Category / funny

Could this become one of the most famous photos in history?

squirrel crashes photo
Not that it ranks up there with that shot of the South Vietnamese guy paying out what he thought was righteous (and quick) justice, but I wonder, in this age of the Internet, if this might become just as well known. It will certainly be known by lots of people more quickly.

The story, in case you’re interested, is that Melissa Brandts and her husband were hiking in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. They decided to take a portrait of themselves with Lake Minnewanka in the background (no doubt for the annual “look at the cool places we went and you didn’t” holiday letter). Melissa set up the camera and went back to pose, and her husband held the remote shutter release.

Meanwhile, attracted by the sounds of the autofocus, an inquisitive Columbian ground squirrel, common in the park, popped up to investigate. Click! “Self-Portrait With Ground Squirrel” was born.

Personally, I think it should still make the holiday card, even though by then, everyone will have already seen it.

How to fly a kite

From Jack’s 1st Grade creative writing notebook:

How to fly a kite:
    1. You get a kite.
    2. You hold on to the kite and handle and run.
    3. Let go of the kite but not the handle.
    4. Then let it fly!!!! but do not stop running.
    5. Then stop running.
    6. Scroll the rope back.
    7. Take the kite back home.
    8. Then go to sleep.
    9. And say to yourself, “What a day I had!”

    "I can’t hear you!"


    Char went down to Florida last week to help her mom get back on her feet after emergency appendectomy surgery. She flew down there with the twins and left Lily and Jack home with me. (Much to their chagrin, I can tell you. The week started with Abby bragging about getting to fly on an airplane before either of them.)

    Apparently, Abby packed her attitude for the trip. While swimming, she hit Grace in the face with one of those foam noodles. Grace yelled, “Mom! Abby hit me with her noodle!”

    Char turned and began to correct her. “Abby,” she started, “please don’t hit…”

    At that moment, Abby put her head back to move her ears under the water and said, “I can’t hear you!”

    [View more photos from their trip]

    “I’m sorry, Dad.”

    So, the night before last, Jack has the idea that he knows how to make it snow. He puts his pajamas on inside out, flushes an ice cube down the toilet, and sleeps with a spoon under his pillow.

    He wakes up to pouring rain, and it rains all day. Late last night, while still raining and very windy, Char and I heard a huge ‘thump’ from outside. One of our large elm trees was uprooted and came crashing to the ground, narrowly missing a couple other trees and completely covering the roadway.

    On the way to school today, Jack says, “I’m sorry, Dad.”

    “For what?”

    “For making it rain,” he answered.

    So… I was torn. I could tell him that his little ritual didn’t really make it rain and possibly crush him. Or I could just accept his apology.

    The choice was ultimately easy. I said, “Next time, try flushing two ice cubes.”