Dad and Snakes

Janet with her snake around the arm reminded me of a couple of snake stories, both were traumatic to me. Story 1. When I was a child of 7 years old we lived on Woodvine Street in Sough Boise across Boise Ave. and down the hill near an irrigation ditch lived piles and piles of snakes, baby snake and the like. My friends and I thought it to be bun to take some home and put them in my mother’s dishwater. Not fun at all I got a whipping. One day as we played with the snakes one went up my pant leg all that squirming around led me to believe I was in danger. I couldn't get my clothes off fast enough. This began my big fear of snakes.

Story 2. In the summers when I was young I got to go down on the farm and be with grandpa. Sometimes I got to dive the tractor (well I thought I was) and I had some chores. I got 10cents a day to feed the chickens, I was good at it; it bought me lots of bubble gum. I would get the grain out of the barn. One day as I reached into the sack a big black snake came out. It reminded me of the snake up the pants only he was much bigger. I went screaming bloody murder back up to the house. Uncle Ted (really cousin Ted) said what’s a matter? SNAKE! SNAKE! SNAKE!!! After I calmed down I related my problem. Ted said don't worry I'll take care of it. He got his gun and went to the barn-then the loud sound of a gun. Ted came back to the house and said it was safe to go feed the chickens. Soooo dumb as a little kid could be I ran down to the barn, swung open the door to the barn, and walked face into the dead snake hanging suspended in the air. The horror was beyond anything I could imagine. To this day I can't be around any snake. I HATE SNAKES! I repeat, I HATE SNAKES! KEEPS THOSE SNAKES AWAY FROM ME! True stories.

Mormon Ducks

Greg trying to hand feed a goose.

These photos were taken during spring break 2008, when Greg and Allison were in Boise. We took them to the zoo and to feed the duck at the boat pond afterwards. When we got into the car to leave the Sea Gulls started to land and Grandpa said, "Here comes the Mormon ducks". Greg didn't know what he meant so we told them the story of the crickets and how the Sea Gulls came and ate the crickets to save the crops. After listening to the story Greg said, "What do Christian ducks look like?" I laugh every time I think of the story.

Look at Allison's pitching arm.

Grandpa and Izzy in the background

Letter from Dad

Hello Family,

Just to let you know I really like the daily reports off the computer. It seems like you are all right there but not. I like all the pictures and day to day commentary.
I generally live a normal life. I enjoy my four dogs. It’s impossible to keep them from barking outside the house. When they do I drag them back inside the house. They are especially the Bassets full size 65 pounds, and can they howl. They could be considered my late life children. What a pain sometimes. They are so sly anything not nailed down is taken outside and destroyed. The latest theft was a cheap Book of Mormon Darlene was reading. The Bassets have these incredible mouths. They can turn a simple book into 50,000 pieces of confetti. It took me an 1 ½ to clean it up. They’re so cute.
I write to you to let you know my feelings on volunteering especially where it concerns the welfare of people less fortune then you. I work 3 days a week at the cannery. It is a large operation. At peak business we can put 50 to 60 people to work, and put out 22,000 cans of food a day, that’s 2 shifts or 8 hours. We produce all the turkey and pears for the whole world. We will fill 30 semi loads of peas to be trucked to Salt Lake City. As you know the need is greater than it has ever been. The need for more volunteers has never been greater than now and the promise is that the need will be even greater. I have been at the cannery for going on 8 years now. I know that I bless lives every day, and my life also is bless greatly also. If you have time at all I would advise you to take time out of your already busy schedule to help the poor. After all it is one of your major responsibilities that we were all given. I can’t explain the feeling that comes to you when you help those that are less fortunate.
I would now tell you a little about our nursing home responsibilities. We hold a sacrament meeting just like in the ward building but a shorten version. I can only say that it has been a very humbling experience. I become over taken by the sprit each and every meeting. There are those old ladies who think I’m some kind of a holy man. I feel very much drained at the end of the meeting. Darlene and I love these ladies. We are also their home teachers. They are so appreciative of what ever we do for them. I even make cookies for each of them a couple of weeks ago. Its interesting the older I am becoming the more humble I am becoming and things I thought were big things are no longer anything. The chance to be of service for what ever reason only adds to the zest of your life. I know this is not what you remember of me when you when you were kids. I wish I had learned this earlier.
Well I said a little to you to let you know what I do every day that I live. Keep the fun information coming it makes me feel closer to all of you.
Love,
Dad

Frozen Fun

More pictures of looking back this was the Chirstmas parade in Boise with Greg, Allison, Izzy, Grandma & Grandpa Wood Shane (Izzy's Dad is taking the photo). Nov. 2007

It was 1 1/2 hours of frozen fun. A very cold day, with lots and lots of waiting and listening for the parade to start. And then the parade came such a sad sad parade only one marching band and it wasn't even from Boise. Lots of old cars, and people walking in groups. Finally SANTA! Oh well we had fun laughing and trying to stay warm.

Home Work

This was a homework email that went around my school. It didn't happen at my school, but every parent should take it as a warning.

Now if you have put your eyes back in their sockets read the note the mother sent to school.

Dear Mrs. Jones,

I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I ever been, an exotic dancer. I work at Home Depot and I told my daughter how hectic it was last week before the blizzard hit. I told her we sold out every single shovel we had, and then I found one more in the back room, and that several people were fighting over who would get it. Her picture doesn't show me dancing around a pole. It's supposed to depict me selling the last snow shovel we had at Home Depot. From now on I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly before she turns it in.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Smith

CRAZY

It has been a week since may surgery now and I am going CRAZY! I can now get in and out of chairs, bed and cars fine, I do still get a tired easily, and some of the incisions are still sore. I am missing the kids at school and the routine. Maybe I am autistic because I need my routine. Ken is at the cannery right now so I have the house to myself for the next 5 hours if you don't count the 4 dogs and the cat fighting. I have watched movies, worked on my quilt some, scrap booked some, I haven't read yet. Sometimes I feel like Frank & Marie on Everybody Loves Raymond, but I am Frank and the lodge he goes to is closed for a few days and he is going crazy and driving Marie crazy too. Oh well the Lodge (school) will be back in session next week and then I will complain that I am too busy and wish I had time to stay home and watch movies, read, work on my quilt, and scrap book. I guess we always want what is across the fence. Really life is good here, I am just CRAZY!

Jeff's Baptism

These are some photos of Jeff's baptism. We thought you all might enjoy seeing them.

This is the family in Union that are good friends of Jeff.

Grandpa Wood and Jeff don't they look happy together.

Day After Surgery

It is the day after the surgery and I am SORE!!! But other than that everything is fine. Grandpa went to the cannery this morning and our neighbor from across the street came over to check in on me. Yesterday is was hard to stand up from my chair and I had to walk bent over. This morning when I was alone and needed to get up I couldn't stand up from the chair, I had to slide on to my knees to the floor and then stand up. After that I took a pain pill and I can get up and down even though it hurts. Right now I am sleeping a lot from the pills, but that's okay. Sleep is always good.

Second Childhood

When we went to Disney World Grandpa had a great time on the Merry Go Round. He said it reminded him when he was a kid, (it brought tears to his eyes). We had a wonderful time there several days of being at the parks before they opened an getting back to our motel after 11:00 PM. This was also Grandpa first time of dealing with humidity. I had tried to warn him about it but, until you feel it you just can't understand what it is like. We rode almost all the rides, went t Epcot, MGM Studios, Disney Animal Park, Sea Word and Discovery Cove. What a great vacation. Wouldn't it be fun to go as a family sometime?