Back from Cousinpalooza

Back from Cousinpalooza! Rockband was played, meat and bread and vegetables were eaten, the dog was petted and sympathetically coo'd over, the back of the legs were repeatedly shanked by the dog's cone, the walk was walked, the marshmallows were eaten and the Russian palace was puzzled together. And Alex dug holes. With spoons. Back in the day.

And now, some questions.


So if ____ were a bird, he/she would be…
1) an eagle
2) a crow
3) a sparrow
4) a vulture
5) a peacock
6) a chicken

If shoes began raining from the sky, ____ would…..

1) Scream.
2) Use the falling shoes as batting practice.
3) Take the shoes and sell them, only to discover the market was flooded.
4) Eat them.
5) Sleep through the event.
6) Dance among the shoes with an umbrella.

If ____ were to choose a number, that number would be….
1) 5
2) 3
3) 2
4) 6
5) 4
6) 1
7) Gravel

Gingerbread houses and Spore critters

Back from visiting Kate and the cousins. The tree was bought; the gingerbread house was a triumphant and yet oddly tame victory; and the dog was (briefly) decked with bells and ribbons.




Here's some comparison photo from last year, to explain what I mean:



Two hours of battling bad gingerbread architecture, paste, bonbons and gravity.... The second photo shows our expressions only 20 min into it. Needless to say, the fate of the gingerbread house was doomed, as you can tell from the closeup of the house and its already gently tilting wall.

Since this year's gingerbread house is in fact decorating the dining room, as opposed to getting thrown off the deck, I suppose it wins in something.



And here is the dog.





Also, Alex showed me how to mess around in "Spore". Below is the critter I designed.












Here, the larger creature is playing around with its young. Or... Her young? Since the larger creature laid an egg?

Ducklings, Coon, Noble Hound

Here are some ducklings I saw at Jamaica Pond.







Below is a coon that was hanging around the neighbor’s tree. Not my neighbor, Kate's neighbor.





We think it is a mama coon, from the second photo. (Either it's some weird fur or a baby coon.)

And here -- here is a noble, noble hound. Bask in the nobleness.