time. Long story short, I did it! I hooked, played and had a nice summer Chinook salmon break off just as I went to release it. What a beautiful creature. I would have let it go anyway. All I have is the memory. That's enough for me.

Ribbon Cutting Idaho Falls Airport Oct. 1, 2008

Western Construction Inc. had 30 days to reconstruct the 9000 foot runway at the Idaho Falls Airport. We completed the 8.5 million dollar project and actually opened 6 hours early. I have never been involved building such a perfect project to such demanding specifications. I can't believe how good our team is. Without sounding too boastful, I don't think there's another contractor in the area that could have done it. We're genuine hero's in the eyes of the airport manager, Len Nelson.
We worked 24 hours a day for the first 15 days and then we were able to perform all the asphalt paving work in daylight hours. Great weather helped.
I can't believe the talented bunch I get to work with. Ed, Marilyn, Grant, Randy, Rick, Ron, Pinky and Neil are the best!!

Fall Harvest

September brings harvest time to the Snyder Household. Carolyn canned over 100 quarts of peaches and this whole counter of canned jams and jellies. She made peach, peach/rasberry and peach/blackberry. I also spend 4 hours at the Church's Garden City Cannery inserting 3 pears every 6 seconds into a machine that peeled and cut in them in half . From there they fell onto a conveyor belt where they went down the production line and into cans.

The peaches, jams and jellies will sure taste good this winter!!

Boating at Lucky Peak

Eric and Gretta at Lucky Peak. We enjoyed a beautiful day boating and swimming.

Boating at Lucky Peak

While everyone was in town for Grandmother's funeral we had a chace to go boating. Anna and Little Gretta.

The Captain & The Lovely on the Payette River

Jack and The Lovely at Big Falls

No, we didn't run the falls!

White Water Adventures South Fork Payette River

The lovely and I had the opportunity to float the Canyon section of the south fork. The lovely is quite the sport. She volunteer to "Go Big" with the rest of her raftmates. Little did she know that "Going Big" equated to flipping the raft. Need less to say we survived the ordeal and had a great time. Carolyn did say it was scary being under water for a period of time. The photo is taken at Big Falls. We had to portage around the falls. The river is quite wild although the Banks-Lowman Highway runs along the river it is always well above the level of the river.

Catching a Wild Salmon in Idaho is an activity on my "Bucket List". I got the chance to fish for them last week. I did hook into a Salmon at the Redfish Lake Outlet Hole. It immediately jumped out of the water in a spectacular bid to free itself. After I played the fish downstream and devised a plan to land it, the fish regained its freedom breaking off the line. Oh well, it sure was a thrill. I'm a lucky guy. Love to all, Captain Jack

Jack in the Sawtooths. Note the wild flowers. Captain Jack

Carolyn, Iris and I drove up to Redfish Lake Saturday July 5, 2008. It was a fun day. Poor Redfish Lake. Between the pine bark beetle and a wind storm that knocked down hundreds of jack pines in the campground areas it looks like it's been clear cut. Two of the campgrounds were completely closed. We rented a motor boat and motored to the other end of the lake. The lake is a full as we've ever seen it. No beaches. Carolyn is planning on "Camp Carolyn" at Redfish in the future. The Captain

Little Gretta Visits Boise

Cali Laney is the neighbor girl who lives two doors down. When we moved into our home Cali was the same age as Gretta is now. Her birthday is Dec. 31st, Gretta's is Dec. 15th. Cali was a big help when I was Landscaping our yard. She would fitchtools and parts for me. They had fun on the tricycle. Love, Captain Jack

Little Gretta Visits Boise

We enjoyed having Gretchen, Gretta and Baby Eliza visit us in Boise. We had a 96th Birthday Party for Gretta Huff that everyone attended.

On Saturday Mary Ann Tueller hosted a baby shower for Anna. Anna's expecting a baby boy in early August. Everyone is looking forward to a big reunion in October in Minnesota.

Love, Captain Jack

Iris Brown has been visiting us for the last couple weeks while her owners vacation in the Roatan Islands off the coast of Honduras. She's a good girl! Spring has come to Boise, Idaho. Aren't the flowers beautiful? The thing I like best about Iris is that she transfers all the privileges of dog ownership to us while in our presence.

Newport Beach Trip March 14-21

One of our activities while on the CA coast was to go Whale Watching on a boat out of Dana Pt. Harbor.

We saw whales, dolphins, and sea lions. You know how I knew it was a sea lion? I could see it, and I'm not lying, therefore it must have been a sea lion!

I was surprised at the number of Gray Whales we saw. At least 4. We got within 50 yards. Gray whales migrate from the Sea of Cortez (Mexico) to Alaska. The whales we saw where headed north for the summer. I'll have to say hello to them when I'm fishing in Alaska this July!

Jelly Bean Theory

Years back I noticed that all car designers where making the corners of their designs rounded. Hence, my jelly bean theory that shortly you won't be able to distingush between a honda and a jaguar. Have you seen a new Jag? Minus the hood ornement to me it looks just like a Toyota Corrolla. Everything looking similiar.
I think we're witnessing the same event in the presidential race. What's the difference between Hillary and McCain. I don't see much.
I ran across a writer from the Rocky Mtn. news. Paul Campos. Here's his quote regarding McCain. "All this would be merely amusing if McCain were not a genuinely tragic figure. The young man who showed so much courage in the face of his North Vietnamese tormentors has become an old man whose courage abandoned him when subjected to the more subtle tortures of worldly ambition."
Whether it's Feingold/McCain, Kennedy/McCain, the Keating 5 I just don't see core values. He was dead wrong on imigration. Without licking his finger and holding it in the wind where would he lead us?

Jimmy Robison Visits Boise

Welcome to Captain Jack's World

Boise, Idaho Feb. 2, 2008 Jack Snyder Political Correspondence of A Free Idaho
I attended the Obama rally held on the campus of Boise State University to hear Obama’s message. Introduced by the former Governor of Idaho Cecil Andrus a man I have utmost respect for he lived up to his reputation was an orator in a rousing 46 minutes speech.
I was fully aware that Obama liberally sprinkled his speeches with the use of the words, Hope, Change and Believe. I wasn’t prepared to hear his use of the word Wait which was used 10 tens in emphasizing his position that we can’t “Wait for Change.” He also elegantly used a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King that “In the fiery urgency of now…”, we need change and of course he was the man to provide such change. Why now. Of course,” This is a defining moment in history.”
However, he explained that he was not running for the highest office out of ambition or because it was owed him but because he was the man to change how it all runs.
His only faux pox was one misspoken comment about where the rally was being held. Yes, he dropped the “I” bomb, “Iowa.” He quickly corrected his mistake by saying, “Yes there too.” I can of course forgive him for this mistake, as it was mostly a mature audience and we’ve all heard the word used before.
He did give proper credit to the founding fathers when explaining that “Hope is not blind optimism” but what the founding father held when carving out this nation. While exuding optimism he was realistic in his assessment that “Change is Hard, but unless someone is willing to hope, things can’t change.”
Note to anyone attending a future Obama rallies; make use you’re up on the use of the words and the meaning. At times I wasn’t use if he was hoping for change or changing for hope.
Now are you ready for his platform? Yes, he’s going to give you everything you ever wanted for free!!
He’s big on education. His platform includes raising teachers’ salaries, providing more early childhood education, lowering tuition, throwing out all standardized tests and give every college kid $4,000 per year. In fairness he said each kid had to volunteer to help America. He not only promised help in the education of reading, math and science but throw money in for arts and poetry. This surprisingly brought the biggest round of applause. I’m not kidding. Arts and poetry. And I thought the Chinese were beating our brains in economically through engineering and science. Maybe I got it wrong, the answer must be more arts and poetry. I not sure there’s a large export market for this, but what do I know.
The war. Simple answer, Cut and run. His administration however would not be afraid to negotiate with the bogeymen of the world. But, of course we wouldn’t negotiate out of fear.
The economy. Raise the minimum wage ever day if necessary not just once in a while. Every one working in America should earn a “Living Wage”. I’m not against this concept, don’t get me wrong, but should teenager working at McDonalds make it a career?
Health Care. It’s for everyone. If you can’t afford it we’ll subsidize you, and at the same time lower premiums for employers. Now that would really be magic.
Housing crisis. Extra mortgage deductions. Whatever that means.
Raise the taxes on the rich. I hope there’s a whole bunch of new wealth created with the earlier platform. We’re really going to need a lot more rich people if we’re ever going to pay for all this.
Finally a position I can agree with him on. He’s not going to take away my gun. He’s strong on second amendment rights!
He also took a short time to ridicule the politics of fear. He’s expressed he was a Christian man and believed in Jesus. He explained he was raised by a single mother and pledge allegiance to America.
He somehow avoided the issue of illegal immigration.
I have no doubt in my heart that the man wants a better America. I believe he’s sincere in his appeal.
It has been since 1960 that an active presidential candidate was campaigned in Idaho. JFK stopped in Lewiston, Idaho in 1960. I think its great Obama didn’t overlook us. Frankly I proud to think he cared enough to spend some time with us Idahoans. I wish him the best. I was most moved by the turn out, the local press reported it at 14, 600. I know the pavilion held more that that.
I’m glad there are people who care about the direction of this great land. I say let the debate continue.