The Apple Grabber

Those apples are really up high.

But they look really good.

My superhero cape is temporarily on the fritz, 

but I am in luck!

Nancy has invested in this cool grabber thing.

Easy as pie!

And pie might just be on the menu.

I'll just stay and pick a peck of apples.

Um, it's fun up here, but I'm ready to come down now.

...

Hey, it's a great view, but could I come down?

...

Nance?

ow!

Thanks, but ow!

Harvesting Mirabelles

 Hey, Bjorn, will you give me a hand picking these mirabelle plums, please?

 Ah, sure. I'll be up there in a minute. I'll just start off by tasting these here in the basket, see if they're good. I wouldn't want us to spend all morning picking bad plums.

Aren't you done tasting yet? I could use a hand here!

Inna minnit! Ya gotta test a representative sample. What if 1% of the plums are bad? That requires a lot of testing. And what if the different branches of the tree are different? They don't all get the same amount of sunlight. Could make a big difference.

 That rat!

 Are you done testing them yet?

Ah, almost! I'll be up there in a minute!

Too late. The box is full and it's time to go.

OOooohhh, my stomach hurts. The plums are all good, every one. Why is it that all together in my tummy they are bad?

Hide & Seek

I see you there in the rhubarb, Astrid! 

 Gotcha, Laars! Too, too obvious: a rat in the trash.

 But where's Bjorn? I've looked everywhere!

I guess he's the winner today.

I knew this would be perfect! Who'd look for a rat in the clean laundry?

.

Egg Hunt redux

Alright rats, it's Easter, and it's time to see if the Easter Bunny hid any eggs in the yard.

Chocolate ones?

Gold ones?

Who knows!

 I found a black rock.

 I found a ball of merino yarn.

 There's a seashell in the forsytha.

 I found some ads...

Our basket is not exactly filling with chocolate.

Hey!

What do you have there, Chickie?

I have laid an egg at last! 

 Oh, my! That's a beauty!

Pure dark chocolate, with mini chocolate eggs inside.

I wonder what the rats will say when they realize that I said if the Easter Bunny left any eggs. I never said there actually were any...

Egg hunt

Well, guys, the lawn is mowed. All this yardwork is tiring! 

I'm hungry; let's have lunch.

How about omelettes? A nice, fluffy omelette sounds great. Fresh eggs, cheese, some ham in there...

 Hey! No eggs.

No eggs here, either!

We'll just have to steal some from the chicken.

Ooooh, omelettes for lunch with stolen eggs, even better.

There she is!

She's sitting on something!

Your eggs or your life, chickie!

Oh, my goodness! Help! thieves! Brigands!

What's this? A ball of yarn?

But of course it's a ball of yarn. Fine merino, in fact. You don't expect me to sit on an egg all day, do you? Seriously! Those things are hard as rocks. My poor tender bottom. Bruised black & blue! 

Not to mention if it cracks. Then you've got an awful mess in your nest, and this one is so perfectly situated under the cherry tree. I'd have to find a new spot near the apricot, and the view just isn't as good there. An egg. The idea! Goodness me, I switched to yarn ages ago. Socks are good too: folded socks. Or a stuffed animal. See? That's very comfy.

Hey! Cutitout! Get'eroffme!

I think there's peanut butter for sandwiches, Laars.

Yeah, let's go have sandwiches.

The dinnerbeast

 You go get us something to eat, Harold. I'm going to knit a shawl for my poor old auntie.

 Go get some fresh meat, she says. Yeah, sure. Always the same thing. Well, perhaps I'll find something.

 I sure hope Harold comes back soon with some tasty dinner for us!

There's something lively!

Er, look at those claws. And those sharp teeth. And that way of pouncing. Too scary for me.

Tum te tum te tum.

 AHA! A mountain of steak!

 En garde, dinnerbeast!

 Tum te tum te tum. Where's Harold? I'm coming over quite peckish.

 Arrr!!!

Arrr!!!

 Where is that boy?

 arrr...

arrr....

it's just too fluffy.

Hey Marguerite! It's dinnertime!

Finally!

 Ummm, what sort of bloody beast is this, Harold?

It's a potato.

A potato?

A potato.

I found it in the back of the fridge.

Well, it does look sort of beastly.

It fought valiantly, but I subdued it. Let's eat!