Maurice and Astrid in China

Hey, bunnyboy, what are we doing in this airport?

We're going on a trip! It'll be fun!

Yeah. Says the rabbit.

Is this it?

I guess. Let's find out.

Hey look! We're in China!

Well whaddya know.

Not only are we in China, but here in this park we're part of the zodiac statuary.

That's cool. Does that mean they won't try to put us on the chop suey and eat us for dinner?

They would never eat us for dinner. We're honored guests.

Lunchtime! Thank goodness, I'm starving.

What's in there?

Ummm, I'm not sure. I think it's pork. Or chicken. Or beef. Or something like that.

All of those are Chinese zodiac animals! Are you sure this honored guest thing is going to work?

Sure it is. We're polyester. Wok us and we'll melt.

Well, that's reassuring.

 Sam here is our guide, and he's going to take us up the world's longest cable car to the keyhole mountain.

 How far is it?

8 kilometers.

I can't see the town any more. It's lost in the smog!

 Here we are at the Special Fantabulous Keyhole Mountain. Only 990 steps to the top.

 Are you sure we have to go all the way up?

Of course we have to go up.

Why? What's up there?

The top. You can't come all this way, a third of the way around the world, up the longest ever cable car, and then not go to the top.

I can.

No, you can't.

We made it! I am a Zen Bun.

All Eyes

Well, guys, it's that time of year again!

Did you bring us candy?

Sacks and sacksfull?

Candy!!!!

No candy. I brought you these fine pumpkins to carve for Halloween.

 No candy?

No matter! We are armed and ready to go!

I get to do the eyes!

No, I get to!

I called it first!

 That's a lotta guts, Maurice. You wouldn't think so many guts would fit into such a modestly sized pumpkin.

 Let's get to work.

 Nice eyes you've carved there, Astrid.

 Oh, and here's another one. Good job, Britta.

And there's another on the far side.

Did anybody carve anything but eyes?

 Looks great, rats; let's take it outside.

This Jack-o-lantern will see 'em coming from all sides.

Hey, guys! What about this one?

we could maybe give it a mouth and some scary teeth...

.

1001 uses

Why so glum, Maurice ? You’re not looking so pink today.

*Sigh* Well, Laars, this paper has come back rejected again. Nobody likes my results ! I admit, they are modest, and represent but a small incremental step in the march toward Understanding. But they’re solid results, succinctly put.

Hm. Many big words. Any pictures in there ?

Yes, of course ! Look at this beautiful histogram of flowgram values !

Err, I was thinking more cartoons. It is a nice little paper, though.

I think so too, but alas, the Reviewer and the Editor did not.
The boss’s orders are to add some « pep » to it and send it out again, quick.

Ah, Pep.

...

Um, what does that mean ?
Is there some secret neato-keen data we can add to it ?

No.

Is there some astonishing new conclusion to be drawn ?

No.

Does it go faster than light ?
Can you work the Higgs boson in there somehow ?

Ummm...

How about this ?

Hey ! That’s just the ticket !

This has gotta work.

.

A rabbit goes to Stockholm

 The train! The train to Stockholm! Here it is!

 This is my buddy Luis. He and Mev live in Lund, but we went to Stockholm last week, just to see it.

Because it's there.

 I met lots of fun characters in Stockholm. They were everywhere!

 This fox-lady sitting by one of the canals was very nice.

Didn't even try to eat me.

 Swedish pastries are excellent! I like to taste the pastry wherever we go. I could just live on pastry.

The coffee was alright.

 hey? feeling okay?

 Mmmm! raspberry crumble and beer for lunch!

This vacation thing is a deal!

Really, the hot sandwiches were on their way, and not all the beer was mine...

 Another interesting character. Strong, silent type.

I don't know what this guy was speechifying about, but he did have a crowd.

After that it was time to go home.

Blackberry adventure

Hey, Astrid, let's go blackberry picking with Marie-Laure and her mom!

Yeah! Let's go!

 Ow ow. The berries are nice, but the plants are really mean!

Ouch! I'm stuck in the brambles.

 Hey guys! There are plenty over this way!

 Aïe! This blackberry business really hurts!

 OW OW OWWW

Time to go. Our basket isn't full yet, but the chicken in the oven is done, so it's time to head home for lunch.

 Marie-Laure and her mom have gathered a good kilo or more.

This is our share.
That and a thousand blackberry stickers!

Oooh, that's going to be some good jam.

Bun Dublin

 Yes, folks, this is two, count them: TWO, posts in the very same week!

 I got to play on some of the statuary.

  This guy seemed nice, but he wasn't very talkative.

I like Dublin parks - no dogs to chase you, and nobody tries to use you as a football.

Now if they would only serve Guinness to Rabbits, it would be perfect.

And that was my trip to Ireland.

See you later this summer, once the rats think of something fun to do in the yard.