Invention 3:7:12

I don't ask questions. I just take the pictures.

Okay, I'm a mom, so I do actually ask questions. It's just that sometimes I'm working so hard not to laugh, I don't really hear everything he tells me about these inventions of his.

Michael very seriously explaining all about his (jet pack?)

while I try not to giggle behind the camera.

Wind Machine

Michael's concept of a windmill....the motor turns the propeller. I was impressed with the balance, despite the long legs.

Invention 2:14:12

One of Michael's many inventions. I'm not sure what this one does, but it's made from the remains of a mosquito trapping machine.

The FESTY Experience - Day Four (Sunday)

Sunday was very much like Saturday, so I won’t go into detail, just hit the highlights.

One thing that happened on Saturday that I did not photograph (because I was at camp) was what a hit was made by Thomas and Michael and their stilts. Now, these stilts are one more of those inventions of Michael’s. As often happens, he woke up one morning with a fully-formed plan to build some stilts out of PCV pipe. We had some around, which he promptly set about using to make his stilts (with oversight from dad). But, they were a bit too wobbly. So, David bought a stouter gage of PCV and they went at it again. Added a coat of orange paint, and here’s the result (this video was taken on Sunday):

According to David (who was there on Saturday sans camera), Thomas (who had built himself some black stilts in the same design) and Michael were a huge hit, with all kinds of people, both kids and adults, wanting to try them out. David’s now got the idea of perfecting the design, figuring out to properly affix the paint, and building a batch of them to sell at next year’s FESTY. Not a bad idea…

We all met up for dinner at the Devil’s Backbone Brewery, which was lovely (thank you, Kitmama and Billy!). We sat on the patio and enjoyed live music, good food, and good beer and wine.

Then, back to camp where I hung out with the kids while Billy, Kit, David and Thomas went back to see the Stringdusters again. All reports indicate that Thomas was beside himself being able to see them perform from backstage, and getting a poster signed by each of the Dusters. After the show, we were joined in camp by a couple of our neighbor campers for a nice fire and good conversation.

Busy Boy

Michael was a very busy boy yesterday. Here are two of his three inventions-of-the-day.

That's what you get when you've got a creative kid with lots of free time on his hands and access to tools and duct tape.

"Say hello to my leeetle friend!"

BooBoo started building this water bomb cannon grappler thingy a couple of days ago, which has been through a few design changes. BroBear helped him perfect the design and finish it up today.


The general idea appears to be launching three water-filled aluminum canteens with a line attached to them, up and over a tree limb, and have the weight of the canteens pull BooBoo up into the tree. It hasn't quite worked out. Yet.

Lookin' down the barrel of the cannon.

Three water-filled bombs taped together.


"Sight" on the top.

It's a very good thing BooBoo is so independent in putting together his projects, because I'm really not that great at this type of thing. At least this one did not involve fire.