Duck Soup: October 2008

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Identities of Enchanted Grandkids Revealed!

Here are the original photos used by the Goofy Grandpa in perpetrating his magic spell. The first victim was Bailey.

The second victim was Breanne.

The process involves first converting the photos to "negatives,"

then transferring the image to the pumpkin, and carving out all the "light" areas.

This was a first experiment, and I've learned a few tricks along the way. Future enchantments will hopefully be even more recognizable. Thanks for playing. Papa Duck

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Grandkid Jack-O'-Lanterns - A Fun Idea

Saturday, I stopped at the Farmer's Market in our neighborhood to pick up some fresh tomatos. There was a big trailer full of cheap pumpkins, so I thought we should have a couple of Jack-O'-Lanterns. Then I tried to think of what to carve. How about if I cast a spell on some of our grandkids and turn them into Jack-O'-Lanterns? Yeah! That would be fun! For me, at least. (Grandma Suzi accuses me of doing it so I could procrastinate a certain weekly chore that I don't like very much. Busted!) Anyway, taking some of her recent portraits, I transferred them to the pumpkins and began carving. This is what they look like with the room light on, and no light inside. See the post below for the finished products. And while you're looking, try to guess which two grandchildren have been enchanted and turned into Jack-O'-Lanterns. Good luck.

Papa Duck

Grandkid Jack-O'-Lanterns - the Finished Product

Here are the finished Jack-O'-Lanterns, as seen in the dark and lighted inside. Pretty cool, huh? Now, can you guess which of our 31 grandkids have been turned into Jack-O'-Lanterns? I'll give you a couple of hints: (1) It's not one of the boys. (That narrows it down to just 15 grandaughters). (2) It's not either of the newborns, Eden or Ali. (Now you're down to 13 to choose from.) Post your guesses here under comments, or on the family Yahoo email. Good luck.

Papa Duck

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Serre de Laurian - Our Cabin in the Mountains

Since 1989, we've had a little cabin in the mountains near Oakley, UT. We named it "Serre de Laurian," after the name of a quaint little country house I lived in on my mission, in the Cévennes region of southern France. In French, a "serre" is a greenhouse, or a plant nursery, or (more figuratively) a garden spot or a growing place. We've done our best to plant trees, flowers, and to keep it green and pretty.

The third picture in this group was taken early one morning in August, after we had spent most of the night out on the loungers counting and taking pictures of meteors during the annual Perseid metero shower. We also had two telescopes and had fun looking at plantets and hunting deep sky objects like galaxies, nebulae, star clusters, etc. At the cabin, we enjoy the most beautiful dark skies for star gazing. (See the Astronomy Photos post earlier on this blogspot.)

Interior Pictures of Cabin - Serre de Laurian

These pictures show the kitchen/dining area and the living area. It's really all just one big L-shaped room. Notice the wall bed. In addition, there are 4 beds upstairs. We've had over a dozen people staying overnight, with beds and sleeping bags. It's cozy, but better than camping out.

More Interior Pictures of our Cabin - Serre de Laurian

Here are some additional shots of the interior of the cabin. Two bedrooms upstairs. There are two twins (with a third as a trundle under the first one) in the larger bedroom. A king bed fills the smaller bedroom. Of course, there's a little half-bath next to the kitchen downstairs, with the essentials - a sink, toilet & shower. We only have running water in summer, but we can still use the toilet in winter by carrying water in from a year-round yard faucet. It's modest, but comfortable.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Temples

The new Draper Temple shines in the late afternoon sun below Mt. Timpanogos mantled in the first snow of the season. The Jordan River Temple, as seen from our back porch.

Life & Times: Tuxedos

I do get dressed up for the weddings!

Life & Times: Miscellaneous

Papa Duck as Santa, 2002. Learning to play his new musical saw, Christmas, 2003. (It's supposed to be as easy as whistling. NOT!) An impromptu duet at the Grand Canyon with a total stranger from Kansas City, so naturally we had to sing Roger Miller's "Kansas City Star." Visiting with Suzanne's sister Rita Kay, who keeps me sharp on my nursery rhymes. A free-hand portrait Emily did one Sunday when I was being long-winded from the pulpit.