Tunnel Bridge in the Sandbox

Thursday, June 3rd, 2021

Our Back Yard

Monday, May 31st, 2021

This year’s rabbit pastureβ€”

 

 

 

Minnie Bun the Giant Rabbit is a wonderful mamaβ€”

 

 

 

The view from the balcony at sunsetβ€”

 

Sling

Saturday, May 1st, 2021

 

Minnie the Giant Rabbit’s first litter of bun-buns was born on April 10th.

There were eight. Iris does not pick favorites:

she puts them all into the doll sling and takes them out for a walk.

 

 

 

Fortunately, rabbits like snuggling.

 

 

 

Later, we take a walk without the rabbits. We go to the little creek that flows from the old Val-Esterie property past the water treatment plant and into the Coaticook River. Two Little People mamas come with us. For some reason, they have twine around their necks. I think they were going to go swimming. Standing at the edge of the creek, Akiva holds the end of one piece of twine and twirls the mama round and round as one would twirl a sling with a rock in it. Like a rock shot from a sling, the toy flies through the air, never to be seen again. At least not by us. Somewhere down by the creek there is a little blue Little People mama with blonde hair waiting to be found. Akiva is distraught.

 

 

 

On the way home we stop at the school playground.

Akiva swings high like a rock in a sling.

And like a rock shot from a sling, he flies high over the trees, through the clouds, back home.

 

Little People in the Sandbox

Tuesday, April 27th, 2021

The best thing about vintage Fisher Price Little People is all the people and the accessories.

We got rid of most everything else.

 

 

 

In this case, I am not exactly certain what is going onβ€”

something involving some goats and some people in blue police-style hats. They might be farmers.

 

 

 

There are a lot of other people, tooβ€” tho none of them seem to lively at the momentβ€”

and an up-turned television, currently being used as a trough.

 

 

 

The fields are well groomed.

 

 

 

The machines are well maintained.

 

 

 

It looks pretty peaceful. I will try to remember it that way.

 

At the Car Cemetery

Saturday, April 24th, 2021

We went to the Car(r) Cemetery. Whole car(r) families are buried there.

 

 

 

We found Father and Mother Car(r)β€”

 

 

 

Their ancestor, Parker Car(r), who seems to have lived a very sedentary lifestyleβ€”

 

 

 

And Parker’s wife, Sarahβ€”

 

 

 

 

And Ernest A. Car(r), who was always serviced by the most honest of mechanicsβ€”

 

 

 

We also found Mary, whoever she wasβ€” a wagon, perhaps.

 

 

 

Many people doubt that cars have funerals, but I have proof.

Here, for example, is the funeral of a maroon 2005 Prius, as documented by my brother, Dan Shanahan.

 

click here for more drawings by Dan

 

 

Iris’s 9th Birthday

Monday, April 5th, 2021

For Iris’s birthday, she decided she wanted to eat carrot cake on top of Mount Ham. So we did. If mount Ham was good enough for me, then it was good enough for her. Carrot cake was what the rabbits voted for, but we didn’t bring rabbits. At the last minute, Iris also decided to bring a friend. Fortunately, there was a very good one available for last-minute birthday parties on mountain summits.

 

 

 

Hymie and Napua came with us for the purpose of taking photos. Hymie is all fixed up so he could attend the doll party in good form. The biggest difference, aside from the fact that his fabric is now perfect, is that his mouth is about 1/8th of an inch narrower. It’s quite noticeable if you know him! Napua is Megan reincarnated. She includes all of Megan’s stuffing plus some, and her head is configured over Megan’s old head. But really, nothing is the same aside from the fact that Iris still has three dolls instead of four. You wouldn’t recognize her in any way shape or form, but they say that reincarnation is like that.

 

 

 

While AmaΓ«lle took time to finish her cake (she is especially good at savoring), Martin hiked to the other high point on the peak. Once Akiva saw that his papa was all alone, he wanted to go, too! Do you see that tiny blue spot to the left of the slightly larger red spot, just to the right of what appears to be a ham radio tower on the peak?** That’s Akiva! He went all the way over there all by himself.

 

 

 

**It is not actually a ham radio tower: it is the profile of the enormous crucifix where they tortured the last of the wild mountain giants.

How we ended up behind Isabelle’s houseβ€”

Friday, April 2nd, 2021

We went looking for a shortcut,

We went looking east and west,

But we did not find a shortcutβ€”

 

 

 

We decided long was best.

Paper Block Man

Sunday, March 28th, 2021

Setting: Moderately messy playroom.

Children seem to be distracted from play due to the presence of their father.

 

 

 

The father is focused on his workβ€” a block sculptureβ€” and appears to take little notice of the children.

 

 

 

Because he did not play with blocks enough as a child, he has trouble getting them to balance.

 

 

 

Fortunately, that does not deter him.

 

 

 

Determined to make up for lost time, he begins again each time they fall.

 

 

 

Finally we have it: a French-man with a full belly.

 

 

 

Egg, orange, peach, banana. Toast, fish, strawberry, apple.

The children return to their play.

 

Akiva & TabΓ©a estimate the distance to the ground.

Thursday, March 25th, 2021

Martin at 49

Sunday, February 28th, 2021

Martin needed a new profile photo for his resume and LinkedIn account.

We chose this one, but all of the other ones were cute, too.