Flotsom and Shoesom

We're not normally a shoes-off household since we have an indoor/outdoor dog, but make the kids take 'em off - mostly to slow them down in the transition from outside to inside.

The Blogger

Here's Gever sorting through yesterday's media. Julie is diagnosing a problem with the HD1 camera that left more than half of the day's photos blurry and unusable.

The Deconstructors

We decide to get a jumpstart on the breakdown of the carts and Brendan and Nikhil are only too happy to oblige. Some of the parts on the carts date back to the first Tinkering School session. There are pieces of wood in the shed that tell whole stories and picking one up can be an unexpected nostalgia trip.

Under the Hood

Sam gets an angle on a recalcitrant screw.

Exhausted Sweater

After five days of non-stop tinkering, even our clothing is tired.

The Afternoon Porch Crew

Nemo, Connor, and Sam take a hint from Daisy and catch some rays on the deck.

California Kids

Despite the fact that its actually getting warm today, the Tinkerers all jump at the chance to put their feet in the hot-tub. Then it's "Oops I slipped" and they have all gotten their shorts wet - so we kick them all out of the tub and get back to the studio before someone goes swimming.

Leftover Blueprints

Build sketch and parts list for the Caterpillar Carts. While the idea did not work as well as we hoped, the kids to manage to wring some more fun out of the carts when they adapt them for three-wheeled downhill racing.

Railing Heights

We do some experiments to determine the optimal height for the rope-bridge railing. After some tests we determine that a really high railing is best if you are walking on something that is narrow and wiggly.

A Bridge Too Far

It's twenty feet from our tree to the Treehouse of Pikinooi, and between us are sixteen feet of raging piranha-filled whitewater. We're going to make a grappling hook on the end of the rope, and, (hopefully) toss it across the whitewater and hook it onto the treehouse tree. Then we'll send some brave, very light children across the rope to tie it to the tree and put up the hand rails.

Three Ropes to Bind Them All

We'll make the main rope from three smaller ropes braided together. It makes for a very lumpy rope but hopefully it will be easy to walk on.

Another Victim of Armlessness

"Where does the little King keep his armies?" "Up his sleevies."

The Long Braid

Piper takes the reigns as we figure out how to braid three twenty-five foot ropes together to make one humongous rope.

Renaissance Dancers at the Ready

These brave souls (Brendan, Connor, and Sam), ready to prove their worth, prepare to be ordered to and fro by Piper

Sam Over

Extending her braid operations out to ends of twenty-five feet of rope, Piper calls out the moves: "Sam over! Connor over! Brendan over!..." And so it goes for the better part of an hour.

Director of Operations

Managing an upside-down braid and three helpers, Piper gets a nice smooth braid all the way down the rope.

Nearing the End

When it becomes impractical for them to move under each others lines, Brendan, Tywen, and Fiona start to pass the line-ends back and forth.

Tywen Chucking the Grapple

Everyone takes a turn at tossing the two-by-four.

Brendan Chucking the Grapple

Connor Chucking the Grapple

Piper Chucking the Grapple

Sam Chucking the Grapple

Sam Chucking the Grapple

Nikhil Chucking the Grapple

To See a World in a Grain of Sand

We often find Connor at the edges of activities staring at some thing or sometimes nothing.

So Close...

Our grapple proves a little too slippery and despite our best efforts we are unable to get it to lodge safely in the crook of the tree. We discuss some ideas about how to improve it, but we're closing in on dinnertime...

Brave Arbornaut

Connor helmets-up and takes to the untested rope in hopes of crossing the whitewater and making it to the Pikinooi Treehouse.

A Good Start

As the rope begins to sag, Connor makes quick work of the first half of the crossing.

Perilous Journey

As Nemo acts the part of the piranha, the rope sags ever closer to the raging whitewater. Connor's arms are beginning to tire and his feet have become wound up like pretzels.

A Safe Perch

With a heartfelt sigh of relief, Connor reaches the shores of Pikinooi and scampers up the tree to secure the rope.

The Side Show

There's an easy left break peeling off the jetty on the backside of Pikinooi Island and the Tinkerers break out the cardboard surfboards.

Kneeboardin'

Taking it down the pine needle slope Fiona-style.

Tomorrow We Cross the Chasm

The bridge is up and high enough and spindly enough to cause some consternation among the Tinkerers. Everyone decides some food and rest are the proper preparation for the journey. Gever keeps his concerns about the excessive elasticity of the ropes to himself.

Moment of Zen

tywen sees a rope - grapple hook misses the mark - a hint of blair witch