Puzzler

From time to time we get the jigsaws out and give them a try. Williamstown has a few in the library and the locals have a jigsaw puzzle library around here somewhere. Our beach friend Jill has a table setup for puzzling and this morning Debbie brings a new table home just for puzzling on.  Recently Grandpa bought a specifically designed foldout puzzle desk, so its seems you are definitely into retirement when you have a dedicated table. I remember doing the largest puzzle ever during COVID which may have been 2000 pieces and needed the whole of the billiard table.  Puzzling is good for mental health so we will be having jigsaw sessions for brain gain.

Leaning Jowler

 Did somebody say Pass the Pigs?  I heard this in conversation recently and in one of the drawers we were rummaging thru there were the Pigs.  We have had Uno out on the deck and also the longtime favourite Question & Answer section from the WeekEnder.  This time we revisited the Pigs and took sometime to remember the various positions, even requiring constant reference to the diagrams, with arrows and circles on the back of each one.  Not sure if this can be unleashed on 4 year old Grandies, maybe 6 year old Grandies is OK.  There is one thing we can get out this Easter which seemed to be a winner at the Angler's tavern last week, which is Giant Jenga blocks.

games gardens & gears

 It was a big midweek couple of days and we have definitely needed our afternoon nap today.  The mud guards came into good use on the wet rail trail.  I have given the bikes a spray to get most of the gunk off. My new birthday bike clothes needed washing as well. They have had a proper initiation.  While we were away, the Japanese maple has sprung into life. Some months back there was a risky uprooting of it from the garden bed and into a large pot. But the operation has worked and now it has a more shaded location. I also constructed my large tower of four x twos. If you have some left over building materials sell them as a game. I have not yet tried to knock it down though. 

knock a block off

gone potty

bikes with tail feathers

Puzzled

I mentioned a week back about dragging out some old puzzles and I found one and completed it within that week.  It was bought in 2000 in a large merchandise tent at the Sydney Olympics.  I have added another topic to my growing stamp interest list which is any stamp depicting the Melbourne or Sydney Olympics.  Now that I finished that puzzle I went looking for another one. There in a cupboard was a 2000 piece puzzle still in its original wrapping showing a world map from 1650.  Next problem, I don't have a table big enough.

Posters from 24 Olympics

No Pool today

Trickster 500

I have been checking out online games where remote players interact with each other.  I have tested this game. It has good graphics and works reasonably well. There is  a video component which we haven't tried yet and a chat area where balloon comments appear near each player.  I have installed it on Apple Ipad via AppleStore but could not find it on Google Playstore. However there is meant to be an Android version via Amazon but I could not get that to work either. It is available for windows via the microsoft store, so two out of three ain't bad.  There are plenty of others like Uno out there.

On being abducted by clowns

I opened one of the games that came yesterday.  It is not a board game but rather a game of objects. I think it is really designed for comedians.  Such as the scenario I was dealt above.  You have a few seconds to scan all the chits that are laid out. I took money, a digital watch and a donut.  These three objects are meant to help you survive. So my reasoning was that the clowns might take the money to let me go. If not the digital watch can track me via the GPS and while I'm waiting I can eat the donut. Simples!  The judge gives you a score and you move on to the next survival round.

The judge can use the whistle to end the object search. I think I might lose the whistle.

One Sided

There were 10 of us for the GF watching. Debbie put in a big cook up spree for the lasagne, apple pie and fruit cake.  Then there was all the food that was brought along so we didn't starve.  The match was a bit predictable before it started.  Afterwards we went for a short stroll along the beach and after afterwards we played a couple of pool games.  IT helps that most of the guests (3 couples) toddled off to Collendina caravan park just across the way.

Anna Jennie Yu Yangs

Coffee game

I have been working my way thru 7 numbered but unlabeled coffee pods.  It's coffee sales trumped up to be a wine tasting lookalike, not that I was ever into that either but there is some fun about it.  So each day I had one of the numbered pods and wrote down against a description which one I thought it was.  There are seven varieties each with their flowery illustrations like hint of moth or tooth of crow.  I saved the scratchie reveals until last but I only got one correct. I think putting milk in with the coffee upsets the whole tasting regime. That's my excuse.

IPods

Sequence

Tried a board game or is it a card game, called Sequence last night.  You do play with a deck of cards and you have to get a run of five in a row to win but only in the order on the board. Two or three or teams of two or three can play.  Its a game needing some skill and some luck but it does distract from the smart phone for a while, especially at the beach.

Sequencers

Multi suit corner

Finska Cures All

As the below picture shows Franster is up and about and throwing wood at other wood and drinking champagne as well.  I should also mention that Debbie cleaned up and won all the games we played and for the first time that I have seen, the game was won by knocking down multiple pins to achieve the 50.  The pins that are splitting are holding together well with the glue but others are showing signs of battery.

Migrating Pins

Monopoly Revisited

 I can't remember when "The Monopoly" day occurred but it would have been around 1997 at Christmas and the game was started and finished in its full splendour taking at least six hours to do so. Last night the "Game of Thrones" edition was got out but this time only for a two hour taster. The conversion to a GOT theme involves all of the game squares and playing pieces with one glaring exception which are the corner squares. I can understand you would leave the GO square and you need the gaol (Jail) but you could at least rename it to the Dungeon. However the shocker is the Free Parking square. 
 What right thinking GOT devotee would allow a square named Free Parking complete with a car painted in the centre. How far removed is Westeros from cars? At least a 1000 yar! I've a mind to write them a letter.  The existence of that corner is as a rest area so how about putting a sacred Weirwood tree there. This is a designated peaceful place.

At least one game piece should have been a Dragon.

Finska

Beryl has given me a Finska set. This is a game where you throw a lump of wood at other lumps of wood. There are 12 numbered cylinders standing upright and you score best by knocking down just one, preferably with a higher number.  There is an issue with who starts. as they seem to have an advantage with the first throw, as the cylinders nicely grouped. From then on they migrate all over the park. After the first session the pins are looking rather battered.

Bowling ?