Why grandfathers are cooler than dads...

So Granddaddy had a surprise for the boys when they arrived. He had, following an old Popular Mechanics for Boys instructions, built them a periscope.

This included bringing the wooden tube to the local glass shop and having them cut mirrors perfect for the tube...needless to say the guys in the shop thought it was the coolest thing *they* had seen and I wager their kids will be getting their own soon.

The boys have been looking around corners and over things. The pictures show the front and back of the periscope, the instructions and an orchid as seen through it.

They also brought it to the Parade today and had great fun with it as well.

Dad has also made the boys an "ice scooter" from plans from the turn of the [last] century...three bladed scooter and a specially strap on "pad" that had screws through it in a slight backward angle to make kicking more efficient.

Many years ago, dad I built a Snowball Thrower from a late 1800s "projects for boys" book...it was very cool...basically a small catapult for flinging snowballs (or rocks)...