Sonoran Desert Snyder Family Letter | 2024

We took our Hill Farmily to Exo, one of our favorite coffee places. (We have a few. This is definitely Kina’s favorite). (left-to-right): Kina, Carli, Jon, Rose, Katie, Gina, Garret, me and Sammy. We look happy because we were.

Dear Family and Friends:

Welcome to the 25th edition of the family holiday letter.

It’s Sept. 21 around 11p. We get a text from Gina. She’s read in a group chat that an animal rescue has a puppy needing a home. There’s a photo with a little black dot in the middle. Rose gets in contact with  the person with the dog. We say that we’d be interested in meeting the little guy.

The dog comes over. We meet. ‘Do you want to foster him for a week with a possible eye towards adopting?’ Ah, sure, I guess so. He’s cute. Just three months old and has only one set of shots. He’s busy. Playful. Bites a lot. Runs around. Tries to eat rocks. Digs holes. Puppy stuff.

We’re given a box of ‘pee pads.’ “What are these for?” He pees in the house 50 times.

Oh.

At the end of the night, every day for a week, Rose and I talk. Me: “We’ve got to give this dog back. This is not for us. This is too much.” He needs 24/7 care. His little puppy teeth cut me open. I’ve got wounds. “Let’s give him back before we get too attached.”

Rose says, “But I love him.”

Oh shit.

Jokie (YO-key), the Schnauzer Doodle.

Speaking of shit, Rose took a trip to Washington D.C. and the dog got sick. For five days in a row, he’d pooped at 6p, 9p, 11p, 1a, and 3a. Like clockwork. At first, I was not prepared. The first night he pooped something awful on the floor and then later barfed in bed. So, now you’ve got my attention. He gets up again for a third time and it sounds like he’s going to barf. I grab him and – like that old commercial of O.J. Simpson running through the airport – I run to the back door. There’s no lights on. I don’t have my phone to light the way. I’m not wearing my glasses. I not wearing clothes. I’m in my underwear, walking like a blind man, no shoes on, stepping on rocks, but I’ve gotten him outside. I’ve released him into the darkness, hoping our neighborhood owls don’t swoop down on him.

From that moment on, I developed a system. Near the door, I created a station. Shirt, pants, jacket, shoes, glasses, phone. Like a firefighter. The dog lays next to me. I can feel any shift now. We’re connected. Like a pit crew. I get myself ready and him outside in a blink of an eye. I keep honing my craft, like a bronco buck rider. I want to set a new county record for getting the dog outside.

I began keeping what I called a “Poop Log,” which I thought was hilarious. I kept notes because the woman from the rescue asked me if the poops smelled “metallic.” I responded, “I don’t know; they just smelled awful.” She asked me to describe the consistency. “Any sign of worms?”

He literally laughs at my jokes.

In the “Poop Log” I noted anything I deemed, um, noteworthy. I developed my own lexicon, for example, some poops were rated ‘gloppy,’ while others were ‘goopy.’ Totally different. But “gloppy’ and “Dairy Queen” mean pretty much the same thing.

I washed my hands constantly and yet I wondered, “What does it mean that my poops are starting to smell like the dog’s?”

Anyways, that happened and, eventually, he got better.

We adopted him. He’s ours now.

He is a Schnoodle, AKA a Schnauzer Doodle, from an organization called Paws Without Borders.

We named him Jokie, pronounced Yo-kee, after Denver Nugget, the NBA champion and three-time MVP,  Nikola Jokic. Keeping with tradition, since we named Kirby after Minnesota Twin and two-time World Series champion, Kirby Puckett.

We also call him Loki, after the God of Mischief, when he gets crazy, which happens often.

Jokie’s original family in Mexico did not take care of him. Left him outside to fend for himself. By the time they took him to a facility, he was malnourished, ribs showing. His paws were filled with ticks and fleas.

Now he lives in Hill Farm. A neighborhood of dog lovers. Neighbors heard about the new little black dog. They are patient with his exuberant puppy ways. Jokie is a happy, friendly little fellow with many new dog friends. A few of our neighbors brought him Christmas presents.

He is our little present.

Sunset inside the Chiricahua National Monument.

A Wonderland of Rocks

In the early spring, Carli, Jon, Kina and Garret came to visit and we did it up. It was the one-year anniversary of the wedding of the century. So, members of the wedding party, our new extended family,  reconvened, mostly to take more pictures. Carli, Jon, Kina and Garret stayed at the Farm House at Hill Farm. Our group is called “Hill Farmily.”

We were all happy to be back together, and we had fun with the whole group early on, but unfortunately, Gina and Katie got COVID and had to quarantine, a major disappointment.

But we soldiered on. Jon scoped out the Chiricahua National Monument, in the southeast corner of the state.

Tucson is a Dark Sky designated city, but if you really want to see the stars at night, big and bright, you don’t have to go deep in the heart of Texas, you need to take a couple long and lonely country roads to the middle of Nowhere, Arizona.

Chiricahua is an International Dark Sky Park.

The National Park Service gives this description of the place, “Explore rhyolite pinnacles and balanced rocks on foot or by car. Relax at the campground under star-filled, dark skies. See how a mountain range rising between two deserts creates a home for diverse wildlife. Imagine history here. Prehistoric peoples, Apaches, Buffalo Soldiers, Civilian Conservation Corps, ranchers, and homesteaders inhabited Chiricahua.”

When you drive through the park, you see these amazing rock formations. Our drive, taken near sunset, featured an even more interesting contrast of light and dark. Our group, filled with photographers, would agree with the NPS that Chiricahua is a “wonderland of rocks.”

Jon and I enjoy a magnificent sunset at Massai Point.

At the end of the eight-mile drive on Bonita Canyon Road, you ascend to Massai Point. Massai is the name of a Chiricahua Apache man. The U.S. government forcibly removed the Native people, the Apache. Put them on a train to Florida. Your kids probably won’t learn that in school anymore, but it’s important to know our history, both good and bad.

Anyways, the park became a part of the National Park Service in 1934. The Civilian Conservation Corps had cleared the plateau – that we visited – and there was a dedication ceremony with 6,000 people and 1,000 cars. They cooked a massive feast with 1,000 pounds of beans and several tons of beef.

We also feasted on several tons of PB&J sandwiches and salted chips and waited for the dark skies. The sunset was spectacular. The layers of mountains and canyons and wilderness. (We’ll have to go back and camp, just to hike all the trails.) Late in the evening, there were three cars on the plateau, our two and some family in an RV, who unbelievably kept turning on their external lights … arrrgggghhhh … there was almost a murder at Massai Point that night, but eventually they left, and we had the place to ourselves.

And we saw a bunch of stars. Rose and I saw more than that. With our keen eyes, we swore we saw numerous, and I mean numerous, moving objects. Stars? UFOs?

Turns out, it’s an optical illusion. The autokinetic effect happens when a stationary point of light in a dark environment appears to move due to the lack of visual reference points, causing your brain to interpret slight eye movements as actual movement of the light source.

It was a great bonding experience. We had a group hug at the end of the night.

We knew that we wanted to visit the park, “Top of the World,” while in Laguna, but we picked one of the last possible day and we left late. We had to hurry or miss the sunset. Our GPS gave us the route which included driving up the steepest road that I’ve ever seen, let alone tried to summit. Third Street has a 30 percent grade; one of top 10 steepest streets in the country. But we got there just in the nick of time. I fortunately was able to capture this mountain biker in the scene.

Top of the World

Rose and I love Southern California. The beach communities are just so beautiful. We could easily see ourselves living there someday (although we wouldn’t be able to afford it). So, we are devastated by the wildfires. A friend of ours, Olympian Gary Hall, Jr., lost his home and all his worldly belongings. It is just terrible. Give to Gary’s GoFundMe page.

You can support the Red Cross by making a donation online, by calling (800) 733-2767 or texting REDCROSS to 90999.

An online monetary donation to the California Fire Foundation Wildfire and Disaster Relief Fund directly supports victims of wildfires and disasters throughout California, including the L.A. County area.

In late May, Rose and I took our annual spring vacation; this time to Joshua Tree National Park and Laguna Beach, California. Almost as much fun as the vacation … the night we planned the trip. We came home after dinner and drinks and busted out the laptops in our bedroom, surveying the Pacific Coastline on Google Maps and the drive to California. Rose found the Joshua Tree Inn, a beautiful little roadside motel with an awesome pool, minutes from the park’s entrance. I discovered the Laguna Beach House. Their promo videos featured Olympic volleyball player Kelsey Robinson. That was a sign from the universe.

So, we drive to Joshua Tree, California. The hotel is small and funky. The bathroom design was interesting. The sink cabinet is situated directly in front of the toilet. Not ideal, unless you were a small child. With my knees smashed into the cabinet, I was able to lay my head down on the sink, whilst taking a dump.

We immediately drive into the park and see acres of Joshua trees and interesting rock formations. I think, really, that’s the best part … the anticipation of seeing something new and cool. As the sun was beginning its descent in the sky, we saw those iconic trees casting 100-foot shadows. It was awesome.

Fun fact: Joshua trees aren’t trees—they’re succulents, a type of plant that stores water.

A Joshua Tree shadow on a Joshua Tree trail in Joshua Tree National Park.

We tried to replicate our experience from Chiricahua by going into the park at night. Joshua Tree has the same sort of design and is also an International Dark Sky Park. If you drive to the backend of the park, there’s a plateau, perfect for sunset and star gazing, but we didn’t want to drive all the way back there, so we just found a spot off the main road and parked. It was dark, but every 20 seconds a car would drive by. We’d say “Car,” close our eyes and wait for it to pass. It got a comical after a while.

We liked Joshua Tree, but it was just the appetizer to Laguna Beach.

Heisler Park and Cliff Point are directly behind our hotel where to find an immaculately landscaped pathway elevated above the beach. That park, point and pathway give you that classic view of the coastline.

Fun fact: We had stayed in Laguna Beach before for our fifth anniversary with our little girls, Carli and Gina, who was in mommy’s belly.

In that fun research session, when I found the Laguna Beach House, I also found Crystal Cove Cottages, just north of Laguna, that includes 30 or so recently restored, century-old cottages right on the beach. On our first day in Laguna, we went for a visit. We were peeping the cottages, when a woman greeted us. “I’m checking out, do you want to look inside?” Yes, we did. The cottage was built in 1930. Everything inside was tiny and built for efficiency. Built for the tiny American humans of the 1920s.

We walked up and down the beach and then up and down a trail up above. We were all walked out, but we still wanted to visit the Shake Shack, a Crystal Cove fixture since the 1950s. We had a choice, walk six more blocks up a hill or cross the street and get in the car. We got in the car and hoped to find a closer parking lot. Well, long story short, we parked about a mile away and walked back to the Shake Shack for lunch and shakes. It was very frustrating and funny, and, in the end, totally worth it.

I had a chocolate strawberry shake and Rose had chocolate turtle.

Finally, we caught a perfect sunset from a place called, the “Top of the World.”

Rose eyeballing Oscar. The troll’s eyes are made of glass and they seem to follow up. He is pointing down to challenge viewers to think about their role in the environment.

Oscar The Bird King

For the past couple of summers Carli and Jon have spent an extended vacation to stay with Kina and Garret in their beautifully appointed Craftsman-style home in Tacoma. This summer they invited us to join them for a visit.

They took us to Port Townsend, a cute seaside town, to look for sea glass on a rocky beach. Sea glass are tiny, colorful, glass-like rocks. They are hard to find in a sea of similar sized rocks. I can only imagine that it would be like trying to find a colorful needle in a haystack, to use a phrase. It was great being on the beach, trying something new. The highlight of the day … I saw two bald eagles. Not only that, but I also took a video of them, chirping to each other. Eagles sound like little parakeets when they chirp. I had just learned about this in a documentary, so it was cool to capture it live and in person.

As we were walking towards the car, the eagles flew directly overhead.

Me and Rose on the ferry to Vashon Island. We were very excited to be on a boat.

Another day we walked along the Ruston Way Waterwalk to Point Defiance Park, an amazing vantage point, overlooking the Puget Sound … at sunset, no less. It was amazing. Amazing. I’d never seen anything like that. The next day we took the ferry to Vashon Island. The trees along Vashon Highway are Western Redcedar, 60-to-80 feet tall, up to 100-feet-tall. Very impressive.

We had a great meal at Ruby Brink, where unbelievably Garret and Kina noticed a cook and cookbook author, Sonoko Sakai. During COVID, Kina was missing her mom’s cooking, so they bought “Japanese Home Cooking” and cooked their way through it. And there she was. Kina got a chance to chat with her for a bit. Photos were taken.

Later walking in a Port Robinson trail we came across a giant wooden troll, Oscar the Bird King, by Danish artist Thomas Dambo. He has created over 130 giant troll sculptures in 20 countries all made from recycled materials.

Thanksgiving in Minnesota

I went home to the Great Northland for Thanksgiving. I haven’t seen my sisters Mary and Margaret, who turned 80 on Nov. 30, in a long while. My biggest concern pre-trip was socks. I don’t really wear them anymore. Partly because it’s always a thousand degrees in Tucson and partly because I have neuropathy in my feet.

Mary and I bonded over comparing foot ailments. We also learned that we both like the Red Clay Strays.

The Snyder Siblings. Me and Dave, Margaret and Mary at Thanksgiving.

There was Thanksgiving night, a party for Margaret and a football watch party for the Minnesota Vikings. It was great to see my siblings, nephews and nieces. I liked talking with them. But, for whatever reason, they didn’t want to talk with me. Specifically, they kept saying, “We don’t want to hear about your issues with your gut health.” Apparently, that’s not a good dinner table conversation topic.

I stayed in a hotel that had, among other things, a restaurant, bar and spin bike, which was awesome.

It was below zero most days. Thankfully, I brought two pairs of long johns, they came in handy. (Yes, in our giant moving-to-Arizona purge, my long johns made the cut, which seems odd, but you got to play the long game.) I saw Jeff again. We walked around downtown Minnesota looking for the Christkindl Market. 10,000 steps in below zero temperatures. Maybe polar explorer Roald Amundsen isn’t “The Last Viking.”

Maybe I’m the last Viking.

Hill Farmily at Christmas in our little kitchen. I was a little amazed that we all fit in our family room to open presents on Christmas Eve.

Christmas in Tucson

We got some bad news that Rose’s mom, Mary AKA Nana, had taken a fall and hurt her back just a couple of days before Christmas. She had to stay in the hospital over the holiday, her birthday on Dec. 30 and New Year’s. Thankfully she’s back home now and on the mend. We were and are all thinking of you, Nana.

We had a full house for Christmas. Sammy, Gina, Katie, Carli, Jon, Kina, Garret, Rose and myself. Here’s what I most loved about having them all here … the three ‘young people’ couples were like a swarm in the kitchen. Somebody’s chopping, somebody’s mixing, somebody’s stirring and somebody’s washing dishes. Dinner is served and the kitchen is spotless. Rose was in heaven. Rose also had a lot of helpers for the making of the Pitta ‘Mpigliata, her  traditional Calabrese raisin-and-walnut pastry. She also had to break out nine shot glasses for the traditional ‘drinking of the shots.’

Self-portrait.

We played a lot of games, including one called, “Quiplash.” You play on your phone. Everyone is given two phrases to fill-in-the-blanks. It’s fun. People show how clever or funny they are. Your answers go up on the TV screen, you vs. one other person and the group votes for their favorite. Well, I try to be funny. So, this one time, my answer goes up on the screen and laughter erupts. I’m thinking, “Nailed it.”

Everyone votes. The tallying of the votes has a sound effect. Do, do, do, do, do, do.

All six votes go to … Sam’s answer!?!?

“What!?”

“What’s happening? What’s going on right now,” I thought.

It took me a minute, but then it all became abundantly clear. They weren’t laughing at my answer. They were laughing at Sam’s answer.

I’m no longer the funny one in my own family.

I’ve lost my mojo and losing my mojo aged me terribly. It’s pretty sad actually. My only New Year’s Resolution for 2025 is to try and not make any sounds when sitting down or standing up from a sitting position. No moaning and/or groaning. Easier said than done.

But if there had to be a passing of the comedy torch, I’m glad it was to Sam. He’s funny and he learned from the best. Now I know how LeBron feels taking the court with Bronny.

I wish everyone health and happiness in 2025.

Happy New Year!
Charlie | Rose | Carli | Gina | Sam | Jon | Katie | Jokie
© Snyder Family Holiday Letter 2025

Keep your head up and on a swivel as we move forward this year.

The puppy.

This was a year of great photos, but this is my favorite. Jon hugging Rose in Tacoma.

What a nice photo. Incidentally, Carli is graduating from The Graduate Center on June 10. Dr. Snyder. Jon Rose or Jon Pérignon as we call him ran his first 5K this year. They are building their vinyl collection, asking me for tips on Bob Dylan or whatever.

Me and the boy in downtown Tucson. Sam is taking film classes at Pima Community College. He has met a number of interesting professionals in the film game this past year, including Oscar-winning cinematographer freakin’ Roger Deakins (The Big Lebowski, Shawshank Redemption, Fargo, 1917). He also hire to work at a cool tile shop on Fourth Avenue. Sam made a good impression when he made a video of the tile artists decorating a bench on campus at the U of A, honoring RBG. He does grouting, among other things, at Santa Theresa Tile Works, which he enjoys very much.

Katie and Gina at Crooked Tooth Brewery. They went to Alaska where Katie grew up and where their family lives for a wedding. Gina did all sorts of things outside of her comfort zone. She held a live shrimp, caught a fish, and slept on a boat as well as using an ‘alternative’ toilet. I couldn’t be more proud. Katie did the impossible and got me a candle for Christmas that I really like (I’m hard to please.) My Gina highlight was her choir solo. Singing an Ella Fitzgerald song, ‘What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?’ She straight up murdered that solo. #Showstopper

Garret and Kina decided that they wanted to spend Christmas with us. How did we get so lucky? When we were in Tacoma, Garret was talking to someone about having babies. Maybe Carli and Kina will have babies someday. Maybe Carli and Kina will have babies at the same time. Garret turned to me and said something like, you’re going to be a Grandpa to two babies at the same time. Kina made the same salad everyday during Christmas, had some pears in it, and I loved it every time. I miss that salad. We would absolutely have them back again for Christmas or Thanksgiving, Arbor Day, what have you.

Sun getting low in the sky at Joshua Tree. I love the layers.

Gina at Crooked Tooth.

Rosemary got a new job as director of the Center for Healthy Nonprofits. She keeps getting great freelance gigs, making friends and going on walks,  and running our household, all while I work on puzzles. I tell her that we are all lucky to have her … me, the kids, the dog. and Planet Earth.

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