The Tale of a Doodle Trebuchet and a Test Doodle

Okay, very little of this post has to do with the Doodle Trebuchet, but Mom was at a loss for a title.   And it caught your attention, didn't it?

First, as you may know, there have been some issues getting the Doodle Launcher 'calibrated' as of late.

This launch may have been Test Dummy error.  Or Frisbee Thrower error.  Or something.

Not being a fan of 'big air', I can assure you that all is not well with the Doodle Launcher.

Yep, Doodle Launcher still a little "off".

Too much vertical.

Definitely not enough vertical.

Anyway, you get the point.  The Doodle Launcher needed to be attended to by our resident engineer (who, inexplicably, keeps muttering "Dammit, Jim, I'm a doctor not an engineer" - which makes me think our resident Doodle Launcher calibrator may be losing her marbles, as there is no one named 'Jim' in this house...).  While Mom was working on calibrating the Doodle Launcher, she thought a Doodle Trebuchet might solve Abby's Need For Big Air.

Since Mom once watched a show on PBS about building your own trebuchet, she felt certain she was up to the task (despite not being an engineer; apparently being a former medieval historian makes her qualified to build siege weapons...).   Abby the Test Dummy, er, Test Pilot donned absolutely no safety gear and tested out the Doodle Trebuchet.

Yeah, so that worked out well, huh?

While Mom was rather thrilled with the initial results of the Doodle Trebuchet, she was a tad concerned Abby might end up in the living room of the neighbors down the hill and across the street (not that Abby would have minded - she seemed to LOVE being flung through the air).  So, Mom is going to watch more PBS to 'refine' the Doodle Trebuchet, and in the mean time, has slapped more duct tape on the Doodle Launcher...

Still too much vertical, but at least Abby isn't in the next county.

Either Abby really IS that long, or somehow the Doodle Launcher has the ability to manipulate the space-time continuum.

It looks like the Doodle Launcher was set on 'low' here.

Wow!  It looks like the duct tape is working!

I even braved the Doodle Launcher, after ascertaining that it really WAS set to 'low amplitude'.

Mom was a little worried that the duct tape might give out, so we just amused ourselves with some old-fashioned frisbee chasing.  Abby, of course, had to add facial expressions.

"Gotcha!"

Hmmm.  I seem to have employed the 'Zombie Catch' maneuver this time.

Nice ear flappage, Abs!

Is it me, or is Abby trying to scare the frisbee into her mouth?

"Ahhh!  It's Dogzilla!  Now that Mothra has met its doom, there is No Hope for Tokyo!"

More manipulation of the space-time continuum.  Or Abby is made of rubber.  Which would explain a lot.

Heehee.  I can't let Abby be the only Dogzilla in the yard!

Biggify this picture.  Go on.  I dare you.  Talk about Jaws of Doom!

Bad hair day or refined frisbee technique?  You be the judge.

I've got ear flappage, too!

"Mom, I brought this frisbee back just for you.  You know, so you'll throw it again!"

Abby the Frisbee Hound.

Clearly she is rehearsing for Doodle Lake and not paying too much attention to the frisbee.

Frisbee zoomies!

My sister the flying Goofadoodle.

Me?  While I enjoy frisbee almost as much as my sister, for some reason, Mom has a lot of pictures of my back...

Thanks, Mom.  If I kick you in the head at 3am while I'm getting into a more comfortable sleeping position, don't take it personally!  Just kidding, Mom!

However, unlike my sister, I love posing for portraits.

Yes, I really am strikingly pretty.

My serious look.

Of course, I have been known to get a tad distracted.

Such as when treats are involved.

"Hold on!  I've got a little something on my nose!"

Or when something interrupts my photo shoots.

"Squirrel?!?  Where?"

Heehee. 

Mom usually has to catch Abby unware...

"I know she's going to throw that frisbee!"

"I am communicating with the Mother Ship.  Don't interrupt me."

Heehee.

But just to let you know we are not wild and crazy All The Time (no matter what Mom says), here are a few photos of us in repose.  (In truth, Mom is still playing around with ISO and aperture settings, but hey, you can never have too many pictures of us.)

Don't bother me.  I'm napping.

Holy Hipposnooterus, Batman!  Mom wasn't even using any distortions or adapters for this photo!

And now it's time for a nap!  Have a great week!

Zzzzzz.

*kissey face*
-Fiona and Abby the Hippobottomus

Photos, Photos and More Photos

Seriously, if Mom is going to keep taking a zillion photos a week, she's REALLY going to have to start posting more often, or we are going to end up with a lot of posts like this one that have TONS of photos.  Mom had a five-day weekend for the Christmas holiday, so that did give her a lot of opportunities to take pictures, and Mom took advantage of all of those opportunities!  Trust me, there are a zillion photos in this post.  Biggify (click on a photo) for best viewing.

First, let's get some action photos.

My sister is a frisbee hog!

And she's got some legs on her - we don't call her the Hippobottomus for nothing, ya know!

I'm just watching in amazement - her torso has GOT to be 6 feet long!

Finally!  I stole one from my sister!

You will notice that I am NOT a Hippobottomus!

Is it me, or does Abby look like she's a two-legger out for a stroll?

Mom has started calling Abby a 'land-shark'.  I think the following photos illustrate why, exactly, Mom has been using that term.

Does someone hear the 'Jaws' theme?

Just like the cover of the latest Time magazine!

Yes, Abby, you SHOULD show off Every Single Tooth in your mouth!  Heehee.

Land shark indeed!  In addition to Abby's 'Jaws' moves, Abby has also been testing out the Doodle Launcher.  The weather has been warm and sunny, so Abby has been working on her amplitude and style!

Amplitude is okay, style is a bit dorky...

I think she loses style points for missing the frisbee, unfortunately.

Not bad in amplitude, and she did catch the frisbee.

I think the Doodle Launcher was on the 'ejection seat' setting!

Amplitude, style points AND an audience.  (I have to humor her, ya know!)

I think Abby is going to be a contender in the next Winter X-Games, don't you?

One of Mom's 'new things' has been to get photos from different angles.  Her latest quest is to see if she can get photos of us running at her, and she thinks these photos would be 'coolest' from ground level.  Which means that Mom lies down on her belly in the snow and attempts to throw the frisbee after which she then hopes we'll come running back to her.  Needless to say, Mom is still working on this whole thing.

Hi Mom!

I don't need a frisbee to look stylish!  (Besides, Mom really can't throw a frisbee when she's lying on the ground.)

Goofadoodle coming in hot!  Watch out, Mom!

"Look out again, Mom!  Crazy dog coming in for a landing!"  (No cameras or Moms were injured in the taking of this photo)

"Hey, Mom.  You know I like to skid to a stop, right?  If I spray you with snow, well, you'll only have yourself to blame!"

While she's down on the ground, Mom usually gets a few other shots.

"My name is Abby, and I'm a frisbee hoarder."

"Hey, uh, Mom?  I brought you this frisbee; could you throw it please?"

"Here, I'll even pick it up to give you a hand."

After a while, Mom gets cold and it's back to action photos.

Rehearsals for the ballet 'Doodle Lake' go on year-round!

Notice that I am NOT a land shark.

"Abby watch this - it is possible to catch a frisbee without putting ALL of one's pearly whites on display!"

But lest you think the entire weekend was go-go-go, Abby and I had some downtime.

Christmas Eve we had visions of bully sticks dancing through out heads!

"Zzzzzz....."

And we had some afternoon nap-time.

We actually do snuggle up to each other!

Abby after one football game too many!

Lazy Saturday afternoon (and a chance for Mom to try out her aperture-priority setting on her camera).

Of course, Mom also got some 'face shots'.  Something about how she can't get enough portrait photos!

Mom particularly likes this photo because she caught the 'late' (3pm) sun just before it set behind our hillside.

Hipposnooterus!  (Actually, Mom is please with how the background is indistinct while Abby's schnozz is 'tack sharp'.)

Is it possible to get enough snowy snooter photos?  I didn't think so....

Of course, you really can't have enough photos of me against a snowy backdrop, either!

As you can imagine, after a while Mom's constant snapping of photos gets a bit old and I have to make a statement.

"Pfffth."

And if I didn't make my point clear, let me stick my tongue out at you some more.

So there!  Heehee!

Now, just a few more photos...

In addition to taking photos of us all weekend, Mom and Dad managed to get in some cross-country skiing:

Dad being all ninja-like in his cross-country gear.

And Mom DID take us on a bunch of walkies.

Walkies, from Abby's point of view.  Yes, I AM the lead dog!

And we got to see what Santa Paws left in our stockings!  (Mom is still figuring out the shutter-speed/aperture/ISO triangle, and we weren't exactly sitting still!)

And I got to pose next to a ginormous pillow that was a present from our Granny and Grandpa.  (BTW, this is one of those family 'stories', but it has to do Jimmy Stewart having gone to my Mom's high school, and "It's a Wonderful Life" being an old family movie favorite...)

"Actually, it IS a wonderful life!"

And FINALLY, one of Mom's favorite photos of the long weekend.

Hopefully Mom will get up posts during the week, so we won't end up with one post with 87 photos in it!

*kissey face*
-Fiona and Abby the Hippobottomus